Podcast
Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
Hosted by Keys for Kids Ministries · EN
Unlocked is a daily teen devotional, centered on God’s Word. Each day’s devotion—whether fiction, poetry, or essay—asks the question: How does Jesus and what He did affect today’s topic? With daily devotions read by our hosts, Natalie and Dylan, and questions designed to encourage discussion and a deeper walk with Christ, Unlocked invites teens to both engage with the Bible and to write and submit their own devotional pieces.
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Small Asks
2w ago00:04:12Tap to summarizeREAD: PSALM 55:17; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7; COLOSSIANS 4:2 Have you ever chosen not to pray about something because it felt too small, too unimportant to talk to the God of the universe about? You’re not alone. We all have. Yet, the Bible tells us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). What does that look like? Well, think about it this way. If I spend a day with my kids, I guarantee they will ask me for things continually. “Can you add this to the grocery list?” “Do you know where my phone is?” “Can you help with my homework?” Likewise, I will ask them for things too. “Can you pick that up for me?” “Would you let the dog out?” “Can you turn that video down?” And in a perfect world, neither of us is going to be annoyed by these requests. It’s simply the rhythm of doing life together. Plus, if we’re together constantly, we won’t only be asking for things. We’ll be filling in the gaps with conversation—sharing details of our lives, laughing, thanking each other, or talking through hard situations. In a similar way, we can spend our days in constant communication with God because, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is with us all the time. So we can ask Him for help—when we can’t find our keys, when we’re trying to remember what we studied, or when we’re having trouble falling asleep. We can also practice listening for the things He will ask of us—to help someone, to give, to pray, or to turn down the volume on opinions and entertainment that aren’t healthy for us. The more we practice these “small asks,” the easier it will become to talk to God about anything and everything else. It will open the door for us to discover His sense of humor, to thank Him for all the small blessings He pours out on us, and to simply unburden our hearts to Him when life is heavy. As we do, we find that He is always there for us, always ready to show us His incredible love, mercy, and kindness. • Abigail Aswegen • What kinds of things do you tend to talk to God about the most? • What kinds of things would you like to talk to God about more often? Consider taking a moment just to tell Him whatever is on your mind right now. Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)
Transcribe →Christians R Us
2w ago00:05:50Tap to summarizeREAD: ROMANS 10:1-4; EPHESIANS 2:8-10; PHILIPPIANS 3:8-9; HEBREWS 9:14-15 Imagine you’re in a superstore full of what the Bible calls “good works”—all the things you’ve been told you need to be as a Christian. Kind…helpful…loving…always willing to bring potato salad to the church potluck. You’ve been hearing how you need to be these things all your life—from your parents, teachers, pastors—so you decide it’s time to get on it. You’ve got some shopping to do. First, the grocery section. The Christian life displays the fruit of the Spirit— patience, kindness, self-control, and all the rest. Easy peasy, they’re all right there—and since they’re always in season, they’re also on sale! You throw them in the cart. (Better toss some stuff to make potato salad in there too while you’re at it.) Next, home improvement. A welcoming attitude and encouraging words that build people up. A loving heart that’s not prone to anger but instead responds with a soft, gentle answer (even in conversations with that family member). Oh, and a cute wooden plaque with a verse on it to hang inside your front door. Score! Last stop—apparel. The Bible says to clothe ourselves with humility and compassion. And a pair of apostle-like strappy sandals adds a nice touch! Your cart is overflowing with goodness, so it’s time to hit the checkout lane. You scan your items, and the payment amount flashes across the screen. You swipe your card. Denied. You try your card again, but the payment won’t go through. You glance at the people in line behind you, then turn back to the screen. That’s when you see a sign in big red letters: Only payment cards registered to Jesus Christ accepted. You look down at your payment card, your face growing hot. It has your name on it. Not His. An attendant appears out of nowhere and whisks your items from their bags. You look longingly at all that goodness as it’s piled onto a restocking cart. Then you try to avoid the stares boring into you as you walk to the door empty-handed. • Courtney Lasater • Today’s story is an allegory. Can you think of a time you tried to be a “good Christian” all on your own? What kinds of things did you try to do? How long did that last? • In what situations do you tend to be more concerned about others seeing you as a Christian than about actually having a relationship with Jesus? We all fall into this trap from time to time, and Jesus knows it! Thankfully, He invites us to come to Him with all our messy sin and be reminded of His great love. It’s only because He died and rose again for us that we can be forgiven and brought near to God. Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind and rest in His grace. • We can try to do good in our own power, and sometimes we’ll succeed in looking good to ourselves and others. Yet the Bible tells us that even our best good works fall immeasurably short of His true goodness. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The truth is, what Jesus wants most is relationship with us. And He knows that when we experience His love for us, that love overflows from us to others, and this brings Him joy! In your own life, what might it look like to pursue relationship with Jesus first and foremost? Who are trusted Christians you can talk to about this, maybe even asking them how this looks in their lives? • If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 64:6; John 15:1-17; Romans 3:12, 23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)
Transcribe →The God Who Cries
2w ago00:04:45Tap to summarizeREAD: JOHN 11:1-45 John 11:35 is famous for being the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” We can so easily overlook just how powerful those two words are! Throughout our lives, we all face times when we don’t understand. Times when sorrow crushes us, and injustice seems to reign. Times when we ask, “Why, God?” and maybe wonder if He’s even there. Mary and Martha were asking those same questions as they mourned the death of their brother Lazarus. They wept and wailed, and both sisters recognized that if Jesus had only been there, He could have saved their brother. But He hadn’t been there. Jesus knew the reason. He knew the end of the story too—He knew that Lazarus wouldn’t stay in that grave. In verse 11, as Jesus and His disciples set out for Bethany, He foretold that Lazarus would come back to life. And He knew that Lazarus’s resurrection was a foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection— and the resurrection of all His people when He returns. But still, even seeing the big picture, He felt Mary and Martha’s grief—and His own. He wept. We have a God who loves us. He is all-knowing and all-powerful, and even as He sees the good purposes He has for the pain in our lives, He has empathy for us. Even though Jesus knows that He will return to right every wrong and put an end to death, His heart breaks with our hearts. He works all things for our good, but He doesn’t merely look on as we mourn. Jesus didn’t chuckle to Himself knowing their grief was in vain. He came alongside them and wept. What a gift to know that our God feels our pain with us while offering hope and light in the darkness! • Hannah Ruth Johnson • Why do you think Jesus wept, even though He knew Lazarus would come back to life? • Can you think of a time you felt God’s presence and comfort in the midst of grief? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to bring Him any grief you’re feeling today, and imagine Jesus sitting next to you, weeping. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
Transcribe →Everything Points to Jesus
2w ago00:04:53Tap to summarizeREAD: MATTHEW 5:17-19; LUKE 24:27, 44-45; JOHN 3:16-17; 5:39-47; 20:31 Have you ever heard that “everything in the Bible points to Jesus”? That seems kind of weird, doesn’t it? How can it be all about someone who isn’t even named until the last quarter of the book? True, the Old Testament is sprinkled with prophecies about the Messiah: it’s easy enough to link those to Jesus Christ. But there’s still a lot that seems irrelevant. Chapters and chapters are filled with the story of the nation of Israel. What does that have to do with Jesus? When we start into the New Testament, Matthew summarizes Jesus’s ancestry. Right off, we see several of the “big names” from the Old Testament—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Jesse, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, etc. And that’s our first link! But then, after the Christmas story recounts the events of Jesus’s birth, we get into the life of Christ, with His escape to Egypt, return to Israel, baptism, and temptation in the desert. It looks like we’ve left the Old Testament far behind. But wait! Where have we seen Egypt before? Way back in Genesis, the Israelites escaped to Egypt when there was a famine. Later, in Exodus, God led them out of Egypt through Moses. And then what? They spent forty years in the desert as their children grew up. But even as God sustained His people, they gave in to temptation, rejecting Him and worshiping other gods. And Jesus? After escaping to Egypt from the murderous King Herod, He returns, grows up, and spends forty days in the desert. Coincidence? Maybe not. When the devil tempts Him, every answer Jesus gives comes straight from the book of Deuteronomy. These two Egypt stories link with an Old Testament prophet’s words: “I called my son out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1). Israel was chosen by God to be His representative on Earth, to bless all the people of the world (Genesis 12:1-3). Though Israel fell far short, God didn’t give up. At just the right time, Jesus came. Fully God and fully human, He is the only one who could be God’s flawless representative. Jesus succeeded where Israel had failed, and He gave up His own life so that all who trust in Him could be forgiven and become part of God’s eternal family. It’s one story, culminating in Christ’s resurrection, of God revealing His love to all the world! • Christiana Albrecht • The Bible was written by lots of different people, in lots of different times and places. How does looking through the lens of the gospel—the good news about Jesus—help us see how it all fits together? Can you think of any other times Jesus mirrored or fulfilled the Old Testament? [Jesus said,] “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” John 5:39 (NLT)
Transcribe →Know Your History
2w ago00:05:04Tap to summarizeREAD: JOB 8:8-10; ROMANS 3:21-26; 15:4; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:6-12 When I visited Gettysburg for the first time, my imagination whirred to life. I wanted to know the people who fought there. I wanted to hear their stories, to comprehend their politics, to peek in at their way of life. Because the events that happened on that field directly impact the world I live in now. By understanding the past, I can better understand today. The same can be said of the many events recorded in the Bible. God’s Word isn’t a collection of disjointed stories. It’s composed around a framework of history. So, by looking at biblical chronology (what happened when in the Bible), we are able to place those stories in context, gain a logical understanding of sequence, and better see the full scope of God’s loving plan. Here are some broad historical markers and dates to help you begin lashing individual stories into a sequential history. Not just the narratives, but also the prophets, books of poetry, books of law, and epistles all hang within this outline: • Creation, the Flood, and earliest history: Genesis • Patriarchs of the Israelite people (2000–1550 BC): Genesis • Formation of the Israelite nation (1550–1380 BC): Exodus–Joshua • Leaders of Israel up to the Exile (1380–539 BC): Judges–2 Chronicles • Return from the Exile (539–474 BC): Ezra–Esther • 400 years of silence • Birth of Christ and the early church (AD 5–90): New Testament When we use this framework as a general guide, we’ll notice right away that the Israelite people figure prominently within the story He tells. That’s because He used that particular family line to reach the climax of the Bible (and of history)—the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Through Jesus, people from every tribe and language and nation can know God (Revelation 7:9)! The next time you read from a particular book of the Bible, consider finding out who wrote it and when. Then fit it into this rough history. You’ll soon find random stories fitting together in a comprehensive whole—one redemption story centered on Jesus, the one who came to save us from sin and death and who promises to make all things new. • Michelle Isenhoff • Why can we view Jesus as the focal point of history? (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) “All the prophets testify about him [Jesus] that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 (CSB)
Transcribe →We Need to Talk (Part 3)
3w ago00:04:30Tap to summarizeREAD: PROVERBS 15:32; 27:17; EPHESIANS 4:1-6, 15-16 Imagine a confrontation between two guy friends from the perspective of the one being confronted. Josh comes up to me and says the dreaded words, “We need to talk.” My stomach turns sour. He tells me I’ve been letting bitterness get in the way of our friendship—and my faith. Guilt starts to seep in. He has a point. At first, I was just angry because he started dating a girl I liked—even though I told him I was fine with them dating. But after a while, my anger became resentment. I hated seeing them as a couple, so I cut them out. The problem is, Josh was the friend who took me to church on Sundays. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve prayed too. Josh’s words are so gentle. He doesn’t seem angry. In fact, it still seems like he cares a lot about me. When he’s done talking, I take a deep breath and say, “I’m sorry. Forgive me?” It’s difficult to admit we’ve been wrong, especially when someone confronts us with the truth. The important thing to realize is that confrontation is often done from a place of love. True friends care about us and our spiritual wellbeing. When we’re tempted to get defensive about our sin, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to restore a posture of humility and repentance in us. Even if a friend doesn’t approach the topic as well as they should, we can remind ourselves that their intentions are probably good—and that we’re all broken people who need Jesus. When we remember that Jesus has made the way for us to be unified through His death and resurrection, we can have true peace—even during hard conversations (Philippians 4:1-9). • Naomi Zylstra • How would you want to react if a friend confronted you about a sin they noticed in your life? • Whenever we realize we’re struggling with a particular sin, Jesus wants us to come to Him. He is eager to remind us that He has already secured our forgiveness on the cross, and that He loves us with an unchanging love. And, through the Holy Spirit, He helps us repent of sin and grow in righteousness. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about any sins that come to mind. (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9–2:1) As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
Transcribe →Splintered Trust
3w ago00:04:13Tap to summarizeREAD: PSALM 55 Smiles, charm, Perfect friends Watching you. Your back is turned, Whispering begins. Nasty remarks, A chuckle heard. Comments, jibes Grind you down. Burning tears. Thumping heartbeat. Subtle rejections. Trust splintered. When friends badmouth you, the hurt can be so deep that trusting again is challenging. David had the same problem. The first part of Psalm 55 shows how he is deeply troubled, and in verses 13 and 14, he shares the disappointment of his friend’s betrayal. In the midst of this desperation, he goes to God, the one who is always trustworthy. When your trust has been splintered, Jesus invites you to come to Him. He loves you deeply, and He feels your pain as His own. He can truly empathize with what you’re going through because He endured the pain of betrayal, rejection, and humiliation on the cross. Why? Because He was determined to bring forgiveness for sin—including gossip and backstabbing—and to provide healing for the harm sin causes. Jesus is trustworthy even when people are not. Through it all, He will never leave your side. • Cindy Lee • Can you think of a time someone broke your trust? Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about this and receive His tender compassion. • Because we live in a broken world, not everyone can be trusted, and it’s okay to set healthy boundaries, especially with people who have shown themselves to be untrustworthy in the past. At the same time, it’s important to remember that one of the ways God extends His love and healing to us is through community. If you’re not sure who you can trust right now, you can ask God to help you identify people who will treat you with respect and care, like He does. • Have you ever gone behind someone’s back? It’s easy to get drawn into a conversation when everyone is badmouthing someone. How can you remove yourself from situations like these? (1 Corinthians 10:13) • If you’re in the midst of a toxic situation, who are trusted adults you can reach out to? But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me. Psalm 55:16 (NLT)
Transcribe →Rest
4w ago00:04:29Tap to summarizeREAD: GENESIS 2:1-3; 1 KINGS 19:1-9; MATTHEW 11:28-30 I couldn’t sleep. My irritating cough kept me awake in the middle of the night. “Don’t go into work if you’re feeling poorly,” my parents advised. But I ignored them, afraid of letting anyone down. I must be resilient and keep going, I thought. I can’t give in and miss a day of work. So I soldiered on until my exhaustion eventually caught up with me. The illness didn’t go away, and refusing to rest made it substantially worse. I ended up spending a week (during my vacation) in bed. I hadn’t listened to my body or to good advice, and so I was forced to stop everything. As I lay in bed, feeling sorry for myself, I had no one to blame but myself. I recalled how, when my friends or family were ill, I would rush around buying throat lozenges, fruit, or whatever I thought might help them—but then I neglected my own body. I realized how easy it is to nurture and help other people but forget ourselves. In the Bible, God teaches us that it’s important to rest and recharge. Resting doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It might look like relaxing, enjoying a hobby, or doing something that allows your mind to rest. It could also mean making sure you’re getting enough sleep or listening to your body when you’ve overexerted—or when you’re feeling poorly and just need to take a break. Whenever we start to feel overwhelmed, we can listen to God. He cares for us more than we know, and He wants to give us rest. Even when we overdo it and wind up exhausted, God has so much compassion on us, and He is ready to help us. If you, like me, find it easier to care for other people than for yourself, remember that taking care of our bodies is necessary if we want to keep helping others. When you’re feeling poorly, you can rest and give yourself a dose of tender loving care in the same way you would a close friend or relative (Matthew 22:36-40). You don’t have to keep pushing yourself—you can rely on Jesus, the one who has already done everything that was needed to save us through dying and rising again, the one who gives us true rest. • Cindy Lee • Do you sometimes throw yourself into things and then forget to take time out to rest? Have you ever found it difficult to give yourself permission to take a break? Why do you think that is? • Sleep is an important part of our physical and emotional health. Sometimes we need help in order to give our bodies the sleep we need, and that’s okay. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, who is a trusted adult you can talk to, such as a parent, counselor, or doctor? In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. Psalm 127:2 (NIV)
Transcribe →Stranded and Alone
4w ago00:06:05Tap to summarizeREAD: JOHN 8:12; 1 JOHN 1:5–2:2 This is Captain Rodriguez, leaving another message. It’s been about ten Earth days since the accident. It’s difficult to tell time here…wherever here is. I’m slowly running out of food and water. After that, it’s over. I’m still alone, but I’m hoping someone is getting these messages, although I don’t know if the crash damaged the comms beacon. I’ve been thinking about my old church lately. (Thinking is the only thing I can really do now, besides sending these messages.) I never really liked going to church. Growing up, my parents made me. They said, “A healthy Christian is always in community.” All I really wanted was to be by myself, which is why I chose this job. But even here I had a small community, up until ten days ago. Everybody’s gone now. I’m all alone. I feel like I’m in a dark, empty room, and no matter how long I search the walls, there’s no light switch. I’ve always called myself a Christian, but I never really wanted to have community with anyone, even God. I’m realizing that I used to think I was better than those people at church, always pretending they were fine and denying their brokenness. But, turns out, I was doing the same thing. What a numskull I was. Blast! I wish I wasn’t in charge of controls that day! But that’s part of my job, so it is what it is. Now all I have left is seeking community with my God. I hope it’s okay to talk about these things here. I don’t even know if anyone is receiving these messages anyway—so, if you’re listening, deal with it I guess. The truth is, while I’ve been stranded here, Jesus has shown me His grace. He’s giving me a second chance to return to His light. To allow Him to be the light in this dark and empty room. I’ve been reading the Bible, and I believe what it says—that because Jesus died and rose again to bring me close to God, the community I have in Him will be more than enough now, even if I never get to be rescued. And if I am rescued, being reunited with the community of God’s people will be the sweetest part of all. Nonetheless, I know that Jesus is my deliverance. That’s all for today. Captain Rodriguez signing off. • Andres López • Today’s science fiction story explores how God designed all of us to be in relationship with Him and with each other. Can you think of a time you really appreciated some of the relationships in your life? Consider taking a moment to thank God for the people He has placed around you who show you His love and kindness. • It’s not good when we try to isolate ourselves from the world or from our church community. Yet, throughout our lives, we all fall into this trap. The good news is, Jesus is eager to help us. How might He be calling you into community with others and with Himself today? • Why is it so important that Christian community be characterized by authenticity and vulnerability? How does Jesus’s death and resurrection make it possible for us to be ourselves and not try to pretend we have it all together? (Romans 12:1-13; Galatians 6:1-2) • According to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Revelation 21:1-5, why is it so important that our Christian community will last for eternity? (For more about what it means to have eternal community with God and His people, check out our "Know Jesus" page.) • We all have times when we just want to be alone, and it’s healthy for everyone to spend regular time away from other people—even Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer (Luke 5:16). But we also have times when we feel lonely and we long for connection. In both cases, how could it be comforting to remember that God always wants to be with us and that, through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He has promised never to leave us? (Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:35-39) But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (WEB)
Transcribe →Hard Things, Holy Strength
4w ago00:04:40Tap to summarizeREAD: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7; HEBREWS 12:1-3; JAMES 1:2-4, 12 Sometimes God uses everyday things to show us deep truths. I recently had to take apart a drawer in our refrigerator and replace it. Doesn’t sound very spiritual or complicated, right? But it was hard. And somewhere between the stuck rails and the confusing mechanics, I almost gave up. What I thought would take about twenty minutes ended up taking hours. I didn’t know what I was doing but figured it couldn’t be that complicated. But with the complex design, hidden levers, and no tutorial that matched my fridge, I got frustrated and annoyed. Something so simple revealed how quick I am to doubt myself—and how easily I can get discouraged. I kept repeating to myself: “You’ve got this. You can do hard things.” I had to give myself permission to take my time. And when I finally got the new drawer installed, I felt strong and accomplished. Not just because the job was done, but because I didn’t quit. Sometimes the hard things in life aren’t big and dramatic; they’re the everyday frustrations that test your mindset, your confidence, and your willingness to keep going. But in every hard situation, God invites us to rely on Him. He isn’t only with us in the big miracles. He’s also present in the moments when we’re tempted to quit. And whether we choose to dig in and persevere, or fall into believing the lie that we are incapable, He never leaves our side. We can be confident that God is with us because Jesus, God the Son, persevered in doing hard things for us—He became human, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the grave. He was tempted to quit, but He kept going because He loves us. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He is with us through the Holy Spirit, giving us strength and courage to persevere through every hard thing He has called us to do (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3). I’m reminded of Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The drawer wasn’t just a drawer—it was an opportunity to persevere. Every hard moment is a chance to practice perseverance and trust God’s steady presence through it all. Resilience isn’t about never struggling; it’s about not quitting when the struggle comes. • LaVerne Vest • Can you think of a time God helped you persevere through a hard thing? Consider taking a moment to praise Him for this! Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4 (NIV)
Transcribe →