READ: PSALM 34:18; MATTHEW 11:28-30; HEBREWS 4:12-16

Sometimes, I feel like a disco ball. Everyone thinks I’m the life of the party, that I’m always happy, having fun. If they looked a little closer, though, they’d discover the truth: I’m mostly broken, spinning in the dark, reflecting so many chaotic emotions that I feel like I just might crash.

If that resonates with you, know you are not alone. God’s Word warns us that big, glittering smiles could hide a great deal of pain—sometimes our own. While we may be able to fool the people around us—and even ourselves on occasion—God is not deceived. He knows the griefs we carry. He knows each one of our broken pieces. And while He can shine light that brings joy, whimsy, and laughter into even the darkest of places, He is not interested in us spinning through the dark, putting on a show. He wants to heal us, to make us new, to give us purpose even when we are in pain. He wants our lives to rotate to the rhythm of His grace.

And that grace is revealed in Jesus. God loves us so much that He took all our pain, sin, and brokenness on Himself on the cross. Then He rose from the grave, making the way for us to be with Him forever. When Jesus returns, all the chaos will be over, and we will be completely healed, whole, and restored. In the meantime, He’s with us in our pain—bringing hope and help.

People around us may not be able to see a difference between spinning in chaotic brokenness and having faith in Christ’s redemption of the brokenness. They may only see us as the cheerful life of the party they’ve always seen, simply because they’re not privileged to deeply know us. But God notices all the deepest truths of you, and He sees how you’re coping. You can bring all your brokenness and chaos to Him, trusting Him to redeem it somehow, to heal it. You don’t have to carry the burden of making everyone else happy, especially when you’re struggling. You can release your burdens to Jesus, and rest in His love. • Abigail Aswegen

• Do you ever pressure yourself to be happy for everyone else? Because of Jesus, we can slowly let down our guard, be honest about our brokenness, and rely on Him to bring healing.

• When you feel the chaos inside of you ramping up—whether it’s anxiety, emotions, or pressure—how can you step back, slow down, and recenter on Christ? Who are trusted Christians in your life who can come alongside you and help you do this?

Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. Proverbs 14:13 (NLT)

READ: ACTS 1:8; 8:4-8, 26-40

The first time I visited Ireland, I toured Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. I saw a museum exhibit of an ancient stone slab with a cross on it. The slab was from a nearby well that Patrick may have used to baptize people who converted to Christianity in the fifth century.

The reason we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 is to remember Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. When Patrick was about sixteen years old, he was captured by foreign raiders, carried off to Ireland, and sold as a slave. Patrick was enslaved for six years until God brought him back to his home country in Britain. Patrick recognized that God’s presence was with him at all times, and we can see this through the prayer of Saint Patrick, part of which says: “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.”

What amazes me is that, after Patrick escaped home to Britain, God called him back to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick knew there were dangers if he returned, but he still obeyed what God was calling him to. He shared the hope of Jesus with the Irish people, in spite of opposition from the church in Britain. He shared the message of the gospel—the good news that Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross and rose from the dead to save us from sin and make the way for us to have eternal life with Him. God worked powerfully through Patrick’s ministry, and pagans who formerly worshiped nature came to put their trust in the one true God.

God loves to draw people to Himself, and we get to be part of that work! If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with people from around the world, like Patrick did with the people of Ireland. • Brooke Morris

• Similar to how Patrick went to the place that formerly enslaved him, Jesus came to be with us—people who were God’s enemies (John 1:1-18; Romans 5:6-11). And, like Patrick, Jesus came with a mission to love and save the people who hated Him. Jesus even died for us! Then He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death on our behalf so we could have eternal life with Him. What good news! To learn more about the gospel, and how to share it, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• Can you think of a time someone shared the gospel with you? Maybe it was a pastor, family member, youth leader, or friend. What did they say that stuck with you?

• Have you ever shared the gospel with someone? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice any people in your life He is inviting you to share the gospel with.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

READ: 2 KINGS 22:8-11; 23:1-3; MATTHEW 1:1; 24:35

The following story is an allegory based on 2 Kings 22-23, which tells the true account of King Josiah and the rediscovery of the book of the law.

The lieutenant of the fourth galactic league rushed into General Lazlo’s office: “General, my platoon was searching old Lymerian archives. We found something you should see.”

The lieutenant pulled up a document on his hologram pad and passed it over. The general gasped. “Is that Earthen religious law? Weren’t all Earthen religious laws catalogued already?”

Tears began to form in the general’s eyes. How could we have lost something so precious? She started to read the text, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” She paused. “Lieutenant, I need you to contact the old earth religious order. I must speak to a representative at once.”

As the lieutenant made contact with the order, the general paged through the document. She saw messages proclaiming fathomless love and a God who reached down to rescue the world He created—and over and over, the name “Jesus.” It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she’d heard the name.

“General,” said the lieutenant, “I have a leader of the old earth religious order.”

The general spoke with the leader, who said the rediscovered book was Christian Scripture—a text thought to have been lost over four hundred years ago.

When the leader ended the communication, the general was left staring at a blank screen. She reflected on her own life. She was a hard worker and good at her job, but she often felt unfulfilled, even in success. She wondered if this rediscovered book had answers. She also thought of the chaos in her colony and wondered if the book contained the path to true peace.

General Lazlo pressed the emergency broadcast button and began to address the entire colony: “Dear citizens, something vital was rediscovered today, and I have the privilege of reading it to you.” • Naomi Zylstra

• How is today’s story similar to 2 Kings 22–23? How is it different?

• The Bible is about Jesus, the one who died and rose again to save us from sin and death (John 20:31; Acts 10:43). That’s why it’s such an important book. How does thisaffect the way westudyand understand it?

• But he [Jesus] said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it. Luke 11:28 (WEB)

READ: PSALMS 13:5-6; 149:1-5; ISAIAH 42:10-12; EPHESIANS 5:19

Sometimes I find myself in an empty house, and I can’t stop myself from singing at the top of my lungs. I tend to belt numbers from The Sound of Music, especially “Climb Every Mountain.” There’s something about hitting those high notes, with the sound filling the space around me, that brings me great joy.

Our voices, lifted in songs of praise, bring glory to God. Not just in church during worship, but all the time. In the car, singing along to your favorite worship playlist…softly humming a hymn to yourself…or, my favorite, when you’re all alone and can sing out with your entire being.

God doesn’t care if you can carry a tune or if your voice sounds even halfway decent. It’s your heart that counts. When you take the time out of your day to glorify Him, it’s music to His ears. We don’t worship to sound good or because it’s a good Christian thing to do. Our worship is supposed to be an outpouring of the gratitude we feel for what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others, what He is doing in the present, and what He promises to do in the future.

We rejoice that God delights in us—though we were messed up, broken people, He loved us and made us blameless in His sight (Psalm 149:4; Colossians 1:22). We praise Him for His majesty (Psalm 8:1), and because He is always right (Psalm 119:172). We sing because He is powerful, faithful, and full of unfailing love (Psalm 59:16). Finally, we sing to point the world to the hope we have in Christ—the one who died and rose again to save us from sin and death (Psalm 66:2).

Worship brings glory to God, and it takes our focus off ourselves. When we’re praising, our eyes are open to the ways God is moving and working, and we are reminded of how good He’s been to us. Incredible things happen when we choose to worship, even when it doesn’t make sense. Think of Paul and Silas in prison—as they prayed and sang through the night, God sent an earthquake that freed all the prisoners, and ultimately, this miracle led to the salvation of the jailer and his family (Acts 16:22-34). So let’s rejoice—because God is so faithful and good to us! Sing a song of praise to the Lord! • Hannah Ruth Johnson

• When does it come naturally for you to worship God? When do you find it harder to offerasong of praise?

• What are some of God’s qualities we can rejoice in? (Hint: read Psalm 103:8)

I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me. Psalm 13:6 (NLT)

READ: EXODUS 15:2-3; PSALMS 46:1-3; 59:16-17; EPHESIANS 1:15-23

In life, I tend to approach a problem thinking I can handle it all by myself, like a toddler taking on a task that’s obviously too big for them. I think, “I know tons of things—I can reason my way out of this mess, and I don’t need anyone’s help. I can do this, right?”

Unfortunately, reality sets in as I try to solve everything and I discover that I am not strong enough to put my world to rights. I am a fallible human with limited resources and a small amount of strength. If I rely on myself and my own strength to get through things, then I will end up crushed by the troubles of life. I need someone who’s bigger than me and my world to take care of the trials infiltrating it.

When we try to solve everything in our own strength, we are doomed to fail. But when we recognize that God is the only one strong enough to calm the storms in life, then something amazing happens. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, God gives us His strength so we can bear—and even overcome—the trials.

When Jesus was on earth, His strength was evident when He healed people and performed miracles. It was this divine power that changed people’s lives and raised Jesus from the dead. And that same power lives in us through the Holy Spirit! As Christians, God’s strength is something we can rely on. And when we do, it changes our lives for good. • Morgan A. Mitchell

• When are you tempted to rely on your own strength? Why do you think that is?

• Relying on God’s strength might look like reading the Bible to find wisdom and guidanceabout your situation, telling God how you feel, asking Him for help throughout the day, turning to other believers for help and support, praising God with songs, and resting in His presence. What are some ways you could implement at least one of these practices in your life?

• When we rely on God’s strength, that doesn’t always mean our trials will resolve in the ways we want them to. But it does mean that His strength is with us in the midst of our trials. We can know that He sees us, He loves us, and He cares about what we’re going through. And, one day, Jesus will return to raise us from the dead and put the whole world to rights, getting rid of sin and brokenness forever. How can these truths encourage us in the midst of our trials?

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

READ: ACTS 9:1-22; 2 TIMOTHY 1:5; 3:15

Of all the conversion stories in the Bible, none are more dramatic than the Apostle Paul’s. Before knowing Jesus, Paul—also called Saul—was one of the most vicious, violent persecutors of the early church. Brilliant in intellect, he used his mind to orchestrate beatings and deaths against the converts of this new religion called Christianity, fearing it threatened his Jewish faith.

His conversion story has been told and retold countless times. He was traveling the road to Damascus when he was blinded by a great light and the voice of Jesus asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4).

Saul’s conversion was so dramatic that the leaders of the fledgling church didn’t believe him at first. It took a good amount of time before they finally accepted the truth: Saul the persecutor was now a disciple of Christ.

My conversion was nothing like that. My brother shared the gospel with me when I was twelve, and I prayed a simple prayer while sitting on the side of my bed. There were no fireworks, no lights, certainly no voice from heaven. Later, my story of conversion was mostly met with shrugging shoulders and blank stares. I wasn’t a rebel or criminal before my conversion, so afterward, few people noticed any differences.

But, like the Apostle Paul, I was different, even if nobody really saw it. I was a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The death and resurrection of Christ that was sufficient to convert Paul in ancient Israel also covered a twelve-year-old in California. Maybe you don’t have a Paul conversion story either. Whatever your story, your sins are forgiven and you’re a new creation in Christ, all based on His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. • Mike Hurley

• If you’re a Christian, how would you describe your salvation story?

• If you know Jesus as your Savior, you are a new creation. Jesus has freed you from the power of sin and death. And one day, when you see Jesus face to face, you won’t struggle with sin and its effects anymore, because sin and death will be gone forever (1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Revelation 21:1-5). How might remembering that we are forgiven and that we are new creations help us rely on Jesus through the ups and downs of life?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 4:1-30, 39-42

There was something about His eyes, the way He looked at her. It was unsettling. She thought she knew all about men, understood how they thought. But this was different. “Go and call your husband,” He said.

She hesitated, eyes lowered. “I have no husband.”

He nodded. “True. You’ve had five—and the man you live with now isn’t one of them.”

Her fists tensed defiantly. “Since you know so much, prophet, tell me this. Is God’s chosen place of worship here, among my people, or in Jerusalem, where the Jews worship?” Her eyes flashed up to meet His, ready for the judgment and rejection surely waiting. What she saw startled her. An intense compassion in His eyes matched by words washing over her in love. He said, “The Father is seeking worshipers in spirit and truth.” She heard, “The Father is seeking you.”

Her battered heart leapt for joy. It didn’t matter—it never had! What she’d done, where she’d been—her fruitless search for God’s hiding place. He’d been there all along, pursuing her, waiting for her to see Him. Her water jar forgotten, she ran into the city. The words burst out, a testimony that wouldn’t be held back. “Come and see a man who told me all I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” He knew her past, and He still wanted to give her a future.

Jesus gave Himself to save us. There is no greater love, no greater offering to be made. God in flesh went to the cross so we could have life with Him. This love, freely given, cannot be earned. Only received. Jesus knows all you’ve ever done. Everything. And He loves you and wants you anyway. He loves you just as you are. • Remi Oyedele

•Today’s story is how one author imagines John 4:1-30. Consider taking some time to read this passage for yourself. What do you notice? What questions do you have?

• Can you think of a time you felt like the woman at the well? Sometimes it can be hard to believe that Jesus loves us just as we are. Thankfully, God knows we need reminders of His love, and He invites us to come and see Jesus, the one who knows everything we’ve ever done, the one who went to the cross to die for us and be raised from the dead so we could be forgiven and brought near (Romans 5:6-11). Consider taking a moment to tell Jesus whatever is on your mind.

• To learn more about Jesus’s love for you, and what it means to receive it, check out page 104.

[The Samaritan woman said,] “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:29 (CSB)

READ: 1 KINGS 11:4-6; 1 CORINTHIANS 7:39; 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-18

He’s cute, he’s sweet, and he’s oh-so-nice. But he’s not a Christian.

She goes to church, and she’s so much fun, but Christ is not particularly important to her.

Is it okay to date them?

Being attracted to someone who doesn’t love Christ can be a really tough situation. Trust me, I’ve been there. What can you do?

First off, dating them is a bad idea. I’m really sorry. If Christ is the center of your life and identity, you can’t have a partner for whom Christ isn’t important. Even if they’re happy to live your Christian life right now, they don’t share your ultimate goal to love God and serve in His kingdom. It doesn’t matter how nice or “good” they might be. Entering a romantic relationship with someone who doesn’t know Jesus is often a path to heartache, sin, and regret.

So, you say no. Sound hard? It is. It’s the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever done. But if I survived it, so can you. Because Christ is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

“But wait!” you may ask, “what if they become a Christian? Then can I date them?” If they really are sincere about following Christ—and wouldn’t give up on Him even if you weren’t in their life—then, yes. They’re God’s child, and you’re on equal footing. Good news: there are lots of real-life examples of this happening!

Bad news: there are also a lot of real-life examples of someone “converting,” but really only doing it for the other person, and never truly loving Christ. That’s an even worse situation, so be careful. If someone says they know Jesus, take your time before starting to date them. Find out why they believe and get lots of counsel from godly Christian adults in your life.

When in doubt? Wait and pray. And remember that, if Christ has a future spouse for you, it’ll be someone who really loves Him. You can trust God for your future. • Christiana Albrecht

• Have you ever been attracted to someone who doesn’t love Christ? What did you do?

• Do you know any Christians who are currently married to non-Christians? What could you learn from their experiences? How could you pray for them?

• If you’re attracted to someone who doesn’t share your faith, talk to Jesus about it. He has so much compassion on you. He knows your hurts, and He’s with you through it all (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)