Daily Bible Verse and Devotional – Proverbs 5:6

Daily Bible Verse and Devotional on who to avoidToday’s Daily Bible Verse and Devotional

She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it. – Proverbs 5:6 (NIV)

Today’s Bible verse offers us some practical advice when it comes to dating relationships. Determining who to date can be challenging, but there are two really great things we can learn from today’s Bible verse.

The first thing to think about is whether or not the person you’re considering dating thinks about God and what they are doing with their life? Or is their mind completely obsessed with the drama of daily activities and thinking only about themselves and their friends? This is a great question to consider when determining whether or not to date someone.

Secondly, is the person you’re thinking about dating stay consistent? Do they know where they are going to be next Sunday or Tuesday afternoon? Are they consistent with their schedule and faithful to the things they’ve committed to?

Considering these two areas will help you in your dating relationships. This is timeless, practical wisdom from the Bible that you can use today!

 

How to Read the Bible and Not Fall Asleep

Teen Devotion - How to Read the Bible and Not Fall AsleepLet’s be honest.  Have you ever been reading your Bible before bed and before you knew it, you were completely asleep within minutes? I know I have a few times. You’ve probably heard at youth group or at church how important it is to read your Bible. But how do you keep Bible reading interesting? Especially when playing Fortnite sounds way more fun!

Here are a few tips that should help you as you develop a habit of Bible reading and study into your life.

Tip #1 – Set Realistic Expectations

When you begin to develop a habit of reading your Bible, it’s not going to be easy. You’re going to want to do something that seems more fun. It’s going to take some work to focus your attention on God and what He wants to speak to you.

Don’t try to set goals that are unrealistic when you’re getting started. Reading your Bible for two hours a day probably isn’t going to happen. Instead, think about something that is realistic. Perhaps you can look at a Bible verse and think about it each night before you go to bed.

Set some realistic expectations and build from there. Once you start enjoying reading one verse a day, try two or more. But start small and be realistic. There are days when you’ll forget, and days when it’s really hard. That’s part of the process. Don’t give up. Instead, keep at it and you’ll begin to develop a greater love for reading your Bible.

Tip #2 – Find The Right Bible Fit

To make Bible reading more fun, experiment. Try a Bible that lets you search by topic. Think about a topic that interests you and use that topic to begin your study.

A few months ago, a friend introduced me to a new version of the Bible that I hadn’t read before. Reading scriptures that I had previously studied came alive and excited me as I read them. A new version of the Bible can make your Bible reading time way less boring.

Experiment and find a good version and Bible for you. As you find things that interest you in the Bible, it will keep you from falling asleep as you read.

Tip #3 – Don’t Read The Bible

Yes, you read that right.  Don’t read the Bible.  If the Bible feels hard to understand, start off by reading a good book about the Bible, or about a topic that interests you.  You don’t have to limit your Bible study time to only the Bible.

If you struggle with low self-esteem, find some books that were written by Christian authors about that topic. Often, they’ll expound upon verses and can help you see things from a different point of view. Your Bible study time doesn’t have to be limited to just the Bible. There are lots of other great devotions and resources that can help you enjoy your time in the Word more.

Tip #4 – Listen to the Bible

If you don’t like to read, or fall asleep when you do, find a Bible you can listen to. YouTube, Podcasts, audio versions of the Bible are all out there. Experiment and find one that works well for you. Then put it on as you shower in the morning or fall asleep at night.

You’ll be amazed at what you can learn by simply listening to the Bible being read out loud. Use those free moments in your day to listen to God’s word instead of defaulting to looking at your phone or tablet. God can really speak to you as you listen to Him through His word.

Tip #5 – Ask for God’s Help

Don’t be afraid to ask God for His help. You don’t have to figure out how to make the reading the Bible fun alone.  Ask God for help.  He’ll be glad to help you out.

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I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. – Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)

Paul prayed that the Ephesian’s hearts would be flooded with light. That’s a good prayer to pray over yourself too. Pray that when you read the Bible, it’s like a light bulb goes off in your heart. Pray that you see things in the word of God and they become real to you. Praying a prayer like that every day can be really helpful. You’ll begin to see things that you’ve never seen before when you read your Bible. It keeps Bible reading fun and exciting. If you get God involved, Bible reading can be a really rewarding experience.

 

What Faith and Duct Tape Have in Common

Teen and Youth Devotion on Faith

**We’ve refreshed an old teen devotion with some great new images and discussion questions for your youth group or small group at the bottom of this devotion. We hope you enjoy the updates!

Duct tape is probably one of the most useful inventions. It serves a variety of purposes, from patching up a pair of ripped pants to keeping some boxes sealed. What makes duct tape even more fun are all the colors it comes in.  I was in a store the other day and I found Hello Kitty Duct Tape, cheetah print duct tape, neon colored duct tape, and of course the standard grey duct tape.  All this duct tape got me thinking, about faith and how duct tape and faith have a lot in common.

Faith Holds Our Lives Together

One day I was working on a farm and a nail ripped a hole in the seam of my pants. Since there weren’t any sewing supplies nearby, I quickly found a roll of duct tape and easily fixed my pants. Thanks to duct tape, my pants were held together.

In the same way, faith holds our lives together. Faith is the basis of our relationship with God. It is believing what the Bible says no matter what it looks like around you.  Faith keeps you together when you feel you’re falling apart. Our faith keeps us going and assures us we will make it regardless of what is going on around us.

And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 (TPT)


Faith Is Used In Lots of Situations

Faith, like duct tape, can be used in a variety of situations. You might be facing a problem.  You can whip out your roll of faith and patch together that bad situation with what the Bible says. Faith can be used at any time and in any situation.  Faith in God is always the answer to whatever situation you’re facing.

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” – Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Lastly, faith is like duct tape because you can rely on it. You know that when you need a patch or to hold something together you can trust the duct tape to do its job. Well, that’s pretty much what faith is.  It’s trusting that God is going to go to bat for you.  He’s going to provide for you no matter what you’re facing.

Faith is just choosing to believe what God says in spite of what you see or feel around you. Faith is trusting in and relying on God in every situation that comes to you. I encourage you to begin placing your trust in God and become a mighty young person of faith.

Similar Youth Devotions

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Genesis 15:5

Teen Devotion about being patient in your dream

Genesis 15:5 Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” (NLT)

Do you have a dream? Maybe you desire to make a lot of money or to do something to really make a difference in the world. Abraham had a dream from God also. God showed him that he was going to have lots of descendants.

The problem with Abraham’s dream was that it took a long time to come to pass. It didn’t happen that next week or even month. It was years and years later. Sometimes it’s really hard to be patient when our dreams don’t happen right away. But if you’ll be like Abraham and keep trusting God, eventually you’ll see those dreams in your heart come to pass.

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5 Devotions About Patience (EBook)

Why Jesus Is Better Than The Easter Bunny – Part 2

Easter Devotion for Teenagers

** This is a repost from a devotion from 2015. We added discussion questions (download info below) and some new content and hope it will be helpful for your small group or youth group Bible study this Easter!

There is a giant inflatable Easter bunny down the street from my house. The Easter bunny is holding an Easter Egg that has to be almost as tall as I am. This is no small bunny!

Seeing this giant inflatable bunny got me thinking. That bunny is huge and really makes a statement in my neighborhood. It’s hard to miss his huge floppy ears or massive feet when you’re going by him. However, there is someone who made an even bigger statement than the massive Easter bunny my neighbors own. That someone is Jesus and it’s easy in all the egg hunts, candy, and Easter baskets to forget how great He really is! Let’s take a look at a few reasons why Jesus is better than the Easter bunny.


The Presents (Easter Bunny vs. Jesus)

First of all, the Easter bunny brings you candy and little presents. These are super nice and of course, we’re glad that the Easter bunny does this, but in all reality, the presents the Easter bunny gives us aren’t that awesome. They will all be eaten and most of his gifts will eventually be forgotten., however, gave us a gift that doesn’t get old, eaten or boring. Jesus gave us the gift of eternal life. By accepting His gift we are able to get to know God the Father.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6 (NIV)

The Easter bunny is fluffy and cute, but he really doesn’t compare to Jesus. Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave. And he did all of this for you and me, so we wouldn’t have to. We no longer have to fear death, in Jesus our eternity is certain.

Read: What’s So Great About Eternal Life?

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Jesus is way better than the Easter bunny. He made a way for us to know God and He also conquered death and hell. We should take time this Easter to thank Jesus for all the incredible things He did for us!


Jesus Sticks With You

If you’ve noticed, once Easter is over, the Easter bunny leaves. The stores tear down his decorations and pictures. They make way for the new holiday. Also, have you noticed that no one really hangs out with the Easter Bunny on Easter? He just leaves eggs and baskets and heads out.

Jesus, on the other hand, is there for you. He doesn’t sneak around trying not to be seen. Instead, He wants a place in our hearts and lives. He wants to walk with you through the trials you face. He wants to be there in both the good and bad times.

Jesus loves us with an everlasting love. His desire is a relationship with you. And He did what it took to make that happen. So when you’re going through difficulty, be encouraged. Jesus is there. He’s been through trials too and He wants to be there as you go through them. He’s there to lead and guide your life, if you’ll let Him.

So today, be thankful for Jesus. This Easter, don’t focus just on the candy, presents and Easter Bunny, but remember what it is we celebrate on Easter. It’s that Jesus has broken the power of sin over us. He desires to know you and be known by you!

Why Jesus Is Better Than The Easter Bunny

Easter Devotion for Teenagers

**This was originally posted in 2014, but was too awesome not to share this Easter season! We updated it with fresh content and added some discussion questions at the end, so you’ll be all set to do an awesome Bible study with some friends or your youth group!

Can you remember the Easter Bunny coming to visit your house as a little kid? Do you recall the packages of chocolate, jelly beans, and the awesome toys he would bring? The Easter Bunny brought lots of awesome things into kid’s lives. However, as great as the Easter Bunny is, he sure pales in comparison to Jesus.

You Can Talk To Jesus

Jesus, unlike the Easter Bunny, isn’t meant to visit your life for only one Sunday of the year. He doesn’t just visit and then goes away.  Instead, Jesus comes to live in your heart when you accept him as savior. That means that you are able to talk to him at any time or in any place.

Learn More: How to Develop a Relationship With God

Talking to Jesus isn’t weird or difficult. It’s just including him in the moments of your life. When you are going to the restroom on your lunch break thank Jesus for the nice weather outside.  It could be a simple, “please help me on my math quiz”.  Or maybe it’s getting some time alone at home and asking for his help planning your schedule for the upcoming school year and asking Him what classes you should take.

Never stop praying. – 1 Thes 5:17 (NLT)

Whatever it looks like for you, talking to Jesus isn’t complicated. It’s easy. Start by including Him in those moments every day. Get His help and wisdom with the big and small things in life. Jesus is so much better than the Easter bunny because He’s there for you. He’s ready and willing to listen and speak if you’ll let Him.


Jesus Defeated Sin

The Easter Bunny is cute and fluffy, which definitely makes him lovable. His ears flop and he has a puffy tail, but when push comes to shove, he’s just a little bunny. Jesus, on the other hand, is the definition of awesome! Jesus was able to do what no other person (or Easter Bunny) could do. He paid the price for the sins of the whole world. Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave so we didn’t have to.

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Read the Devotion: Why Jesus Is Like Snapchat

Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all. – Hebrews 10:10 (GNB)

Jesus gave us the ability to be free from sin, once and for all. That’s the good news of the Easter story. It’s that God came down and helped us be free from the sin, fear, and anything else that kept you from following after God. Jesus freed us from that all. And while the Easter bunny is a fun character, Jesus is the one Easter is really about. He’s the one that did what no one else could.

So the next time you see stuff in the stores about the Easter Bunny, remember that as neat as the Easter Bunny is, he doesn’t even compare to how awesome Jesus is. Jesus did what no one else could do. He offered himself as a sacrifice for sin, which is the best Easter present!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Teen Devotion on Loving Others - 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. – 1 Cor 13:4-7 (NIV)

Loving people the way this verse describes is almost impossible. Do you really know anyone who doesn’t boast? Or isn’t proud when they make all-state for choir? How about someone who doesn’t keep a record of when they’re wronged? Have you forgotten everyone that owes you money? Or who didn’t say nice things to you in the hallway at school? The list of the things love is in 1 Corinthians 13 is pretty impossible to do. No matter how good your self-control is, can you really say that you do all these things all the time?

If you’re honest, you can probably admit that you don’t always do these things. Yet, that’s how God describes love in this passage. So what are we to do? If we’re told to love like this, but it’s something that is impossible to do, do we just give up?

God gives us great news. In Romans 5:5, he tells us that God’s love has been poured out in our heart. That means we have the love we need in us to love people the way it’s described in this verse. All we have to do is tap into that love and let it flow out of us. Loving people without God’s help is impossible, but thank God He doesn’t require us to do it on our own!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 3:16

Teen Devotion on Self-Worth - John 3:16

For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. – John 3:16 (TPT)

It’s really easy to let the rejection of others influence how you see yourself. You might not have a date to prom, and it makes you feel totally unloveable. Or maybe your friends haven’t treated you right and you feel like no one wants to be your friend. You might not have a date to prom or have great friends, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not important.

In those moments when you feel like you’re not important, remember this important truth. God loved you and pursued you. You matter to God. God gave His only son as a gift to get you. He didn’t have to do this, but He wanted to do it. He loves you that much!

You are vital to God’s plan here on earth. You’re called to do something important. Don’t lose sight of that because someone didn’t treat you right. You can’t control how others treat you, but you can control how you see yourself.

According to God, you matter. You have value and you’re important. Challenge yourself today to see you as God sees you. Base your worth on what God says, not on how others treat you.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 Peter 1:21

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion on Faith in God for TeensThrough him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. – 1 Peter 1:21

Where do you put your trust? Is it in getting a good job after you finish school and making a lot of money? Is it by dating a really important person? Is it getting a basketball scholarship to a good college? Where do you put your trust? What are you looking for when you search for success?

Today’s Bible verse talks about having your faith and hope in God. God raised Jesus from the dead and glorified him, so is it really that crazy for us to put our hope and faith in God? Sometimes, when it comes down to it, it can be hard to put your hope and faith in something that you can’t see.

Read: What Canoes Teach Us About Hope

It can be easier to trust in money, or a relationship because they are things you can see. However, real faith is just believing God and taking Him at His word. So challenge yourself today to not trust in things that you can’t see, but to put your trust in God. God is the one who won’t let you down and who won’t fail you. Challenge yourself to trust Him today!

 

Finding the Miracle In Your Mess

Teen Devotion - Youth Group Discussion on Finding the Miracle in Your MessHave you noticed that things are usually a bit messier in reality than they appear on social media? On social media, everything looks perfect. The guys always say and do what they ‘should’ do. The girls always look amazing, no hair out of place, wearing the perfect outfit. How is it that on social media, it seems that everyone else has a perfect life? Then you compare your life next to the images, vacations, relationships of others and it’s easy to feel like your own life is a total failure.

Once I went on a first date that went horribly. I tried hard to not to say or do anything stupid. But it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I kept doing dumb things. We decided to go get smoothies and in my nervousness, I put the straw in the cup upside down. I sucked the smoothie out of the straw and it spilled all over my pants. Reality is often like my date, very messy. When our lives don’t look as amazing as our friend’s lives on social media we can end up disappointed and become discouraged.

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Mary’s Miracle Was Messy

30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has shown you his grace. 31 Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor. – Luke 1:30-32 (NCV)

In the Bible, Mary had an opportunity to get discouraged. She had been told by an angel that she would give birth to the savior of the world. She might have pictured that she would give birth to the savior of the world with angels helping her through labor. They’d bring her grapes and ice chips. I’m sure she imagined that she would give birth to the savior of the world in a comfy, nice place. Instead, she gives birth to Jesus in a smelly barn next to some cows and sheep.

At that moment, I’m sure Mary was like, God where are you? This isn’t what I pictured. Have you left me here alone in this mess?

The truth was that God hasn’t left Mary alone in the mess. He was there with her the whole time, just like He’s there with you too. Just because God was doing a miracle in Mary’s life didn’t mean that it was easy or free of obstacles.

The same is true for you. God is working in your life. That doesn’t mean, however, that you’re going to be exempt from problems or messy situations. What it does mean is that in the middle of the mess you’re going through, God is working. He hasn’t left you alone or without help.


You Get to Choose Your Attitude in the Mess

When you’re going through something that seems messy, it can be easy to want to get discouraged. You might ask God why is it taking so long? Or why is it so hard? Maybe you think that you’ll choose to be happy when things change. Like you’ll be happy when you grow up and get out of your parent’s house. Or that you’d be able to experience joy when your boss was nicer to you.

Even if everything is going wrong and it feels like your life is crumbling to pieces around you, one thing is true. You get to choose your attitude in the mess.

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12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. – Phil 4:12 (NIV)

Paul learned this truth. He realized that he could choose to be content no matter what was going on around him. He could do this because He realized that God was going to see Him through. Whatever was done to him, whatever was said about him, he knew that he was going to come through because God was never going to leave him.

The same is true for you. God is not going to leave you helpless and alone in your mess. He’s not going to forget you. So in the middle of chaos, you can choose to be at peace. You can’t control circumstances but you can control your attitude. You can choose to be happy.


You Can Choose Patience In Your Mess

Waiting is hard. It’s never easy to wait for the things of God to come to pass in your life. Maybe you prayed for something and you haven’t seen it happen yet. Maybe you just wish that you could be older or have less pressure on you right now. All those feelings are understandable.

Even if you wished things would change, you can use this time of waiting to practice patience. It’s a little like getting your driver’s license. It doesn’t just happen, there’s a process for getting it. First, you’ve got to get a learners permit. Then you take driver’s ed. After that, you wait until you’re 16, take a test, pay a fee, get your picture taken and then get your license. You don’t just automatically get it when you’re old enough to drive. You’ve got to be patient and go through the process.

Go Deeper: 5 Devotions About Patience

There is a lot of waiting in life. Things don’t happen automatically and often the things we pray about don’t always come to pass as quickly as we’d like. In the midst of waiting, we can use the time to practice patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. – James 1:4 (KJ 2000 Bible)

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It isn’t easy being patient when you want to see a situation or a person change. However, you can choose to use it as an opportunity to grow. Each trial you go through is an opportunity to see God build character into your life. So determine to grow from this situation and let patience perfect you.


Life can be messy. Things don’t happen like you want them to and in the timing you want them to. Regardless of how messy your miracle feels right now, know that God is working. He’s bringing your miracle to pass. So in this season of mess and waiting, choose to draw closer to God. Let God be your source of joy and peace. See God move through your mess and see your miracle come to pass!