Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"Look at that guy, Mom," said Marcia as she and her mother waited at a red traffic light. "He's practically dancing down the street instead of walking! He sure looks silly with his head bobbing back and forth like that."

Mother smiled when she looked in the direction Marcia pointed. "I think he's listening to his radio," she said. "See his headphones?"


"Yeah," replied Marcia, "and he's walking to the beat of the music he's hearing, isn't he?"

"That's how it looks to me," agreed Mother, "and that could be dangerous. He doesn't seem to notice what's going on around him." The traffic light changed, and Mother drove forward.  "That man reminds me of our walk as Christians in this world," she added.

Marcia gave her mother a puzzled glance. "I know it's dangerous to be a Christian in some countries," she said, "but it's not dangerous here, is it?"

"Well, I didn't mean it was dangerous," said Mother. "I was just thinking that when we listen to God and His Word -- even though others don't -- we sometimes feel like we're walking around looking pretty strange, 'out of synch' with the rest of the world."

"That's true," agreed Marcia.  "That happened to me just last week. Even my very best friend made fun of me because I wasn't allowed to watch a TV show that everyone in class was talking about."

"Did that bother you?" asked Mother.

Marcia nodded. "Yeah," she said, "but I guess we just have to be like that guy back there, and not worry about what other people think of us, right?"

"You're right, Marcia," replied Mother. "What God thinks is much more important than what people think. I pray you'll always choose to listen to Jesus instead of marching to the beat of the world."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you walking to a different beat than most of your classmates?   Perhaps that's as it should be.   You can't expect the world to hear God's beat and to live to please Him, but you can live the way Jesus wants you to live, no matter what others think.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Galatians 6:14)
The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tina's face was gloomier than the falling rain as she sat gazing out the kitchen window. "I tried so hard to make the honor roll this time," she said as a tear escaped and trickled like a raindrop down her cheek. "I wanted you and Dad to be proud of me."

"Dad and I are proud of you, Tina, even if you didn't make the honor roll," replied Mother in a soothing tone.  "We know how hard you work, and you can try again next time."

"No, Mom. I'm through trying," declared Tina. "It's no use."

Just then a neighbor boy ran up his driveway. Tina and her mother gasped as he stumbled and fell, landing on both knees in a mud puddle.  In a flash, he was back on his feet.  "I wonder why Billy got up so quickly," said Mother. "Why didn't he just stay there in the puddle a while?"

"Stay there!" exclaimed Tina in surprise. "Why would he do that? He'd soak up more rain and dirt."

"Well, Tina, you seem to be in a puddle, too," Mother suggested, "but instead of jumping out of it, you plan to stay and wallow in it."

"Me?" asked Tina. "In a puddle? What do you mean, Mom?"

"Disappointment and discouragement can lead to self-pity," explained Mother, "and falling into self-pity is very much like falling into a puddle. You can continue in that self-pity and soak it up until you feel even more miserable and bogged down, or -- with God's help -- you can jump out of that pity puddle and keep on going."

Tina was thoughtful for a moment as she munched on a snack. "In other words, keep trying to get better grades, right?" she asked. "Okay --  I know you're right. I'll go upstairs to do my homework.á Maybe I'll never make the honor roll, but I'm going to do the very best I can."

"That's all Dad and I -- and God -- ask of you," said Mother, giving Tina a big hug.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you keep trying even if you don't get an "A" or win a contest?   If you're disappointed when things don't turn out just the way you hope they will, don't continue to feel sorry for yourself and spend time in a "pity puddle. "  When David was feeling sorry for himself, he was reminded that there is always hope with God (see today's "To read" selection), and he began to praise God for it.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 42:11)
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amy curled up on the sofa, watching her green parakeet. Dad had given the bird to her just a few weeks before he had died and gone to be with Jesus.  "This little guy will keep you company," Dad had said, and that was why Amy had named the bird "Little Guy."

Now Dad had been gone six months.  Although Amy was becoming accustomed to the emptiness his death had brought to the house and her life, she still missed many things -- Dad in his place at the table, the sound of his laugh, the way he used to tap a goodnight signal on her bedroom door. There was a sadness in Mom's eyes, too, and Amy knew she missed Dad a lot. They had discovered some wonderful promises for widows and children as they read the Bible together each evening.

Amy noticed that her parakeet perched dejectedly in his little brass cage. "Mom, what's wrong with Little Guy?" she asked. "His cage is clean, and he has fresh water and seed, but he acts like he's sick or something." Amy sounded worried.á "I haven't heard him chirp lately, either," she added.

Mom came in from the kitchen and studied the little bird huddled on its perch. "Oh, he's just molting," she said. "Did you notice all the feathers he's lost? Sometimes birds become droopy and stop singing during the molting period. He'll be all right.  He just needs a little time." Mom smiled encouragingly. "You and I are a little like that, honey," she added. "We've lost our desire to sing, too, but God knows how we feel, and He has promised to take care of us. He knows we both miss Daddy very much, but He wants us to trust Him and be happy again."

"Like I want Little Guy to be happy?" Amy's words were more of a statement than a question. She gently poked a finger into the cage, touching the soft green feathers.  Little Guy cocked his head and ruffled his feathers. "Chirp," he responded softly, almost as if he understood.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there some great sorrow in your life?  Do you feel sad and lonely?  Remember, God knows all about it.  He loves you and cares for you.  Pray about your problems and trust God to help you through them.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 68:5)
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Luke climbed into the reclining chair and laid his head back.á Dr. Post, the dentist, took a pick-like tool and poked around Luke's teeth. "I don't see any cavities today," Dr. Post announced a little later, "but I want to get a better look with an x-ray picture."

As Luke waited for the x-ray to be developed, he looked around the dentist's office. On the wall there was a poster with instructions and pictures on how to brush teeth. A giant stuffed tooth with a grinning face painted on it stood on a shelf, along with a model of a tooth. "You must like teeth," commented Luke as Dr. Post came back into the room.

The doctor laughed. "Teeth are important, and we need to keep them healthy," he said. "Tell me, Luke -- how often do you brush your teeth?"

"Every day," said Luke. "Usually more than once! Mom makes me."

Just then Dr. Post's assistant handed him the x-ray pictures of Luke's teeth. "Oops!" said Dr. Post, as he studied the x-rays. "You do have some decay in one of your molars."

Luke groaned. "I almost wish x-ray machines didn't exist," he said.

"Whoa!" protested the doctor.  "You should be glad for them. Now we can clean out that decay before it gets worse. Relax. We can take care of that right away."

"Relax?" asked Luke as he watched Dr. Post prepare a drill.

Dr. Post smiled. "Sure," he said. "There's only a small amount of decay, and it won't take long to fix it." After he finished the drilling, the dentist spoke thoughtfully. "You know, Luke, that x-ray picture is something like the Bible."

Luke grinned. "Having my Sunday school teacher for my dentist means I get a lesson here as well as on Sunday."

"Right," said Dr. Post with a chuckle, "and it's a good lesson. You see, the x-ray showed decay that I couldn't see with my eyes. And sometimes God's Word shows us sin -- decay in our lives -- that no one else can see. When that happens, we need to quickly drill it out -- that is, we need to confess it and get rid of it before it gets worse."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you use God's x-ray machine -- the Bible -- to look at your heart and life?   Sin may be hidden from others, but it's never hidden from God.  Sometimes you may not realize that you're doing something wrong until it's pointed out to you.   God's Word will make you more aware of any sin for which you need to ask His forgiveness.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 4:12)
For the word of God is . . . a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom!" The front door slammed as Cheri hurried in. "Look what Grandma gave me!" She held out a pretty, oval-shaped box with glittering red stones outlining the lid. "I'm going to keep special things in it," she said. Cheri took the box to her room and proudly set it on her dresser. Before long, she had placed quite a number of "treasures" in the box.

One day, Cheri's brother had a question. "Hey," he said, "my class is collecting money for the Jones family. They're the ones whose house burned down last week. Who wants to make a donation?"

"Not me!" said Cheri. "Somebody with more money can help them."

"I don't have much, either, but I can give a little," said Cheri's older sister. Turning to Cheri, she asked, "May I wear your red sweatshirt?"

"No! You'll spill something on it," grumbled Cheri. "You always wreck stuff." Mother frowned, but didn't say anything.

That afternoon, Cheri's friend Sasha came over to play. When they went into Cheri's room, Sasha noticed the box on Cheri's dresser. "How pretty! What do you keep in here?" asked Sasha as she lifted the lid.

"Leave that alone," Cheri snapped at her. "That's mine!"

Sasha pointed at the contents of the box. "Yuk!" she exclaimed.

Cheri grabbed the box. "Oh, no!" she groaned. She ran to show it to her mother. "The rose petals I saved are all dried up," said Cheri, "but worst of all, my birthday cake is all moldy!" Big tears ran down her cheeks.

"Oh, honey, I didn't know you put cake in there," said Mom. "Didn't you know it would spoil? Better dump it out, and then let's see what we need to do to clean the box."  Cheri got the wastebasket, and they began to sort through the things Cheri had saved.

"You need to be careful about what you put into this jeweled box, Cheri," said Mom, "but it's even more important to be careful about what you put into your 'heart box'!" As Mom spoke, she pointed to Cheri's chest. "I've heard some words that make me think you've been keeping selfishness in your heart. Sweatshirts will one day turn into rags, and money will be spent, but sharing will bring happiness that lasts forever."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you share your money and your toys?  Do you cheerfully let others use your things?  Do you offer to help your parents by doing extra chores from time to time?  These are just a few ways to store real treasure -- treasure in heaven.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 6:20)
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

[Soldier4Christ]

As Cheri cleaned out her special jeweled box, she turned to her friend Sasha. "Sorry for yelling at you," Cheri apologized.

"That's okay," Sasha answered.  "Can I help you clean out your box?"

Cheri handed her a small, glittering rock she had been keeping in the box. "It's mostly done," she said, "but you can wash this off and polish it if you like."

Sasha cleaned and polished the rock until it gleamed. She held it in the sunlight, and the reflected light bounced around the room. "Cool!" exclaimed Cheri. "Thanks, Sasha. I guess that's the best treasure I had in my box. Most of my other stuff needed to be dumped."

"You know," said Mom, who had come to see how they were doing, "you needed to get rid of the bad stuff in your jeweled box, but you can keep that rock. You needed to get rid of the bad stuff -- the sin -- in your 'heart box,' or your life, too. But Jesus is like that rock. á He is the treasure that will last forever."

"Right," agreed Cheri. "The Bible calls Him a rock, doesn't it?"

Sasha looked puzzled. "I don't get it," she said.

"The Bible says everyone has done wrong things -- we're all sinners," explained Mom. "That's like having bad things in our hearts -- things that need to be removed. We can never go to heaven in our sinful condition; no sin is allowed in heaven."

"Well, I've never done anything really terrible," said Sasha. "Just little stuff -- like lying maybe. That's not really so bad, is it?"

"Because God is holy and just, no sin can enter heaven, Sasha," said Mom. "All sin has to be punished."

"That sounds scary," said Sasha.

"Yes," said Mom, "but God loves us very much -- so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross and take the punishment we deserve. When we accept Him into our lives, He removes the sin in our hearts and replaces it with real treasure -- His Spirit -- and He will always be with us."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have Jesus in your heart and life?  Have you asked Him to forgive your sins and to be your Savior?   You can do that right now


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 3:16)
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

[Soldier4Christ]

As Jasmine's youth group walked through a park, Pastor Jim pointed out various kinds of wild flowers and animals. Suddenly Jasmine gasped. "Is that a snake?" she asked in horror, looking up at a tree. "I didn't know they could climb."

"That kind can," replied Pastor Jim. "Let's watch for a bit." All the kids watched as the snake moved closer and closer to a hole in the tree -- a woodpecker's nest. When the snake got quite near the hole, he began to squirm. Then, to their surprise, he began to retreat down the tree.

"He's leaving," observed Jasmine.  "Why is that?"

"Well," said Pastor Jim, "that hole in the tree is a red cockade woodpecker's nest. Red cockades make nests in trees that have a thick resin, or sap, and it comes out around the woodpecker's hole. The snake doesn't like to get that sap on its skin, so it leaves."

"I'm leaving, too," declared Jasmine, "before that snake gets down here."

"Good idea!" agreed the others in the group, and they continued their walk.

"Seeing that woodpecker's nest makes me think of the Scripture verse that says, 'Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," said Pastor Jim as they moved away. "The devil is like that snake.á When he comes to tempt us, we need to resist him. Who can tell me how we do that?"

"By putting on the armor of God?" suggested one of the boys. Pastor Jim nodded.

"I guess quoting Bible verses like Jesus did would be another way," suggested Jasmine, "but sometimes it's hard to think of verses that fit."

"Right," said Pastor Jim. "There's another interesting thing here --  those birds always build their nests on the west side of a tree. The afternoon sun shines on the sap, keeping it fresh and moist, ready for the enemy. It reminds me that we should always be studying God's Word so we're fresh and ready to resist the devil -- and have victory over sin."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know that it's possible to have victory over temptation?   Use the armor God provides.   Be certain you've accepted Jesus as Savior.  Read God's Word regularly, and talk to Him often.  Be honest, practice right living, exercise faith, and tell others about Jesus.  As you submit to God, He'll give you victory over the temptation Satan offers.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (James 4:7)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Lord, I can't believe You didn't let me get picked for choir. It isn't fair!" Janelle accused the Lord. "I'm a good singer. You know how much I wanted to get in. Sometimes I think You just don't care, because if You did, You'd change things!" Janelle had complained to her brother, but he wasn't very sympathetic. She wished she could go home and tell her mother about her disappointment, but instead she had to go straight to Mrs. Johnson's home to babysit two-year-old Brandi for the rest of the day. Janelle fumed all the way to the Johnsons' home.

Mrs. Johnson gave Janelle instructions before leaving. "Sometimes Brandi throws temper tantrums when she can't get her way," said Mrs. Johnson.  "If she does that, don't give in to her. We want her to learn that temper tantrums don't work."

"Okay," said Janelle. "No problem."

Several times that afternoon, Janelle stopped Brandi from sticking her fingers into the slot of the VCR. Finally, she carried Brandi away from it and set her down beside her toys. Brandi threw herself down, banging her head on the floor and wailing. "Sorry, honey, but you can't put your hand in the VCR.  Here, look at this," said Janelle, trying to get the baby interested in one of her toys, but Brandi just screamed louder and kicked her feet. Janelle picked up a magazine and pretended to read it. She was relieved to find that when she ignored the little girl, Brandi soon quieted down and started to play with her blocks. 

Janelle's mind went back to her disappointment at not getting into the school choir. She felt a little angry when she remembered how her brother had shrugged and told her not to act like a two-year-old. Oh, no! thought Janelle suddenly. He's right! I've been acting like a two-year-old with God. I've been throwing a tantrum, too.

"I'm sorry, Lord. I'm still disappointed," she prayed quietly as she watched Brandi play with her toys, "but I know You really do want what's best for me. á I guess I can find something else to do, just like Brandi did."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you accept what God allows in your life, or do you get angry with Him when things don't go your way?  Jonah rebelled against God and became angry when he didn't like what God was doing (see today's Scripture reading), but God did what He knew would be best. He wants the very best for you, too -- He wants you to grow up to be like Jesus.   He won't give in to temper tantrums.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 19:3)
The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tap! Tap! Tap! Two hammers thudded on the walnut shells.  Randy and his dad were stripping the thick, soft, outer shells from nuts they had gathered on their trip to the woods. Randy had enjoyed collecting the nuts before the squirrels stowed them all away, but now . . .

"Ugh!" he exclaimed, looking at the stains on his gloves. "These sure are messy, aren't they, Dad?"

"Yes, they are," murmured Dad, busy with his own pile, "but just think how good Grandma's black walnut cake will taste when she uses these nuts. When we eat that, we'll think it was worth all this effort."

As they continued working, Randy talked about school, his soccer team, and his friends. "I like Steve," he said. "He's a lot nicer than some kids at school -- like Jeff, for one. He's weird!"

"Really?" asked Dad. "What's wrong with Jeff?"

"Oh, he always talks so loud, and he thinks he's so tough," declared Randy. "I just don't like him."

Dad worked in silence for a while.  Then he picked up another walnut and held it out. "Maybe Jeff's a little like this nut," he told Randy.

"Yeah -- yucky and dirty," said Randy with a laugh.

"I know you think he seems that way, but what's he really like inside?" asked Dad.á He tapped the nut with his hammer. "Walnuts grow with this soft, spongy covering, and after we take that off, there's still a hard shell, so we can't see the good nutmeat on the inside. Jeff may be like that."

Randy frowned, giving that idea some thought. "You mean he may be just putting on a tough act?" he asked. "That's he's really nice inside?"

"Well, without the Lord, no one is really good on the inside," replied Dad, "but he may be nicer than you think. When people are afraid or insecure, they sometimes act rough and tough to hide their feelings from other people. We see only the outside, but God made Jeff -- and under that hard exterior is a soul that God loves. With His help, you might be able to 'crack Jeff's shell' and show him that he needs the Lord."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have trouble liking someone?  Ask God to help you see some good things about that person.   Get to know him or her. Remember that God loves everyone, and everyone needs Him.  You may be able to share God's love with that person.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Samuel 16:7)
Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesse sat in church watching and listening to a missionary who was telling about a far-away country. The missionary wore a long, white robe and had a scarf wrapped around his head. He turned so everyone could see his clothes. "The purpose of this loose scarf is to keep the sun off my head," he said.  "It really works quite well." Jesse leaned against his mother as the missionary continued. "The people are difficult to reach with the Gospel, but I'm happy to be there because I know God sent me to there." Jesse's eyes opened wide. He was seven years old and had never been away from home. He hoped God wouldn't send him to a strange country. He didn't want to leave home.

The next evening, Jesse sat on the front porch steps. He could hear sounds from the kitchen where his mother was working, and he could hear the hum of his father's lawnmower in the back yard. Jesse liked those sounds. He looked down the street and saw old Mrs. Quarry, their neighbor, walking home from town with a heavy bag of groceries. She stopped in front of Jesse's house, set down her grocery bag, and leaned against the fence. The grocery bag tipped, and several cans of food clattered across the sidewalk and into the street.

Jesse ran to help her. "I'll get your groceries, Mrs. Quarry," he said.

The old woman sighed and took a deep breath "First, Jesse, please help me up my front steps," she said. "I'm so tired." She put one hand on the fence and the other on Jesse's shoulder. He walked beside her and hoped she wouldn't fall. When they reached the porch at the top of Mrs. Quarry's steps, she sat down on one of the chairs. She looked up at Jesse and smiled. "God sent you to me, Jesse," she said. "He knew I needed help, and He sent you."

Jesse ran back to pick up the groceries. He felt good.  There were many ways he could serve God, and he didn't even have to leave home --  at least not yet.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you serving God in your family?  In your neighborhood?  With your friends?   You don't need to wait until you're older.  You don't have to go to a far-away land.  Ask God where He wants you to serve.  Tell Him, "Here am I.  Send me."  Then serve Him by washing dishes, mowing the lawn, helping a friend or neighbor, running errands, or doing whatever tasks you can.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 6:
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?  Then said I, Here am I; send me.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Fight! Fight!" shouted several children, and Jeff and Steve did just that. The scuffle didn't last long, though. They exchanged only a few punches before they were separated by Mrs. Hansen, their Sunday school teacher. "I'm very surprised by you boys," she said as she took them aside.

"Steve called me clumsy and stupid and . . . and a bunch of other bad names," complained Jeff.

"That's because you kicked me," retorted Steve angrily.

"I couldn't help it that your big feet got in the way," grumbled Jeff.

"And you called me 'Big Foot,' too," Steve accused Jeff.

"You boys remind me of a story I heard from a friend of mine -- Joey Baker. His parents were missionaries in Brazil," said Mrs. Hansen. "One day, Joey saw a monkey sitting on a log, cracking nuts with a stone. When the monkey looked up and saw Joey watching him, he missed the nut and hit his tail with the stone. The monkey got so mad that he threw the stone at Joey and ran off. He apparently blamed Joey for his pain." Mrs. Hansen shook her head. "Aren't you boys acting like the monkey -- each blaming the other for something that was really your own fault?" she asked.

The boys looked sheepish, and Mrs. Hansen continued.  "When we're tempted to quarrel and fight," she said, "we should remember what Jesus said about the way we should treat each other. He said, 'Love one another as I have loved you.' How much did He love us?"

"Enough to die for us," answered Steve quietly.


"That's right," agreed Mrs. Hansen. "And Paul wrote, 'If any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.' How does Christ forgive?á Jeff?"

"Well, He forgives completely the minute we ask Him," said Jeff slowly. He looked at Steve with a small grin. "I'm sorry, Steve. Forgive me?" he asked.

"Sure," replied Steve, "and you'll forgive me, too, won't you?"

Mrs. Hansen smiled. "Good," she approved.á "It's nice to see you acting like Jesus rather than like a silly monkey."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you get angry and blame someone else when things go wrong?   Maybe that person isn't at fault at all.  Even if he is, follow Christ's example.  He freely forgives when you ask Him to do so, and He never holds a grudge.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Colossians 3:13)
If any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Let's get ready for church," said Dad.  "We don't want to be late."


"Dad says that every week," Ben told his sister, Nance.  "We should get ready early some Sunday, just to see if it's really Dad talking or if it's a weekly recording." Dad grinned and nodded.

When they arrived at church, no other cars were there. "That's odd. Whatever could . . ." began Mom. She stopped.  "Oh, how silly!" she exclaimed.  "We're an hour early! Last spring we moved the clocks ahead an hour, and last night we were supposed to set them back again." They could hardly believe that no one had remembered to change the clocks.

"While we wait, let's get ready for church," suggested Dad.

Nance giggled. "It must be a recording we hear every week, Ben," she said. "We got up, ate breakfast, cleaned up, got dressed, and even came to church a whole hour early -- but the recording is still going off!"

"We prepared our bodies," agreed Dad, "but it would be good to prepare our hearts for worship, too, and today we'll certainly have time."

Ben grinned. "Well, we can't feed our hearts breakfast," he said.

"Sure we can," said Dad. "Let's feed on God's Word for a few minutes."  He opened his Bible and read a short passage.

"Well, we can't wash our hearts," Nance said when he finished.

"Sure we can," said Dad. "We can search our hearts and confess our sins to God, and He'll cleanse us."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Then Ben spoke again.  "We can't dress our hearts," he said positively.

"Sure we can!" Nance echoed Dad's words before he could say them. Then she looked at him. "But how?" she asked.

"How about by praising God?" suggested Dad. "Singing praises to God should help set our mood for worship." So the family sang some songs of praise.

"We should do this every Sunday and really get ready for church," said Nance as other cars began to arrive.

"Is that my recording I hear?" asked Dad. They left the car, smiling.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you prepare your heart for Sunday worship? If you get up early enough to read some Scripture, confess sins, and praise God, it will help your heart be ready to listen and worship at church.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 10:17)
Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jon was excited. His parents had decided that he was old enough to have a clothing allowance and buy some of his own school clothes -- "subject to our approval, of course," his mother had added. His older brother, Brent, offered to go shopping with him.á Brent was a senior in high school and knew what kind of clothing was popular.

At the mall, Jon walked proudly beside his brother. "How are things at Westfield?" a clerk asked Brent while Jon tried on a jacket. At the shoe department, the clerk looked at Brent and asked, "What can I show you today -- basketball or track shoes maybe?"

Jon was puzzled. "How do all these people know you go to Westfield High and are into sports?" he asked as he paid for his shoes.

Brent grinned. "They noticed my letter jacket," he said. "It tells people something about me. Clothes say things about us just as sure as our words and actions do."

When Jon spied a rack of t-shirts, he pointed them out to Brent.á "I could use some new t-shirts," he said. "What do you think of these?" They looked at the shirts, most of which had wild pictures of sports figures on them -- all surrounding the name of a popular beer. 

Brent frowned. "If you wear one of these, it will be saying you aren't very smart," he said.

"What do you mean?" protested Jon.  "Lots of kids wear these."

"Remember what we were just talking about -- that what you wear can say something about you?" asked Brent. "These shirts would say you're not smart enough to know that you're doing free advertising for a product that's harmful to your body." He turned to go.  "Make sure that what you wear says something good," he advised. Brent hesitated, then added, "At the risk of sounding like a preacher, I'll also tell you to make sure it says something that pleases God."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you aware that you're a commercial for the things you wear?   Did you know that people not only hear what you say, they also "see" what you say?  Be sure the things your clothes say are things that won't offend a holy God and that they fit your Christian testimony.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Colossians 3:17)
Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

When Mandy came in from school one day, her mother greeted her with a big smile. "I got a call from your father today," said Mom. "Guess what! He's coming home!"

"Oh, goody!" exclaimed Mandy.  "When will he get here?"

"He thinks he'll be here sometime next week," replied Mom. "He's on a special assignment with his boss, you know, and the company plane will be making a few unscheduled stops on the way back to the States. I guess we won't know for sure until he comes in the door, but at least we know he'll be here soon."

That night Mandy lay awake, thinking. She hadn't seen her father for six weeks, and now he could be home any day. I'll help Mom clean the house and rake the yard, she thought. I'll be sure to obey her, too. Once, long ago, Mandy had been naughty just before Dad had come home, and he'd heard about it first thing. She decided to make sure that wouldn't happen this time.

A few days later, Mandy's friends wanted her to go with them to buy some candy after school, but Mom had said to come straight home. It would take only a few minutes, though, she thought. Dad probably won't come today anyway, and I'd sure like the candy. "Wait! I'm coming," she called out to her friends. Suddenly she stopped. "No, I can't go after all," she declared. "Dad may come today."

When Mandy confessed to Mom that she had almost disobeyed, Mom gave Mandy a hug. "If you had disobeyed and gone with the girls, you'd have been ashamed instead of feeling happy to see Dad -- whenever he gets here," said Mom.  "You know, honey, all this reminds me that Jesus is coming back, too, and we should always be ready for His return."

As Mandy nodded, she glanced out the window. A taxi was pulling into the driveway. Dad was home!

HOW ABOUT YOU?
If you knew Jesus would return today, what would you do in order to be ready?   Confess some sin?  Ask forgiveness from someone you've wronged?   Witness to an unsaved friend?   Read your Bible and pray?   Accept Jesus as your Savior?   Whatever you'd do, do it now, for Jesus could come today.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 John 2:28)
And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

[Soldier4Christ]

Shannon is so lucky, thought Nick as he plopped down on the steps of his house. Shannon's family lived nearby, and they were wealthy.á Shannon had all sorts of things -- her own phone and TV, a closet bursting with clothes, a pony -- and just a few minutes earlier, she had ridden up on her new bike and teased Nick by showing him a special baseball card he had been wanting. Some friend, Nick thought. She knows I want a card like that, and that I'm hoping for a new bike, too. He sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him.

The clanging of dishes told Nick that his mother was setting the table for supper. He went inside.  "Hi, Mom," he murmured. As she looked up, he voiced his frustration.  "It's not fair! Shannon gets everything she wants, and she even gets everything I want."

Before Mother could answer, a car pulled into the driveway. "Dad's home," said Mother. "Better wash up for supper."

During the meal, Nick complained to his father about Shannon and how she had proudly shown him her new bike and made sure he saw her baseball card. "It's frustrating," grumbled Nick. "I don't care that she has so many things, but she doesn't have to wave them in front of my face."

"Shannon does seem to have a lot of nice things," agreed Dad, "but how valuable are they really? Does she have any treasure in heaven, where it can't be taken away or stolen?"

Nick shrugged. "I suppose not," he said, "but it sure would be nice to have the stuff she has for a little while anyway." Nick knew Dad had been thinking about the subject of their devotion time that morning -- things that have real value. He knew that none of the things Shannon possessed --  including the baseball card -- would last very long. "You know, Dad," added Nick thoughtfully, "I'm not sure Shannon even knows there's such a thing as treasure in heaven."

"Maybe she should be told," suggested Dad, and Nick nodded.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do your friends seem to have more money, toys, or clothes than you do?   Those things are nice, but they're not the things that give us joy and treasure in heaven.  Spend time telling others about Jesus.  Help your friends when they have problems.    Encourage them to worship God, and invite them to attend church and Sunday school with you.  Only what you do for Jesus will last forever and bring lasting satisfaction.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 6:21)
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.