READ: ROMANS 12; 1 PETER 2:9-12

Have you ever felt like you had to try hard to get people to like you? School, church, homeschool co-op, work—anywhere you go there are expectations to act a certain way, say certain things, do this, and definitely don’t do that! You might feel like you have to guard yourself to make sure no one sees who you really are—because they might not like that person.

Looking for approval is something we all do, but we often look for acceptance in the wrong places. When we focus on being the cool kid or being the teacher’s favorite or wearing the right thing, we sometimes forget we belong to Jesus. He is our loving God, who laid down His life for us so we could become part of His family. We don’t need to earn acceptance, because He has already accepted us through the cross. And yet, it’s so difficult to fight the urge to fit in because, even though our world says, “Be yourself” and “You’re perfect just the way you are,” we’re still constantly being judged and even rejected by others.

But why should we try so hard to fit in when God has called us to be different? In Jesus, He’s given us a new identity as His dearly loved children. When we focus on Jesus, we often find we don’t care how other people are acting. As we experience God’s love for us, our focus shifts to showing others His love and truth, instead of worrying about what they think of us.

As teens, we especially have an opportunity to be a light to the world. Why teens especially? You’ve heard the stereotypes! Teens are lazy. They just want to have fun and be popular. They’re self-obsessed and addicted to their phones.

But, in Christ, we can be the ones to break the stereotypes. We can be the ones who work hard, genuinely care about the people around us, and don’t care if anybody thinks we’re weird. We can be the ones who are respectful, intuitive, smart, and helpful—putting others first. We don’t have to conform to the world’s expectations. Once we know Jesus, we are being transformed to be like Him. • Leah Najimy

• Can you think of a time you felt pressured to look or act a certain way? How did you deal with it?

• According to 1 Peter 2:9-12, what are some things that come with having our identity in Christ?

• How does knowing we are fully accepted and loved in Jesus affect the way we view others and what they think about us?

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 63:6-8; 119:103-105; MATTHEW 11:28-30

There are times when I have a few free moments, and I reach for my phone. My finger automatically taps on a social media app, a good place to go when I just want to browse for a little while, see some content quick, and move on. The types of things I see on social media, though, can cause me stress or make me feel down. I wish I was quicker to open the Bible app on my phone instead of social media.

When we spend a lot of time on social media, we’re exposed to news that we wouldn’t otherwise see, the lives of others that we automatically compare our own lives to, and drama that has nothing to do with us but still draws us in. Plus, there’s a lot of untrustworthy information online. It’s hard to know what’s true, what’s partially true, and what’s completely made up—even if some people believe it’s real. There is good on social media too, but a lot of what we see on these platforms is not beneficial to us. The more time we spend on social media, and the more we turn to it when we’re bored or we have just a few minutes of free time, the more it can bring us down. Studies have even shown it can negatively affect our brains.

But when we spend time with God, we can find peace. Often, the more time we spend with Him, the more peaceful we feel. We were created for relationship with the one who made us. He loves us so much that He suffered the cross for us—and He’s so powerful that He rose from the grave and promises to make all things new. God knows we need His love and strength as we live in a world that still bears the effects of sin. When we take just a few minutes to turn to Jesus by praying or reading the Bible, we may find our entire outlook changes and we feel better.

Social media can be good and fun in moderation, but I don’t like the way it makes me feel sometimes. Think about how you feel the next time you get off social media. And then think about how you feel the next time you set aside your Bible after reading a passage. How do the two compare? I’ve found there is a special peace that comes through spending time with God in prayer and in His Word. • Emily Acker

• How do you feel after spending time on social media? Are there certain apps or content creators that make you feel better or worse? Why do you think that is?

• How much time, and what kind of time, do you think is healthy to spend on social media each week?

• Have you ever felt stressed or bored, and then read or listened to the Bible? What was that like?

Those who love your law have great peace. Psalm 119:165 (WEB)

READ: JOHN 14:6; ROMANS 3:21-26; EPHESIANS 2:8-9; HEBREWS 7:25

I looked up at the enormous shimmering gates guarding a city of wonders: streets lined with mansions, rivers of crystal water, and a peaceful people ruled by a just and powerful king.

But no person entered the rich kingdom without first earning their spot, and there was only one way to do it.

I gripped the rough, wooden bow and took my stance. I knew the king stood on the wall and watched me, but I wouldn’t look at him. I swallowed hard and narrowed my eyes at the target, a large wooden circle nearly a mile away. With shaky fingers, I nocked my arrow and pulled it to my face.

I’d trained my entire life for this, practicing day and night so I would be able to make this one, impossible shot. I wouldn’t fail. I couldn’t. My muscles burned as I held my bow, arrow drawn, and pointed it at the target. Sweat was beading on my forehead, the muscles in my face twitched.

Breathe. Focus. Release.

My arrow, flying straight and fast, fell immensely short of the mark, disappearing into the thick brush.

I crumpled to my knees and stared after the only chance I had of living in the shining city with the good king. I dropped my bow, buried my face in my hands, and wept.

Someone touched my shoulder.

I looked up, into the kind face of the king. He’d left the safety of the city walls to come to me. He held out his hand. Hesitantly, I picked my bow up off the ground and placed it in his outstretched hand.

He pulled out a shining arrow and took aim, strong and steady, and confidently released the arrow. It flew across the expanse so quickly I nearly missed it hitting the target, directly in its center.

My mouth fell open as I looked back at him. He smiled. “Come,” he said, his voice warm and kind. Again he held out his hand, and I grasped it with my own.

The king walked me through the gates of his kingdom, welcoming me as his child. • Emily Tenter

• Today’s story is an allegory. How does the king act toward the archer in this story? Is this what you would expect from a king? Why or why not?

• The Greek word hamartia is often translated as sin in the Bible, but it’s also an ancient archery term that means “missing the mark.” How could it be helpful to think about sin this way?

• We’ve all sinned, missing the mark of loving God and each other (Matthew 22:37-40), and the result of sin is death. But God loves us and wants to save us so we can be with Him in His good kingdom! That’s why Jesus came. He is fully God and fully human—the only human who never missed the mark. By living a righteous life of obedience to God the Father, dying on the cross for our sins, and rising from the grave to defeat death, He hit the mark on our behalf! How could it be freeing to know we can’t earn our place in God’s kingdom, but Jesus made the way for us?

• When we put our trust in Jesus, He welcomes us into His kingdom as His dear children. And when He returns, He will raise us from the dead to live with Him forever in a world free from sin and death! For more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• Jesus is the King of kings, and we can boldly approach His throne because of what He did for us on the cross (Hebrews 4:14-16; Revelation 19:16). Even though we’ll all continue to struggle with sin until Jesus returns, we can know that He empathizes with us because He faced the same temptations we do—yet He didn’t give in. So we can be totally honest with Him about our struggles and shortcomings. He already knows it all, and He wants to cover our faults with His mercy and help us walk in His good ways. Consider taking a moment now to come to Him in prayer. Whatever you want t...