Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 15:14

Posted on March 25, 2024

 You are my friends if you do what I command. – John 15:14 (NIV)

Do you have a good friend? I know I have some. They are the people that you’d try to really help out if anything ever went wrong in their lives. Those people that you’d really try to do anything for.

Well, today’s Bible verse says that we’re Jesus’ friends if we do what He commands. How do we know what Jesus commands? We find that out by reading the Bible. As we read the Bible, we see the things that God has promised us in His word and also what we should expect as followers of Jesus.

As Jesus’ friends, we should know what He likes and expects of us, and then as we would with a close friend, do what we can to try to do those things.

And yes, the Bible is a big book, so learning what is expected of us and what Jesus has promised us can seem overwhelming. But don’t let it be. Instead, just start somewhere. Perhaps you want to know more about Jesus, so start reading in the gospels. As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there’s anything in your life that you need to adjust to be more like Jesus. Then make those adjustments.

Following Jesus and following His commands doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Instead, it can be rewarding. It’s in those commands that we find joy and freedom because we’re living life the way He intended it to be lived.

So today, decide to follow Jesus. Make obeying His commands your habit and step into the fulfilling and rewarding life in Christ.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 118:24

Posted on March 21, 2024
Teen Devotion and Bible Verse on Rejoicing

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

Do you ever struggle with not wanting to rejoice? Maybe the school year hasn’t turned out as you had hoped. Perhaps you’re going through a really tough season in your life, and it just feels almost impossible to rejoice.

It’s pretty hard to want to rejoice when it feels like things aren’t going the way you’d like them to.

So how do you find ways to rejoice and be glad when you don’t feel it?

One easy way is to start to make a list. Grab a piece of paper or notes on your phone. List small things to be thankful. Maybe it’s that you don’t have to worry about your history presentation because that class is canceled. Can you thank God that the sun is out? What about all the extra time you have? Can you thank God for more time to spend reading your Bible?

Even if it’s small, work to find ways to rejoice. Even in the worst circumstances, if you try hard enough you can find something to rejoice about!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Philippians 3:14

Posted on March 20, 2024

I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:14 (Holman)

Have you ever played sports at your school? Maybe you decided to try out for the basketball team. Once you made the team, you began to work hard to get in shape and went to all the practices. After weeks of drills and practice, when it became time to play another school in a game, did you expect to lose the game? Of course not. You worked hard to get in shape and practiced, and you did it expecting to win games. In basketball, your main goal is to win.

In the same way, we have a goal or calling in life. God has called us to do things for Him while we’re on earth. The specific things He wants us to do are different for each person, but you have a divine call or destiny for your life.  You might be called to be an encouragement to someone, to a certain career or called into ministry. Regardless of what your calling is, it should be something that you are actively pursuing.

Today’s Truth: Don’t let go of the dreams God has placed in you.

It’s easy to get busy in life and forget the things God has called you to do. So challenge yourself today to not let go of the dreams and callings that God has placed on the inside of you. They might not always come to pass right away, but if you keep making steps toward them they will come to pass in your life.

Read: How to Discover Your God-Given Purpose in Life

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Proverbs 15:4

Posted on March 19, 2024

Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. – Proverbs 15:4 (NLT)

When you make a mistake or don’t do something the way you’d want to do, what words are you speaking over yourself? Do you say things like, “I’m no good?” or “I’ll never make it.” Words like those produce fruit in your life.

If you want to experience success, you’ve got to change how you speak. You’ll want to speak what you want to see. If you struggle with math, speak that you catch on to new things quickly. If you feel like you are shy, then speak that you’re bold and make friends easily. What you speak produces fruit in your life, so speak words of life.

Regardless of how you’ve failed, your life has a purpose. You are important to God’s plan. So don’t let failure and shortcomings stop you from greatness. Choose to believe and see yourself the way God sees you. Talk about yourself like God would. Don’t forget that you’re a child of God, and vital to His plan.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 15:9

Posted on March 18, 2024

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. – John 15:9 (NIV)

This verse compares the love of Jesus to us to how God loves Jesus. What an interesting comparison. In the ministry of Jesus, we continually see Jesus comparing natural things to the kingdom of God. But in this verse, we see that Jesus compares his love for us to nothing we can see in our world.

Why does He do that?

My guess would be that it’s because the way most loving relationships work in our world is flawed. Relationships don’t last. Brothers sometimes end up hating others. And Jesus knew that. He knew that our earthly relationships were flawed.

That’s why He decided to compare His love for us to God’s love for Him. God’s love for Him was always good. It always thought the best about Jesus and was pleased with Him. And that’s how Jesus sees us. He loves us with a perfect love.

Our job then is to remain in that love. We have to not let thoughts and emotions sway us away from God’s love. We can’t let people or the lies of the enemy tell us that we’re not of value. The truth is, Jesus loves you, that love won’t change, so we need to remain in Jesus’ love.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 16:33

Posted on March 15, 2024

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

If you’ve seen the news lately, you’ve seen that there is so much trouble going on right now in the world. Yet Jesus said in the middle of trouble we could have peace.

How can that be? How can we find peace in a world that seems full of turmoil? It’s by knowing Jesus. When you know Jesus, you have everything you need to get through each challenge and difficulty. Knowing Jesus and knowing what He has done for you, sets you free to face even the hardest circumstances with joy.

It’s not going to say that you’re happy you’re facing something tough, however, you know that in the middle of it all, you’re not alone. God sees you. He knows you. He will never leave you, even if it feels like He has. He knows where you’re at. If you trust Him, and let Him be enough, you can get through anything that life brings your way.

Today’s Truth: Jesus is peace when we’re surrounded by trouble. 

Even as crazy as things are right now in the world, we can choose to live in peace. We can choose to not let fear rule our lives. Why? Because we know that God is good. God will never leave us alone, and we don’t have to fear the trouble in the world. Jesus came to bring us peace.

So today, if you’ve allowed your heart to become afraid, spend some time in God’s word. As you do, you’ll find that it’s so much easier to be at peace when you know God is good and will always see you through.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 139:1

Posted on March 14, 2024

O  lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. – Psalm 139:1

It can be easy to get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and not like what you see. You might wish you were taller, had a different hair color, or were more outgoing. Its easy to want to beat yourself up for not looking, acting, or being a certain way.

What’s really great about God is that He looks at your heart. This verse tells us that God has examined our hearts and knows everything about us. And the great thing is, He still likes us. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see all your flaws, short comings, or failures. God sees you in Jesus. In Jesus you are perfect and complete.

Today’s Truth: In Jesus, you are perfect and complete.

God sees you as a person of worth. He loves you more than you can ever know. So instead of getting down on yourself because of how you look or how you act, choose instead to see yourself like God sees you. Choose to see yourself as a person of worth. You are someone that God paid a huge price to get to know!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 4:32

Posted on March 13, 2024

And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ – Eph 4:32

I had a job once working at a restaurant. My boss decided it was his job to go out of his way to be mean to me. He’d try to get me to drop plates of food and mess up. Each day, I dreaded going to work because of him. He was never friendly to me, and always seemed to have a grudge against me, for no reason that I could understand.

Every day at work, I challenged myself to do what this verse said. I didn’t react, or respond to him in anger. I wasn’t mean back to him. I was always kind even though he was so mean to me. It didn’t happen immediately, but eventually, my boss stopped giving me such a hard time.

Sometimes the best response to someone who isn’t nice is to do what this verse says. Be kind to those who aren’t nice to you, forgive them when they don’t treat you right. You can do this because God did the same thing to you. He forgave you even when you didn’t deserve it. So even when it’s hard to treat others with kindness, it’s the right thing to do in light of what God did for you.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Colossians 3:15

Posted on March 12, 2024

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. – Colossians 3:15

Big decisions can be scary. Maybe you’re finishing up school and you’re having to determine a career or college path. It can be really difficult to know what to pick. You may feel overwhelmed and stuck not wanting to make the wrong choice.

Today’s Bible verse talks about letting peace rule in your heart. This means that you’ve got to choose to let peace rule in your heart. You can decide to let the decision-making process be overwhelming and let it consume you to where you’re stressed out and fearful. Or you can determine to let the peace of God rule in your heart.

Today’s Truth: Even in uncertainty, you can live in peace. God wants to lead your steps.

Even when you’re uncertain, you can live in peace. You can be confident that God will lead you to the right decision. God doesn’t want big decisions to stress you out. He wants to help you, lead you, and guide you to the right path.

So today, if a big decision has you stressed out, take some time to spend with God. Get into His presence. Remind yourself that even in uncertainty, you can choose to be at peace. God will lead you. He wants to speak to you. Just get quiet and learn to listen to His leading.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 2:10

Posted on March 8, 2024

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

It’s easy to let people and circumstances make you feel bad. Maybe someone said something to you that made you feel like you weren’t worth anything. Perhaps school is hard for you and so it’s easy to feel like you’re not important.

When you begin to feel that way, often you enter into relationships and allow yourself to be treated poorly. That’s not how God sees you, however. God sees you as a masterpiece. He created you, knows you, and knows the plans he has for you.

Today’s Truth: God sees your value.

So don’t allow yourself to feel bad if people haven’t seen your value. What matters is that God does and He loves you in a big way. So today encourage yourself that you can make it. Your life is important and matters to God.