READ: LUKE 22:54-62; JOHN 21:15-25; ROMANS 3:23-24

Will I go to hell for how I am? This question invaded my mind on too many occasions for me to count, especially after observing other people’s Christian walks. Usually, they appeared to be extremely holy people who had their righteous lives intact. Nothing fazed them, they committed no wrongdoings—at least, not in public—and they referred to their prayer lives often. Reading the Bible and speaking to God through prayer seemed like second nature to them. It didn’t for me.

I struggled for years to pray and read my Bible daily. But it wasn’t that I lived my life separately from what I heard on Sundays or that I didn’t even think about God throughout the week. I just had a difficult time setting up good habits. During that time, I kept wondering about God’s tolerance of my lackluster performance. Especially, I thought, in comparison to my clearly better-suited fellow humans. They seemed much holier than I was.

Cue teenage me discovering John 21. It’s uncoincidentally located right after Jesus reinstates Peter. Peter had denied Jesus three times before Jesus’s death on the cross. But now, in this passage, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” And each time, when Peter says yes, Jesus responds, “Feed my lambs… Shepherd my sheep… Feed my sheep.” This echoes the three times Peter denied Him, showing that Jesus is reinstating Peter as a disciple. Jesus goes on to tell Peter the kind of death he will die to glorify God, and then He says to Peter, “Follow me.” But Peter notices another disciple, John, is following them. Peter asks Jesus, “What about him?” That’s when Jesus said one of the most liberating things I’ve ever heard: What’s it to you?

The last thing Jesus wants us to do is selfishly worry about others’ relationships with Him—that’s not our concern. The truth is, we all fall short of God’s holiness, but Jesus has given each of us grace, and that is the grace we are to be concerned with. You are free to focus on your relationship with Him, not the apparent relationships of others with Him. • Carson D. Jacobs

• In what ways might you be focusing on others’ relationships with Jesus instead of your own?

• How do you think you can develop healthy Bible-reading and prayer habits? Don’t worry about doing it just like someone else—find out what works for you! For example, how do you usually prefer to talk on the phone? Pacing? Sitting down? Figure out which way is most comfortable for you and try mimicking that while praying.

“If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” John 21:22 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 10:1-30

Every time I get a voicemail from my mom, I smile. I’ve heard her voice almost every day of my life. So if I know anyone’s voice, it’s hers. What always makes me smile is the fact that she still feels the need to tell me that it’s her leaving the voicemail.

It’s not just my mom’s voice that I hear and instantly know. I have some close friends and family members I talk with all the time. They can leave a voicemail without a name, and I know who they are. But, if someone I didn’t know very well left me a message without a name, I would have no clue who they were.

Jesus says His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we become His sheep. He is our good shepherd (John 10:11). So, as Christians, we spend time listening to His voice so we can know it and follow Him. We can do this by absorbing the truth of the gospel—meditating on who Jesus is and what He has done in the pages of God’s Word, the Bible. Throughout the Bible, God reveals His unending love and steadfast character, ultimately making Himself known to us through Jesus (John 1:18). As we press into relationship with Jesus through spending time in His Word, in prayer, and with His people, it will become easier and easier for us to discern His voice. • Melissa Yeagle

• How have you heard people talk about listening to God’s voice?

• Have you ever tried to listen to God’s voice? What was that like?

• The primary way God speaks to us is through His Word, the Bible. And the gospel (good news) is the lens through which we understand His Word, because the whole Bible points to Jesus and hinges on His death and resurrection. If you want to know more about the gospel, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• Learning to listen to God’s voice takes time, and we’ll keep learning until the day Jesus returns— then we won’t need to discern anymore because we’ll see Jesus face to face! But in the meantime, if we know Jesus His Holy Spirit lives in us, reminding us of everything Jesus has said and helping us discern His voice. We can also talk to trusted Christians and help each other answer questions like: Does this agree with the Bible? Does this glorify God the Father and God the Son? Does this bring the fruit of the Spirit and hope, or condemnation and fear? Remember, God will never ask us to sin, and He will never break His promises. If you want to dig deeper, read John 3:17; 14:26; 16:12-15; Romans 8:1; Galatians 5:22-23.

[Jesus said,] “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 53:1-5; MATTHEW 2:13-18; JOHN 13:2-5

Son of Man

You chose to get Your hands dirty,

to get knee deep in human suffering.

To cry with us and bear our pain.

You refused to turn away

when we shouted with angry voices.

Clashing swords while You were being born.

You chose humility,

while we searched for mighty kings.

You ripped apart the fabric of our reality

when You decided to come and live

in the midst of humanity’s broken dream. • Catherine Valentine

• We live in a world that has been broken by sin, and we all experience hardships, like sickness, injuries, the pain of loss,and thesuffering of loneliness. What kinds of suffering and pain have you experienced lately?

• Sometimes, it’s easy to think that God is far removed from us and our lives. But that’s not true! In Jesus, God came to be with us. In fact, one of the names for Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). It can be hard to picture the almighty, perfectly holy God being present here, in the midst of our messy lives. But the truth is, God is not afraid of our mess. He loves us so much that Jesus came and died and rose again to be with us—mess and all. He paid the price for our sins with His life, then He ascended into heaven so that His Holy Spirit could live in us. That means, once we know Jesus, we never have to go through the mess of life alone. And Jesus promises to return one day to get rid of all the mess, sin, and brokenness forever. Hallelujah! Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God to remind you of how He is with you right here, right now, in the middle of your mess.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38 (NLT)

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 34; 1 TIMOTHY 4:1

Six teenagers recently decided to run for governor of Kansas. With no age limit on gubernatorial candidates in that state, these teens debated and did interviews. They had opinions about abortion, health insurance, and education. But they weren’t the first young people involved in government leadership. In 2 Chronicles 34, eight-year-old Josiah was crowned king of Judah.

At age 16, “Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David” (verse 3). And he soon rid the country of the previous evil regime. He tore down the places where people worshiped idols, and he repaired the temple of God. Because of this young king’s leadership, the people of Judah followed the Lord as long as Josiah lived. Even at 16, he was a good leader because he sought after God, who was the source of his wisdom and strength. And yet, even Josiah could not cleanse the people of their sins. His reign only looked forward to the coming kingdom of Jesus.

You probably won’t be king any time soon (and you probably won’t be governor of Kansas either because the state Legislature quickly set a minimum age requirement of 25 for gubernatorial candidates). But you can be a leader.

You might be thinking, “Not at this point in my life. Other people are leading me. My parents, my teachers, my boss, and even my youth pastor.” True. But think about it—even adults are under the authority of others. Yet you can be a leader among your friends, in your school, in your family, and even in your church. How? By following 16-year-old Josiah’s example of seeking God and earnestly doing what He says is right and good. And even when you fail, you can rely on the love and forgiveness of Jesus, pointing others to the only one who could ever follow God’s law perfectly, the only one who could cleanse us of sin. • Linda Weddle

• If you had the opportunity to beagovernment leader, what is the first thing you would do?

• Jesus is God—the King of kings—yet He humbled Himself, becoming human and living among us (Philippians 2:1-18). He is the only person who never sinned, so He was able to take all our sin upon Himself on the cross. Then He rose from the dead, making the way for all who trust in Him to live with Him forever! What does Jesus’s ministry show us about leadership in God’s kingdom?

• Consider taking a moment to pray and ask God to help you notice where you have opportunities to lead others, and also ask Him for wisdom in these situations.

• If you want to dig deeper, read 1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 21–23; 2 Chronicles 35.

He did what was right in the LORD’s sight and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or the left. 2 Chronicles 34:2 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 30:20-21; 61:1-3; ROMANS 8:18, 38-39

Throughout my life, God has been faithful to provide me with wonderful women to disciple me in my walk with Christ. One of these women was Kathryn, a wife and mom in her thirties who championed the communications ministry at my home church. Kathryn was a spiritual firecracker. She shared the hope of the gospel wherever she went, prayed fervently for those who did not yet know Jesus, and poured herself out for Christ and His church. And she intentionally poured into me from the time I was in middle school.

Several months ago, Kathryn was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer. The news rocked my world, along with those of Kathryn’s husband, children, and others at our church. Yet, it was no surprise to see the tremendous strength Kathryn displayed through the journey as she shared the gospel with medics and continued to faithfully testify of God’s goodness to her.

Within two months, the cancer took Kathryn’s bodily life. When this unexpected period of suffering came about, I clung to the sovereignty of our God, but I wondered how He would bring beauty out of this circumstance. Though I knew Kathryn was with Jesus, it was the most painful loss I had ever experienced.

A few days after Kathryn’s death, I was evangelizing on the streets of New York City, and I encountered a number of people that day who were wrestling with deaths in their own lives. God used the hardship I was going through to directly share His message of hope with others who were grappling with grief. He used the physical death of one of His children to birth spiritual life in people who had not yet believed in Him.

Friends, I encourage you: our God redeems the darkest circumstances and uses them for His glory. If you are suffering right now, ask Him to show you His heart, and watch Him bring beauty out of your pain. • Chelsea Leigh

• In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus said He had come to fulfill the words of Isaiah 61. He promises to trade our ashes of despair for beautiful joy. Through dying on the cross and rising from the grave, He made the way for us to be with God—and when He returns, all His people will live together in renewed creation, free of suffering forever! Until that day, He grieves our pain with us and reminds us that He is always at work. How can we draw near to God in times of suffering?

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 3:5-6; MATTHEW 6:25-34; EPHESIANS 2:10

During our teen years, it can feel like the pressure is on. Whether it’s making a career decision, choosing a college, or getting ready to stand on your own two feet, the approaching adult life can be terrifying. There is so much to think about and so many people telling us we need to decide. I’ve struggled with all three of those decisions and more.

Here’s the secret though—God knows exactly what He has planned for me, and He’s going to guide my feet along paths that will lead to my good and His glory (Psalm 23:1-3; Romans 8:28-29). Every moment I spend overthinking the future is wasted, because ultimately, I want to be where God wants me to be— both in the future and the present.

Jesus made it pretty clear that we don’t need to worry about what tomorrow will bring—much less years down the road. Instead, we are called to live in the moment. We’re called to make the most of where God has placed us by pressing in to relationship with Jesus and ministering to those around us (Ephesians 5:15-20). Contentment won’t come in the far-off future, when everything is perfect and settled. Spoiler alert—it never will be. Instead, we have the perfect opportunity to learn contentment in the present, because Jesus is with us right here, right now (Philippians 4:11-13).

Worrying about the future distracts us from the good things God has for us in this stage of life. The future is important, but it isn’t ours to worry about— God will guide our feet and light our paths as we seek Him (Psalm 119:105). Let’s entrust our futures to God’s care, and let’s walk in the good deeds He has for us to do right here, right now. • Hannah Ruth Johnson

• Are there any future decisions that feel particularly daunting to you right now? Consider taking a moment to pray, entrusting these to the Lord and asking Him to help you know what to do in His perfect timing.

• It’s not wrong to make plans for the future, but we get into trouble when we’re so focused on the future that we forget to pay attention to what God is doing in our lives today. How might God be inviting you to do His kingdom work right here, right now? In what ways might He be giving you opportunities to shine His light in your everyday life? (Matthew 5:14-16)

You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11-15; 15:58; GALATIANS 6:9-10

The Cave of Echoes looked like any other cave, but people in the town nearby knew it was special. Like all caves, it was mysterious and beautiful, with dark, twisty corners whispering promises of secrets to those who dared to enter. But those familiar with its echoes ventured into its depths not for thrill or adventure, but something more.

Those who were new in town often scoffed at the stories they heard. Tall tales, they’d think, stories that have been circulating so long they mess with people’s minds. Some of those entering the cave for the first time would come out shaking their heads, their faces wielding satisfied smirks. “Didn’t hear a thing,” they’d say with a shrug.

But others would come out with wonder dancing in their eyes. They’d look around at the people sitting on the beach or loading cars in the parking lot as though they were gazing at immortals wrapped in light from another world. “Everything matters,” they’d say. “It really matters.” Then their eyes would narrow and they’d hurry over to help an overloaded mother heap beach toys into the back of her van.

What was it they heard in the cave, you wonder? Their own voices—echoes of the past. Prayers prayed; songs sung in worship; words of kindness, encouragement, and forgiveness spoken to others. Only their good moments reverberated off the cave’s walls, because the wrongs of those covered in the Blood had been silenced forever. But words and deeds rooted in love and faith would echo for all eternity. • Courtney Lasater

• Do you ever wonder if what you do in life really matters? It does. Today’s allegorical story illustrates how God does not remember the sins of those who trust in Jesus (Hebrews 10:17), but He won’t forget the good we do out of love for Him (Hebrews 6:10). If you’re a Christian, it’s the good things you do by the grace of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that will be remembered for eternity, not your mistakes and failures. How might knowing that God remembers the good and forgets the bad give you comfort and hope, and maybe even change your perspective on the struggles you’re dealing with now?

• Though our sins are forgiven and forgotten by God, they can still produce negative effects in our lives now. Is there a sin in your life that you need to confess and let go of so you can replace it with something that will have lasting eternal value?

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 9

I blinked at my phone screen and swallowed the lump in my throat. How could this have happened? I had donated $65 to a Christian charity the month before, back when I was employed, and now I had just received a receipt claiming I had donated another $65 this morning. $65 pulled straight out of my savings rather than my “extras” stash.

I discovered that, either by clerical error or my own mistake, I had been signed up to donate $65 monthly rather than as a one-time gift. I emailed the charity asking them to switch my gift to one-time, but I didn’t ask for my gift back. That just felt wrong.

As this drama ensued, I was on the way to see a visiting relative. When we first arrived, I struggled to maintain focus, but I felt God nudging me to be fully present. There was nothing that could be done about the $65 now. I just had to trust Him.

At the end of the visit, my relative handed me a red packet. These are traditionally given in Chinese culture during the Lunar New Year festivities, but that had passed months ago.

“Since I haven’t seen you in so long,” he explained with a smile.

When I opened it later, I found $100 inside! Nearly double what I had accidentally donated. And I knew, with both conviction and hope, that God was providing for me. Even though my generosity had been unintentional this time, He blessed it.

Whenever I wonder about whether to give, I remember God’s provision. Everything I have belongs to God, and He will always take care of my needs. When I give, I am boldly acting on my faith. Of course, we shouldn’t give expecting to receive more money in return, but we can certainly expect the blessing of increased trust in our loving Father. • Hannah Chung

• God loves you, and He knows about all your needs. Just as He takes care of every living creature, He provides for you (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:10-20). Have you ever experienced God providing for your needs through the generosity of others? What was that like?

• Generosity is an act of praise to God for what He’s already given us: Jesus. By sending Jesus to die for our sins and rise again, the Father gave us everything we need to spend eternity with Him. Consider taking some time to remember Jesus’s sacrifice and thank Him. You can also ask Him how He might be inviting you to be generous to others this week.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)