Have you been busy this summer? Summer vacation can end up being a really busy time for us. We can get involved in a part-time job, or perhaps attend lots of baseball, choir, and volleyball camps. Those things can be really fun and a good time to get to know some other students. However, it’s easy to get so busy that we forget to take time for the most important relationship in our lives.

That’s obviously our relationship with God. We should be striving each day to get to know God more.

All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, – Philippians 3:10 (CEV)

So today, make sure that even if you’re busy, you take some time out of the day to spend with God. Getting started is the hard part. Once you do, you’ll begin to realize that it’s actually fun to read the Bible each day and spend some time praying.

Today’s Truth: My Goal Is to Know Jesus More

Determine today to make getting to know Jesus a priority this summer. Be sure to take time to love Him and get to know Him more and more each day.

Let those who want my vindication shout for joy and be glad; let them continually say,” The LORD be exalted. He takes pleasure in His servant’s well-being.” – Psalm 35:27 (HSCB)

Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that God gets pleasure when you are doing good? Most of us don’t really have this operating in our lives. We don’t spend time getting excited when others do good. We wish it was us that was doing good, not the other person.

However, the good news is this isn’t how God feels. Instead of jealousy, God gets a kick out of seeing us succeed, be blessed, and do well in life. God desires for us to prosper in the things we do.

Today’s Truth: God likes seeing you succeed, being blessed, and doing well in life!

So be encouraged today that God wants you to do well in every area of your life. If you will trust him with your time, finances, and future and you’ll see that He will bring good things to you!

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. – Hebrews 11:1

The concept of faith can sometimes seem complicated. It sometimes feels hard to understand what the Bible means when it is talking about faith. However, today’s Bible verse helps us understand a little better what faith is.

It shows us that faith is the confidence that the things we hope for will happen. For example, we know that in the Bible, God promises us things. One promise is that those who call on the name of Jesus will be saved. So in this case, faith is believing that we are saved when we call on Jesus, even though it’s not something we can see with our eyes. It’s the confidence we have that God’s word is true and what God promises is ours.

It can be difficult to live by faith sometimes. It’s not always easy to believe things we can’t see or feel. As you get to know God more and spend more time reading the Bible, you’ll build your faith. When your faith grows, your confidence in God and His ability to do what He promises grows too.

Today, choose to spend more time in God’s word. Grow your confidence in God and His ability to do what He says He will do.

Today’s Truth: Faith is confidence that what God’s word says will come to pass in our lives.

This week we’ve been talking a lot about dealing with parents. Parents aren’t always easy, are they? Really, any relationship takes work to make it successful. However, hopefully, you’ve been challenged this week to not give up hope that your relationship with your parents can improve.

Today we’re going to look a little more about love. Because regardless of how we might feel about our parents, as their kids we’re called to treat them with love.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. – 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)

One of the main things to keep in mind is to not give up hope. Any relationship can with time and practice get better. So always keep hoping and believing that your relationship with your parents will get better. Keep striving to help make things better and do what you can to keep peace in your family.

Today’s Truth: Get God’s Wisdom on Your Relationship With Your Parents.

Keep trusting, and don’t give up. In time, your relationship with your parents can get better. Just be sure to keep working and praying for God’s help and wisdom, knowing that He is there to lead you, guide you, and help you out!

Don’t you hate getting in trouble? I know I do. When I get in trouble, I try to explain my way out of the situation and justify my behavior. It’s certainly not the right thing to do, but it seems to be my default.

In today’s Bible verse, we see a definition of love. Take a look:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NLT)

When you get in trouble with your parents, what do you usually do? Do you try to demand your own way? Do you get mad at your parents?

While those can be natural reactions, part of loving our parents is learning to practice self-control when being corrected. Sometimes that can mean taking a moment to breathe and listen to what our parents have to say. It often means that we need to not get angry when corrected, but rather listen to what they have to say before losing our cool.

Loving your parents isn’t always easy. Especially if you have a parent that just seems to not get you or rubs you the wrong way. However, even in those situations, we’re called to practice love and self-control. With God’s help, you can learn to control your emotions and walk in love with your parents.

Today’s Truth: Practice Self-Control and Love When Corrected by Your Parents.

When you’re dealing with your parents, sometimes it can be really hard to have hope. Perhaps your relationship with your parents is not good. And you have lost all hope that it can be better.

Here’s the thing, with God’s help, and wisdom, even bad relationships with your parents can get better. Don’t give up hope. Let God fill you with the hope that things can change and things can get better.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13 (NLT)

Go to God with your concerns about your relationship with your parents. The Holy Spirit can give you ideas and wisdom on things you can do to make the relationship better. Things can get better if you’ll believe God and ask Him for help. So don’t be afraid to act on what He tells you to do.

He loves you and wants you to have a healthy relationship with your parents.

Today’s Truth: Don’t give up hope, your relationship with your parents can get better!

This week we’re talking a lot about dealing with parents. Parents can be tricky to deal with. You might have a parent who is awful to you. You might have one that ignores you, perhaps you just see the hypocrisy in their life and it makes it hard for you to see the good in them.

It’s hard when your parents are less than perfect to respect them and give them the honor that the Bible says as kids we’re supposed to give them. So how do you go about dealing with parents that are less than perfect?

One of the first things you’ll have to do is forgive them. It’s easier to do this if you remember that your parents are human. They make mistakes. If they’re Christians, they’re sinners just like you are. They need Jesus and are probably working on being more like Him. If your parents aren’t saved, then you may be called to speak the love of Jesus into their lives.

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. – Mark 11:25 (NLT)

Forgiving your parents for their mistakes and imperfections isn’t easy. However, as a follower of Jesus, you’re called to forgive others. And that includes your parents. So even if they don’t deserve forgiveness, determine to forgive anyway. Know that God has forgiven you of many things, and He can help you work on forgiving your parents too.

Today’s Truth: Forgive Your Parents – Even if They Don’t Deserve it.

Your parents might be the most amazing parents ever. Maybe they get you, and you feel like you can tell them anything. But more likely, your relationship with your parents might be less than you hoped for at times. Maybe reality for you is a cranky, upset parent that doesn’t seem to listen or understand you at all.

Even if your parents aren’t the ones of every kid’s dreams, as their child, the Bible asks that you honor them. Honoring can be really hard, especially when you see all their faults, flaws, and failures.

“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. – Exodus 20:12 (NLT)

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to honoring your parents.

Your parents don’t have to be perfect for you to still honor them. Yep, that might seem a little crazy, but even in all their imperfections, God still asks that you honor them. So when they get mad and do something that seems so weird to you, you still have to honor and respect them.

Your parents are people. They have bad days. They face stress just like you, so give them a little bit of space to be human. Sometimes we expect them to be superheroes, but they’re people just like you.

Honor Doesn’t Mean You Agree or Get Everything. Honoring your parents doesn’t mean that you have to understand, get, or agree with every decision they make. Instead, it’s just deciding to not lash out, or get angry, but to respect them for their God-given place in your life, and try your best to get along with them.

Today’s Truth: Honoring Your Parents is tough, but you can grow in it with God’s help!

Getting along with parents isn’t always easy, but as their child, it’s something that God has called you to do. So if you need help, go to God. Pray and ask for His help and His guidance in how you can grow in honoring your parents as God has called you to do.