My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. – Proverbs 4:20-22 (NLT)

As we talk about the Bible this week, it’s easy to feel like the Bible is boring, or that it’s outdated. And while it is a really old book, it is certainly not outdated. The Bible is amazing. It has a way of showing you things and helping you grow as a person.

The Bible is also truth. Every word written in it is truth. And as Christians, we live by the truths found in God’s word.

Today’s verse says that God’s word brings life to those who find it.

God’s word exists to bring life to you. So where in your life could you use a little more life? Do you struggle feeling unloved? God’s word will show you your worth and value. Do you feel stressed out? The Bible provides so much insight on how to be at peace.

Whatever you face, God’s word is truth and it has your answer. Your challenge is to find that truth and pay attention to it.

So today, challenge yourself to Google some scriptures that apply to the challenge you’re facing right now. Think about them and see that God’s word brings life and light to your situation.

I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. – Psalm 7:17 (NLT)

Right now, being thankful may not be at the top of your list of things to do. Maybe you resent wearing a mask to school. Perhaps your school is meeting only online and you HATE it.

With all the masks, restrictions, and things going on around us right now, it can be really easy to get resentful and ungrateful.

However, harboring those feelings will only make you more unhappy in the long run. That’s why the writer of Psalm 7:17 says that he thanks the lord. It’s not that he’s thanking the Lord for everything happening around him, rather he’s just thanking the lord because God is good. God is just, and God cares for him.

The same is true for you. One of the best ways to combat unhappiness is to begin to be thankful. Even if your situation and circumstances are really bad, you can choose to be thankful in the middle of all of it. As you begin to be thankful you’ll realize that God has good things in store for you and that you really do have so much to be grateful for.

Leave us a comment and let us know what you’re struggling with the most this year. We’d love to lift you up in prayer!

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. – Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

Have you noticed how easy it is to lose focus? Maybe you went to a summer camp this year (if they had them where you live), and you got really excited about God and living for Him. However, now that the school year is in swing and you’re busier, have you noticed that it’s easy to lose focus on Jesus?

It’s easy to let your friendships and relationships distract you from God. That’s why today’s Bible verse says to guard your heart.

If you’ve watched soccer, you know that one player’s position is to be the goalie. Their job is to guard the goal so the other team doesn’t score. In soccer and many sports, a good defense is really important to winning.

The same is true with our hearts. We need to be guarding our hearts. That means that we have to have some measures in place so that our hearts don’t begin to value other things higher than God.

Guarding your heart might look like saying no to going on the weekend canoe trip because you know that you’ll be challenged to do things that you know aren’t right. It might mean not listening to certain music or watching certain shows.

Challenge yourself to get honest and put a priority on guarding your heart. Don’t let relationships take you away from God.

Today’s Challenge: Help someone else, leave a comment with ideas you’ve found helpful for guarding your heart.

Want to go deeper? Check out our 5-day devotion: Every Teenager’s Guide to Successful Friendships.

There are so many reasons to be upset right now. Maybe you’re at a new school. Perhaps your school isn’t meeting in person. For many people, this school year is a scary and uncertain time.

However, even in the middle of all the uncertainty, we can determine to practice joy. You can be full of joy even when it seems like nothing is going the way you want it to go.

You can choose joy in the middle of the storm, not because you’re so amazing, but because you know a God who is. God says He won’t leave you. He won’t forsake you. You’re not doing all this alone.

If you’re discouraged, take some time to see if you need to spend more time encouraging yourself in God’s word. Find scriptures that speak to what bothers you most about this year and write them out. Put them on your mirror or in a place you’ll see them each day. Feed on God’s word and choose to be full of joy this school year!

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. – Phil 2:4 (NLT)

School is starting up, and you might not be all that excited. Maybe you’re schooling online and you’re dreading it. Or perhaps you’re meeting in person, but you know that you’ll be wearing masks and the idea of something itchy on your face is driving you crazy.

It’s easy with all the stuff that isn’t good happening right now to be selfish and upset. And of course that’s understandable. Your school year probably isn’t exactly what you had in mind.

However, if you want to have a great year this year, challenge yourself to be helpful. If you’re at home, see what you can do around the house to help out. Maybe you can start the dishwasher. Your mom would totally freak out.

Perhaps you can help the new kid figure out his locker combination, or help a teacher collect papers at the end of class.

As you practice being helpful, not only does it help others but it helps you too. You begin to take the focus off yourself and put it on others. That’s what God wants us to do as Christians. We should be looking for opportunities to do whatever we can to help others.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. – Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

To be successful at school, you’ve got to focus. What you put your focus on makes a huge difference. You might see students that get good grades and think, well, they’re just so smart. I’m not as smart as them, so I can’t get as good of grades.

In many cases, that’s not true. Often, getting good grades is more of doing the right things. For example, it might be doing an extra credit worksheet for math to bump up your grade. Sometimes, its just going to class and really paying attention instead of passing notes with your friends.

What you focus on matters if you want to do well academically. Often, your grades can be improved simply by paying attention in class and doing a few extra things.

The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus. Bruce Lee

That quote is really true. Often successful people are just average people who really focus on getting better in an area. So if you’ve let yourself slip into getting just ok grades, ask yourself honestly if there are some areas where you could improve.

Finally, ask God, if there are any areas where you could put in a little more focus and see good results. God wants to help guide you into success this school year.

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. – Romans 12:11 (NIV)

It’s fun to sit and scroll through your Instagram feed, or spend hours playing your favorite video game. If we’re honest, we’d all probably say we’d rather play games than work hard.

And there’s no denying games and social media are way more fun than hard work, don’t forget that hard work pays off in the long run.

Whatever you do, whether it’s your schoolwork, your job, or doing things around your house, don’t forget that there are benefits to working hard. As you develop a good work ethic now, it makes it easier for you to get a good job later.

The decisions you make each day about whether to do your best in your school work or to do your best at home or in your job are creating habits. Laziness now, will show up on your job later. It may cost you a promotion when you’re an adult. So today, challenge yourself to work hard at all you do. It will pay off in your habits as an adult.