Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens Keys for Kids Ministries

READ: ROMANS 5:8-11; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21; EPHESIANS 6:19-20



Would you like to be an ambassador to a foreign country and work in an embassy? You’d live in that foreign country and be able to speak for your country’s leader, because you would be their official representative.



Did you know that the land the embassies are on is actually considered a really small part of their home country? So, say, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico is actually a tiny piece of the United States of America, right smack dab in the middle of Mexico City.



Turns out that if you name Jesus as your King, then you actually are an ambassador for Christ! The church is kind of like an embassy, right here on earth. Christians are given this awesome opportunity to speak for God as we share our faith and His love with the world around us.



In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul is appealing with his whole heart to the lost ones in Corinth. He shares how the heart of his King, the God of the universe, longs for the world that has turned its back on Him to be reconciled to Him. Paul writes, “We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God.’”



God’s embassy is still on earth, even when we turn our back to Him. His church, the ambassadors, are still here. God doesn’t want anyone to live outside of His territory. He wants the whole world to be reconciled, to come to Him, and to live as residents of His kingdom.



So He sends His ambassadors—you and me—to the people around us. We ambassadors for Christ can pray for our friends, share our stories, and explain God’s wonderful plan to those around us. • Kristen Merrill



• One day, Jesus will return to reign as King over all creation. He will renew the heavens and the earth, and He will resurrect His people from the dead to live with Him in His eternal kingdom. Until then, the church can offer a glimpse of that kingdom. What are some ways the church can point to Jesus as King? How can we show people what Jesus and His kingdom are like?



• It’s because God loves us and longs for us to be reconciled to Him that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. To learn more about how we can be reconciled to God through Jesus, and how to share this good news with others, check out our "Know Jesus" page.



Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (CSB)

READ: PROVERBS 12:15; 15:22; 19:20; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27



I like to do things on my own. I never enjoyed group projects in school because it seemed like I was the one to be the most focused or the one who cared the most about grades, so then I ended up putting pressure on myself to pick up the slack from everyone else. Plus, I know what it is that I want to do, and working in a group is difficult because people have lots of different opinions about what should be done or how it should be done.



As I grew into adulthood, that dislike for working on group projects continued in the form of just generally wanting to do my own thing. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to listen to the advice of others because I know what it is I want to accomplish, and I know how I want to accomplish it.



But the times I have sought advice and truly listened to what others had to say about different circumstances I was facing, I was able to make a better decision about how to move forward. When God saves us, He places us in community for a reason. He says, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). We’re often tempted to think that we don’t need other people, that life would be simpler if we just did things ourselves, but we are meant to lean on one another. We are not meant to do this life alone. There is so much freedom and confidence that comes from turning to other people and truly listening to what they have to say. • Tynea Lewis



• Do you like group projects? Why or why not? Can you think of a time when having multiple people’s perspectives and abilities resulted in a better outcome than one person could have produced on their own?



• What is one area of your life that you could benefit from listening to the advice of others?



• Who is a trusted person in your life who could provide wise and godly counsel when you are facing difficult situations or decisions—someone who embodies the wisdom described in James 3:12-18? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.



Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. Proverbs 19:20 (NLT)  

READ: ROMANS 8; 1 PETER 2:9-10



My hands shook with my effort not to take The List out of my pocket. You can’t control me, I whispered through gritted teeth. I just wanted to walk into this building full of, I imagined, lovely people and be okay. Two steps from the door, my fingers curled around The List. I tried to squeeze my eyes shut as I felt myself unfold the paper. There, scrawled across the top was the word condemned. I jammed the paper into my pocket, turned around, and walked away.



The following day, I was looking forward to the moment that could change the trajectory of my future. I had prepared myself and worked hard. I sat in a chair, waiting for them to call my name. Instead, I felt the call of The List. I gripped the seat tight, willing myself not to listen. Once again, I opened it to see the next word penned below the first: rejected. I made my way down the hall, away from possibility, not even turning back when I heard them call my name.



Looking in the mirror that night, I thought I glimpsed a spark of new. Was it in my eyes? Could I be the person I wanted to be? Did the corners of my mouth turn up slightly more than usual? I felt a strange twitch on my lips, a desire to smile. But the desire fled when I watched my hand draw out The List once more. I don’t know why I had this compulsion to read it when I already knew by heart what I would see: stagnant.



I sank to the floor, overcome by defeat and sorrow. The List lay beside me, mocking—wait! The words that I had read so many times were crossed out with bold, red slashes. I gripped The List and felt my heart leap as I read new words written over the old. Instead of condemned I read approved, in place of rejected was chosen, over stagnant was alive.



Finally, I understood. The List would no longer control me with its lies. I could live in the freedom of who I was always meant to be, and no one could take it away. • Savannah Coleman



• Like The List in today’s allegorical story, we all have voices in our heads, but what God says about us should trump anything our minds or other people say. When you become a follower of Christ, you are given a new identity. He takes all the sin and shame. By the blood of Jesus shed for you, you are no longer condemned, but forgiven (Romans 8:1; 1 John 2:12). You are no longer rejected, but a chosen, fully loved child of God (Romans 8:15; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 3:1). What are some practical ways you could spend time listening to what God says about you this week? Remember, we hear God’s voice through His Word, His people, and His Spirit. (If you’ve never put your trust in Jesus and want to know more, see our "Know Jesus" page.)



• Satan likes to try to remind us of who we were before we met Jesus. He accuses and causes worries, fears, and anxiety to fill our minds. And even if Satan is not directly responsible for the voices in our heads, he is a primary source of them. The other source is the law, or God’s commands, which God gave us to show us our need for Jesus. Yet, Satan uses the law to accuse us. The law’s accusatory nature should lead us to Christ, but it often becomes the means by which we are continually enslaved by fear and anxiety. But the truth is this: in Christ, we are new creations—everything that was old has been transformed (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). Although we will still struggle with sin and negative thoughts, we now have the power of God to choose righteousness and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:

READ: 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17; HEBREWS 4:12



When you do the same thing over and over again, it’s easy to get tired of it. This can even be true of reading the Bible. If you’ve ever had your Bible reading routine feel like something you’re just trying to get through and you’ve longed for it to be something more—longed to learn more and get more out of it—you can find a way to make things different. You can try new things so that your Bible reading routine helps you feel more connected to God and helps you grow in your faith.



First, you can start by asking God for direction. Spend time with Him in prayer, asking what He wants your Bible reading routine to look like right now. Ask Him where He wants you to be reading. Ask Him how He wants you to be studying. Ask Him to remind you of how He is with you as you read. Remember, the time you spend reading the Bible can be something you do together with Him, deeply in-tuned to Him. As you pray, you may not get any specific answers about where and how to do your reading, and that’s okay—the point is to spend intentional time seeking God as you read His Word. He may be guiding you in ways you don’t even realize yet.



If you’ve been studying your Bible alone, you could find someone to read it with you—maybe a friend, mentor, church member, or small group. You might even see if a sibling is interested in sitting down with you each day and letting you read to them. Then, discuss what you’re reading with the person or people you choose to study with.



If you’ve never tried journaling about what you’re reading in the Bible before, why not get out a paper and pen and give it a try? Write about what you’re learning, what questions you have, connections to your life, prayers, and whatever else God lays on your heart.



The Bible is worth studying because it’s God’s Word—and it tells us the truth about Jesus’s death and resurrection. It reveals His great love for us. So, if you feel that something in your Bible routine is lacking, ask God to help you find a way to change things up. • Emily Acker



• Have you tried out any Bible-reading routines? What did you like or dislike about them?



• Which of the suggestions above are you curious about? Do any other ideas come to mind?



• God delights in helping us find ways to spend time with Him and grow in our relationship with Him. How could you set aside time this week to be in His Word?



But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (NLT) 

READ: PSALM 13:1-6



How long, God? Why is it taking forever for things to get better? Why can’t my life turn around and be all that I hoped for? Why do you feel so far from me? How long, God, is it going to feel like this? How long can I survive like this?



You may have had thoughts like these at times, and they are similar to the thoughts of David when he wrote Psalm 13. In this psalm, David asks God if He will forget him forever. That’s the way he’s feeling as he writes—forgotten and abandoned. He is sorrowful and wrestling with difficult thoughts.



That might be just the way you feel sometimes. You might feel alone. You might worry about a hundred things at once. Your life might feel messy, and you might feel like God is far from you. But the truth is, God is so very near. He loves us so much that Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him always. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that, even in our worst moments, Jesus is right there with us. He weeps with us and offers hope, comfort, and strength. And one day, He will make all wrongs right. When we rest in these truths, it can help us remember that God is trustworthy. He loves us, and He never leaves us.



That’s what David does in Psalm 13. In the end, he remembers that God has been good to him. He might have felt abandoned for a time, but he knows that God is always good. David even says that he will sing praise to the Lord.



When we struggle, we can cry out and ask God how long we’re going to feel that way. We can tell Him how abandoned and forgotten we feel. We can process all our messy feelings with Him. As we do this, the Holy Spirit helps us remember how good God is and rest in the truth that He is with us. He has always loved us, and always will. • Bethany Acker



• When we read lament psalms like Psalm 13, it can be tempting to skip right down to the “good part” in verses 5-6. We might want to skip over our feelings of hurt, sorrow, and frustration. But that’s not what God wants for us. He is not afraid of our feelings. Instead of skipping these uncomfortable emotions, He invites us to process them with Him, even if that means telling Him how angry we are at Him. Are there any uncomfortable feelings you need to process with God right now? He invites us to come to Him in prayer and be honest with Him so He can bring healing to our hearts.



But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:5 (NIV) 

READ: GENESIS 28:15; DEUTERONOMY 31:1-13; PROVERBS 3:26



Have you ever read Deuteronomy 31:8? It says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” The book of Deuteronomy consists of messages that Moses gave the Israelites about the future. At the time, God had already parted the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and now they were wandering in the wilderness, waiting for God to bring them into the Promised Land. Moses wanted to encourage the people to trust God, and he also instructed them in how to act righteously—how to live according to God’s good ways.



When Moses was nearing the end of his life, he spoke the words of Deuteronomy 31:8 to Joshua, right before Joshua would lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Moses wanted to offer his successor the peace of knowing that God was preparing the way ahead of him, that God would be with him, and that he didn’t need to fear any evil.



For me, reading this verse reminds me that my Father has my future in His hands, and I don’t need to be afraid of what is to come. I don’t need to try to take control or plan things out by myself—He already sits upon the throne.



Though this world may crumble around us, we don’t need to get discouraged, because God is good and His promise is secure. Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and He went before us, living the righteous life we never could, making the way for us to be saved from the wilderness of sin and enter the abundance of God’s kingdom. He died, was buried, rose from the grave, and is coming back again to raise all His people from the dead to live with Him forever in restored creation. And even now, He promises to be with us, always (Matthew 28:20).



When I first read Deuteronomy 31:8, I immediately felt at peace. The promise that God will never leave us and that He will always be with us is such a comfort. It teaches me to quiet any worries I have and to never lose hope. Our God goes before us. • Molly McTernan



• What kinds of things have made you feel afraid or discouraged lately? It’s not wrong to feel this way, and in fact, God invites us to be totally honest about this. How could remembering that God is with us and goes before us make it easier to bring all our concerns to Him in prayer?



• In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians you can talk to when you feel worried?



“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)