Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"Look, Grandpa!" exclaimed Lisa, pointing to the ground. "Another
mushroom!" She was visiting her grandparents for the weekend, and she and
Grandpa were on a nature hike, looking for mushrooms.
 

Grandpa grinned as he put the mushroom in his bag. "We'll enjoy these in Grandma's stew tonight," he said.

"I've got an idea, Grandpa," said Lisa as she swatted a mosquito. "Let's dig some up by the roots and put them in your garden. Then you won't have to come so far to get them."

Grandpa laughed. "I'm afraid they wouldn't do too well in the garden," he said. "Most vegetables enjoy lots of sunlight and good, loose soil to sink their roots into, but mushrooms prefer dark, moist conditions. They don't have real roots or leaves at all."

Lisa nodded. "Yeah -- they're funny," she said.

Grandpa smiled. "I have to teach the senior adult Sunday school class this week," he said. "Maybe I'll take a mushroom or two along to use as an object lesson. What do you think of that idea?"

"A mushroom? For an object lesson?" asked Lisa. "What lesson would it teach?"

"Oh-h-h-h, I could point out that, unlike the mushroom, Christians do have roots -- we're 'rooted' in Jesus," said Grandpa. "I could explain that sometimes we're too much like mushrooms, which don't make their own food but depend on other plants. We become lazy and want to depend on other people for all our Bible knowledge instead of finding out things for ourselves."

"Shouldn't we listen to our pastor and Sunday school teachers?" asked Lisa.

"Absolutely, but we should also study God's Word on our own  --  asking God to help us understand passages that aren't clear to us," said Grandpa. "With no roots, mushrooms can be easily pulled out, and Christians who are not well rooted in God's Word can often be easily misled and persuaded to follow false teaching." He held up a mushroom. "So what do you think?" he asked.

Lisa grinned. "Go for it, Grandpa," she
said.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Do you study the Bible for yourself? Pastors and teachers are helpful, but it's also good to read His Word on your own. Learn what God says. He is always right.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Colossians 2:6-7)
As ye have . . . received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Rooted and built up in Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, I've got a question," said Michael as he climbed into the passenger
seat of his mom's car. "Some of the kids in my class say it doesn't make any
difference who you believe in to get to heaven -- Mohammed or Buddha or . . . or
whoever! Even my teacher says all religions lead to heaven." Michael sighed.
"How can anybody ever convince them that they're wrong?" he asked.
 

"That's something only the Holy Spirit can do," said Mom. "The Bible is very clear that Jesus is the only way to heaven. It's our duty to point that out to people and to pray for them, but only God can work in their hearts and convince them of the truth of His Word."

Michael nodded, then changed the subject, "We're going to stop and look for new shoes for me, aren't we?"

"We'll stop," Mom assured him.

When they arrived at the shoe store, Michael headed toward the display of the most expensive brand of shoes, while his mother went to the lesser?known discount brands. "How about these, Mom?" Michael held up a pair of shoes. "I need this brand."

"Those are awfully expensive," objected Mom. She held up another, cheaper pair. "These are almost the same, except for the name and the price." Michael frowned, but when they left the store, he was carrying the cheaper shoes.

On the way home, he sighed. "I still wish I could have gotten those other shoes," he said. "That brand name would have impressed my friends."

"You need to impress your feet," said Mom with a grin, "not your friends." After a moment, she added. "I know what you can tell the kids when you wear those shoes tomorrow. Tell them that when it comes to shoes, they're impressed only when kids wear a certain brand name, so they should be able to understand that when it comes to getting into heaven, God is impressed only with a certain name."

"Hey, that's right!" exclaimed Michael. "The name that will impress God is the name of Jesus."

Mom nodded. "The Bible says His name is the only name
'by which we must be saved.'"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Have you trusted in the only name that will get you to heaven -- the name of Jesus? There is no other way into heaven. The Bible is clear about that. Trust Jesus as Savior today. (See page 66.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Acts 4:12)
There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby ye must be saved.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Bobby, will you come here, please?" called Mom. "I need you to run an
errand for me." Bobby put his red truck down and hurried to the kitchen. "I want
you to take some money across the street to Sam's house," said Mom. "His mother
is going to get us a loaf of bread when she goes to the store."
 

Bobby put on his coat and turned the collar up around his neck. Mom helped him pull on his fuzzy blue mittens. "Looks like all I have is a five-dollar bill," said Mom, handing him the money. "Be careful not to lose it." 

Mom stood at the window and watched while Bobby crossed the street. Just as he reached the other side, a strong gust of wind took the money from his mittened hand. It landed somewhere in the hedge in front of Sam's house. Bobby hurried over to the hedge to look for it. After hunting for a few minutes, he turned and headed back home. Mom, who was still watching, quickly put on her coat and went to meet him.

"Oh, Mom! I lost the money," said Bobby when he saw her coming. "It should be right over there in those  bushes, but I can't find it!"

"Don't worry about it," said Mom. "I know you didn't lose it on purpose. Come on . . . I'll help you. We'll look again."

They began to search, and before long, Bobby exclaimed, "Look! Here it is -- it got stuck right here on this branch!"

"Good!" said Mom. "God has answered prayer again! Isn't He good to us?"

"Answered prayer?" asked Bobby. "I didn't see you stop to pray."

Mom smiled at Bobby. "I talked to God while we looked," she said. "We can talk to God anywhere, any time, and no matter what we're doing. He always listens. I thought you knew that."

Bobby nodded. "I do," he said, "but I forget sometimes.
I think I'll remember better after this!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you pray throughout the day? It's good to have a special place and time to pray each day, but  you can also talk to God anytime and know that He hears you. It doesn't matter where you are or what your problem is. He isn't concerned about your physical position when you talk to Him. He just wants you to remember to pray.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Thess. 5:17)
Pray without ceasing.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Wouldn't it be exciting to live like the early Christians did -- meeting
secretly in homes and caves?" asked Nathan as he and Kirsten walked home from
the neighborhood Bible Club.
 

"It'd be more dangerous than exciting," said Kirsten. "They were often thrown in jail or put to death. They had to meet in secret to stay alive." She tucked her Bible under a corner of her jacket and waved to a girl on the other side of the street. "Hi, Brooke," Kirsten called.

"Hi," responded Brooke. "I just got out of my gymnastics class. What have you been doing?"

"Oh, just hanging out," said Kirsten with a smile. "See you in school tomorrow."

Kirsten turned back to her brother. "I'm glad we don't have to meet in caves and be secret Christians anymore," she said.

"It looks to me like you are one," observed Nathan.

"What on earth are you talking about?" asked Kirsten.

"You didn't tell Brooke you were coming from Bible Club," said Nathan. "Why not?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Kirsten. "Brooke is the most popular girl in my class. I want her to like me. She'd think I was crazy to go to Bible Club."

"I noticed you hid your Bible under your jacket, too," added Nathan. 

"Like I told you -- I want her to like me. Besides, the truth is that she's really a big blabbermouth. She'd tell everybody that I go to Bible Club, and all the kids would make fun of me!"

Nathan shook his head. "I still think it sounds like you're a secret Christian. I think you're ashamed of being a Christian at all."

Kirsten's face turned red. "I . . . I . . ." She could think of nothing to say in her own defense.

Nathan sighed. "I know it's hard to be a witness," he
said, "but if the early Christians were willing to die for Jesus, I guess the
least we can do is put up with a little teasing."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Are you a "secret" Christian? It's not always easy to let other kids -- or adults -- know that you love Jesus, is it? Never be ashamed of Jesus or your faith in Him. Make your motto the same as Pau;'s and say, "I am not ashamed. "


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

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mr. Herschel looks so funny," said Abby. She snickered. "His ears are
so-o-o-o-o big. All he'd have to do is flap them and he'd fly away."
 

Seth laughed. "Yeah -- if his big feet didn't hold him down," he said. "He must wear size twenty-four!"

Grandma Dixon, her coffee cup halfway to her mouth, wondered if they meant the Mr. Herschel who had been a faithful Sunday school teacher for years.

"And Mrs. Pritchard!" continued Seth. "She wears the same dress every Sunday!"

Abby nodded, and Grandma nearly dropped her cup. "Do you mean Molly Pritchard who took me to the doctor's office when everyone else was busy -- the lady who remembers shut-ins and often brings them meals? Dependable Molly?" she asked sternly. Abby and Seth looked embarrassed. "Your conversation reminds me of an ABC Bible storybook I had as a small girl," continued Grandma. "The story for the letter 'B' was called 'B Is for Bears.'"

"Tell us the story, Grandma," begged Abby and Seth.

"It's a gruesome story, and the pictures used to haunt me," Grandma told them. "The bears were not cute and cuddly. They were huge, shaggy beasts with sharp fangs, and they were chasing some young people. The youngsters looked terrified, and some had fallen."

"Ugh!" exclaimed Abby. "I never heard of anything like that in the Bible!"

"It's not a story we really like to tell," said Grandma, "but it's there. You've heard of Elisha? Well, some rude youths ran after him, mocking him and yelling, 'Go up, you bald head!' God didn't like them making fun of His servant, so He sent the bears. Ridiculing God's servants is like ridiculing God." She looked directly at the children as she added, "Mr. Herschel and Mrs. Pritchard are God's servants."

Abby's face turned red. "I'm glad they didn't hear us," she said after a moment. Seth nodded.

"I heard you, and God heard you," Grandma reminded them.
"I think you'd better ask Him to forgive you. And next time you're tempted to
speak disrespectfully, remember the bears."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Do you remember to speak only kind words about others -- even if they aren't present to hear you? God always hears. He may not send bears your way, but He does care, and He does punish. Be wise. Speak gracious, kind words.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ecclesiastes 10:12)
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Hey, Dad, look at this ugly white lizard," called Daniel as he peered
into the darkness of a tank in the reptile house at the zoo. "It doesn't have
any eyes." Daniel watched as the lizard crawled off its rock and slid into the
pond in its tank.
 

"Actually, that's not a lizard," said Dad, stepping up beside him. "It's a Texas blind salamander." He pointed to the sign on the tank. Dad opened his zoo brochure to the reptile section. "Look, Dan. It says here that Texas blind salamanders are born with tiny, sightless eyes, but they lose them as they mature." Dad paused, then added, "According to this, they live in complete blackness in caves and eat fungi and bits of plants and insects that wash into the caves in the spring floods."

Daniel studied the salamander. "I guess I can understand why God didn't give it eyes," he said. "If it lives all its life in darkness, there's nothing for it to see." Daniel pointed. "Look! It's got little feathery wings on the sides of its head," he said.

Dad looked at the brochure again. "Let's see . . . oh, those are its gills," he said. "Blind salamanders spend most of their time underwater and breathe through gills, like fish." As Dad leaned forward to get a better look, he dropped the brochure. Daniel snatched it before it landed on the ground and handed it back to his dad. Dad smiled. "Thanks, Daniel," said Dad. "You certainly can move quickly." 

Daniel shrugged. "Piece of cake," he said.

Dad smiled. "When you were younger, you used to complain
that you were too small and had thin arms and bony knees. You even used to pray
that God would give you a big, strong, muscular build. God didn't give you that,
but He did give you good coordination, didn't He?" Daniel looked again at the
little white salamander swimming contentedly in the pond. It didn't have eyes
because it didn't need them. He glanced at his own arms. I don't have huge
muscles, but that's okay, he thought. I don't need them, either. I guess God
gives us whatever it is we really need.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Do you wish you were taller, prettier, or stronger? Do you think other kids are more talented or smarter than you? God has created each person with different physical traits and different gifts and abilities. Each one is special and valuable in God's eyes -- and that includes you!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 139:14)
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

[Soldier4Christ]

Robert shuffled through the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. "Wow! I've never
tried to work a puzzle with so many pieces before!" he exclaimed.
 

"I know it looks hard, but I'm sure you can do it," replied his mother. "Want some help? I could turn the pieces right side up for you."

"Okay," agreed Robert. "I'll work on the barn." He started to sift through the jumbled pile, looking for the red pieces.

"Robert, do you know what this jigsaw puzzle reminds me of?" asked Mom as she turned pieces.

"Ahhh . . . my room, I guess. A big mess," answered Robert with a laugh.

Mom chuckled. "It does look a lot like the clutter under your bed," she said, "but what I had in mind was something else -- our lives. Sometimes life seems to be filled with overwhelming problems. We can't see how the pieces of our lives can possibly fit together, but God knows how they will fit perfectly. Isn't it wonderful that He has a plan and purpose for everything that happens in our lives, even when we can't see what it is?"

"Do you mean like the time I didn't make the Parkside soccer team?" asked Robert.

Mom nodded. "Yes," she said. "You were so disappointed. You didn't see how that 'piece' of your life fit at all -- you said you thought you might as well give up playing soccer. Then Mr. Kendall called and asked if you'd like to play the goalie position on the Greenwood team, which he was coaching. You found that you really liked playing with that team."

"Yeah, that was pretty awesome," agreed Robert.

"I think God wanted you on Mr. Kendall's team so we
could get to know their whole family," said Mom. "They accepted our invitation
to come to church and heard about Jesus." She glanced at the pieces Robert was
putting together. "You have that barn almost finished already!" she exclaimed.
"Always remember that just like the pieces are fitting together to make a barn,
God fits all the 'pieces' of our lives together to make something
good."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Are you a Christian who is in the midst of disappointment? Does your life seem a jumbled mess that will never fit together? Trust God. He has a plan and purpose for all things in your life, and He will work them together for your good.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 8:28)
We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Magify, oh, magify . . ." sang Darcy as she and her big brother walked up
the drive to their grandfather's house.
 

"Hi, Grandpa," said Jack as they went into the house. "What are you doing? Reading the paper?" Grandpa nodded. 

"What's that in your hand?" asked Darcy.

"That's Grandpa's magnifying glass," Jack told her.

"That's right," said Grandpa. "These old eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and this glass makes the letters look bigger so I can see them better. Here. . . ." Grandpa motioned for them to come close. "Try it."

"You know what, Grandpa?" asked Darcy. "Last Sunday a lady sang a song about a magifying glass."

Jack laughed. "The word is 'magnify,' not 'magify,'" he informed his sister, "and the song wasn't about a magnifying glass. She sang, 'Magnify the Lord,'" He paused. "But what does that mean, Grandpa?" he asked. "To magnify something means to make it bigger, but we can't make God bigger!"

Grandpa smiled. "True," he said, "but think about it. When I use this glass to read, the letters seem bigger to my eyes, but they're not really any bigger than they were before, are they?"

Jack shook his head thoughtfully. "No . . . but I still don't see what it means to magnify the Lord."

"I think one way we 'magnify' God is by blocking out the things that distract us, and focusing on Him," said Grandpa. "In a way, He becomes bigger in our lives -- we think more about Him and how we can serve Him. We get to know Him better and understand a little better how great He really is."

"Look!" Darcy called out. She was holding the magnifying glass over a cartoon in the paper. "Look how big Bugsy's whiskers are!"

"I think Darcy has just pointed out another way we
magnify the Lord," said Grandpa. "She's the one looking at that cartoon, but
even from here we can see something of what she sees. When we magnify the Lord,
we hold Him up and praise Him, and it helps other people get a glimpse of how
great He is, too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Do you frequently think about the greatness of God in nature? Do you recognize His working in your life as well? Even in the midst of your "busyness," think about how great and how good God is. Take time to praise Him every day.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 34:3)
O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.

[Soldier4Christ]

"What color should I use next in this afghan, Patty?" asked Aunt Edith as
she tied off the yellow yarn she was using.
 

"Use this purple one!" said Patty eagerly. "That's going to be so pretty when it's finished."

"I call it the 'Variety Afghan' because it has so many different colors and stitches," said Aunt Edith.

While her aunt crocheted, Patty told her about some of the students at her school. "Juan's from Mexico," said Patty, "and sometimes he forgets to speak English and starts talking in Spanish. Some kids laugh at him -- they say he should go back to school in Mexico." Then she told about Chan, and how some of the kids teased him because of the strange lunches he brought. "Waleed is different, too," she added. "He was born in Jordan, and he just doesn't seem to fit in."

"Maybe those children think the kids who were born here are the ones who are different," suggested Aunt Edith as she held up the afghan she was making and looked at it thoughtfully. "Patty, if God were making an afghan, do you think He'd use a rainbow of colors, or would He use only one color?" she asked.

"Well . . ." Patty hesitated. She had never been asked such a strange question. "Since He used so many colors in nature, I guess He'd do the same in an afghan."

Aunt Edith smiled. "I think so, too," she agreed. "I can make a Variety Afghan, but only God could make our beautiful Variety World. He used many different colors and patterns when he made flowers and animals -- and people!"

Patty was quite sure she knew what Aunt Edith was thinking. "You mean like those kids at school that get teased?" she asked.

Aunt Edith nodded. "God loves them," she said, "and
every time other kids hurt their feelings, they are hurting God,
too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Do you accept others just the way they are? God made and loves each person. Learn to enjoy His creativity as you learn to enjoy what makes each person unique.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Acts 10:34)
God is no respecter of persons.

[Soldier4Christ]

"This is a sad day, isn't it, Dad?" said Cole as he and his father drove
to town. They were going to buy tickets to fly to Dad's hometown and attend
Grandpa's funeral. Grandpa had died after being ill for several months.
 

"Yes, it is sad," Dad agreed as he signaled for a left turn onto Main Street. "It would be even sadder if we didn't know your grandfather was saved and is now in heaven." Dad pulled into a parking space in front of the travel agency.

Cole and his father entered the office and were soon talking with a travel agent. "I'll need four round-trip tickets," Dad said before he gave the agent all the details.

"Round trip -- that means we're coming back, doesn't it?" asked Cole as he and his father sat in the waiting area while the agent checked flights on her computer.

"Right. If we weren't coming back, we'd get one-way tickets," Dad told him.

Cole nodded. "I guess Grandpa got a one-way ticket to heaven," he said thoughtfully.

Dad picked up a travel brochure from the rack. "That's true," he agreed. "He'll be there with Jesus for all eternity."

Cole frowned. "My friend Brandon says he doesn't need to be saved," he told Dad. "Brandon says if he ends up in hell and doesn't like it there, he'll just go somewhere else."

"Brandon is wrong," said Dad, placing the brochure back on the rack. "Eternity is forever. If your friend Brandon dies unsaved, he will have a one-way ticket to hell. He can't get a transfer to heaven after he dies."

"Like the story of the rich man in the Bible who went to
hell and then wanted to join Lazarus in heaven," Cole remembered. "They both had
one-way tickets. I'm sure glad I'm saved, Dad. And I'm glad Grandpa was, too. I
think I'd better tell Brandon about one-way tickets."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
<P>Do you have a one-way ticket to heaven -- or to hell? Decide right now to accept Jesus as your Savior. He is the one-way ticket that will take you to heaven!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 25:46)
These (unsaved) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

[Soldier4Christ]

Let's see . . . I know! I'll paint a sunset, decided Kimberly. A sunset
over a lake! That will make a pretty picture. Soon she was engrossed in swirling
various water colors across the paper. After each stroke, she cleaned her brush
in water, turning the water dark gray. Suddenly, Kimberly's elbow bumped the cup
of dirty water, and some of it splashed across her picture. "Mom," she wailed.
"Look! My picture was turning out so good, and now it's ruined!"


 

"I'm sorry, honey," sympathized Mom. "Why don't you get another piece of paper and start over?"

 

Kimberly sighed. "I think I'll do something else," she said. Gathering up her paints, she put them away and then went to the family room and turned on the TV. Kimberly watched evil-looking cartoon characters shoot and kill each other. She was so interested in the program that she didn't even notice her mother enter the room.

 

"Kimberly, turn that off right now," ordered Mom, frowning. "You know you are not allowed to watch that kind of program."

 

"Oh, Mom, it's just a cartoon," whined Kimberly. "It's not hurting me."

 

"I'm not so sure about that," said Mom. "Cartoon or not, it's full of violence. You should be thinking about good things instead of this kind of thing."

 

"Seeing something like this once in a while won't hurt anything," insisted Kimberly. "It's not as though I watch it every day."

 

"That's true," acknowledged Mom, "but it didn't take much ugly water to ruin your pretty picture this morning, did it?"

 

"No," Kimberly admitted reluctantly.

 

"Well, it doesn't take many ugly scenes to give you bad thoughts, either," said Mom. "On the flip side, when you see and hear good and beautiful things, they can help you think good thoughts."

 

"Okay," said Kimberly. "I guess I'll go find a book to read." She got up. "A good book," she added. "I promise."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
What do you watch, read, and listen to? Don't allow Satan to fill your mind with ugly thoughts through violent TV shows, immoral books, or ungodly music. Philippians 4:8 tells you what kinds of things you should think about. Obey God and keep your mind pure.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 19:14)
Let. . . the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight.

[Soldier4Christ]

". . . forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty," Dad counted. "Ready or not, here I
come!"


 

Mark scrunched sideways into the small opening under the porch and pulled his knees up to his chest. "No!" he exclaimed suddenly as his little sister tried to wriggle in with him. "Go away. There's not enough room here, and if Dad sees you, he'll find me, too. Go find your own place." But it was too late.

 

"Gotcha!" cried Dad. He swooped down on them and swung Katie off the ground.

 

Mark groaned and straightened his legs as he slowly crawled out. "That wasn't fair," he protested. "Katie gave me away."

 

"You could have let her hide with you," said Dad.

 

"There wasn't enough room," grumbled Mark.

 

Dad stooped down and poked his head into the opening. "It is kind of small," he agreed.

 

"Yeah. That space is so small that there's room for only one person. When I'm in it, there's not room for Katie, and when she's in it, there's not room for me," said Mark. "It's like what we learned in science class -- two things can't be in the exact same space at the exact same time."

 

"You know what?" asked Dad. "That's kind of like your memory verse last Sunday."

 

"It is?" Mark frowned as he thought about it. "My verse was, 'I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,'" he said, "but . . . "

 

"Okay. Let's think about the space under the porch as being a heart and you as being God's Word," Dad suggested, "and you . . . sorry, Katie . . . but you stand for sin." Mark looked doubtful. "If God's Word . . ." Dad motioned to Mark, "is really hidden in the heart," he motioned toward the small space under the porch, "there won't be room for sin." He motioned toward Katie. "There won't be room for anger or lying or fighting."

 

"So we should memorize lots of verses," said Mark.

 

"Yes," said Dad, "but hiding God's Word in our hearts involves more than just memorizing it. It also includes a willingness and commitment to obey what God says."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you committed to both memorizing God's Word and obeying it? When temptations come, it's important to what He says, but if His Word is truly hidden in your heart, you'll want to also do what He says.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:11)
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Guess what happened," said Karmyn, giggling. She and Jeff had spent a day
with their grandparents, and they were telling their mom and dad all about it.
"Grandma had some orange juice in a glass pitcher, and when she picked it up . .
." Karmyn paused and laughed as she remembered what had happened.


 

"The bottom of the pitcher fell out!" finished Jeff.

 

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Mom. "That's a strange thing to have happened! It must have made an awful mess."

 

"It did," Karmyn said. "Juice splashed all over the cupboard and on the floor, too. And there was juice all over Grandma."

 

"You should have seen the look on her face," added Jeff. "She kept holding onto the pitcher and staring at it. But then she started to laugh. Grandpa was in the living room, and he came to see what was going on."

 

"I thought they'd be upset about the big mess, but they weren't," said Karmyn, giggling some more. "Grandpa got a big grin on his face, and then he said, 'Well, Arlene, I knew you didn't like that pitcher, but you didn't have to go this far to get rid of it, did you?' We all laughed until our stomachs hurt."

 

Dad chuckled. "That's the way your grandparents are," he said. "They can usually take a difficult situation and find some humor in it. Grandpa loves to quote the verse from Proverbs that says a cheerful heart is like good medicine."

 

Karmyn nodded. "Cleaning up all that sticky juice didn't seem so bad while we were laughing," she said thoughtfully.

 

"I'm going to try to be just like Grandpa and Grandma," declared Jeff.

 

"Good!" said Mom. "You can start right now. I . . . ah . . . well, I have to tell you -- your favorite T-shirt somehow got in with the wrong batch of clothes today. It turned pink!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you get upset when you don't like things that happen to you? If you try to find some humor in the situation, you'll enjoy life a lot more. Of course, some things are too serious to laugh about, but even then, God can give you peace in your heart. He wants you to enjoy the life He's given you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 17:22)
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.

[Soldier4Christ]

"I wish I could help with the Thanksgiving baskets," said Lori as she
watched her older brother and sister get ready for a youth group service
project. They were going to deliver baskets of food to needy families.


 

"You did help," Mom told Lori. "You took some cans of food to Sunday school to be put in the baskets. You even did extra chores to earn money to buy those cans of food yourself."

 

Lori frowned. "Big deal," she murmured.

 

"Yes, it is," said Dad. "If nobody brought food, you'd realize what a big deal it is." He smiled at the little girl. "It's a 'big deal' to God if you did it for Him."

 

Lori rode along when Dad took Todd and Natalie to church that afternoon. "Well, look at that!" exclaimed Dad as they drove down the street. "Looks like they're taking the old Paulson house down. I knew someone bought the place, and I could see that it needed repair. I wonder why they don't just fix it up."

 

"I heard that it was full of termites," said Todd. "I guess it was so bad they couldn't do anything with it."

 

"Oh, that explains it," said Dad. "That's too bad. It looked like a nice old house."

 

"What are termites?" asked Lori.

 

"Termites are insects," Dad told her. "They look something like ants."

 

"Ants?" asked Lori. "They're taking down that whole big building just because of such tiny little things?"

 

Dad nodded. "They look something like ants, but they eat wood," he told her. "When a lot of them eat at a building for a long time, they ruin the beams that support the building, and then it becomes unsafe."

 

"Yeah, and then it can cost more to fix it than to tear it down and start over," put in Todd.

 

"Small things can make a big difference," added Natalie.

 

"That's true," agreed Dad. After a moment he added, "Things like termites -- or maybe cans of food."

 

"Cans of food?" asked Lori. Then she caught on. Dad was telling her again that her contribution to the Thanksgiving baskets was important.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think the ways you help are so small that they don't really matter? Five loaves and two fish don't sound like much, but a little boy gave them to the Lord Jesus. Jesus blessed them and used them. When you do something to help, do it for the Lord. He'll bless what you do for Him. No effort is too small.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Colossians 3:24)
Ye serve the Lord Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Hi, Mom," said Nicole. "How did it go at the dentist? Did you have any
cavities?"


 

Mom shook her head. "Not one," she said with a sigh. "There wasn't a thing wrong, but I have a good-sized bill to pay anyway."

 

Nicole burst out laughing. "Oh, Mom," she said, "you're funny. You sound like you'd be happier if you had a mouthful of rotten teeth so that you could feel better about paying your bill."

 

Mom looked startled. Then she grinned. "I'm being foolish all right," she admitted. "I really am thankful I don't have any cavities, and I'll pay my bill gladly."

 

After dinner that evening, Nicole got out the script for her Thanksgiving skit. "Who wants to listen to me say my lines?" she asked.

 

Her brother Cody sighed. "Nobody," he told her. "We're all tired of hearing them. Besides, you've known them perfectly for a week already."

 

"But what if I forget them?" worried Nicole.

 

"You won't," said Cody, "and I, for one, will be glad when that program is done so we'll never have to hear them again!"

 

"I wonder if Alec has his lines learned," said Nicole. "If he misses his lines, I might miss the cue to start mine."

 

"He'll do fine, too," said Cody. "He's smart."

 

"I hope Bailey remembers to bring the apron she said I could borrow," murmured Nicole. "The effect won't be the same without it."

 

Cody looked disgusted. "Yeah . . . well, I sure hope something goes wrong for you," he said. "After all, I'd hate for you to have worried like this all for nothing."

 

Just then Mom caught Nicole's eye. "No cavities?" asked Mom mournfully.

 

Mom and Nicole both started chuckling. "I'm as bad as you, Mom," said Nicole. "Worse, I guess. After all, you do have to pay a bill, but the things I'm grumbling about haven't even happened." Cody looked puzzled, but Mom and Nicole just laughed.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you worry? Most of the things people worry about never happen -- and worrying won't change anything anyway. An old song says, "Why worry when you can pray?" A moment of prayer helps more than a lifetime of worry. God is in control. Trust Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Peter 5:7)
Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.