Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Debby and her mother were cleaning the attic when Debby found a small, leather bound book.  "Look at this!  My old three-year diary!" she exclaimed.  "I started writing in this when I was seven -- if you can call this writing, that is."  She pointed to the large, oddly shaped letters at the top of one page.  "It's so sloppy, I can hardly read it," she added with a laugh.  "And just look at the way 'Grandma' is spelled -- 'g-r-a-m-e.'"
 
Mother smiled.  "Your writing improved through the years, though," she said, pointing to another page.
 
"Yeah, it keeps getting better and better," agreed Debby.  Then she frowned.  "But look at this last page.  I wrote this two years ago, when I was nine.  This writing doesn't look much different from the way I write now."
 
"No," said Mother, "and your spelling hasn't changed much, either.  You still spell 'friend' the way it is here -- 'f-r-e-i-n-d.'"
 
Debby blushed.  "I always have trouble with that word," she admitted.
 
	Mother grew thoughtful.  "Your diary makes me think of my Christian life," she said.  "The first couple of years after I was saved, I was constantly learning new things from God's Word and trying to live for Him in all areas of my life."  She sighed.  "But I guess I started losing enthusiasm after that.  Changes and improvements seem to come more slowly now.  I wonder how different my spiritual life is now from what it was five years ago."
 
	"I was saved just three years ago," Debby said, "but I know what you mean, Mom.  What do you think happens?"
 
"Well, I think we sometimes get too busy with other things. . .and I think it's easy to just get lazy, too," said Mother.  "We need to guard against that.  Let's pray about it and work harder at studying God's Word and living for Him."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior?  If so, think back to that time.  Were you more enthusiastic and committed to Him then than you are now?  You should be growing as a Christian, not just growing older.  Even if you feel like you're "doing okay," ask God to help you renew your devotion to Him.  Until you reach heaven, there will always be room for improvement.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Revelation 2:4-5)
Thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.

[Soldier4Christ]

 All-the-Time Friend

"You've certainly spent a lot of time talking to your friends tonight," observed Mom as Emily hung up the phone.

"We don't know what to do about Ava," Emily explained. "She's being a . . . a sometimes friend. She wants to be friends when she needs help with homework, but she ignores us when she's doing something that's fun. It really bugs us!"

"Well, that's too bad," said Mom, "but no more phone calls tonight. It's almost bedtime. If you haven't had your quiet time with the Lord yet, you'd better do that now."

Emily yawned. "I'm too tired tonight," she said. "I'll read and pray in the morning." She turned to go. "'Night, Mom. 'Night, Dad," she said, and she hurried out of the room.

As Emily hurried downstairs the next morning, she tripped. "Mom!" she wailed. "My ankle!" Mom hurried to help. Dear God, prayed Emily silently while her mother wrapped her ankle and put ice packs on it, this hurts so bad! Please take this pain away and make my ankle better.

Unable to walk, Emily stayed home from school. "Honey," said Mom after making her comfortable on the couch, "you told me about the problem with your friend Ava and how it bugs you when she asks for your help but doesn't include you in her fun times, remember?"

Emily nodded. "It hurts when she acts like that," she said. "Friends should be friends all the time."

"I agree with you, and I thought about that last night," said Mom. "Remember how you talked so long to your friends on the phone, but you were too tired to talk to God?"

Emily squeezed her hands around the ice pack. "Well, I prayed this morning," she defended herself.

"Did you?" asked Mom. "About what?"

"My ankle," said Emily quickly. Then she blushed.

"So you prayed when you needed help. Does that remind you of someone?" Mom raised her brows. "God is an 'all-the-time' Friend," she added. "Don't you think it hurts Him when we're only 'sometimes' friends with Him? When we talk with Him only when we need help?" Thoughtfully, Emily nodded.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you talk to God about everything, or only if you need something? Wouldn't it be great to be called-as Abraham was-a "friend of God"? He wants you to talk with Him in all kinds of situations. Thank Him for the things you see on your way to school. Share your thoughts about people and things that happen. Praise Him for being Lord. Ask Him to help you with both the little and big tasks of the day. Treat Him as a good friend all the time.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Abraham believed God . . . and he was called the friend of God. James 2:23

[Soldier4Christ]

"Get a move on, Josh," grumbled Jeff loudly.  "You're just being lazy."
 
"Am not!"
 
"Are, too!"
 
Jeff and Josh were at it again.  Mother reluctantly headed for the kitchen to try and solve the problem.  "I'm tired of the constant bickering that goes on between you boys," she scolded.  "You are brothers, and you ought to show love for one another."
 
"Love?  Who could love him?"  Jeff asked angrily.  "Every time we do dishes, Josh just drags his feet, so I end up doing most of the work."
 
"Do not!" Josh shot back.  "He always picks on me!"
 
"That does it!" exclaimed Mother.  "You boys apparently need to work off some extra steam.  When these dishes are done, we'll all go out to the garden and pull crabgrass.  I'll give you each the same number of rows to do, so nobody needs to complain about doing the most.  And if anybody 'drags his feet,' it will just take him longer."
 
Soon they were all busy in the garden.  By the time they took a "lemonade break," the boys were hot, dusty, and too tired to quarrel.  Mother sat back on the dirt.  "You know, boys, this makes me think of a verse in the Bible that talks about a 'root of bitterness' springing up," she said.  "I can see that such a root is springing up between you boys.  It has been destroying your friendship much the way this crabgrass is destroying our strawberry patch.  We've tackled the crabgrass.  Now let's talk about the things that are bugging you and see if you can get rid of that bitterness."
 
The boys looked at each other and nodded.  They bowed their heads as Mother led them in prayer, asking God's guidance.  Then as they got back to work, they also began to talk about their differences.



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you feeling bitter toward somebody?  Has someone been unfair to you?  Do you feel more and more angry as the days go by?  Ask God to show you if there is anyone with whom you should "talk things out."  If He brings someone to your mind, go to that  person and discuss the problem.  Ask God to help you pull bitterness out by the roots.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 12:15)
Looking diligently lest any. . . root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.

[Soldier4Christ]

This is so boring, Brenda thought as she trudged along behind her mother at the grocery store.  "May I walk around while you wait in line at the deli?" she asked.  "I'll obey our shopping rules."  Mother hesitated, but then agreed to let Brenda walk off some of her excess energy.  I'll see how many times I can circle up this aisle and down the next one before the lady at the delicatessen calls the number on Mom's ticket, decided Brenda.  She set a goal to complete her route five times.  "Oh, no!" Brenda murmured as she finished her fourth round.  "Mom's up next!"  She increased her speed, forgetting the "no running" rule.  As she raced around the bend, her arm swung out, and -- SPLAT!  Two large jars of applesauce smashed to the floor.
 
Mother came quickly, and Brenda dragged her feet as Mother propelled her to the service desk.  Brenda could hardly hold back tears as she told the assistant manager what had happened.  "Someone will clean up the mess right away," the man assured her.
 
"And Brenda will pay for the jars," said Mother firmly.  Brenda just looked down at the floor.  As they walked to the checkout, Mother added, "I'll pay for the broken jars now, but you'll have to pay me back with your own money."
 
"But, Mom, I don't have very much money -- and I'm sorry for what I did," whined Brenda.  She sighed.  "I wish I could make those jars go back up on the shelf, unsmashed."
 
"But you can't, can you?" said Mother.  She put her arm around Brenda.  "I know you're sorry and ashamed, but the jars are still broken, and you still need to pay for them.  It wouldn't be right for someone else to have to do that."  She paused.  "That's the way it is with sin," she added.  "When we're sorry and confess our sin, God forgives us.  But sin still has certain natural consequences.  That's a good thing to remember when you're tempted to sin."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you find yourself doing things you know you shouldn't do?  When that happens, it's your responsibility to tell God what you've done and to ask Him to clean up the mess and remove the sin.  He will do just that.  But don't forget that even though you've been forgiven, there may still be a price to pay.  Today's Scripture gives an example of that.  There may also be natural consequences as a result of what you do. Think about that the next time you're tempted to do wrong.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Galatians 6:7)
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Are you reading your favorite fairy tale again?" Lauren asked Ashley.
 
"Yep -- Hansel and Gretel," announced Ashley.  "Wanna hear it?"  She cleared her throat.  "'When Hansel and Gretel woke from their sleep, the woods was very dark.'"  Ashley began relating the story to Lauren without even looking at her book.  "'How will we find our way home?' asked Gretel.  She began to cry.  Hansel picked up a pebble lying on the pathway.  'Look, Gretel, here are the pebbles I dropped,' he said.  'We can follow them back home.'"
 
"I know the story," Lauren said, giving her little sister a big hug.  "Have you memorized your Bible verses for Sunday already?  You'll have to say them for Mom before she'll let us go to the zoo, you know."
 
"Those verses are too hard," whined Ashley.  "Besides,  what good is learning a bunch of old verses anyway?"
 
"Don't let Mom hear you say that!" warned Lauren.  "There are lots of reasons to memorize Bible verses.  For one thing, God's Word helps us know right from wrong.  It helps us make right choices." Ashley continued to pout.  "Think of it like this," said Lauren.  "When we've hidden verses from God's Word in our hearts, they're like the pebbles Hansel had hidden in his pocket and used to mark the path that would lead them home.  The pebbles showed them the way to go, and having God's Word memorized will help us know the way to go, too.  When we follow God's Word we can always be sure we are on the right path in life."
 
"But it's too hard to memorize all those long words," complained Ashley again.
 
"Didn't I just hear you reciting Hansel and Gretel?  How did you learn it so well?" Lauren asked
 
"I guess it's because I read it so much," admitted Ashley.
 
"Well, if you'll read your Bible verses over and over again, I bet you'll remember them easily, too," suggested Lauren.  "Try it."
 
So Ashley took her Bible to the living room and curled up on the sofa.  "Psalm 119:35," she began.  "'Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments. . . .'"
 
When Mom came home, Ashley jumped up, held her Bible behind her back, and said, "Listen, Mommy."  Then she recited her verses word perfect.



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you complain that memorizing God's Word is too hard?  Do you wonder why you even need to do it?  Encouragement, peace, and knowing the right thing to do are only a few of the rewards God gives for meditating on His Word.  Put forth some extra effort today.  You'll be glad you did!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:35)
Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Direct me in the path of your commands,  for there I find delight.

[Soldier4Christ]

Charles ran into the house and slammed the door.  "Mom!" he called.  "Is it true what Beth said?  Is Grandpa coming to visit again?"
 
"Yes, your sister is right," replied Mother as she sorted through some jewelry.  "Dad is going to get Grandpa on Saturday morning.  You can probably go along if you like."  She sighed.  "My watch is broken," she added, "and I was hoping one of my old ones would still work.  Look, Charles."  She held up a small, gold wristwatch.  "This is my high school graduation present from Grandpa and Grandma.  This one with the leather strap was my official nurse's watch.  And this lovely one I've been wearing. . .Dad bought this for me on our first wedding anniversary."
 
Charles nodded, but he went back to the matter at hand.  "I don't want to go get Grandpa," he whined.  "Why does he have to come again?  He spills things and talks funny.  Why can't he just stay home?"
 
"I thought you loved Grandpa," Mother said quietly.
 
"I do," Charles said, "or I did before he had that old stroke.  He used to do stuff with me.  Now he just sits around and. . .and gets in the way."
 
Mother looked at the watches on the table.  "These watches bring back precious memories of happy times, but none of them will run," she said.  "I'm fond of them and hate to throw them out, but at least they don't have feelings. . . ."  She looked at Charles.  ". . .like people do."  Charles looked at the floor.  He knew she meant Grandpa.  "My heart is very full of memories of growing up with Grandpa and Grandma," added Mother.  "Grandma is in heaven now, and age and illness have injured Grandpa.  But he is still my same wonderful father.  I don't want to 'throw him out.'  I love him too much."
 
Charles hugged his mother.  "I don't want to 'throw him out,' either," he said.  "I'll go with Dad to get him."  He looked at the watches.  "Keep those," he said.  "Don't ever throw them away."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you value old people?  Never 'throw them away' just because they can't do all the things they once could.  Use every opportunity to show them that you do love and appreciate them.  As you give of yourself to them, you'll be surprised to find how much you get back in return.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 16:31)
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Lori sat on the beach blanket, painstakingly trying to separate the tiny pieces of sand from the pile she held in her hand and drop them, grain by grain, into her pail.  "This isn't working very good," she complained.
 
"Are you just going to sit here all afternoon trying to count sand?" asked her brother Rick.  "You could've stayed home in the sandbox.  What in the world do you want to spend your time doing that for?"
 
"My Sunday school teacher said our next lesson is going to refer to sand, and she said if we got a chance we ought to try to count the grains in a handful," explained Lori.  She went on counting -- or trying to count -- the tiny grains.  Rick rolled his eyes, picked up his raft, and headed toward the water.
 
Lori stayed on the blanket, counting sand.  After a little while her father looked up from the book he was reading. "How's the counting coming?  Do you think you'll be able to finish the whole beach this afternoon?" he teased.
 
Lori sprinkled the remaining sand she held over her feet.  "I give up," she said.  "I can't even count one handful.  There's so much sand on this beach, and it goes down deep, too.  And this is only one of many beaches in the world."
 
Dad laughed.  "Isn't it wonderful that we can't count the grains of sand?" he asked.
 
Lori was puzzled.  "Wonderful?" she echoed.  "Why is that so wonderful?"
 
Dad reached into the tote bag packed with books, towels, and lotion.  He took out the small book of Psalms and turned to Psalm 139.  "It says here, in verses seventeen and eighteen, that God's thoughts concerning us outnumber the grains of sand," he said.  "Just think of that!"  He scooped up a handful of sand.  "God's love for us is endless."
 
Lori filled her bucket to the top with sand.  Then she tipped it over and watched the millions and zillions of particles pour out.  "Yes," she agreed.  "It is wonderful, isn't it?"



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sometimes wonder if you matter?  Do your brothers or sisters or classmates say things that leave you feeling worthless?  God, the Creator, made each person very special to Him.  The next time you feel less than special, think about how much sand there is over the entire earth.  Then thank God that you are so special to Him that His thoughts for you are far more than all the grains of sand in the world.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 139:17)
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!

[Soldier4Christ]

When the doorbell rang, Marcia went to see who was there.  It was the postman.  He held out an envelope.  "Marcia, did you address this letter?" he asked.  "You didn't put down the zip code -- or even the city and state.  It's going to end up in the dead-letter office."
 
"Oops!" exclaimed Marcia.  "I was going to ask Mom for Aunt Julia's address, but I forgot.  What's the dead-letter office?"
 
"It's a department of the Post Office.  Mail that can't be delivered goes there," explained Mr. Zachary.  "Then clerks open the letters and look for return addresses inside.  If there is one, the mail is returned to the sender."
 
"What if there isn't any return address?" asked Marcia.
 
"Most of the letters are destroyed," said Mr. Zachary.  "The contents of parcels are sold, and the money goes into the Post Office funds."
 
"Well, I don't want Aunt Julia's letter to end up there," declared Marcia.  "Thanks, Mr. Zachary."
 
At family devotions that evening, Marcia began her prayer:  "Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for a beautiful day and for my parents, and for. . . ."  She stopped.  "I think my prayer is going to God's 'dead-letter office,'" she said, right in the middle of her prayer.  Her parents looked at her in surprise.  "I know He won't hear my prayers until I make something right first," added Marcia tearfully.  "Daddy, I stole five dollars from your wallet last week.  I just know God hasn't heard my prayers since!  Please forgive me.  I'll have to pay you back, won't I?  You can take it from my allowance, okay?"
 
"Oh course I forgive you, Marcia," said Dad.  "But, yes, you will have to pay the money back.  And you need to confess your sin to God, too."
 
Marcia nodded her head.  "I know," she said.  "I'm going to do that right now."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Isn't prayer a wonderful privilege?  But is there unconfessed sin in your life?  Is there something you know is sin, but you are unwilling to confess and forsake it?  If so, the Lord says He won't hear you.  Make things right with others and with God.  Then memorize and experience the following verse.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 66:19)
But verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, may I go to the park and play ball?" asked Andy.
 
"Are your thank-you notes finished?" asked Mom.
 
"Not yet.  I'll do them later," promised Andy.  He picked up the baseball glove his grandparents had sent for his birthday.  His three aunts had each sent money, and he had spent some of it on a shirt with the name of his favorite ball team.  Now he could pretend he was in the big league.
 
"It's been a week since your birthday," Mom reminded him.  "Don't wait too long."
 
"I won't," Andy assured her.  "I promise!"
 
It was a hot day -- perfect for ball.  Andy's friends were waiting for him at the park.  "Andy!  Play shortstop," Michael yelled.  Andy quickly got into position.
 
After playing about an hour, the boys were hot and tired.  "Tell you what," said Andy, "let's go to the drugstore, and I'll buy you all a can of pop with the birthday money I still have left."
 
"Great!" they agreed.
 
The cooler air in the store felt good after the hot sun, and each boy chose a can from the case.  As Andy went to pay for them, a fire engine went racing down the street, it's siren blaring.  "Let's go see the fire," called one of the boys, and they all ran out the door.
 
"Wait!" called Andy, but no one paid attention to him.  Andy paid for the pop, and then he walked home and went straight to his room.
 
His mother found him there a little later.  "You're home!  And writing thank-you notes?"  She was surprised.
 
Andy explained how his friends had raced after the fire engine without waiting for him.  "In fact, they didn't even thank me for the pop I bought them," he said.  "It made me think about how important it is to thank people."
 
"You're right, Andy," agreed Mom.  "We should have an attitude of thankfulness -- for all the Lord has done for us and for what others do for us.  And we should also express it."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you write thank-you notes? Do you take time to let others know you appreciate what they've done for you?  People often forget to be thankful and show appreciation.  Thankfulness should be a characteristic of a Christian's life.  Let your thankfulness be a testimony to others.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, I asked my friend Renee if she's a Christian, and she said, 'Sure.  I go to church all the time.'  I told her that didn't make her a Christian, but she didn't believe me.  I didn't know what to say."
 
Mom nodded.  "It's often hard to convince people that, although it's true that Christians generally do go to church, going to church doesn't make a person a Christian," she said.  "But don't give up.  Pray for Renee and keep reminding her that she needs Jesus."
 
Sarah's little sister toddled up to them, with a pretty chocolate box clutched tightly in her hands.  "Mommy, here's a chocolate candy for you," squealed Janie.  She held out the box.
 
"Thank you, sweetie," said Mom, taking something from the box.
 
"You can have one, too," Janie told her big sister, passing her the box.
 
Sarah stretched out her hand eagerly, but withdrew it when she saw what was in the box.  "Those aren't chocolates," she protested.  "They're stones!"
 
"No!  Chocolates!" insisted Janie.  "Look, Sarah!"  With a grubby little finger, she pointed to the pictures of big creamy-looking chocolates on the cover of the box.
 
Sarah laughed.  "Oh, Janie!  That's just a picture," she said.  "Putting stones inside a chocolate box doesn't make them turn into chocolates!"
 
"Just like putting a person inside a church doesn't make him a Christian!" said Mom quickly.  "Maybe you should tell Renee about Janie's chocolates."
 
"Good idea!" agreed Sarah.  "Maybe that would help her understand that being in church doesn't make her a Christian.  She needs to trust in Jesus to be saved."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a Christian?  If you answered "yes," are you saying yes because you go to church?  Or is it because you have trusted Jesus?  Going to church is a good thing, but the Bible says we are not saved by any good things we do.  Good deeds do not make a Christian. A Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus as Savior.  (See last page.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Titus 3:5)
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

[Soldier4Christ]

"And before we leave, shall we pray to our Father with the prayer Jesus taught us?" said Mrs. Mac.  "Think about the words as you say them."  The boys and girls in the Sunday school class stood up and together recited the Lord's Prayer.
 
	As the children were leaving, Mrs. Mac smiled warmly at Benny, a new boy in the class.  "We're so glad you came today," she said.  "We hope you'll come again."
 
	Benny shrugged.  Then his eyes filled with tears.  "You all said that prayer just now -- that one that says, 'Our Father which art in heaven.'  Well, I don't want to have anything to do with God if he's a father!"
 
"Why is that, Benny?" asked Mrs. Mac gently.  "What makes you say that?"
 
	Benny scowled.  "You know what my father did?  He left my mom and Tina and me when I was five years old.  He's never showed up since.  So who wants another father like that!"
 
	"Oh, Benny.  I'm sorry!" said Mrs. Mac, putting a hand on Benny's shoulder.  She was silent for a few moments as she prayed for the right words to say.  "Benny," she said at last, "we compare God to many things.  But because God is perfect, no human example can ever describe Him properly."  Benny still looked glum.  "Benny, tell me about your mom," suggested Mrs. Mac.
 
	Benny's face lit up as he thought about his mother.  "Mom's great!" he exclaimed.  "She loves Tina and me, and takes good care of us."
 
	"Well, then think of God as someone who loves you and cares about you even more than your mom," said Mrs. Mac.  "The Bible tells us that even if a mother forgets her child, God does not forget.  In the same way, even though your dad has left you, God will never leave you."
 
	"Really?" asked Benny, hope shining in his eyes.
 
	"Yes, really," said Mrs. Mac.  "And don't forget to pray for your dad, too -- maybe one day, he'll come back."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Has God blessed you with a loving mom and dad?  Then thank Him -- and know that God is even more loving than your parents.  Have you been abandoned by a father or mother?  Be assured that God will never leave you, never forsake you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 49:15)
Can a woman forget. . .the son of her womb?  Yea, they may forget, yet will I (God) not forget thee.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Dad!" wailed Shana.  "My flashlight won't work!  I just put in new batteries, but it still doesn't light."
 
"Let me have a look," replied Dad.  He removed the batteries.  "I think I see the problem, Shana."  Shana peered more closely at the batteries in Dad's hand.  "Here on the end of the battery -- the place where it must contact, or touch, the second battery -- is a piece of clear plastic," continued Dad.  "See?  You didn't peel away all the packaging, and that ruined the contact."  Dad deftly removed the plastic and wiped the contact points clean.  Then he replaced the batteries in their proper position.  "Now try it," he said, handing the flashlight to Shana. 
 
"Thanks, Dad," said Shana as she flicked the switch.  "All right!" she exclaimed.  "The light is bright now!"
 
"It sure is," agreed Dad.  "How about letting me borrow your flashlight next Sunday?"
 
"Sure," agreed Shana.  "What do you need it for, Daddy?"
 
"It's going to make a good illustration for the Sunday school lesson I'm teaching," Dad told her.  "Just like that piece of plastic came between the two batteries and stopped their power, sin in our lives comes between us and God's power to work in us.  It stops our fellowship with God.  When His power is cut off, we can't shine for Him."
 
Shana nodded.  "So sin and plastic both can make a big power failure, can't they?  And I know how to get rid of both of them.  You rip the plastic off to get rid of it, and you confess what you've done wrong and turn away from it to get rid of the sin."
 
"Exactly right," agreed Dad.  "I should take you along to teach my class!"



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you shining brightly for Jesus every day?  Or is there sin in your life, hindering God's power?  Such things as lying, cheating, swearing, stealing, disobedience, jealousy, selfishness, and gossip are sins that soil your fellowship with God.  Confess your sin to Him, and let God's power light up your life.  Be sure there's no sin between you and the Lord.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 59:2)
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.

[Soldier4Christ]

Crickets chirped, and June bugs buzzed as Mike and his friend, Steve, lay in their sleeping bags, looking up at the star-filled sky.  They were "camping out" in Mike's back yard.  "I wonder how many stars are up there," said Mike softly.  "I'll bet we could count about a thousand if we tried."
 
"Yeah, and that's just the ones that are close enough to see without a telescope," Steve replied.  "My science teacher says there are hundreds of millions of galaxies, and each galaxy has about ten billion stars.  Just think how big this universe must be."
 
Mike was silent for a moment.  "Do you ever wonder why God made all that?" he asked slowly.  "I mean. . .I can see why God created the earth and sun and moon -- maybe even the other planets in our solar system -- because we can see them and might even be able to visit them some day.  But why did He make the rest of the universe?  I mean, what's the use of making something so great and wonderful if no one's ever going to see it?"
 
"That reminds me of what I told my mom when I cleaned my room yesterday," said Steve.  "I told her I didn't see why I had to clean under my bed, since nobody would see it anyway."
 
"What did she say?" asked Mike.
 
"Well," said Steve, "she said that having it clean was important to her even if it wasn't important to me.  She says she likes order and beauty and wants to know that everything's clean.  So she said to clean it for her."
 
Mike laughed.  "Sounds like my mom," he said.  "I guess all mothers are like that."  He paused.  "Maybe God didn't make the universe just for us," he added, "but for Himself.  I guess it's silly for us to think that the universe is wasted just because we can't see all of it."
 
"Yeah," agreed Steve.  "Besides, all those billions of stars help us realize how great He really is," added Steve.  "Makes me feel kind of small."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
When you think about the greatness of the universe, does it make you feel small and unimportant?  Does it make you realize the vast difference between God and mere human beings?  You can never fully comprehend His greatness or all the things He has done.  All you can do is worship Him with praise and thanksgiving.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 19:1)
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.

[Soldier4Christ]

As Mike and Steve ate breakfast the morning after their camp out, they told Mike's mom about their discussion regarding the stars and the vast universe.  "It made us feel kind of small and unimportant," said Mike.
 
Mother smiled.  "I know what you mean," she said, "but when thinking about God's vast universe makes you feel small, it's good to realize that He's interested in little things, too.  Mike, have you shown Steve the microscope you got for your birthday?"
 
"Yeah, he did.  It's neat!" exclaimed Steve.  "Let's go use it, Mike."
 
"Okay," agreed Mike.  "I've got something on a slide to show you."  The boys hurried off. 
 
As Steve peered through the lens, he saw what appeared to be a giant, horned monster.  "Yuck!" he exclaimed.  "What's that thing?"
 
"It's just a flea."  Mike laughed.  "I got it off my dog."
 
Steve took another look.  "I didn't know fleas had all those horns and claws," he said.  "Let's find some other things to look at."  Soon the boys had examined an ant, a leaf stem, a worm, and part of a flower.
 
As Steve looked at some dusty yellow pollen through the microscope, he whistled.  "Awesome!" he exclaimed.  "Look at the designs on each of these grains of pollen.  It's hard to believe anything so small could be so complicated."
 
Then the boys looked at a drop of water they had taken from a puddle.  They were amazed at all the tiny things they found swimming in it.  "I can't believe it," said Mike, moving over so Steve could peer into the lens.  "There must be millions and billions of these things all over the world, and we never even see them."
 
"Even though no one sees these little creatures, each one of them was created by God in a special way."  Mother's voice came from the doorway.  She smiled at the boys.  "Aren't you glad He's interested in little things as well as in big things?  That means He's interested in us, too.  It's nice to know we're important to God."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you realize that God cares about you -- that you are important to Him?  He created you and has a purpose for your life.  You could not even live if it were not for His loving care, protecting and keeping you every minute of every day.  Don't you think you should be able to trust Him completely?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 145:16)
Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

[Soldier4Christ]

Kurt stopped working and wiped sweat from his face.  Grandpa stopped, too.  "Gardening is hard work," said Grandpa.  "Maybe we should take a break."
 
Kurt dropped his hoe.  "That sounds good to me."
 
They walked around the garden.  A single row of peas was sprouting where Grandpa had planted them two weeks earlier.  However, most of the garden was still full of weeds.  "It takes work to plant a garden," said Grandpa, "but weeds grow easily, don't they?"
 
"Yeah," said Kurt.  "Why did God make weeds, anyway?"
 
"Well, they're the result of sin," said Grandpa.  "Since they're here, we might as well learn a lesson from them.  Just as farmers need to destroy weeds to keep them from spoiling their crops, we have to tend to the sinful things in our lives, so they don't take over."
 
"What do you mean?" asked Kurt.  "I don't get it."
 
Grandpa stooped to pull a tall weed.  "I get angry sometimes when things don't go the way I'd like them to," he said.  "In a way, my temper is like this weed.  It has tough roots and grows fast.  It could take over my life and cause me to spend a lot of time being angry at people."
 
"Oh, I see," said Kurt.  He thought for a minute.  "Sometimes I'm not very nice to Jen," he confessed.  "That's like a weed, too, isn't it?" Grandpa nodded.  "So what can I do about it?" asked Kurt.  "How do you kill 'weeds' in your life so they don't take over?"
 
"First confess it to God," advised Grandpa.  "Ask Him to forgive you and help you to be the kind of brother He wants you to be."  Grandpa sat down on a bench near the garden.  "You may need to ask Jen to forgive you, too."
 
Kurt sat down next to him.  "That's hard," he said slowly.  "Almost harder than asking God to forgive me."  He sighed.  "But I know you're right.  If I really mean it when I tell God I'm sorry and ask for His help, He'll help me apologize, too."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there a "weed" that you need to remove from your life?  Do you have a bad temper?  A habit of disobeying?  A tendency to swear?  Whatever it is, seek God's forgiveness first.  Ask Him to help you get rid of the "weed of sin."  Show your sincerity by also asking forgiveness of anyone you've hurt.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 6:12)
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.