Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

It was Brownville's one-hundredth birthday. Paige stood on tip-toe, stretching to see the town officials on the platform as they unlocked the time capsule which had been created and stored a hundred years before. Then the mayor held up several papers and mementos from the capsule.

 

"Wouldn't it be fun to have a time capsule for our family?" Paige asked on the way home. "I'll start one --  I'll put in family treasures for future generations."

 

As soon as she got home, Paige found a box. She took some coins and a dollar bill from her bank and placed them in the box. Then she packed in a sweatshirt, a CD, and an old storybook. Next she added an old teddy bear, a pair of swimming goggles, a report card, some jewelry, a cookbook, and a family photo. "That about does it," Paige told her parents. "When the next generation sees this, they'll get an idea of what their ancestors were like."

 

"Those things will be interesting to future family members," agreed Mom, "but if you want to make a statement about our life, I think you're missing the most important thing."

 

"A pair of roller blades!" Paige guessed, remembering how popular the sport was just now. "Or maybe one of Dad's golf clubs. Or how about a newspaper?"

 

Mother shook her head. "Those things would be good, but I'm thinking about something that makes life important and worth the living, even without any of the other things in the box," she said.

 

"A Bible!" exclaimed Paige. "I should have thought of that. Since I just got a new one, I can put my old Bible in the box."

 

"Good," said Dad, "and how about a church bulletin? After all, we'd like our descendants to know that we were interested in things that really matter -- things like serving God -- and not in just earthly treasures."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is your greatest treasure some earthly thing, such as money, clothes, toys, or good grades? Such things will pass away. Store up treasure that lasts, not by putting a Bible in a time capsule, but by pleasing and serving the Lord.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 6:19)
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.

[Soldier4Christ]

The kitchen door slammed shut behind Jonathon. After greeting his mother, he poured milk into a glass and plopped down in a chair. "You won't believe what happened to my project today," he said. Jonathon had worked for two weeks creating an ancient Mayan city that included a temple, palace, and several small buildings.

 

"Tell me about it," said Mom.

 

"After you dropped me off at school, Mike came over and started asking questions about the project," said Jonathon. "Well, he was carrying a bowl of water to use on his own project. Before I had two words out of my mouth, someone else bumped Mike, and my Mayan city was hit by a tidal wave."

 

"Oh dear!" exclaimed Mom.

 

"It washed the ground right out from under the main temple," continued Jonathon. He frowned. "When I was working on it, somebody suggested that I should use plaster for the ground instead of sand. I should have listened."

 

"Well, I'm sorry your project was messed up," sympathized Mom.

 

"Me, too," said Jonathon. He laughed. "But my teacher said it was the most realistic disaster project she'd seen. And she said I should always remember that sand doesn't make a firm foundation, and things don't last unless they stand on a strong foundation."

 

Mom nodded. "Your story reminds me of the Bible passage that talks about the importance of building our lives on the right foundation," she said. "If we trust in anything or anybody other than Jesus, it's as though we're building on sand. The only lasting foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ. "

 

"Yeah." Jonathon nodded. Then he grinned. "Well," he said, "I chose the wrong foundation for my project, but I have the right one for my life, and that's more important!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have the right foundation for your life? Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? Any other foundation --  things you may trust in like being kind, doing good --  will be swept away some day. Accept Jesus now.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1Cor. 3:11)
Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Jeremy! Where are you?" Mother called.

 

Jeremy giggled. He loved to hide in the old apple tree. When he peeked through the leaves and branches, he could see to the ground. He could see all the way down the street. He could see Mother in the yard below. He could see Mrs. Underwood's cat, Tabby, creeping through the grass next door. He could see his friend Paula riding her bike down the sidewalk. But no one on the ground could see him.

 

"Jeremy!" called Mother. "Lunch will be ready soon -- you have about five minutes left to play." She went back into the house.

 

Jeremy didn't feel like coming down just yet. He lay on a branch and stretched out flat on his stomach. He watched a blue jay land by the fence. He watched Mrs. Underwood come out on her back porch and call Tabby in for lunch. He watched a blue pickup truck drive down the street.

 

When Mother came out a little later, Jeremy was still in the tree. "Jeremy," she called. He didn't answer. "Jeremy, lunch is ready, so I want you to come in right now!" called Mother. Jeremy knew playtime was over. He swung down and dropped to the ground.

 

"Surprise, Mom!" said Jeremy as he entered the kitchen. "I could see you, but you couldn't see me. I could see everyone." He grinned. "Kind of like God watches us all from up in heaven," he added.

 

"Kind of, I guess," said Mother, "but God doesn't just watch the people in one area for an hour or so. He watches everyone in the world all at once, all the time. He was watching you, too, even while you were hiding and watching me."

 

"I know." Jeremy smiled. "God always knows where we are."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you like to hide from people? That can be fun, but remember  that God always knows where you are and what you're</span> doing. You can never hide from Him. Thank Him for watching over you every minute of every day.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 15:3)
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

[Soldier4Christ]

Robert and his family got up early to join a special nature walk with the camp guide. "Enrique!" Robert called as he spotted a boy who had become his friend during the week. Enrique ran over, and the boys sat together on a rock ledge beneath a tall tree.

 

When the guide arrived, he greeted everyone cheerfully. "Before we start our nature walk, I want to show you our famous woodpecker tree," he said.

 

"Woodpecker tree," murmured Enrique. "I have never heard of a woodpecker tree. I don't think we have them in my country."

 

The guide overheard Enrique and laughed. "Well, look up, boys," he said. "You're sitting under a woodpecker tree right now."

 

When the boys looked up at the tall tree, they saw that much of the area on the upper trunk was covered with holes. "Wow!" said Robert. "Woodpeckers made all those holes, right?"

 

"Don't they hurt the tree?" asked Enrique.

 

"If you're wondering if the tree will die because woodpeckers have made so many holes in it, no," replied the guide, "but the tree will always be scarred by the holes." He grinned at the boys as he turned to lead the group down a nearby trail.

 

"What he said sounds like the sermon Dad preached last week," said Enrique as he and Robert followed.

 

"Really?" asked Robert. "What did he say?"

 

"I remember it in Spanish," said Enrique, "but I'll try to say it in English. Dad said that when someone sins, that person can stop doing wrong things and be forgiven by God." Enrique paused, trying to find the right words. "That would be like chasing the woodpeckers away, I guess," he said, "but lasting effects from the sin would still be there -- like the woodpecker holes are still there. Did I say that right -- does it make sense?"

 

Robert nodded. "Sure does," he said. "I'll have to remember that."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think it doesn't matter so much if you do something wrong, because God will forgive you anyway? God does forgive, but bad actions and habits (such as using drugs, smoking, being unkind or lazy) can cause lifetime scars.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Corinthians 6:17)
Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Look, Daddy!" exclaimed four-year-old Eric as he peered out the airplane window. "Look! There's snow down there!"

 

His older brother Jason chuckled. "That's not snow," said Jason. "Those are clouds."

 

Dad smiled and nodded. "The clouds look like snow, don't they?" he asked. "They look solid -- as though you could walk right out on them."

 

Jason grinned. "But they won't hold you up," he warned. "If you stepped out on them, it would be a giant first step down to earth."

 

"Maybe they're clouds of snow," suggested Eric.

 

Jason shook his head. "No. Clouds are only water vapor," he said in his best big brother tone. "I learned that in science class. They can't hold anything up."

 

"Oh-h-h-h," murmured Eric. Then he had another question. "Why does the plane stay up in the air?"

 

"The plane is built just right for flying," answered Dad, "and the pilot goes to school to learn how to make it stay up." Eric seemed satisfied with that explanation and turned back toward the window.

 

"Eric believes everything we tell him," observed Jason, speaking softly.

 

"That's because he has faith in us and trusts us to tell him the truth," said Dad. "As we grow older, we find that there are some things and some people we can't trust, while many others are trustworthy -- such as most doctors, firemen, policemen, preachers, and teachers. But even people we trust may sometimes disappoint us."</span>

 

Jason looked thoughtful. "Last week Pastor Mike said there was someone who would never fail us," he said. "He was talking about Jesus."

 

Dad smiled. "I'm glad you were listening," he said. "It's important to remember that God keeps every promise He makes. You can put your faith in Him and trust Him. He always does what He promises."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Has someone you trusted let you down? If that happens, let it remind you to be a trustworthy person yourself -- one who doesn't let others down. Most of all, let it remind you to put your faith and trust in God. He loves you and will never fail you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 7:1)
0 Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Oh, look!" exclaimed Mary as her mother parked the car at Grandpa's farm. "Grandpa has sheep now! Let's pet them." The children climbed out of the car and raced toward the pen, but the sheep darted for the farthest corner of the pen.

 

"We scared them," said Jacob in disgust. "Let's try again. Let's pull some grass for them, and this time let's walk, not run."

 

Mary agreed, and they each pulled an armful of grass and slowly carried it toward the sheep. But the flock spun around and dashed away. Mary dropped her grass. "I give up. Grandpa's sheep are wild," she said.

 

As Jacob threw his grass on the ground, the children saw Grandpa coming. They ran to give him a hug. "Grandpa, why do you have those baby bottles?" asked Mary when she saw what he was carrying.

 

"Two of my lambs need these," replied Grandpa. "I feed them because their mother died."

 

"I wish I could feed a lamb," said Mary, "but your sheep don't like us. They run away."

 

Grandpa smiled. "Watch," he said as he led the children to a small pen beside the barn. "Here, Fluffy. Here, Snowball," he called as he opened the pen. Two lambs capered out and followed Grandpa as he crisscrossed the lawn.

 

"They play Follow the Leader," said Jacob.

 

Grandpa nodded and handed the children the bottles. "You can hold the bottles for them," he said.

 

Mary giggled as she fed one of the lambs. "This one dances while he eats," she said. "But why wouldn't your other sheep eat the grass we pulled for them?"

 

"Sheep know their shepherd's voice and follow him. They tend to run away from strangers," explained Grandpa. "It always reminds me that we should be like them -- we should follow Jesus, our Shepherd, and run away when others would lead us away from Him."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you following Jesus, the Good Shepherd? He is the one who cares for you, supplies your needs, and protects you. Following Him brings joy and safety. Following Satan always brings sorrow.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 10:27)
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

[Soldier4Christ]

As Karen and her mother studied the menu at the restaurant, they noticed a group of people wearing badges. "Those people must all belong to some club," observed Karen. They watched as another man with a badge entered the restaurant and looked around briefly. He joined the group and introduced himself to them.

 

When the waitress came to take orders from Karen and her mother, they asked about the group with identification badges. "Those people are all councilmen from other cities," explained the waitress. "There's a joint meeting in our town today."

 

When their food came, Karen and her mother bowed their heads and prayed before eating. Then Karen said, "Mom, it's easy to pray and thank God for our food at a restaurant, but do you think I really need to do that at school? I know the kids will make fun of me. And besides, God knows I'm thankful even if I don't bow my head just then and tell Him so, doesn't He?"

 

Mother nodded, but she thoughtfully pointed to the group of people wearing badges. "That man located his group by looking for the badges," she said. "When we're in public, praying before a meal is something like a badge. It's one way we can be identified as Christians, and it might give us an opportunity to share our faith."

 

The next day, Karen sat apart from the others in the lunchroom. She looked around fearfully. Then, taking a deep breath, she bowed her head and thanked God for her food. Soon Lynn, a classmate, joined her. "You must be a Christian," said Lynn. "Well, I am, too, but I . . . I've been embarrassed to pray in front of the kids. May I sit with you after this? We could pray together."

 

"Sure," agreed Karen. She grinned. "I 'wore my badge,' and found another member of the club right away, didn't I?" At Lynn's puzzled expression, she added, "I'll explain while we eat."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do the kids at your school know you're a Christian? A simple way to help identify yourself as a child of God is to pray before eating  -- even at school. Wear your Christian badge proudly. It may give you an opening to tell others about Jesus. And you may be surprised to find there are other Christians in your group, too.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 1:16)
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Deanne leaned out the car window to watch a line of people walking along the side of the road. Accompanied by a police escort, a large number of children and adults followed a man who was dressed to look the way pictures portray Jesus. He was wearing what looked like a crown of thorns and carrying a large cross upon his back. "One of the local churches must be reenacting what happened on Good Friday many years ago," said Mom as she slowed the car at the policeman's signal.

 

Deanne looked away; it was hard to look at the scene and to think about what really happened -- about how Jesus suffered when He went to the cross to die for sinners. But she looked back when she heard a man in another car call out.

 

"Hey! You're nuts!" the man in the car hollered. He honked his horn and then hollered some more. The man portraying Jesus didn't even look up. He and the crowd of followers continued their solemn journey.

 

"That kind of thing, and much worse, really happened as people mocked and scorned Jesus many years ago," Mom said, "but Jesus kept on going, too. He was committed to doing the will of His Father."

 

"That must have been hard," observed Deanne.

 

Mom nodded. "Christians may get teased and mocked when they stand up for what is right," she said, "but if that happens to us, we need to keep going on and doing the Father's will, just like Jesus did."

 

"Sometimes I feel like going along with the kids even when I know it's wrong," admitted Deanne, "but being left out of their fun -- or putting up with mean things they say -- doesn't amount to much compared to what Jesus did for me, does it?"

 

"No, it doesn't," agreed Mom. "Each of us needs to 'take up his cross,' bearing whatever is necessary to follow Jesus. Nothing should stop us or hold us back from doing what God wants us to do."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you teased or rejected because of what you believe? Jesus understands. Ask Him to help you to do right in spite of those who are unkind.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Luke 9:23)
(Jesus said)  If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

[Soldier4Christ]

"What are you reading?" asked Dr. Trent as he entered the examination room and saw Trisha with a book opened on her lap.

 

Trisha blushed slightly. "It's . . . uh . . . the Bible."

 

"The Bible? Why are you reading that?" Dr. Trent asked. Before Trisha could answer, he continued. "I mean, with all the exciting books out there, I should think you'd find an old book like that pretty boring."

 

"Oh, no," Trisha said. "It's not like that at all. My Sunday school teacher said we should read some stories about Daniel straight from the Bible -- and they really are interesting. Besides, reading the Bible helps me . . . well, it's like . . . oh, I don't know." Trisha felt frustrated because she couldn't express what she was thinking.

 

Dr. Trent held up a new pair of glasses, and Trisha removed her old ones. The doctor placed the new pair on Trisha's face, checking behind her ears to see how they fit. "Wow!" Trisha said immediately. "What a difference!"

 

Dr. Trent smiled. "You didn't realize how much you were missing with your old glasses, did you?"

 

"No," said Trisha. "Everything is so sharp and clear now." Suddenly she had a thought, and said, "That's why I read the Bible, Dr. Trent." The doctor raised his brows. Quickly Trisha added, "Reading the Bible is like getting a pair of glasses. It helps me see things more clearly -- things like . . . like what is right and what is wrong. It encourages me to choose the right things to do."

 

"Reading the Bible really does that?" asked Dr. Trent.

 

Trisha nodded vigorously. "You ought to try it," she told him. "It tells the way to heaven, and how to worship God. And it teaches us to love others and be kind and be honest. It teaches us how to live."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Did you know that the Bible can help you make right choices? It gives instructions for living -- how to be saved and how to find peace, comfort, help in trouble, and much more. Read it each day; think about it; obey it. You'll see life differently than before.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:133)
Order my steps in Thy word.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Ummmm! Pie!" exclaimed Evan, coming into the kitchen, where his mother and sister Jana were working.

"Go away," said Jana. "This isn't nearly finished."

Evan left, but the smell of lemon followed him. When he came back a little later, Jana had poured the filling into the pie shell. "Can I have a piece?" he asked.

"No, you cannot," Jana told him. "It isn't finished. The filling is still hot."

Some time later, Evan again eyed the pie on the cupboard. "Can I have a piece now?" he asked.

Jana shook her head. "It's still not finished," she told him. "It's lemon meringue pie, and it doesn't have any meringue on it yet."

Evan checked back one more time before dinner. "It's finished," Jana told him, "but you can't have any. I baked it for dessert tonight."

They did have the pie for dessert. Evan carefully scooped up and swallowed every crumb on his plate. "Now the pie is really finished," he said, patting his stomach. "It's all gone."

For devotions that night, Dad read from the Gospel of John. "Some words I heard around here today reminded me of Jesus' words on the cross," he said. "The words, 'It is finished,' are the ones I'm thinking of. A couple of times I overheard Jana tell Evan that the lemon pie was not finished yet. Finally, she said it was finished, but even then it didn't do Evan any good. Why didn't it?"

"Because I didn't get to eat it yet," replied Evan promptly. "Her fault, not mine!"

Dad smiled. "Jesus came to take the punishment for our sin," he said. "On the cross, He finally said, 'It is finished.' His work was done. But for a lot of people, His finished work isn't doing any good. Why not?"

"Because they won't accept Him as Savior," suggested Jana after a moment.

"That's right," said Dad. "To receive the benefit of the finished pie, we had to take it for ourselves and eat it. To receive the benefit of Christ's finished work, we have to take it for ourselves, too."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you accepted what Jesus did for you? If not, it's your fault, not His. He finished the task of purchasing your salvation, and He offers it to you right now. Accept it by accepting Jesus.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 1:12)
As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Look!" exclaimed Lana as she and her family toured the outdoor farm section of a museum. She pointed to some baby chicks peeking out from under a mother hen.

 

Dad nodded. "That's where they go when something frightens them," he said.

 

"Me see, too," begged Jonathan.

 

Grabbing her little brother's hand, Lana pulled him over to the fence and lifted him up so he could see the mother hen and chicks. "Can I hold one of the babies?" asked Jonathan.

 

"No, honey." Mom spoke up. "They would be very lonesome if we took them away from their mother." As she spoke, big drops of rain began to spatter around them.

 

Lana hunched down into her jacket. "How far is it to the car, Dad?" she asked.

 

"This is a big place, kiddo -- it's a long way to the parking lot," replied Dad, looking at the sky. "I think we're in for a downpour. Let's go over to the pavilion and wait it out there." The family ran toward the covered pavilion and huddled under the roof with the rest of the people who were trying to stay dry.

 

Jonathan scrunched close to his mother. "Look what I've got in my purse," she said, pulling out a small packet. She began unfolding it -- it opened up into a thin raincoat. Putting it on, she pulled it down around Jonathan to keep them both dry. All that could be seen of Jonathan was his head sticking out of the raincoat as he huddled close to Mom.

 

"Look at Jonathan, Dad," said Lana with a laugh. "He looks like the baby chicks peeking out from beneath their mother."

 

"They were 'fraid!" protested Jonathan. "I not 'fraid."

 

"Well, if you were afraid, that would be just the place to be," said Dad. He smiled at Jonathan. "That reminds me of Jesus. He's the one we need to go to when we feel afraid. We can trust Him to protect us."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you sometimes afraid? Do you know what to do about it? Where to go for help? If you're a Christian, talk to Jesus when you feel afraid. Trust Him to take care of you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 56:3)
What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Did you see the clothes Ronnie was wearing today?" asked Brenda, holding the phone close to her mouth. "He looked like a real geek."

 

"His whole family is geeky," replied Danielle. The girls giggled. "What about Breanne -- that new girl?" continued Danielle. "Did you notice that when she laughs she snorts? She sounds like a pig."

 

"Gross," said Brenda with a laugh. "Maybe she grew up on a pig farm." Just then they heard a clicking sound on the phone. "What was that?" asked Brenda.

 

"Oh, pardon me, girls." Brenda's mother was speaking. "I was going to make a call from the den here, and didn't realize you were using the phone. I'll wait till you're finished." Brenda heard the click as Mom hung up.

 

"Where did we leave off?" asked Danielle.

 

"I don't know, but what if my mom heard us talking about Ronnie and Breanne?" gasped Brenda. "What if she heard the nasty things we said?"

 

"She didn't," said Danielle confidently. "We would've known if she were listening."

 

"Yeah. Well, I better go anyway," replied Brenda, so the girls said goodbye.

 

"Mom, we're off the phone," Brenda informed her mother after they had hung up. She hesitated. "Did you hear what we were saying when you picked up the phone?" she asked.

 

"I know your conversations are private," replied Mom.

 

"But did you hear the things we were saying?" repeated Brenda. "I mean . . . we were just . . . kind of joking about some things."

 

Mom raised her brows. "I didn't hear you," she said, "but does the fact that you're worried about it mean you were saying things that shouldn't be said? You need to remember that even though I don't hear what you say, the Lord does. He's always on the line with you."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Would you be embarrassed to have certain people hear the things you say? Remember that the Lord hears every word that comes out of your mouth. He even knows your words while they are still thoughts. Be sure they please Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ephesians 4:29)
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

[Soldier4Christ]

One day, Andrew saw a dead rabbit along the roadside. Why do little
rabbits have to die? Andrew wondered. Later he winced at a scene he saw on
television -- birds and sea life dying due to an oil spill. Andrew sighed. Why
do things like this have to happen? he wondered again.


 

That afternoon, Andrew visited old Mr. Mason, who was crippled with arthritis. Sometimes Andrew helped Mr. Mason with chores, or sometimes the two friends just talked. Andrew climbed the steps and took his usual place in a green lawn chair. After they talked a few minutes, Mr. Mason shifted in his chair, then groaned. "Oh-h-h-h! I shouldn't have moved," he said. "My hips are so sore today. As a matter of fact, so are my back and shoulders."

 

Andrew frowned. It made him sad to see Mr. Mason hurt so much. "Why are you frowning, Andrew?" Mr. Mason asked kindly.

 

"Animals and you and other people are all hurting," replied Andrew with a sigh. "Where is God? Doesn't He care?"

 

"Good question," said Mr. Mason. Then he smiled and pointed to sparrows splashing in a bird bath. "See those little birds?" he asked. "The Bible says we're worth much more to God than the sparrows, but even they are not forgotten by God. Not one falls to the earth without God knowing and caring."

 

"But if God cares," said Andrew, "why does He allow so much suffering?"

 

"Well, Andrew, all of nature suffers and groans in agony from the effects of sin entering the world," explained Mr. Mason. "But God has done something about it. He sent his Son, Jesus, to save us from eternal suffering. And some day, when all Christians are up in heaven, God is going to destroy sin from the world. No suffering or death will be in the new world, and those who trust in Jesus will live in that beautiful place." He smiled. "Actually," he added, "I think my suffering here makes me look forward to heaven even more than I otherwise would."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you realize that pain and suffering is due to sin? God will some day destroy all sin. Suffering will be gone, and everyone who believes in Christ will be happy forever with God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 8:18)
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

[Soldier4Christ]

"How many eggs?" asked Shelly as her mom started blending the margarine and sugar.

 

"Three," answered Mother. "This recipe makes lots of cookies."

 

Shelly carried the eggs from the refrigerator to the work counter. "May I crack them?" she asked, and Mom nodded. As each egg was added, Mom beat it into the cookie batter.

 

"Now," said Mother, "we need to add flour, baking soda, and salt."

 

"I can do that," offered Shelly. She carefully measured the flour into the sifter. Then she measured the baking soda and spooned it into the sifter on top of the flour. "I thought this flour was white," she said in surprise.

 

"It looks white to me," said Mother.

 

"But look," said Shelly. "The baking soda is really white. It makes the flour look kind of yellow-white."

 

"That's true," agreed Mother. She added the salt and sifted the ingredients together. "Shelly," she said after a moment, "if I said that the flour is like us and the baking soda is like God's Word, what do you think I'd mean?"

 

Shelly frowned. "I'd think you weren't making sense," she said with a shrug.

 

Mother smiled. "We often think we're okay," she explained, "but the Bible shows us that we're not as good as we think we are."

 

"Oh, I get it," said Shelly. "Just like the flour isn't very white compared to the baking soda, our lives aren't very 'white' -- or good -- compared to what the Bible says they should be."

 

Mother nodded. "I'm afraid that's often true," she said. "As we learn to follow God's teachings and become more and more like Him, the difference becomes less and less."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
How does your life compare to God's standard as shown in the Bible? Read it daily to see what He says, and let Him change your actions and attitudes.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:9)
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Sharon's being weird," teased Sharon's brother, Mark. "She's wearing sunglasses when it's cloudy and rainy outside." Mark pointed to the raindrops on the car window. "Sunglasses are for days when the sun is out."

 

"The sun is out," Sharon said. "The sun is always out. Clouds might block it, but it's still there and it's still shining." She kept her new sunglasses on.

 

When they arrived home, there were several messages on the answering machine. Some were from Sharon's friends, who wanted her to go with them to get pizza. She tried to call them, but they had already left. She slammed down the phone receiver. "Great," said Sharon sarcastically. "I could've gone out with my friends. But no! The rain had to slow us down so I couldn't get home in time. What a rotten, gloomy day!"

 

Mark picked up Sharon's sunglasses from the counter and put them on his face. "It's not a gloomy day," he said. "The sun is shining."

 

"Leave me alone!" grumbled Sharon with a scowl.

 

"Sharon!" scolded Mom. "Breaking the phone and grumbling at your brother won't help! You need to work on your attitude. I know you're disappointed, but that doesn't mean you have to be miserable and nasty."

 

"Well, tell Mark to leave me alone, " mumbled Sharon.

 

"You're the one who said the sun always shines, even on rainy days," Mark reminded her.

 

"And you actually made a good point," added Mom"but now you need to think about a different Son that's still shining even though you don't particularly like what's happening at the moment. Not the sun in the sky, but Jesus, the Son of God. Even when things don't go your way, He's still present. Remember that He is in control even when things seem gloomy to you. His love is still shining through. Focus on His wonderful love for you, and you may even find yourself singing!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
o circumstances sometimes cloud your day? Even when you're disappointed, afraid, lonely, someone is sick, or you hear bad news, Jesus understands and is with you. Think about all He suffered for your sake so you can experience His love every day.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Habakkuk 3:18)
I will joy in the God of my salvation.