Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

The True Story of St. Patrick

READ: ACTS 1:8; 8:4-8, 26-40 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ACTS%201%3A8%3B%208%3A4-8%2C%2026-40&version=NIV] The first time I visited Ireland, I toured Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. I saw a museum exhibit of an ancient stone slab with a cross on it. The slab was from a nearby well that Patrick may have used to baptize people who converted to Christianity in the fifth century. The reason we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 is to remember Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. When Patrick was about sixteen years old, he was captured by foreign raiders, carried off to Ireland, and sold as a slave. Patrick was enslaved for six years until God brought him back to his home country in Britain. Patrick recognized that God’s presence was with him at all times, and we can see this through the prayer of Saint Patrick, part of which says: “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.” What amazes me is that, after Patrick escaped home to Britain, God called him back to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick knew there were dangers if he returned, but he still obeyed what God was calling him to. He shared the hope of Jesus with the Irish people, in spite of opposition from the church in Britain. He shared the message of the gospel—the good news that Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross and rose from the dead to save us from sin and make the way for us to have eternal life with Him. God worked powerfully through Patrick’s ministry, and pagans who formerly worshiped nature came to put their trust in the one true God. God loves to draw people to Himself, and we get to be part of that work! If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with people from around the world, like Patrick did with the people of Ireland. • Brooke Morris • Similar to how Patrick went to the place that formerly enslaved him, Jesus came to be with us—people who were God’s enemies (John 1:1-18; Romans 5:6-11). And, like Patrick, Jesus came with a mission to love and save the people who hated Him. Jesus even died for us! Then He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death on our behalf so we could have eternal life with Him. What good news! To learn more about the gospel, and how to share it, check out our "Know Jesus [https://unlocked.org/knowjesus/]" page. • Can you think of a time someone shared the gospel with you? Maybe it was a pastor, family member, youth leader, or friend. What did they say that stuck with you? • Have you ever shared the gospel with someone? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice any people in your life He is inviting you to share the gospel with. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

The Lost Archives

READ: 2 KINGS 22:8-11; 23:1-3; MATTHEW 1:1; 24:35 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20KINGS%2022%3A8-11%3B%2023%3A1-3%3B%20MATTHEW%201%3A1%3B%2024%3A35&version=WEB] The following story is an allegory based on 2 Kings 22-23, which tells the true account of King Josiah and the rediscovery of the book of the law.  The lieutenant of the fourth galactic league rushed into General Lazlo’s office: “General, my platoon was searching old Lymerian archives. We found something you should see.” The lieutenant pulled up a document on his hologram pad and passed it over. The general gasped. “Is that Earthen religious law? Weren’t all Earthen religious laws catalogued already?” Tears began to form in the general’s eyes. How could we have lost something so precious? She started to read the text, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” She paused. “Lieutenant, I need you to contact the old earth religious order. I must speak to a representative at once.” As the lieutenant made contact with the order, the general paged through the document. She saw messages proclaiming fathomless love and a God who reached down to rescue the world He created—and over and over, the name “Jesus.” It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she’d heard the name. “General,” said the lieutenant, “I have a leader of the old earth religious order.” The general spoke with the leader, who said the rediscovered book was Christian Scripture—a text thought to have been lost over four hundred years ago. When the leader ended the communication, the general was left staring at a blank screen. She reflected on her own life. She was a hard worker and good at her job, but she often felt unfulfilled, even in success. She wondered if this rediscovered book had answers. She also thought of the chaos in her colony and wondered if the book contained the path to true peace. General Lazlo pressed the emergency broadcast button and began to address the entire colony: “Dear citizens, something vital was rediscovered today, and I have the privilege of reading it to you.” • Naomi Zylstra • How is today’s story similar to 2 Kings 22–23? How is it different? • The Bible is about Jesus, the one who died and rose again to save us from sin and death (John 20:31; Acts 10:43). That’s why it’s such an important book. How does thisaffect the way westudyand understand it? • But he [Jesus] said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it. Luke 11:28 (WEB)

A Song of Praise

READ: PSALMS 13:5-6; 149:1-5; ISAIAH 42:10-12; EPHESIANS 5:19 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALMS%2013%3A5-6%3B%20149%3A1-5%3B%20ISAIAH%2042%3A10-12%3B%20EPHESIANS%205%3A19&version=NLT] Sometimes I find myself in an empty house, and I can’t stop myself from singing at the top of my lungs. I tend to belt numbers from The Sound of Music, especially “Climb Every Mountain.” There’s something about hitting those high notes, with the sound filling the space around me, that brings me great joy. Our voices, lifted in songs of praise, bring glory to God. Not just in church during worship, but all the time. In the car, singing along to your favorite worship playlist…softly humming a hymn to yourself…or, my favorite, when you’re all alone and can sing out with your entire being. God doesn’t care if you can carry a tune or if your voice sounds even halfway decent. It’s your heart that counts. When you take the time out of your day to glorify Him, it’s music to His ears. We don’t worship to sound good or because it’s a good Christian thing to do. Our worship is supposed to be an outpouring of the gratitude we feel for what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others, what He is doing in the present, and what He promises to do in the future. We rejoice that God delights in us—though we were messed up, broken people, He loved us and made us blameless in His sight (Psalm 149:4; Colossians 1:22). We praise Him for His majesty (Psalm 8:1), and because He is always right (Psalm 119:172). We sing because He is powerful, faithful, and full of unfailing love (Psalm 59:16). Finally, we sing to point the world to the hope we have in Christ—the one who died and rose again to save us from sin and death (Psalm 66:2). Worship brings glory to God, and it takes our focus off ourselves. When we’re praising, our eyes are open to the ways God is moving and working, and we are reminded of how good He’s been to us. Incredible things happen when we choose to worship, even when it doesn’t make sense. Think of Paul and Silas in prison—as they prayed and sang through the night, God sent an earthquake that freed all the prisoners, and ultimately, this miracle led to the salvation of the jailer and his family (Acts 16:22-34). So let’s rejoice—because God is so faithful and good to us! Sing a song of praise to the Lord! • Hannah Ruth Johnson • When does it come naturally for you to worship God? When do you find it harder to offerasong of praise? • What are some of God’s qualities we can rejoice in? (Hint: read Psalm 103:8) I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me. Psalm 13:6 (NLT)

God's Strength, Not Ours

READ: EXODUS 15:2-3; PSALMS 46:1-3; 59:16-17; EPHESIANS 1:15-23 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EXODUS%2015%3A2-3%3B%20PSALMS%2046%3A1-3%3B%2059%3A16-17%3B%20EPHESIANS%201%3A15-23&version=NIV] In life, I tend to approach a problem thinking I can handle it all by myself, like a toddler taking on a task that’s obviously too big for them. I think, “I know tons of things—I can reason my way out of this mess, and I don’t need anyone’s help. I can do this, right?” Unfortunately, reality sets in as I try to solve everything and I discover that I am not strong enough to put my world to rights. I am a fallible human with limited resources and a small amount of strength. If I rely on myself and my own strength to get through things, then I will end up crushed by the troubles of life. I need someone who’s bigger than me and my world to take care of the trials infiltrating it. When we try to solve everything in our own strength, we are doomed to fail. But when we recognize that God is the only one strong enough to calm the storms in life, then something amazing happens. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, God gives us His strength so we can bear—and even overcome—the trials. When Jesus was on earth, His strength was evident when He healed people and performed miracles. It was this divine power that changed people’s lives and raised Jesus from the dead. And that same power lives in us through the Holy Spirit! As Christians, God’s strength is something we can rely on. And when we do, it changes our lives for good. • Morgan A. Mitchell • When are you tempted to rely on your own strength? Why do you think that is? • Relying on God’s strength might look like reading the Bible to find wisdom and guidanceabout your situation, telling God how you feel, asking Him for help throughout the day, turning to other believers for help and support, praising God with songs, and resting in His presence. What are some ways you could implement at least one of these practices in your life? • When we rely on God’s strength, that doesn’t always mean our trials will resolve in the ways we want them to. But it does mean that His strength is with us in the midst of our trials. We can know that He sees us, He loves us, and He cares about what we’re going through. And, one day, Jesus will return to raise us from the dead and put the whole world to rights, getting rid of sin and brokenness forever. How can these truths encourage us in the midst of our trials? The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

Dramatic or Not

READ: ACTS 9:1-22; 2 TIMOTHY 1:5; 3:15 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ACTS%209%3A1-22%3B%202%20TIMOTHY%201%3A5%3B%203%3A15&version=CSB] Of all the conversion stories in the Bible, none are more dramatic than the Apostle Paul’s. Before knowing Jesus, Paul—also called Saul—was one of the most vicious, violent persecutors of the early church. Brilliant in intellect, he used his mind to orchestrate beatings and deaths against the converts of this new religion called Christianity, fearing it threatened his Jewish faith. His conversion story has been told and retold countless times. He was traveling the road to Damascus when he was blinded by a great light and the voice of Jesus asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). Saul’s conversion was so dramatic that the leaders of the fledgling church didn’t believe him at first. It took a good amount of time before they finally accepted the truth: Saul the persecutor was now a disciple of Christ. My conversion was nothing like that. My brother shared the gospel with me when I was twelve, and I prayed a simple prayer while sitting on the side of my bed. There were no fireworks, no lights, certainly no voice from heaven. Later, my story of conversion was mostly met with shrugging shoulders and blank stares. I wasn’t a rebel or criminal before my conversion, so afterward, few people noticed any differences. But, like the Apostle Paul, I was different, even if nobody really saw it. I was a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The death and resurrection of Christ that was sufficient to convert Paul in ancient Israel also covered a twelve-year-old in California. Maybe you don’t have a Paul conversion story either. Whatever your story, your sins are forgiven and you’re a new creation in Christ, all based on His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. • Mike Hurley • If you’re a Christian, how would you describe your salvation story? • If you know Jesus as your Savior, you are a new creation. Jesus has freed you from the power of sin and death. And one day, when you see Jesus face to face, you won’t struggle with sin and its effects anymore, because sin and death will be gone forever (1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Revelation 21:1-5). How might remembering that we are forgiven and that we are new creations help us rely on Jesus through the ups and downs of life? Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)