Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

It was a beautiful night, and Dad and Amy decided to walk to the lake to see the moon's reflection on the water. To get to the beach, they had to take a narrow trail through the woods. There were branches and roots that could trip up the unsuspecting traveler, even in the daytime. "Be sure to use your flashlights," Mom cautioned as Amy and Dad left the campsite.

 

As Amy followed her dad along the path, she listened to the night sounds -- rustling leaves, insects, the soft "who-o-o" of an owl. She was shining her flashlight toward the treetops, hoping to get a glimpse of the bird, when suddenly her foot caught on a root and she fell down with a grunt!

 

"Amy, are you all right?" Dad asked anxiously, as he spun around to help her up. "What happened?"

 

"I tripped on a root," said Amy as she got up.

 

"Didn't you see it?" asked Dad.

 

"No. I was pointing my flashlight up at the trees to see if I could spot the owl," explained Amy. "I guess the light didn't do much good that way, did it?"

 

"No, I guess not," said Dad with a smile.

 

They continued their walk and soon reached the beach. The water was still and calm, and a beautiful silver path led to the moon hanging low over the dark water. After enjoying the scene in silence for a while, Dad spoke. "Well, we'd better head back to camp," he said. "Be sure to keep your light on the path this time."

 

"I will!" Amy assured him. "I've learned my lesson."

 

"I've been thinking about a verse in Psalms -- one that talks about God's Word being a light," said Dad as they started back. "If we get too caught up in all the interesting things around us and forget to shine the light of God's Word on our lives, we can trip up and fall in our Christian walk."

 

"That would be worse than the fall I took, wouldn't it?" said Amy, carefully shining her light on the path. "I'll try to remember to listen carefully to what God has to say."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you take time to read your Bible? Do you listen when Mom or Dad reads it aloud? Do you ask them to explain things you don't understand? The more you study God's Word, the better God's light can shine on the path of your life!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:105)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

[Soldier4Christ]

Brent and his dad were enjoying a good day of fishing. They tried several kinds of bait. Sometimes they used big earthworms. Other times, they would cast out one of Dad's fancy lures, which had brightly colored feathers and shiny "spoons" with concealed hooks. "The fish are attracted by the sound and sight of those lures traveling through the water," said Dad. "To them, the lures look like minnows or other kinds of food."

 

As they fished, Brent and Dad had a good time talking together -- something they didn't always have time for at home. When Dad asked Brent how he liked playing in the middle school band, Brent grinned. "Good," he said. "I like music, and it's fun to play the drums." He put fresh bait on his hook. "I saw a CD at the music store the other day," added Brent. "I might use some money from my paper route to get it."

 

"Really? What kind of music is it?" asked Dad.

 

"I haven't heard the group that sings on it -- they're new," replied Brent, "but I liked the pictures on the cover, and the kids at school were talking about how cool the music is. I've never heard the songs, though."

 

"I think you should check it out before you buy it, Brent," said Dad. "It may look good, but we both know there's a lot of bad music out there -- music with messages to tempt you and cause you to have attitudes and thoughts that are displeasing to God." Dad reeled in his fishing line and carefully detached a fish from the lure. "This fish thought the lure looked pretty good," he pointed out, "so he gave in to the temptation to have a bite, and look where it got him!"

 

Brent laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "Just because something looks good, that doesn't mean it is good. Right, Mr. Fish?"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Has something that looked good or interesting tempted you to do something wrong? It's easy to be lured into thinking something is okay because it looks good. Be careful. Ask God each day for wisdom, even in the little, ordinary decisions you must make.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ephesians 4:27)
Neither give place to the devil.

[Soldier4Christ]

Leslie and her father sat lazily in their lawn chairs. Dad was trying to read, but Leslie kept interrupting with her chatter. Dad didn't really mind -- he enjoyed her enthusiasm.

 

"Mandy says the police took Erin's father in to the station," Leslie said now. "She told me he was driving under the influence -- that means he was drunk, you know -- and he banged into another car. Mandy says he gets drunk every weekend, and he . . ."

 

Dad stopped her. "Hold on a minute, Leslie," he said. "How do you know that what Mandy told you is true? And even if it is, should you be repeating it like this? You could really be hurting Erin's father by saying things like that about him."

 

Leslie felt guilty and couldn't look her dad in the eye, so she gazed off to one side. Suddenly, she stood up and pointed. "Dad, look! Over there on that other campsite! Those leaves are on fire!"

 

Dad and Leslie raced over to the empty campsite, grabbing a couple of wet towels from the line as they went. A log had rolled out of the fire pit, and dry leaves had caught fire. Leslie and Dad stomped and beat at the spreading flames until they had the fire out.

 

"Whew! That was a close one!" Dad exclaimed. "I wasn't sure we were going to be able to handle it."

 

Dad put an arm around Leslie's shoulder as they walked back to their own campsite. "You know, honey, we call you a chatterbox," he told her, "and we love it that you like to share ideas and experiences. It's natural that sometimes you're tempted to share information -- or gossip -- that is harmful. God says the tongue is like a fire, and you just saw how fast a fire can get out of control. What you say can be exaggerated and spread rapidly, too. That's why you need to be careful about your words."

 

Leslie nodded, remembering the things she had been telling Dad. Dad's right. I do love to talk, she thought, but I'm going to be more careful about what I say.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have a problem with your tongue? Do you sometimes lie? Swear? Gossip? Put someone down? There are better ways to use your tongue. You should be praising God and building up other people with what you say. Ask God to help you do that.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 34:13)
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

[Soldier4Christ]

The sun had just poked its head over the tops of the trees when Leslie and her mother left for a walk in the woods. Leslie walked ahead, chattering as usual. "I didn't understand what Dad read in the Bible this morning," she said. "I wish we could skip the parts of the Bible that don't seem to say anything important."

 

Mom thought about that for a minute. She was about to reply when Leslie spotted something interesting in the bushes along the path. "Mom, look at these bushes," she said. "Those are berries, aren't they?"

 

Mom stopped and peered at the bushes. "They look like berry bushes," she said, "but I don't see any fruit on them."

 

Leslie reached out and lifted some of the leaves. "Here! Underneath the leaves," she said.

 

"You're right!" exclaimed Mom. "These are wild blackberries! They'd taste great on our cereal -- or with some milk and sugar! How about running back to camp and getting a bucket so we can pick some?"

 

"Sure," agreed Leslie, and soon they were gathering the ripe, luscious fruit.

 

"I'm glad your bright eyes noticed these," Mom said. "All I saw was green bushes. I didn't see what was hidden under the leaves." A moment later she added, "Maybe that's the answer to the question you had a while ago. When we read the Bible, we don't always see the truths that might be hidden in a passage -- just like I didn't spot those berries. But if we take time to think about it, God can always reveal some little gem of wisdom in His Word to help us or to teach us something about Himself. That's why we read all the parts of the Bible, even the ones that seem unimportant to us at first. Does that make sense?"

 

"Kind of," Leslie replied. She grinned. "With my 'bright eyes' I might even be one of the first to spot God's little gems."

 

Mom laughed and agreed.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you read all parts of the Bible? For daily reading, you may want to choose books that are quite easy to understand. When you read or hear more difficult verses, ask God to show you what you need to learn from them. Ask for help from your parents or pastor, too.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:18)
Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.

[Soldier4Christ]

It was the last day of the camping trip, and Brent, Amy, and Leslie wanted to spend part of it at the beach. Mom and Dad agreed, so they piled into the van and drove to the large, sandy shore on the other side of the lake.

 

The children swam, floated, and built sand castles. Dad and Brent tossed a Frisbee, and Mom helped Leslie and Amy practice their swimming strokes. Long before they wanted to leave, Dad called them to come out of the water. "A storm is moving in fast," he said. "We'd better hurry!" They quickly packed up their things, but before they reached the van, there was a flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder.

 

"Let's run!" shouted Mom. A strong wind began to blow, and they all took off, pursued by the wind and the first big drops of rain. They had just crammed everything and themselves into the van and closed the door when the heavens opened and torrents of rain pounded the roof of the van.

 

Lightning continued to flash, and Amy turned a white face toward her father. "Is the lightning going to get us?" she asked, her voice quavering.

 

"No, honey. We'll be all right in the van," Dad assured her. "A car is a good place to be in an electrical storm -- far better than our tent!"

 

After a while, the lightning and thunder seemed to be past. "The sun's out again!" exclaimed Leslie.

 

Mother nodded. "The weather can change quickly, can't it?" she said. "It reminds me of life -- stormy times can come up quickly in life, too. When they do, we can go to God with any kind of trial or trouble, just like we could go to our van for protection from the rain and lightning."

 

"That's right," agreed Dad. "God is our refuge in stormy times, and we can trust Him to cause the 'sun to shine again' in our lives, too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have there been storms in your life? Are you afraid of the dark? Have you been lost in a strange place? Has a loved one died? Turn to God when you're frightened, lonely, or sad. He's your refuge. He cares for you and will help you. The sun will shine again!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 46:1)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Yuck! Tomatoes!" Ginny complained as she watched her mother in the kitchen. "I wish you were canning green beans. I hate tomatoes."

 

"I can't can green beans when we didn't plant any this year," said Mom.

 

The phone rang, and Ginny went to answer it. "You're kidding! Oh, no!" she groaned after listening a few minutes. "It's not fair," she protested. She finished the conversation in a whisper and then hung up the receiver.

 

"What was that all about?" Mom asked, while continuing her work with the tomatoes.

 

"It's just a big mess," Ginny mumbled. She didn't want to go into detail, but she could see that Mom was going to ask for more information. "Tara told Sandy that I think Betina is a stuck-up brat. Sandy told Sue, and Sue told more of the kids. Somebody went and told Betina. Now she's inviting everyone to her birthday party but me."

 

"Where did Tara get the idea that you didn't like Betina?" asked Mom. She had to repeat the question before Ginny answered.

 

"Well . . . I said it to her," admitted Ginny, "but I didn't think she'd tell anybody else." She moaned. "I want to go to the party! I heard they're having clowns and everything!"

 

Mom handed Ginny a bowl of tomatoes. "You can wash these for me," she said, "and while you work, think about this: We planted tomatoes this spring, so tomatoes are the crop we're reaping. The Bible teaches that we reap what we sow -- in life as well as in the garden. You sowed unkind words, and now you're reaping unpleasant results. That's the way it works."

 

"I guess so," said Ginny with a sigh. Sadly, she began to wash the tomatoes.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sow kind, Christ-like words and actions? Or do you sometimes say mean things and do unkind things? Remember that you reap what you sow. Sow kindness and bear good fruit for Jesus.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Galatians 6:7)
Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

[Soldier4Christ]

Adam's eyes widened in horror when his elbow knocked a paint bottle off the table. Blue paint spread in a growing circle across his grandparents' kitchen floor. Adam jumped off his chair and quickly bent to pick up the paint bottle. What am I going to do? he wondered.  I've got to clean this up before Grandpa and Grandma see it.

 

Adam rushed into the utility room and grabbed some rags. Coming back into the kitchen, he used one of the rags to soak up the paint on the floor. A large stain remained behind, so he got a bucket of water and began scrubbing . . . scrubbing . . . scrubbing the paint spot.  Oh! This isn't going to work!  Adam thought to himself.  I can't get the paint off my hands, either!  He knew he would have to tell his grandparents what had happened.

 

Grandpa frowned when he saw the stain, but he knew it had been an accident. "Well, I'm glad the floor isn't carpeted," he said. "I have some special cleaner in the garage, and I think it will work on this." Grandpa went to get the cleaner, and soon all trace of the paint was gone.

 

"You know, Adam," Grandpa said as they washed their hands with the special soap they had used to clean the floor, "maybe we can both learn a good lesson from what just happened."

 

Adam looked up at him. "Not to fool around with paint, right?" he asked.

 

Grandpa smiled. "Well, yes," he said, "but I was thinking of an even more important lesson. The Bible tells us we're all stained by sin, and no matter how hard we try, we just can't clean it away by ourselves." Grandpa dried his hands and continued. "The Bible also says that Jesus died for us, and His blood can cleanse us completely of all of sin's dark stain."

 

Adam finished washing and looked at his hands. They were completely clean. "I needed soap to clean the floor and my hands, and I need Jesus to clean my heart, right?" he said.

 

Grandpa smiled and put his hand on Adam's shoulder. "Right," he said. "That's exactly right.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have your sins been washed away? You can't clean your heart and life by being good or doing good things. It won't work. Only Jesus can make you clean. Ask Him to cleanse your heart from sin.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 51:7)
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Guess what Joseph is doing?" exclaimed Kathy as she burst into the kitchen. "He's burying nuts near the apple tree."

 

"Who's Joseph?" asked Mom. "The new boy next door?"

 

"Oh, Mom! Joseph is the squirrel who visits our garden," explained Kathy impatiently. "Why would he bury nuts instead of eating them?"

 

"He's storing them away to eat next winter," her brother Michael told her.

 

Mom nodded. "While it's warm, squirrels collect nuts and grains and hide them," she said. "Then when winter comes and food is hard to find, they have their secret store to fall back on."

 

"That's like Joseph in the Bible," observed Michael. "He collected grain for seven years, so when the famine came, the people had plenty to eat. He was smart!"

 

"Hmmmm," murmured Mom. "We can learn something from both Josephs."

 

"We need to store up food in case there's a famine here?" asked Kathy.

 

Mom smiled. "I was referring to a different kind of food -- spiritual food," she explained. "I'm afraid that when things are going well for us -- like now -- we might be tempted to be lazy and neglect prayer and Bible reading and meeting with other Christians. We seem to realize that we need God's help when difficult times come, but we don't always remember that we should use the good times to store up spiritual food and strengthen our relationship with the Lord."

 

"I get it," said Michael. "If we store up that spiritual food, we can use it when hard times come. We can remember Bible verses and lessons we've learned in Sunday school and church."

 

Mom nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "We can draw spiritual strength from the many things we've previously learned from God's Word."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is this time a "good time in your life? Is God blessing you with happy times and pleasant circumstances? Then use this time to praise and thank Him and to get to know Him better. <p>Is this a "hard time" in your life? Then draw upon the spiritual truths you've stored up.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:16)
I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word.

[Soldier4Christ]

One day, Chris went with his grandpa to an automobile museum. "Aren't these old cars funny-looking, Grandpa?" asked Chris.

 

Grandpa smiled. "Well," he said, "they were mighty stylish in their day, you know." He pointed to one of the cars. "That's like the one my father drove when I was about your age. It came in any color you wanted, as long as what you wanted was black."

 

Chris laughed. "Some of these old cars look brand new!" he exclaimed, peering through the window of one of the cars. "This one doesn't look like it's ever been out of this building."

 

"Oh, but it has," said Grandpa. "It's very old and must have traveled many miles, but it's been restored. Worn out parts have been replaced, and the old paint has been removed and replaced with bright, shiny, new paint." After a moment he added, "It's kind of like what Jesus does for us when we confess our sin to Him. He takes it all away and makes us clean again. The Bible says He 'restores' our souls. I guess you could call Him the Divine Restorer."

 

"Before the owner restored that old car, it must have looked much different than it does now," observed Chris, "but Jesus doesn't make us look different."

 

"Well, I'm not so sure about that," said Grandpa. "I was thinking about changes He makes in our spirits and souls -- in our innermost beings -- rather than in our physical appearance, but now that you mention it, I think we often look different, too. When we've had our sins forgiven, we might wear a smile instead of a scowl. When we're restored, we should have a happy, cheerful outlook on life!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you need to be restored? When you're sorry for your sin and confess it, God will restore you and make your heart clean again. When that happens, let it show in your smile. Let others see Jesus in your cheerful, helpful spirit.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 23:3)
He restoreth my soul.

[Soldier4Christ]

THRRRIPTH! THRRRIPTH! THRRRIPTH!

 

"What was that?" Maria, who had been leaning against the back of the car seat, sat upright. She peered out the window.

 

"It's okay," answered Dad. "I strayed onto the shoulder of the road." He shifted in his seat and adjusted the rear view mirror.

 

"But what was that noise?" Maria asked.

 

"There are little bumps on the shoulder of the road to warn drivers that they're getting too close to the edge," explained Dad. "Driving over the bumps made the sound you heard. It's okay now."

 

"That scared me," Maria said, leaning back.

 

Her father grinned. "It got my attention, too. It reminded me that I'd better pay more attention to my driving," he said. After a moment he added, "It's a good thing those warning strips are there, isn't it? Otherwise we might have ended up off the road and in the ditch."

 

Maria looked at her father and nodded. "I'd have been even more scared then."

 

"It may seem strange," added Dad, "but this has reminded me that God has ways of warning us when we begin to stray away from Him." Maria looked puzzled and her father explained. "For example," he said, "God has given each of us a conscience so that when we do something wrong, we feel bad about it. Then we know we need to repent and confess our sin in order to get back onto His path." Dad smiled at Maria. "God also gives us godly teachers who help us learn His truths."

 

Maria nodded. "My Sunday school teacher says God gives us His Holy Spirit to teach us, too," she said.

 

"That's right," agreed Dad. "God uses many different ways to keep us from straying off the right path."

 

Maria smiled. "Kind of like He has 'warning strips' for us," she said.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit when you've done something wrong? Has God used parents or other people to keep you on the right path? God loves you and doesn't want you to be hurt by drifting away from Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 23:3)
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Can you believe it, Mom?" asked Traci excitedly. "Lisa finally agreed to go to Sunday school with me next week! Well . . . she almost agreed anyway."

 

"Great!" exclaimed Mom. "What happened?"

 

"Lisa finally admitted the only reason she didn't want to go was because she doesn't have good enough clothes," said Traci. "I told her she looked fine, but she said she'd feel out of place."

 

"I'm sure she'd be welcome wearing whatever she has," observed Mom as she pulled towels and sheets out of the dryer.

 

"Well," said Traci as she and her mother began folding the warm laundry, "I have a solution to the problem. You know in the Bible where it says if a person has two coats, he should give one away? Well, I have so many nice things, and I want to give some to Lisa."

 

"You do?" Mom was surprised, but she looked pleased. "All right," she agreed. "If you really want to, go ahead."

 

"Can I call Lisa and tell her now?" asked Traci eagerly. Mom nodded.

 

When Traci told Lisa her plan, she was surprised at Lisa's response. "What a dumb idea!" exclaimed Lisa. "I couldn't wear any of your clothes, Traci. Everyone at your church would know they were yours. It would be too embarrassing!"

 

In tears, Traci reported the conversation to her mother. "I tried to do just like the Bible verse said," she sniffed, "but it didn't work."

 

Mom handed Traci a tissue. "I'm proud of you anyway," she declared. "I'm sure God is pleased, too. You really tried to follow the example in the Bible, and all her life, Lisa will probably remember that you offered her some of your best things." She paused, then added, "Now let's see what else we can work out so Lisa will be comfortable coming along to Sunday school."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are there times when you've tried to follow the examples in the Bible, and your friends didn't understand you or made fun of you? God always understands. Ask Him to help you when things don't work out, and continue to share.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Luke 3:11)
He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tom, who was leafing through a magazine, laughed out loud. "There's a picture in here of a funny-looking toad," he said. He laughed again. "Hey, it looks just like Clark Webster! Look at those beady eyes and those big feet. If that toad had messed-up hair, he'd be the spitting image of Clark!"

 

"Tom, that's not very nice," scolded Dad. "Instead of making fun of Clark, you should try to help him."

 

"Fat chance!" exclaimed Tom. "When I have anything to do with him . . . well, that'll be the day!"

 

"That's enough, Thomas," said Dad sternly. "Clark may not be exactly like you are, but he is your brother in Christ."

 

As Tom continued flipping pages, he saw an article on conjoined -- or Siamese -- twins, twins that are joined together and share some body parts. He read a little. "Hey, Dad, have you ever heard of the original Siamese twins?" he asked. "They were called Chang and Eng."

 

Dad nodded. "In college I did a study on twins," he said.

 

"It says here that Chang and Eng were joined at the waist," said Tom. "One was taller than the other. They had different personalities, too. Chang had a bad temper, but Eng didn't."

 

"And that's not all," said Dad. "Sometimes they fought and wouldn't speak to each other for long periods of time."

 

"Wow, that would be awful!" said Tom. "Imagine -- both in the same body and not able to get along."

 

"Yes -- a little like some members of the Body of Christ," observed Dad.

 

Tom knew that the "Body of Christ" referred to all Christians, and he felt ashamed as he remembered his remarks about Clark. Neither he nor Dad said anything for a few moments, but Tom made a decision. "Hey, Dad, remember when I said, 'When I have anything to do with Clark Webster, that'll be the day'?" he asked. Dad nodded. "Well . . . today's the day!" announced Tom. He walked over to the telephone, looked up Clark's phone number, and began dialing it.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Would you be embarrassed if a Christian with messed up hair and tattered clothing wanted to be your friend? All believers are your brothers and sisters in Christ. Love them as Jesus does. Think of someone who is unappealing to other kids and see what you can do to help him or her.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 John 4:11)
If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Why are Daddy's golf clubs by the door?" asked Mark one afternoon.

 

"Mom's selling them," answered his sister Ashley.

 

"Selling them?" Mark's voice rose. "Daddy will want them when he comes back."

 

"Stop dreaming," said Ashley. "He's not coming back."

 

"He is so," said Mark.

 

"Well, Mom's selling those," said Ashley with a shrug. "She needs the money." Mark rushed to his room and slammed the door. His dad seemed farther away than ever.

 

The following day, Mark went to play at the home of his friend Sam. "Guess what?" said Sam when he met Mark at the door. "My dad gave me his old toy train!"

 

"Cool!" exclaimed Mark.

 

Sam's dad helped the boys put the train together. Mark enjoyed having him work with them, but it made him jealous to watch Sam with his dad. Suddenly Mark picked up a piece of track and threw it. Then he banged his fists on the carpet. Sam's father put his hand gently on Mark's shoulder. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked.

 

"No," yelled Mark. Then he changed his mind. "Mom's selling Dad's golf clubs," he said with a sob.

 

"I'm so sorry," said Sam's dad, "and I think I understand. When I was your age, my parents got divorced, too. I didn't want my dad's things sold or given away. I thought he'd come back home, but he never did."

 

"My dad will come home," insisted Mark. He wished he could really believe that.

 

"I hope so. I know the emptiness you feel," said Sam's father. He handed Mark a tissue. "Do you know the Heavenly Father, Mark? Do you know Jesus? If you'll accept Jesus into your life, God will make you His child. Not having your earthly father with you does leave an empty spot, but it helps to know your Heavenly Father is always with you. You can talk to Him anytime, anywhere."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there an empty spot in your life because a parent is missing? Do you know the Heavenly Father? You need Him whether you live with an earthly father or not. Ask Him today to come into your life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 27:10)
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

[Soldier4Christ]

Andrew picked up his Bible and tried once again to memorize the Lord's Prayer. "Our Father which art in heaven," he quoted, then stopped and sighed. "I don't even know what that next big word means," he complained to his father.

 

"The word 'hallowed'?" asked Dad.

 

"Yeah," said Andrew. "Hallowed. What does 'Hallowed be Thy name' mean?"

 

"One Bible version says, 'We honor your holy name,'" said Dad. "That's what we're saying when we sincerely pray, 'Hallowed be Thy name.' We're acknowledging that God is holy and that even His name is holy. We must always use God's name respectfully."

 

Later that day, Andrew and his family went to see a parade. The President of the United States was in their city and was going to make a  at the civic center. Andrew was excited when he saw secret service men all around, and he was eager to see the President.

 

Andrew and his parents managed to find a spot close to the speaker's platform. Soon a long, black car drove up. As the President stepped out, the band played a stirring tune. Then the President was introduced amid much cheering and clapping.

 

Andrew didn't understand much of the , but he didn't care. "Seeing the President was awesome," he said on the way home.

 

"Did you notice the song the band played when the President got out of his car?" asked Mom. "That number is always played when the President arrives."

 

"Really? Why is that?" asked Andrew.

 

"It's called 'Hail to the Chief,' and it's a good reminder that our President is the leader of our country," explained Mom. "It's a position that deserves our honor."

 

"Maybe we should say, 'Hallowed be the President's name,'" joked Andrew.

 

Dad shook his head. "No," he disagreed. "The meaning of 'hallowed' includes a recognition of something holy. We'll reserve that honor for God."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you thought about what it means to "hallow" God's name? As you say those words, think about God's holiness and how great, how strong, and how kind He is. Let those words remind you to honor God in every part of your life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 6:9)
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.

[Soldier4Christ]

Aimee stirred her cup of hot chocolate. "Why the sad face?" she asked when her little sister came in.

 

"No reason," replied Alexa. She looked at the floor.

 

"Want some hot chocolate?" asked Aimee.

 

"No thanks," murmured Alexa. She fidgeted uneasily on her chair. "We cut across Mr. Jordan's lawn on the way home from school," she blurted out at last.

 

Aimee set her cup down. "You did!" she exclaimed. "You know that makes him angry. Why did you do that?"

 

"Well, the kids say there isn't anything wrong with taking a short cut and that Mr. Jordan has to learn not to be so cross," said Alexa, her eyes downcast. She paused, then added, "So it must be okay."

 

"Now how do you figure that?" Aimee asked gently.

 

"They're older than me," replied Alexa.

 

"And that means they know more and are always right?" asked Aimee. Alexa's shoulders drooped lower, but she nodded her head. Aimee looked thoughtful. "Are you sure you don't want hot chocolate?" she asked. "The water's finally cold enough."

 

Alexa wrinkled her brow. "You mean the water's hot enough," she corrected her sister.

 

"No. It's cold enough," said Aimee. "I'll get it." Alexa followed Aimee into the kitchen and watched her take a pitcher of ice water out of the fridge.

 

"Aimee, it's supposed to be hot chocolate," protested Alexa. "The water has to be hot!"

 

"Really, Alexa, you should listen to me," scolded Aimee. "I'm older. That means I'm right!" For the first time since coming in, Alexa smiled. Aimee smiled, too, as she sat down across from Alexa. "Can you see that 'older' doesn't always mean right?" asked Aimee. "Do you remember what Pastor said Sunday?"

 

Alexa's brow furrowed. "He said that no matter how old or young we are, we can know and do what God says is right."

 

"Yes, and that includes you, Sis," replied Aimee.She smiled as she hugged Alexa. "Now, how about some hot chocolate? Or would you prefer to apologize to Mr. Jordan first?"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you tempted to do wrong things because older friends say they aren't wrong? If the Bible says it's wrong, don't do it, no matter what older friends say. Do what's right.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Timothy 4:12)
Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example.