JANUARY 1

Purpose

In Christ we were chosen to be God’s people. God had already chosen us to be his people, because that is what he wanted. And God is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants. We are the first people who hoped in Christ. And we were chosen so that we would bring praise to God’s glory.

EPHESIANS 1:11-12 ICB

Why does it feel so good to be picked? It’s amazing to be the first one off the line when they are picking sports teams, or to make the cut for the school drama, or to be called on when you confidently raise your hand in class. Did you know God chose you even before the world was created? He wanted you in his family and went to great lengths to make that happen.

You are accepted, wanted, chosen, and loved by the God of the universe. That truth will never change; you can never be cut from the team. What a beautiful promise! Remind yourself every day that this is who are; don’t ever forget it.

How do you feel knowing you are accepted as God’s child?

JANUARY 2

Decision

“If you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”

JOSHUA 24:15 NLT

Yolanda sat and listened to her Sunday school teacher intently. Her teacher was talking about each of us choosing to follow Jesus. She explained that following Jesus meant that we turn away from our sin, ask for forgiveness, and instead choose to live our lives according to God’s Word. Yolanda felt puzzled. She had never considered that this was a decision she had to make for herself. Her mom and dad loved Jesus. They had always brought her to church, and everyone she knew seemed to love God too. Wasn’t it enough that her whole family loved Jesus?

Shyly, she approached her teacher with her questions. Ms. Jane kindly explained that it doesn’t matter if your mom and dad believe in Jesus. Each person must choose for themselves who they want to follow. Yolanda knew the answer to the question—she wanted to follow Jesus!

Have you chosen to follow Jesus?

JANUARY 3

Respected

An overseer must be so good that people cannot rightly criticize him. He must have only one wife. He must have self-control and be wise. He must be respected by other people and must be ready to help people by accepting them into his home. He must be a good teacher. He must not drink too much wine, and he must not be a man who likes to fight. He must be gentle and peaceful. He must not love money.

1 TIMOTHY 3:2-3 ICB

Serena sat in church with her parents. She didn’t feel like going to Sunday school that morning. The pastor was talking about leadership, and she thought it was boring. Wasn’t leadership basically just telling people what to do? As the pastor talked more about it, Serena realized that maybe it was more complicated than that.

Leadership is a serious job. There are many areas in life where you can be a leader, but the Bible specifically talks about what it means to be a leader in the church. God takes church leadership very seriously because he loves his children so much. He wants the people who teach them to be kind, qualified, and self-controlled. The best leaders are already respected by others because of how they live.

What leaders do you look up to?

JANUARY 4

Brave

“Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!”

PSALM 27:14 TPT

Janelle set down her book and stared off into space. What a story! She had just finished a biography about a famous female missionary. The missionary she had just read about had gone on a dangerous ship, all alone, to people she had never met, and she faced many hard things. Janelle couldn’t ever imagine such a thing. She was afraid to cross the street without her sister! She wondered if she would ever be brave.

Just then, her sister came into the kitchen. When she saw what Janelle was reading, she asked her how she liked it. Janelle told her how she felt, and her sister gave her some wise advice. “Sometimes being brave doesn’t mean you feel ready. It means you do it even if you feel scared. You pray, you ask God to give you courage, you remember that he will never leave you, and then you do it no matter what your feelings are.”

When do you feel most brave?

JANUARY 5

Stay

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can produce fruit alone.
It must remain in the vine.
It is the same with you.
You cannot produce fruit alone.
You must remain in me.”

JOHN 15:4 ICB

Has the Bible ever seemed impossible to you? From the Ten Commandments to the different lists in the New Testament, there are so many instructions on what to do. Being kind, loving, and patient, can sometimes feel overwhelming. How’s a girl supposed to do them all?

Thankfully, we don’t have to do it on our own. Just like fruit grows on a tree, these characteristics will grow in your life if you do one thing—remain in Jesus. Take the time to get to know him, listen to his Word, and let the Holy Spirit change your life. Without the power of the Spirit, we can’t grow good fruit. If we stay close to Jesus, however, suddenly it won’t be as hard to be loving or patient. The Holy Spirit will empower us to do those things!

How can you stay close to Jesus?

JANUARY 6

Appropriate

Everyone enjoys giving great advice. But how delightful it is to say the right thing at the right time!

PROVERBS 15:23 TPT

Do you know someone who talks all the time? Maybe it’s hard to have a conversation with them because you feel like you can’t get a word in! Perhaps that person is you! Just because we think something, doesn’t mean it needs to be said. It isn’t always appropriate. It is good discipline to learn when to speak and when to remain silent. Listening to others is a skill we want to learn. When we practice listening to others, it shows we care and value what they have to say. When we say whatever pops into our minds, we lack self-control, and sometimes our words can be hurtful.

Today, try to think about what you are saying before you say it. Try to practice truly listening to others and showing them the love of Jesus by letting his Holy Spirit guide the things you say.

What would practicing self-control look like for you today?

JANUARY 7

Faith

Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.

HEBREWS 11:1 ICB

There are many things in this life that we don’t understand. Consider how complicated cellphones are. How can you pick up a cellphone, put in a number, and talk to someone on the other side of the country? There are so many questions to ask about the world, and we will never be able to comprehend it all.

We often display faith by using things we don’t understand. In fact, even something as simple as sitting in a chair shows faith; you trust that the chair won’t break under you. Faith in Jesus is like this. We can’t see him, but we have faith that he will do the things he promised and that we can put our hope in him.

Do you believe Jesus is real and will do what he has promised?

JANUARY 8

Character

I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.

REVELATION 14:2 NIRV

Have you ever seen a sight so beautiful you wanted to capture it in a photo or with words, yet you couldn’t? The picture could not adequately capture the beauty, and no words could describe it properly. Maybe it was the colors of a sunset or the vastness of the ocean. Whatever it was, you really had to experience it yourself in order to understand.

John, the writer of the book of Revelation, had a vision of heaven and many things that would happen at the end of time, and boy, did he have a hard time describing them! He saw Jesus in all his glory and heard his voice—the character of Jesus all in one place was so powerful and amazing, John could hardly find the words to describe him. We will see for ourselves one day!

What character quality do you love most about God?

JANUARY 9

Excited

I’m asking the LORD for only one thing. Here is what I want. I want to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life. I want to look at the beauty of the LORD. I want to worship him in his temple.

PSALM 27:4 NIRV

Dia leapt up and down with joy. Finally, after marking off the days on her calendar, the day had come. It was theme park day! Everyone who had gotten good grades would go on a special field trip to the local theme park. Dia had never been before, and she worked so hard this year to make the proper grades. She dreamed of cotton candy, fast rides, the waterpark, and...