Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: GENESIS 3:1-15

The sign of the serpent had been engraved on the doors for as long as anyone could remember. Every time she went past, she was reminded of their enslavement. It was carved into the wood deeper than the ocean itself, a writhing ribbon of sickening green. One could almost imagine it was moving, undulating toward them with a rasping tongue and obsidian black eyes that were slits in the emerald irises. All who passed by were to bow before it.

And then one day, a man defied it. Denied it.

The people were amazed, and so was she. Who was dumb enough to ignore the mark of the serpent, the captor of their people? He did it every time he went by, this strange man. Walking as if the green worm upon the doors was invisible.

And of course, the inevitable happened. The serpent kings were displeased. They arrested the man and killed him. In her heart, she sorrowed, for she had begun to hope that their slavery was over. There was no hope now, for it was buried with a dead man.

The third day after his death, she made her way to the market, heavy inside. As she passed the gates, she dared to look up. Her heart swelled even as the awe of what she was seeing made her gasp. It was impossible. And yet there it was.

The snake on the door was gone. The only thing that remained was a small portion of its head, scarred as if an ax had slashed through the image.

Her eyes filled with tears. This was no mere man. Somehow, she knew he had done more than just destroy their captors. This freedom was unlike anything she had ever known. And she needed to know more. Hope swelled again, and she turned, running for the place where he had been buried. Something told her she wouldn’t find it occupied anymore. • Macy Walts

• Today’s allegorical story echoes Bible passages like Genesis 3:14-15 and Hebrews 2:14-15. When the first humans gave in to the serpent’s temptation, sin and death entered the good world God had made. The serpent—Satan—became the ruler of this world, and we became slaves to sin. But God loved us so much, He was determined to rescue His people and restore His creation. That’s why Jesus, God in flesh, came and lived among us. When Jesus gave up His life on the cross, and then rose from the grave, He crushed the serpent’s head and set us free from sin and death! If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 4:1-11; 11:28-30; 28:1-10; John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9-11

• Satan—who is also called the tempter, deceiver, or accuser—has already been defeated, yet today we are still waiting for Jesus to return and destroy him forever. In what ways have you seen Satan’s influencein your life or in the world? Are there any sins or lies that you feel enslaved to?

• As Christians, we are free from the power of sin. The Holy Spirit empowers us to say no to any temptation—what a relief! And when we do sin, the Holy Spirit helps us repent—to turn away from sin and back toward Jesus. What questions do you have about temptation, sin, and forgiveness? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about this?

• Jesus paid the price for our forgiveness with His own blood. Consider taking a moment to thank Him for the ultimate sacrifice, dying for us needy sinners that we might be restored to relationship with God and live with Him forever in renewed creation. (Revelation 21:1-5)

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death— that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 8:14-17; GALATIANS 3:26-28

Liar. Drunk. Adulterer. Coward.

Scroll through the news on any given day, and chances are you’ll find individuals who have been assigned disparaging labels. These labels are not new. In the Bible, we find that Jacob was a liar, Noah was a drunk, David was an adulterer, and Jonah was a coward. And yet, God worked in and through each of them in mighty ways.

What labels do you hear in a day? Theater kid, athlete, gamer? Labels can be positive: all-star, honor student, hard worker. Or negative: loser, cheater, troublemaker.

Problems occur when we let labels define us and those around us. We might try to steer clear of people with negative labels to avoid being associated with them, or we might try to befriend those with positive labels to elevate ourselves.

However, God is concerned with only one label. Are you His child? Have you received the label of believer by putting your trust in Jesus? If so, in the new creation you will be surrounded by people who were given many different labels while on earth, but in eternity, none of those matter. And today, God helps us treat each other in light of eternity (Romans 12:16; James 2:1-9).

Maybe you’ve received Jesus as your Savior, but you messed up big-time. That still doesn’t change who you are in Christ. Our mistakes don’t define us. Sin may have consequences, but it doesn’t change who we are. That’s the beauty and power of forgiveness. God does not look at our mistakes and label us accordingly. Because our sins are forgiven, He looks at us as His unblemished, holy, beloved children. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He took all the labels and sins and threw them away. The only label we need to be concerned with is the one He gives us: child of God—loved, forgiven, and adopted into His eternal family. • Erin Nestico

• If you have some time, consider taking a piece of paper and dividing it into three columns. In the first column, list all the labels you think other people give you. In the middle column, list all the labels you give yourself. In the third column, list all the labels God gives you (to get a few ideas, read Genesis 1:27; John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Peter 2:9). As you look at each column, how do you feel? Consider spending some time in prayer, talking to Jesus about the labels in each column and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:27; PSALM 139:13; MATTHEW 5:14-16

Bullying. It’s painful to experience. But here’s the thing: I don’t know bullying’s pain because I’ve been bullied. I know its pain because I have been the bully.

I’ve made fun of people. I’ve gossiped about people I didn’t like. I’ve secretly judged the so-called “losers.” But I’d been trying to live my life for Jesus and be different. I wasn’t one of those people, right? But I was one of those people. I was a bully.

It took a long week—full of conviction, tears, and prayer—for Jesus to help me see that reality, changing my life and outlook. I realized I wasn’t just hurting the people I was mocking, teasing, gossiping about, and hating. I was hurting Jesus, the one who loved me so much He died so I could be forgiven for my sins, including bullying (Matthew 25:31-46; Ephesians 4:29-32). I was not acting like I belonged to Him. I was taking God’s creations, made after His own image, and raising myself above them. Like I was better than them.

But I’m not. I need Jesus’s grace—just like everyone else. Bullying is a sin because it forgets that every person was created in God’s image. Basically, making fun of other people is hating on God and His good creation.

As I sought to turn away from the sin of bullying, Jesus was with me— working in me to make me more like Himself. I apologized to the people I hurt. God was humbling me so I didn’t see myself as better than others, but equal to them in His eyes. I started to see people as wonderful, interesting creations of God Himself, even becoming friends with people who were still being hated on by others.

No matter how badly we’ve messed up, Jesus can forgive, restore, and transform us (Luke 23:34). We can even become a light to others who are struggling. He redeems us from our brokenness and gives us the opportunity to share His love and truth with others. • Natalie Gilkinson

• Why is it important that (1) God created all people in His image, and (2) we are all sinners in need of Jesus? How might these truths affect the way we see those around us? (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:11-12, 23-24; 6:23)

• If you are bullying others, are being bullied, or are seeing bullying happen, who is a trusted adult you can talk to about it?

Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 17:11-19

“Jesus is coming,” Nathanael whispers. “He’s coming.” “Jesus?” I say, scratching another sore on my arm until it weeps.

“Oh, you Samaritans! Don’t you know anything?” Nathanael sighs. “He’s the Healer, like the prophets predicted. He can save us—even you.”

Ten of us are still alive in this leper colony. Staying at home would put our families at risk. Tears prick my eyes as I think of the day I left behind my wife and son—of the sadness on their faces. I miss them.

“Unclean!” people scream at us, hurrying by. “Ugh! Look at them!”

“Dear God,” I pray, “please, let Jesus heal me.”

“Jesus is coming,” Nathanael cries. “A huge crowd is following Him.”

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” we cry over and over again until our throats dry up. Sunshine scorches us, playing havoc with our wounds, my heart thumps as Jesus stops. He does not run away. His eyes reflect compassion and love. He reaches out to us. The crowd immediately disperses, shuddering.

“Go show yourselves to the priests,” Jesus says.

I want to shout out that they won’t let us near them. But then I remember my prayer, and I wonder if, maybe, this is God’s answer.

All of us obey. As we walk, my skin tingles. The heat is no longer intense. Before I even look down, I know I am well. Overcome with emotion, I jump up into the air!

I begin to praise God loudly, running back to Jesus, falling on the stony ground at His feet, unable to stop thanking Him.

Jesus speaks, His eyes rich with love, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

I run home, my heart soaring. Jesus has saved my life. • Cindy Lee

• Today’s story is how one author imagines Luke 17:11-19. When have you felt like an outcast? Read John 1:12 and 3:16. How does Jesus give us a place to belong? (To learn more, see or "Know Jesus" page.)

[Jesus said,] “Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Luke 17:18 (NLT)

READ: JUDGES 2:16-19; ROMANS 6:1-14

If you’re a pet owner like me, then you know sometimes your pets do things you don’t understand. One thing I don’t understand about my cat Elora is that she loves to get into my bedroom closet. Elora knows how to slip in between the two sliding closet doors, but she doesn’t know how to get out. Whenever she gets stuck inside, I hear her meowing for help, and so I open the door to set her free. This process often repeats itself, and I wonder when my cat will learn not to get stuck in the closet!

My cat’s obsession with getting into my closet reminded me of how we often get stuck in cycles of sin. In the Old Testament, the Israelites went through cycles of sin for many years. First they followed God, then they followed other false gods, and so God let their enemies rule over them. Then they cried out to God for help, and God rescued them. And the cycle would start all over again. In the New Testament, we see our lives follow the same pattern (Romans 5:20–8:39).

When we’re left on our own, we choose to sin against God because we’re born with a sinful nature. We can’t break out of our sinful habits on our own because, without Christ, we’re all slaves to sin. The good news is that Jesus, God in flesh, gave His life for us. He died on the cross and rose from the dead so we could be forgiven of our sin and be made right with Him.

God loves you so much, and He doesn’t want you to be separated from Him. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus as your Savior, He has delivered you from sin and death and brought you near to Himself. Like I rescue my cat from the closet, Jesus rescues us. He teaches us not to wander into sin, but even when we do, He comes for us every time. • Brooke Morris

• Can you think of a time you felt like you were stuck in a cycle of sin? You might feel like there’s no way out, but there is hope! Jesus took our punishment on Himself when He died on the cross for our sins. If we’ve put our trust in Him as our Savior, He has already delivered us from sin’s power and given us the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to say “no” to temptation and break our sin cycles. Consider taking some time right now to pray. You can thank Jesus for being your Savior, confess any sin that comes to mind, rest in His sure forgiveness, and ask for His help to escape any sin cycles you may be stuck in.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)