Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"Oh, Aunt Oleta, you'll never guess what happened to me at the Trade Fair," squealed Rhoda as she burst through the back door. She shook her brown curls away from her ears and revealed two pearl earrings.

"Oh-h-h-h!Lovely!" exclaimed Aunt Oleta. "You must have spent your whole savings to buy those! Or did Uncle Frank buy them for you?"

"I got them at a pearl diving booth," explained Rhoda. "Every shell was guaranteed to have a pearl inside.A sign said, 'Buy an oyster; take home a gem.' I picked out the smallest, ugliest oyster from a large glass bowl. When the man in charge opened it, guess what? Twins!"

"You mean there were two pearls?" asked Aunt Oleta.

Rhoda nodded. "And Uncle Frank paid the fee to have them made into earrings," she said. "He said it was an extra Christmas present." She grinned. "I'm glad I'm getting to stay with you while Mom and Dad are out of town!"

"Well, we are, too," said Aunt Oleta. She looked at the pearls more closely. "So those were inside the ugliest shell of all," she added, shaking her head in surprise. "I bet people had been shoving that shell aside all day. Just goes to show that you can't judge value by outside appearance."

"I'll never, ever judge that way again," declared Rhoda.

"I hope not -- and I need to remember that, too," said Aunt Oleta as she picked up the phone. "Oh, Rhoda," she added, "a girl named Maggie somebody-or-other called while you were gone. She wants you to come to a party at her house."

Rhoda scowled. "I hope you said no," she told her aunt. "I don't think she'll get anyone to attend her party. That girl has got to be the ugliest kid in my class, and she wears the dumbest clothes!"

"Then it's possible that she's the nicest, sweetest girl around," Aunt Oleta said quietly. "Maybe you should go to the mirror and take another look at those earrings -- to remind you of what you were never going to do again." Rhoda blushed as she recalled her comment about judging by outward appearance. Aunt Oleta gave her a hug. "It sounds like you're letting Maggie's outer shell hide her real beauty," added Aunt Oleta. "Get to know her. You may find she's a really wonderful person."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you judge people by their looks or the way they dress? Do you let other people's opinions keep you from being friendly at times? Everyone is precious in God's eyes. Each has potential and value that God can shape for His glory. Show respect and love to everyone.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 2:11)
For there is no respect of persons with God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Robbie carefully felt the funny little hole with his tongue."My mouth feels better," he told his mother, "but my tongue won't stay away from the empty spot. What did you say was wrong with my tooth? I want to tell Grandma when she comes this afternoon."

"There was an abscess at the root of your tooth -- that's kind of like an infected sore," explained Mother. "It cleared up after you had those antibiotic pills, but the dentist figured it might come back. He pulled it since it was just a baby tooth."

When Grandma came that afternoon, Robbie told her all about his tooth. Then he felt the empty spaces in the front of his mouth where other teeth were missing. "Pretty soon I won't have any more teeth than Missy," he said, watching his baby sister bounce in her high chair.

Grandma laughed. "You'll soon have new teeth," she assured him. "Your permanent teeth are almost through. It's good that the dentist pulled the bad tooth. If he hadn't taken care of it, it might have gotten worse again. The poison from the abscess could have made you sick." She patted Robbie's hand. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "I think I'll use your tooth as an illustration for my Sunday school class, okay?"

"Okay," agreed Robbie readily.

"You see," continued Grandma, "sin -- such as disobeying or lying --  is like an abscessed tooth.We need someone to clean it out and replace our bad thoughts with good ones -- just like your bad tooth will be replaced with a new, good one."

"Jesus takes our sin away, doesn't He?" asked Robbie.

"He surely does," replied Grandma. "We can't do it ourselves."

"He took my sin away, but I still told a lie the other day," Robbie added solemnly.

"Then you need to confess that to God and ask Him to forgive you," said Grandma. "Ask Him to get rid of it for you and to help you do better. He wants to hear from you."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there sin in your life that needs to be cleaned away? Take care of it right now. Confess to God that you have lied, cheated, been unkind, gossiped -- whatever it is, tell God about it. Ask Him to forgive you.He promises that He will.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 John 1:9)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Ben yanked the door open, bounded into the house, and fell dramatically into an overstuffed chair in the livingroom.  Behind the newspaper, Dad's mouth twitched as he watched his son from the corner of his eye. Then he asked his usual before-supper question. "So, Ben, how was your day?"

"Fine," muttered Ben as he stared out the window.

Dad folded the newspaper and laid it down. "You don't seem very happy tonight," he said."Is something bothering you?"

Ben opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it, changing his mind. A moment later, he sighed.  "It's basketball that I'm bummed about.I didn't make the team," he said.

"I didn't know you were going out for the team," said Dad. "Do you enjoy playing basketball that much?"

Ben shrugged. "All my friends are on the team," he said.

Dad reached over and picked up a sculpture of a bird. "Will your friends like you less if you're not on the team?" he asked thoughtfully as he turned the bird around in his hands.

"Not really, but I want to be like them," replied Ben. "I want to fit in."

"Let me ask you this, Ben," said Dad. "If your friends decided to rob a bank, would you still want to be like them?"

Ben laughed. "Of course not, Dad," he said, "but that's different. That would be doing something wrong. Playing basketball isn't wrong."

"True," agreed Dad, "but it is something you don't especially enjoy. Why not concentrate on something you do enjoy?"

"Like what?" asked Ben. Then he noticed the bird sculpture his dad was holding. "I remember when I made that," he said. "It was in my sixth grade art class."

"Apparently God didn't make you a great basketball player," observed Dad, "but He did give you a gift for art -- and you enjoy it."

"Yeah," agreed Ben. He took the bird and examined it closely. "You know, Dad, maybe I'll sign up for an art class next year."

"What about your friends?" asked Dad.

Ben laughed. "Maybe I'll carve a basketball for them."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you try to "fit in" with your friends even if it means doing things you don't care about? God has given you special talents of your own. Are you good at writing? Gardening? Babysitting? Cleaning? Singing? Don't try to be what others are if it's not right for you.  Be honest with yourself. Whatever your talent is, find it and use it for God's glory.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Timothy 4:14)
Neglect not the gift that is in thee.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Listen to this, Adele," said Seth. "My book says a walrus calf is fed by its mother. When it grows older, the mother walrus pushes her calf into the freezing water to make it learn how to search for its own food."

Adele shivered. "Br-r-r-r!I'm glad I'm not a walrus," she said.

Just then Mom appeared in the doorway of the family room. "It's time to leave for the nursing home, Adele," said Mom.

Adele frowned."I decided that I don't want to go," she said.

"I need your help," said Mom. "You promised to pass the cookies."

"But I don't like the way the nursing home smells," complained Adele.

"Life isn't all pleasant things," Mom told her. "This is one way we can bring a little joy to the people there. God is pleased when we serve others."

"Why doesn't Seth have to go?" asked Adele.

"He'll be going another time," said Mom. "Come along now."

Adele was in good spirits when she and her mother returned home later that afternoon. "You should have come, Seth," she said. "You missed some great stories. There's a man there that everyone calls Gramps, and he told one funny story after another!" Adele turned to her mother. "When can we go back, Mom?" she asked.

"How about next Tuesday, after school?" suggested Mom. "You could go then too, Seth."

"No, thanks," answered Seth. He looked up when Adele gave him a sharp shove. "What did you do that for?" he asked angrily.

"Remember the mother walrus in your report?" asked Adele. "Mom knew it would be good for me to go to the nursing home, so she gave me a shove -- like that mother walrus. Now I'm giving you a shove." Adele spoke to her mother. "Let's go bake more cookies, Mother Walrus."

Mom smiled. "The Holy Spirit gives us nudges, too," she told them. "He never forces us to do His will, but He finds ways to encourage us."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you felt that you should tell someone about Jesus? Who nudged you to speak up? God the Holy Spirit. Have you watched an elderly neighbor work in her yard and thought you should help her? Who planted that thought? The Holy Spirit. Has He also nudged you to put a generous part of your allowance into the missionary offering?  Don't be afraid of God's nudges -- even if they seem to be difficult or uncomfortable things to do. When you obey Him, He will reward you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 16:13)
The Spirit of truth . . . will guide you into all truth.

[Soldier4Christ]

"I can't believe it!" remarked Seth. "I actually enjoyed going to the nursing home, and I'm thinking about helping at the city mission, too. Pastor Jim says a lot of the men who go in there are homeless and don't have warm clothes. Our youth group is already collecting coats and thermal underwear to give them."

"That's great," said Mom. "I think you'll enjoy that, too, Seth."

"I hope so," replied Seth. He grinned. "Thanks, Mother Walrus, for forcing me to get started by making me go to the nursing home," he teased.

"I think I'm getting credit for something the Holy Spirit did," said Mom. "I think He has been working on you."

"Well, maybe," Seth agreed.

Mom gave Seth a hug. "Like I said, I think you'll enjoy the mission work," she told him, "and I know you'll be blessed. The Bible says we'll be rewarded when we help the poor."

"Rewarded with blubber, I guess," added Dad, laughing.

"Blubber!" exclaimed Adele in horror. "That sounds gross. I don't think I'll help with anything like that anymore. "She looked at her father. "What do you mean?" she demanded.

"Well, it sounded like this was a walrus family, and God gave walruses lots of blubber -- or fat -- to protect them from the freezing cold," Dad told her. "When we help the poor, God gives us what we need to protect us from the cold hardships of life." Then he quoted Proverbs 11:25. "The liberal soul shall be made fat." Adele groaned, and Dad laughed. "Actually," he added, "a more recent version of that verse says, 'A generous man will prosper.'"

Mother laughed, too. "Service for God never goes unrewarded," she said.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know any poor people? If you are willing to share, you will be blessed. How can you help? Could you offer to babysit -- free -- for a young family with limited finances? Could you go without a few candy bars or cokes to buy gloves and hats to send to a mission? Could you collect canned goods and give them to a community pantry? However you choose to help the poor and homeless in your community, you will be blessed. 


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 19:17)
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.

[Soldier4Christ]

As Elise watched the car pull into the driveway, she wondered what her cousin would be like now. Lizzy and her family had moved away nearly two years before, but now they were in town and coming for dinner. Lizzy, who was a year older than Elise, had never had much time for her younger cousin.

After dinner, Elise invited Lizzy to her room. She found that the two years away hadn't made her cousin any more friendly, but Elise was determined to be nice. "For my last birthday, Grandma gave me this doll," said Elise as she carefully took a porcelain doll from the shelf. "It was hers when she was a little girl."

Lizzy gasped. "Grandma gave it to you?" she asked. "It should have been mine! You don't even belong to this family -- you're adopted." With that, Lizzy walked out of the room. Elise choked back her tears as she followed.

Later that evening, Elise told her mother what had happened. "I always thought it made me special to be adopted," she said sadly.

"You are special," Mother assured her. "Lizzy was being unkind. She was wrong in what she said, too. You most definitely are a part of this family."

"Really?" asked Elise tearfully.

"Indeed you are," insisted Mother. "Adoption makes you just as much a part of the family as if you were born to us." She put her arm around Elise and held her close. "You know, honey," she continued, "adoption is the only way to get into the most important family of all."

Elise looked puzzled. "What family is that?" she asked.

"The family of God," replied Mother as she picked up a Bible and turned to Romans 8:14-17. "Listen to this," she said, and she read the verses to Elise.

"So . . . when we accept Jesus as Savior, God adopts us as His children and we become part of His family, right?" asked Elise.

"That's right," said Mother. "Let's pray that Lizzy will come to know Jesus, too. Then she'll see how wonderful it is to be adopted."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you been adopted by God? You can be.God wants you to be one of His children -- a part of His family. Jesus died on the cross to seal your adoption papers. Accept Him today.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 8:15)
Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mary zigzagged around mud puddles as she walked home, but her feet and her coat were completely wet from the rain. She knew she would be home alone for a little while, and it made her feel as gloomy as the dark clouds overhead.

When Mary reached the back porch, she was surprised to see her sister, Kay. "I'm home from college for the weekend," said Kay cheerfully. She grinned. "It's such a beautiful, sunshiny day, don't you think?" she teased.

"No, I don't!" exclaimed Mary, wiping water off her face.

"But it really is a sunshiny day," repeated Kay, "even if it doesn't look like it."

"Well, today's sunshine is a little wet," said Mary. "I think you've been studying too hard, Kay, and your brain has gone to sleep."

"Just tell me this, Mary," said Kay as she looked out into the rain. "Is the sun still up there? Has it moved? Did it go anywhere?"

"No, it didn't go anywhere," answered Mary, "but it's sure hidden. I haven't seen it for days."

"Then think about it, Mary," continued Kay. "We don't see the sun today, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. On the other side of those dark clouds, the sun still shines. We shouldn't trust only what we see right now; we should trust the truth." Kay smiled and added, "Just like Jesus."

"Like Jesus?" repeated Mary.

Kay nodded. "When things happen that upset us, we may feel all alone, but the truth is that we're not alone. Jesus is still with us, and His light shines in our hearts."

"So you're saying that clouds may keep us from seeing the sunshine, but it's still there," said Mary, "and our problems may keep us from feeling like Jesus is with us, but He really is. Right?"

"Yes," said Kay. "God's love is always 'shining.' Nothing can separate us from it; that's His promise in the Bible, and we should trust Him."

Mary grinned. "It is a beautiful day!" she exclaimed. "How about a walk in the rain?"

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you invited Jesus to live in your heart and be part of your life? You may not always feel like He's there, but don't depend on your feelings. Trust the truth of God's Word, which says He will always be with His children. Nothing separates you from His love.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 13:5)
He (God ) hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

[Soldier4Christ]

"We had a new girl in our Sunday school class today," announced Tiffany one Sunday noon. "Her name is Lauren, and she's deaf. She has to read lips."

Mom nodded. "I met her mother," she said. "The family moved here recently." Mom set a casserole on the table. "Just last week I read an article that said several million people in our country are completely deaf," she added, "and even more can't hear as well as they should."

"Nolan doesn't hear as well as he should." Tiffany grinned at her brother. "He hears only when he wants to," she teased, "like . . . he hears just fine when somebody mentions dessert, but he doesn't seem to hear when someone mentions chores that need to be done."

Nolan grinned, too. "Speak for yourself," he said.

"We call that selective hearing," Dad told them. After a moment he added, "Sadly, some of us who have perfectly good ears are deaf in another way -- we're spiritually deaf."

"Spiritually deaf?" echoed Tiffany. "What does that mean?"

"Some people don't hear what God has to say," explained Dad. "He invites them to trust in Jesus and be saved, but many people don't seem to hear Him. God warns them of coming judgment, but they're so busy with their own interests that they don't stop to listen. It's as though they're deaf to what He's saying." Dad shook his head. "I'm afraid there are more people in our country who are spiritually deaf than there are people with physical hearing problems."

"I think that's true," agreed Mom. "Even Christians often don't hear God as well as they should. After accepting His gift of salvation, we sometimes quit listening. We neglect Christian fellowship and Bible study and prayer. We seem to have selective hearing spiritually. We hear God only when it's convenient or when we feel like it."

Dad nodded. "We need to keep our spiritual ears open all the time," he said. "Let's not become hard of hearing when there's something God wants to tell us."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you hard of hearing -- spiritually, that is? Be sure to read your Bible, and ask God to show you the things He wants you to learn from it. As you saw in today's Scripture, the boy Samuel was ready to listen to the Lord and obey what He said. You should be, too. Ask the Lord to help you never turn a deaf ear to Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 85:
I will hear what God the Lord will speak.

[Soldier4Christ]

Whitney turned her head to look out the back window of the car. If she squinted, she could almost see their old house. "I don't want to move," she said as tears ran down her cheeks. "I want to stay in Greenwood with my friends."

Mom reached out and gently patted Whitney's arm. "I'll miss my friends, too," she said, "but Dad has a new job, and we have to move." Whitney pulled away.

As they traveled, Mom and Dad talked about things they thought would interest Whitney, but she just slouched down in her seat and pretended she didn't hear them. She spent her time thinking about how much she'd miss all the things they'd left behind. Any time she did speak, it was to wonder aloud what her old friends were doing and to wish she could go back.

At lunchtime, Whitney shuffled into the restaurant and slid into a booth. "Did you see the circus tents at the edge of town?" asked the waitress who served them. Whitney shook her head. "Oh, that's too bad," said the waitress. "A family I served earlier said the clowns were standing along the road, waving to the cars passing by." Whitney frowned. She had been too busy pouting about moving to pay attention to her surroundings.

"Honey, I'm reminded of the story of Lot's wife," said Mom. "When God called her to a new place, she didn't want to go. She disobeyed the message God had given, and she looked back -- remember? Because she did that, she turned into a pillar of salt. She couldn't go on and make a new life for herself in a new place, and she couldn't help her family anymore." Mom put her arm around Whitney and drew her close. "It's okay to look back and remember how God has blessed you, but you need to look forward, too," added Mom. "Learn to be happy with what God is providing for you. Dad and I need you. We're family, and we need your friendship and your smile."

Whitney sighed. She still had a heavy feeling in her chest, but she hoped she wouldn't miss any more exciting things -- and she didn't want to hurt her parents, either. "Well," she said with a grin, "I'm glad I didn't turn into a pillar of salt."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you cheerful when there are changes you don't like? Are you a good family member when things don't seem to go your way? Sometimes it's hard to understand God's plan, but you need to trust Him at all times.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 52:
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jimmy put down the wood for the campfire and hurried to see why Samson, his puppy, was barking. The little dog stood at the edge of the stream, looking down into the clear water. "What is it, Samson?" asked Jimmy. He also looked down, and then he began to laugh.

Just then Dad came up. "What has Samson found, Jimmy?" he asked.

"Himself!" said Jimmy. Sure enough, Samson was barking fiercely at his own reflection in the water. "Silly dog!" teased Jimmy. "Now come with me, and I'll get you a treat." The magic word was "treat," and Samson immediately left the "other dog" and scurried along to the tent. Soon he had his treat and was stretched out near the stream.

"Jimmy, this reminds me of an old fable about a dog and a bone," said Dad as he added wood to the campfire. "As the dog carried his bone across a bridge, he thought he saw another dog in the water below, and he bristled."

"Just like Samson!" exclaimed Jimmy.

"Yes, and this dog wasn't going to let that other dog get his bone," continued Dad, "so he began to bark to make the other dog go away. Of course, when he opened his mouth to bark, his bone fell into the water and the greedy dog ended up with nothing."

"Greed makes us want to hold on to things," observed Mother as she put bacon into a skillet and prepared to put it over the fire, "but we really can't keep things in the end. Besides, things don't really bring us happiness anyway."

Dad nodded. "That's right," he agreed. "True happiness and true riches come from knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and serving Him. Money and possessions will all disappear, but salvation is forever. It's too bad more people don't realize that."

Samson ran up, begging for another treat. Jimmy threw it to him, and Samson hurried off to the spot near the stream. He seemed to be watching to see if that "other dog" wanted a treat, too.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you concerned about having all the things your friends have? Do you feel well-off only if you have money in your pocket, a new CD player, or maybe a new bike? Things of this world last for only a little while. The love of Jesus is a precious treasure that lasts for all eternity. As you faithfully seek to serve Him, you'll be blessed and receive from Him all that you need.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 6:33)
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Let's see," said Dad one evening as he spread out a map on the kitchen table. "We've decided to go to Montana on our vacation, but we haven't decided whether to go through the Black Hills or through the Rockies."

Luke squirmed in his chair. He had other things on his mind. At school, Alan had cornered him on the playground. "Look what I've got," Alan had said as he showed Luke some pills. "These things make ya feel really good, and for a price, I'm willing to share them with you, Luke."

Luke hadn't known what to say. He knew it would be wrong to experiment by taking even one pill. Drugs were not something the Lord would want him to do. Yet, instead of giving a strong "no" for an answer, he had stumbled over his words. "Well . . . no, I . . . ah . . . my Dad would get mad if he ever found out," he had muttered. "I . . . ah . . . I'd better not."

"Come on," Alan had coaxed. "Here . . . you can have one for free. Your dad won't find out." Luke didn't take any of the pills, but he couldn't forget the incident -- and he knew Alan would be after him again.

"Well, Luke," prodded Dad, "Mom and Grace have commented on our trip, but what route sounds good to you?"

Luke shrugged. "We can decide later, can't we?" he asked. "We aren't leaving on the trip for a month."

"That's true," said Dad, "but we do want to make the most of our vacation time. I'm sending for some brochures, and we may want to make some reservations. It helps to plan ahead."

That's it! thought Luke. That's my problem! I know drugs are wrong, but I've never thought about what to say if someone offered them to me. I haven't planned ahead!

That night, Luke wrote in his notebook: Answers I will give when someone tempts me to do wrong. #1. No, thank you. I'm not going to take any drugs. #2. No. I'm a Christian, and I know cheating is wrong. #3. No, I don't want to do that. #4. No. God wouldn't want me to do that.

Luke scratched his head as he thought about more answers.

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you prepared for times when you're asked to do something you know is wrong? The Bible says you are to "ponder (think about) the path of your feet (your actions)." Be aware of things you should not do as well as those you should do. If someone tempts you to take drugs, cheat, lie, or do some other wrong thing, be ready with an answer.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 4:26)
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

[Soldier4Christ]

Kevin looked up with a frown on his face. "You don't look very happy," observed his twin sister, Jenni. "What are you thinking about?"

Kevin hesitated. "About God," he said after a moment. "I've just been wondering if God really hears us when we pray."

"Of course He does!" exclaimed Jenni.

"Another thing," added Kevin, "my Sunday school lesson says God is everywhere. How can that be? And how can He have no beginning?"

I can't believe you're questioning God," scolded Jenni. "Better not let Dad hear you do that!"

"Do what?" asked Dad as he joined them. "Come on -- out with it."

"Well," muttered Kevin, "sometimes I don't understand things about the Bible and God. I have questions, and Jenni thinks that's wrong."

"Well," said Dad, "it's actually okay for you to have questions."

"It is?" exclaimed the twins in unison.

"It's by asking questions that you learn," said Dad. "For example, Jenni, you made macaroni and cheese for our lunch yesterday, right?" As Jenni nodded, Dad continued. "How did you learn to do that?"

"I heard her ask Mom a ton of questions," Kevin chimed in. "She had to ask how much water to use and what temperature to set the burner on. And she asked how long it had to boil." He turned to his sister. "You saw Mom make it a million times, Jenni, but you didn't seem to know anything when you tried to do it."

"Well, I could do it now," replied Jenni.

Dad smiled. "I think you could," he agreed. "Asking questions helped you learn what to do. And you know, that's why God doesn't mind when you ask honest questions -- He knows it helps you learn. You've watched Mom and me try to follow God and live for Him, and you've imitated what you've seen us do. But as you start following God yourselves, you may have questions. Don't be afraid to ask them, even if they're hard ones. Getting answers to your questions will help you really know what you believe."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are there things you don't understand about God? It's okay to ask questions. Ask your parents, Sunday school teachers, or any Christian adult you feel you can talk to. Also ask God to help you understand, and look to His Word for answers.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Jeremiah 33:3)
Call unto Me, and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

[Soldier4Christ]

"I can't wait to get home and show the picture and autograph to all my friends at school!" squealed Amy as she climbed into the car. She and her family were enjoying a Christmas vacation trip and had gone to see an ice- skating show. After the show, some of the skaters signed autographs and allowed audience members to join them in having their pictures taken. Amy's parents took a picture of her with a famous Olympic figure skater, Adele Norlund.

 

A week later, Amy rushed into the kitchen after her first day back at school. "Mom!" she exclaimed as she reached for a freshly baked cookie, "you'll never believe what happened today!"

 

Mother laughed. "I'll bet the whole school knows that you met Adele Norlund," she said.

 

Amy nodded. "All my friends just about died when they saw the picture of me with Adele," she said with a giggle. "They thought it was just great!"

 

"It was fun meeting her, wasn't it?" agreed Mother. "I told the ladies about it at my quilting class today, too." After a few moments, she added seriously, "I wonder -- do the ladies in my class know I've met Jesus? Do your friends know you've met Him?"

 

"I . . . I don't know," said Amy. "I'm sure some of them do, but I guess some don't."

 

"We often like to brag about the important people we meet, but sometimes we're embarrassed to even mention the most important person in our lives," continued Mother. "If we really believe that Jesus is the creator of everything, and if we believe He loved us enough to die for us, we should want to share that news with others." She shook her head. "Let's both try to do better, shall we?"

 

Solemnly, Amy nodded.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you met Jesus and accepted Him as your Savior? If so, do your friends know that? Have you told them about the things He has done in your life? Why not tell them today?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Galatians 6:14)
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Dad, can we go rock hunting tomorrow?" asked Jocelyn. "There's a really
neat place about five miles from here. My new friend, Marti, goes there all the
time."


 

"Just what you need -- another rock," teased Dad. He was stretched out on the couch after a strenuous day of moving furniture and unpacking boxes in their new home. "As you can see, I'm worn out from carrying in all the boxes containing your rock collection," he added with a grin.

 

Jocelyn laughed. "You'll feel better tomorrow," she assured him, "so can we go then, please? Marti says these rocks are special. She's a rock hound like me, but she mostly collects crystals. This place is loaded with them."

 

"Well, I don't know about tomorrow, but we'll go rock hunting soon," promised Dad.

 

When Dad took Jocelyn rock hunting several days later, Marti went along -- and just as she had said, they found many interesting rocks. "Look at this one," called Marti. She rubbed dirt off a rock and held it up to the sunlight. "It's got a rainbow of colors. It's the best one I've found today."

 

"Cool!" exclaimed Jocelyn. "What are you going to do with it?"

 

"I'll probably give it to my Aunt Tami," said Marti. "She has a special shelf for crystals. They look so pretty surrounded by the candles she keeps lit there."

 

"Candles? Special shelf?" asked Jocelyn's dad.

 

"Aunt Tami gets really stressed out from her job at the court, and she says crystals have healing power and give her strength," explained Marti. "I think crystals are just pretty rocks, myself."

 

"And you're right, Marti," said Dad quickly. "Crystals make sparkling pieces of jewelry, and they're even used in things like watches. But crystals were created by God -- and God is the only Rock who can give us strength."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know someone who is trusting in the wrong "rock"? Some people wear crystal jewelry as a good luck charm. Some have a special altar-type place in their homes. But crystals are like idols -- dead objects that people turn to for help. Don't let Satan fool you into thinking they can help you. When you need help or strength or someone to turn to, it should be crystal clear who has power to help. Jesus is our Rock and living Savior. Trust in Him. (See page 64.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Samuel 22:32)
For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?

[Soldier4Christ]

"Well, if that's the way you're going to be, I'll just find someone else to do my science project with," Jeff angrily told Nathan and Tom. He crossed his arms, turned, and walked away from the two boys.

 

At dinnertime, Jeff was still angry. "Those guys just won't listen to me," he grumbled. "They want to change the whole science project. I don't care what they say; I like the way I planned it. I think I'll find someone else to work with me on my project."

 

Dad frowned, then asked, "So I guess you can't fly in formation then?"

 

"Huh?" grunted Jeff. "What are you talking about?"

 

"Remember when we went to see the Navy's flying team perform at the air show last month?" asked Dad. Jeff nodded. "Do you remember how far apart those six jets flew?" asked Dad.

 

"About thirty-six inches, I think," replied Jeff. His eyes sparkled as he remembered the thrill of watching the shiny blue and yellow jets. "That really takes some teamwork! When one of them moved, they all moved."

 

Dad nodded. "Flying in formation certainly does take teamwork," he agreed. "Doing a good job on any group project does -- including your science project. In a sense, you should be 'flying in formation' as you work on that. The other boys should listen to your ideas, but you should also listen to theirs, shouldn't you?"

 

"Well . . . maybe," Jeff admitted slowly. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Dad. We need to work together." Sighing, he added, "I'd better call Tom and Nathan and ask about their ideas."

 

"While we're on the subject of teamwork," Mother said quickly as Jeff started to get up, "let's remember that the most important team of all is God's team. Christians need to work together for His glory."

 

Jeff grinned. "And you're afraid I'm forgetting the special youth service tonight, right?" he asked. "Well, I'm not -- and while I'm talking to Tom and Nathan, I'll ask them to come, too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sometimes resent suggestions that are not your own ideas? Do you have a hard time working as part of a team? Remember that God wants Christians to work together in unity. If you're not working together, it will be more difficult to accomplish your goal.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 133:1)
How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!