Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Brad and his father stood on the front porch and watched a bulldozer gouge
out chunks of pavement from the street in front of their house. "They're sure
making a mess," observed Brad.


 

Dad smiled. "Yes," he said, "but when they're finished, we'll have a better street. It's been full of potholes."

 

Brad didn't answer. He stood quietly thinking about something that had happened that afternoon. He had gone to play at a friend's house, and they had spent some time playing up in Tyler's room. "Look what my brother gave me," Tyler had said as he pulled a magazine from under his mattress.

 

Brad saw at a glance that it was not a magazine they should be looking at, and he hadn't known what to say.  He didn't want to seem like a loser in the eyes of his friend. "I . . . ah . . . I don't know. I . . . I know Dad wouldn't like it if he found out I looked at this," he had murmured weakly.

 

"Ah, come on," Tyler had coaxed. "How would he ever find out anyway? You're not going to tell him, are you?" Tyler had laughed merrily. Brad was afraid he might have given in, but just then Tyler's mother had come upstairs, and Tyler quickly hid the magazine again. But what if Tyler wants me to look at one of those magazines some other time? wondered Brad. I'm not sure I'll have the nerve to say no. He felt guilty even though he hadn't looked at the magazine.

 

"Someone sure did a lot of planning before this street project began," said Dad, calling Brad's attention back to the present. "They had to consider the cost and whether it would be worth the time and money -- and the mess." He shook his head. "We can learn from them. We should plan things carefully, too, instead of just plunging into them."

 

That's it! thought Brad. I need to plan ahead what I'm going to say.

 

That night Brad took his Bible and wrote a prayer in the back: "Lord, when friends tempt me to do wrong, give me the courage to say 'no.' I choose to keep my mind and heart clean."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Can you think of things -- wrong things, that is -- that your friends or classmates might ask you to do? What will you say if that happens? Even before temptation comes, plan ahead -- practice saying "no" to things you know are wrong. Choose to obey God, and ask Him give you courage to stick to that choice.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 4:23)
Keep thy heart with all diligence.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Come on, Trevor. Eat your beans." Roxie was trying to get the baby to
finish his supper, but Trevor turned his head away, his mouth firmly closed.


 

"He thinks he doesn't like beans, so call them something else," suggested Matthew. He put a bean on a spoon and held it out to Trevor. "Here -- have some ice cream, Trevor," he coaxed. But his little brother just looked at the bean on the spoon and turned away.

 

Roxie laughed. "What a dumb idea," she scoffed. Then she quoted a line she had heard her older sister use. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." She laughed again. "And a bean by any other name would taste the same. Even Trevor knows that."

 

Dad smiled at the dialog between the children. Then he added a thought of his own. "And a sinner by any other name is still lost in sin," he said. Roxie and Matthew looked at him in surprise. "I was thinking of a conversation I had with a couple of the men at work today," explained Dad. "They're both nice, decent guys -- in fact, they're so 'good' that it's hard to get them to see that they need Christ."

 

"What do you mean, they're so good?" asked Matthew. "My Bible verse last week said nobody is good."

 

Dad nodded. "I mean they're good in their own eyes," he said. "Pete is a hard worker and a faithful, active church member. Jeff doesn't go to church at all, but he's active in promoting good, moral causes. He manages a Little League team, heads the fund-raising committee for the city youth center, and does several other things like that. Each thinks he's going to get to heaven because of all the good things he does."

 

"So what do you tell them?" asked Roxie.

 

"Well, basically, what I said before," replied Dad. "That a sinner by any other name -- like 'good person' -- is still a sinner. Although the work of both men is commendable, they still need God's forgiveness for the wrong things they've done. They need Christ."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you complain or grumble when you're bored or can't get your way? Are there days when nothing goes right? When that happens, think about things you're thankful for . . . or make a praise list. If you make every day a thanksgiving day, you'll be a happier person.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 13:15)
Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, can I have some money for the lost and found auction today?" asked
Noah as he ate his breakfast. Mom nodded, and Noah grinned. "All right!" he
exclaimed. "I might be able to get some good stuff!" The week before, students
in Noah's school had been given one last opportunity to claim any lost-and-found
items belonging to them. The things that remained unclaimed were going to be
auctioned off -- and this was the day that would happen.


 

That noon, Noah watched as kids were bidding on items like scarves, mittens, and sweaters. But when the principal, acting as the auctioneer, held up a baseball mitt and began to describe it, Noah suddenly sat up straight. He realized it was a mitt he thought he had left at his grandmother's house! Noah decided to buy it back, so he quickly made a bid. Some other kids wanted it, too, and back and forth the bidding went! I hope I have enough money to get my mitt back, thought Noah. After bidding his last cent, he almost held his breath, but no other bid was made, and the mitt was his.

 

Back home, Noah grumbled a little. "The mitt is mine again," he said, "but it really always was mine. It doesn't seem fair that I had to buy it back!"

 

Dad nodded. "I can understand how you feel," he said, "but you know what? Your experience is a good example of what God has done for us. He made us, you know, so in a sense everyone belongs to Him. But just like your mitt got lost, mankind 'got lost' -- lost in sin. And just like your mitt had to be redeemed -- or bought back -- we do, too."

 

"That's right," agreed Mom, "and just like it took all you had to buy back that mitt, it took all Jesus had to buy us back. He left the glory of heaven and gave His life -- He died on the cross so that we could be brought back to God."

 

"I guess maybe that's where the comparison ends," said Dad. "Your mitt didn't have a choice -- it had to come home with you whether it wanted to or not. But we have a choice. We can accept what Jesus did for us -- we can trust Him as Savior and go to live with Him some day -- or we can refuse Him. It's up to us."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you realize what Jesus did for you? He paid a great "price " -- His life -- to save you from your sins and offer you a home in heaven. Whether or not you'll accept what He offers is a choice you need to make. Don't wait. Accept Jesus as Savior today.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Ye were . . . redeemed with . . . the precious blood of Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

"These are just what I want!" exclaimed Alyce, admiring the shoes she was
trying on. "Can I get them?"


 

"Well . . . this is our first stop," said Mom, "but it's up to you. You're spending your own money for this, you know." Alyce was sure she wanted the shoes. She not only bought them -- she decided to wear them.

 

In another store, Alyce pointed. "Look! Here are some shoes almost like the pair I just bought." She looked at them more closely. "These cost less," she said. "Maybe I should have gotten them instead."

 

"Too late now," said Mom.

 

Still later, they saw the same shoes on sale. Alyce was dismayed. "I should have waited," she moaned. "I could have saved some money."

 

They went on to other stores, but Alyce continued to pout. Finally, Mom became annoyed. "Look," she said, "you found the shoes you wanted, and you got them. Even if you made the worst possible bargain, it's too late to do anything about it because you're already wearing them. You'll be happier if you don't compare anymore. Okay?"

 

"Okay," agreed Alyce, and they didn't look at shoes again that day.

 

When Alyce showed her shoes to her father that evening, she just couldn't help but tell him about the money she could have saved if she had only waited! "But Mom says to forget about that and enjoy my shoes," she finished.

 

Dad nodded. "That's good advice," he agreed. "Next time, you may want to shop around a little before buying. As far as this purchase is concerned, there's no use fretting over it. It doesn't help to wish you had done something differently." Dad paused. "That's a good thing to remember whenever some project we undertake doesn't turn out the way we hoped -- even those things we do for the Lord. We should learn from past mistakes so that we don't repeat them, but thinking too much about them just makes us unhappy and doesn't change anything."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you continue to fret over things you can't change -- like times you failed to witness, obey, or help someone? Learn from your mistakes, but then put them behind you. God wants you to look forward and serve Him with joy in the future.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Philippians 3:13-14)
Forgetting those things which are behind . . . I press toward the mark.

[Soldier4Christ]

"What are you doing, Dad?" asked Jeremy.


 

"Mom and I decided we'd like a window here in this wall," said Dad,"so I'm measuring the wall and marking it where I need to cut the hole for the window."

 

"Why do you want a window there?" asked Jeremy as he helped Dad with the tape measure. "We won't have a very good view from it, will we?"

 

"The view may not be so great, but just wait and see what a difference a window here will make," said Dad as he put the tape measure back into his toolbox.

 

The next day, Dad carefully cut a hole in the wall and fit a new window into place. "Wow!" exclaimed Jeremy as he came into the room. "I think I'll like having a window there after all. The view is better than I expected. We can see sky, trees, birds, some of the lawn -- and we have a really good view of the side of the Reeves' garage." Dad smiled. "But you know what's the best thing of all about this new window?" continued Jeremy.

 

"What's that?" asked Dad.

 

"All the light it lets in," replied Jeremy. "It's so much brighter in here!"

 

"Quite different, isn't it?" agreed Dad. "Did you know that we should be like this window?"

 

"How would we be like a window?" asked Jeremy.

 

"The window lets light into our house, and we can bring light -- the light of Jesus -- into the lives of others," explained Dad.

 

"I can see the light that comes through the window," said Jeremy, "but you can't really see the light Jesus gives, can you?"

 

"In a way, I can see it. I saw the change in your life when you accepted the Lord," said Dad. "I'm thinking of times like when you invited Sam to come to church with you -- or the time you volunteered to take Mr. Freeman's dog for a walk. Then you not only helped Mr. Freeman, but you gave Bandit a good time, and you had fun, too -- all that by following Jesus' example of helping people. That's a lot of light."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you share the light and love of Jesus with others? Sharing God's love will make the world a brighter place to live! Let your friends know that God's love is also available to them.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:16)
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, it's going to be so cool to have Tiffany living right across the
road!" Kerry bubbled enthusiastically. "We're going to be best friends and do
everything together. We're going to sit together on the school bus, and she's
coming to Sunday school with me -- and pizza is her favorite food, just like mine!"


 

Mom smiled as she took a pizza out of the oven. "It's nice that you and Tiffany have so much in common," she said.

 

Kerry nodded. "We're going to do everything  together," she repeated.

 

The next day, Kerry came storming into the house. "Tiffany isn't my best friend anymore," she declared angrily.

 

"What happened?" asked Mom.

 

"I went over to play with her and found out she was off to play tennis with Justine," grumbled Kerry.

 

"Be sensible, Kerry," said Mom. "Justine and Tiffany like tennis, and you don't."

 

"I don't care," said Kerry stubbornly. "Best friends always stick together!" Mom tried to reason with her, but Kerry wouldn't listen.

 

At dinner that evening, Kerry was surprised to see spaghetti on her parents' plates, while her own plate contained only pizza leftover from the day before. "Where's my spaghetti?" she asked.

 

"Since pizza is your favorite food, I decided you could have it for every meal," Mom told her.

 

"Mom says there's still more in the refrigerator, and you can have it for breakfast tomorrow," added Dad.

 

"I don't want pizza all the time," objected Kerry. "I like other things, too." She frowned. "What are you really trying to say?" she asked suspiciously.

 

Mom smiled. "Well, I was hoping you would see that variety is a good thing in meals," she said, "and then realize that the same thing is true of friendships. Both you and Tiffany should have other friends."

 

"That's right, Kerry," agreed Dad. "Even Jesus didn't spend all His time with just one person. Your influence for Him will be greater as you show interest in, and love toward, a number of people."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you angry about something that happened long ago? Did someone scratch your bike? Did a friend choose someone else first for the team? Ask Jesus to help you to forgive. Put away your "trash. "


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ephesians 4:31)
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you.

[Soldier4Christ]

"What are you doing, Mom?" asked Angela as she and her sister Kylie came
home from school.


 

"Grandma needs some hot pads, so I thought maybe you and Kylie could make some for her birthday," replied Mom with a smile. She showed the children some small hand looms and strips of material. "I'll show you how to do them," she added.

 

"Oh, I know how to do those!" exclaimed Angela. "I learned in school. It's fun." She insisted that she didn't need any help, so Mom turned her attention to Kylie.

 

Kylie watched carefully as Mom showed her what to do. First, she fitted a neat row of red loops between two sides of the loom. Then she used a hook to start blue rows going the opposite way. Kylie checked with Mom every now and then to make sure she was getting it right.

 

"How are you doing?" Mom asked Angela after a while.

 

Angela sighed. "I thought I knew how to do this," she said, "but it isn't turning out right. I guess I forgot some of the things we learned. I'm going to take this apart and start over!" When Angela was ready to start again, Mom showed her what she needed to do.

 

That night, Mom suggested they all read a Bible story together since it was almost bedtime. "Oh, Mom," whined Angela, "this book I'm reading is so exciting! Can't I finish it instead of listening to a Bible story tonight? I know all those stories already."

 

"Remember the hot pads?" asked Mom. "If we don't keep reviewing, it's easy to forget what we have learned. The things we learn from God's Word are not things we can afford to forget. Regular reminders of God's power and goodness help us trust Him more. "




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think you know all the familiar Bible stories and the lessons they teach? You may have heard them often, but unless you review them, you may forget important lessons. God will teach you new things from old stories. Learn what the Bible says by reading it and reading it again! And be sure to obey it.


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

[Soldier4Christ]

"It's not fair!" objected Jasmine, almost in tears. "It's bad enough that
Dad walked out on us. I shouldn't have to move away from all my friends!"


 

Mom sighed. "I know, honey," she said, "but I just can't keep up this place all by myself. It will be less expensive for us to live with Grandma for a while. There's a very good school not far from her house, and it will be nice to have Grandma there for Davie when he gets home from kindergarten."

 

"But I don't know anybody in that school," said Jasmine.

 

Just then the back door opened, and Davie came in. He was crying. "I falled," he said between sobs, "and I skinned my knee. My jeans got all messed up."

 

Jasmine looked at him. "Messed up is right," she agreed. "Just like my life," she added with a frown.

 

Mom comforted the little boy and gently bandaged his sore knee. "There," she said, "that feels better, doesn't it? Now let's see what we can do about these jeans. They're too good to throw away."

 

"He could just wear them ripped," said Jasmine. "Lots of kids do." Mom shook her head. "Well, then you could put patches on the knees," suggested Jasmine, "or you could cut them off for shorts. They'll be better than ever, Davie."

 

"Yeah," agreed Davie. "Can I have shorts, Mom?"

 

Mom smiled. "We'll see," she said. "One way or another, we'll make something good of your 'messed up' jeans." When Davie went to change his clothes, Mom turned to Jasmine. "You said your life was 'all messed up,' just like Davie's jeans, right?" she asked. Miserably, Jasmine nodded. "And you don't know how to fix it -- but God does," Mom went on gently. "If you'll trust Him, He'll take your messed up life -- and mine -- and build a whole new life for us. It won't be exactly the same as the life we knew before, but it can be beautiful and good. Will you trust God to fix it for you?"

 

Jasmine sighed, but she nodded. "I'll try," she
promised.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Does it seem that everything has gone wrong in your life? That things will never be the same again? Perhaps that's true -- but it doesn't mean things won't be good. God has promised to work all things for good in the lives of those who love Him. Trust Him to do that.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 147:3  He)
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

[Soldier4Christ]

Aunt Dee must be here! thought Eric when he saw the blue mini van parked
in their driveway. Maybe she brought Grandma home from the hospital -- the doctor
said she might come home today. Grandma had been very sick, but she'd had an
amazing operation. She had been given a heart transplant -- her diseased heart was
removed and a different one was put inside her body. Now she was doing much
better.


 

Eric rushed into the house. He was delighted to learn that Grandma was indeed home, and she was anxious to see him. "How are you doing, Grandma?" Eric asked after he gave her a gentle hug.

 

"I was just thanking the Lord for both of my new hearts." Grandma's eyes sparkled as they often did when she was happy.

 

"But Grandma, you got just one new heart," saidEric, but he knew she'd have an explanation for what she had said. He wondered what it would be.

 

"I got one new heart in the hospital," agreed Grandma, "but I got my first new heart when I was about your age." Eric thought he knew what she was talking about, but he waited for her to go on. "We use the word 'heart' to describe our innermost being," she continued. "When I asked Jesus to come into my life and cleanse me from sin, it was just as though He gave me a new heart -- He changed my thoughts and feelings and desires. I'm thankful for the heart the doctors gave me, but I'm even more thankful to Jesus for saving me from my sins and giving me a new heart spiritually."

 

Eric nodded. "I have a new spiritual heart, too, don't I?" he asked.

 

"You do if you trust Jesus as your Savior," Grandma told him. "Do you?"

 

Eric nodded again. "Yes, I do, Grandma," he said with a grin. "We both have new hearts."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have a new heart? You can have one -- not a new physical heart, but a spiritual one.In other words, God will change your inner being -- your inner self -- when you accept Jesus as your Savior. Don't put it off. Trust in Jesus right now.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ezekiel 18:31)
Make you a new heart and a new spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

Ben and three other boys crawled on their hands and knees toward Mrs.
Baxter's house. "C'mon, Ben. Quit dragging behind us. If you're a 'Scorpion,'
move like one!" Ronnie, leader of the Scorpions, spoke as they moved along in
the dark shadow of Mrs. Baxter's fence. A few minutes later, he spoke again.
"Okay, Ben. Prove you're not chicken! Go ring the doorbell -- and don't mess up!"
he warned, squeezing the back of Ben's neck.


 

Ben clenched his fists tight. Then he walked to the door and pushed the doorbell. It made a loud buzzing sound. He heard the tapping of a cane, and then the door opened. When the white-haired woman at the door saw Ben, she smiled and urged him to step inside. No, I can't, thought Ben. That's not the plan. But instead of following Ronnie's scheme, Ben did exactly what the elderly lady asked him to do.

 

As soon as the door was closed, Ben told Mrs. Baxter how he was supposed to lie and trick her into going out into the back yard so the other boys could rush into her home to steal things. "They're waiting outside by your fence. I'm really scared," blubbered Ben. "They'll say I'm a chicken instead of a Scorpion, and they'll get me for that." He covered his face with his hands.

 

"Don't worry, young man," said Mrs. Baxter. "You proved you are not chicken -- you dared to go against what they said. You did exactly the right thing!" Then she called the police.

 

When Ben's mom learned about the robbery gang and what had happened, she was amazed. "Ronnie always seemed so nice and polite. I had no idea he was that kind of a boy," she said.

 

"Well . . . I knew he got in trouble a lot," said Ben, "but I didn't know he was that bad! I didn't know what to do tonight, so I prayed for help. Now I know I don't want to be in his gang, either."

 

Mom nodded. "Good," she said. "God tells us to stay away from bad companions. He heard your prayer asking for help to do the right thing, and He answered."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do some of your friends influence you to do things that you know are wrong? Ask God to help you break away from those kinds of friendships. Look for friends who share your faith in God and who want to please Him in the things they do.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Cor. 15:33)
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Are we ever gonna get to Grandma and Grandpa's?" asked Kevin. "It seems
like we've been driving on these winding mountain roads forever!"
 

"Yeah," agreed Cindy. "I can't wait to see their new house and swim in the lake. We've been cooped up in this car so much in the past few months!" Dad and Mom had been speaking in many different places, raising support to go out to the mission field.

"That's true," said Dad, "but we're getting close to having full support now. We should be able to leave for the mission field by next summer, Lord willing."

Kevin frowned. "Sometimes it seems like we'll never get there, either," he mumbled. "First, our field was closed to missionaries. Then, just after we decided the Lord wanted us to go to Brazil instead, Mom got sick -- and after that, our car kept breaking down." He sighed. "If God is leading us, why does everything seem to go wrong?"

Dad began to speak, but Cindy interrupted him. "Look!" she exclaimed. "That sign says we're coming to Cedar Drive. That's Grandma and Grandpa's road, isn't it?"

"It sure is," said Dad as he turned onto the narrow crossroad, "and I see a lake." Water sparkled up ahead.

"I bet that's the lake Grandpa and Grandma live on!" exclaimed Kevin. The road made a sharp turn and then another. When they saw the lake again, it was behind them. "That lake must not be the right one after all," Kevin decided.

The road kept twisting and turning, and when they pulled into Grandma and Grandpa's driveway they saw the lake in front of them again.

Soon they were all relaxing by the water. "This is
great," said Dad, "but the winding road we took to get here reminds me of
something I started to say earlier. As we obey God's leading, it may seem that
the way is full of 'twists and turns' -- that it's not leading us to our goal at
all. At such times, we need to keep following God, knowing He'll bring us to the
place He wants us to be."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you get discouraged if obstacles or delays come up? Maybe you couldn't help with a service project because you were sick, you enjoyed singing in the junior choir and then you moved away, or you hoped to start a Bible club but no one was interested. Don't be discouraged and give up! Keep trusting God to lead you!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Job 23:10)
(God) knoweth the way that I take.

[Soldier4Christ]

When Micah stopped at his grandfather's house after school, he was
surprised to find Grandpa on his knees in the garden. "What are you doing?"
asked Micah.
 

"Planting vegetables," said Grandpa with a smile.

"Didn't you plant those same rows weeks ago, Grandpa?" asked Micah.

"Yes," said Grandpa, "but the hard rains we had washed most of the seeds away."

"Oh," said Micah. "Well, what if it happens again? Why don't you just buy your vegetables at the supermarket? It would save a lot of work."

"I know," agreed Grandpa, "but nothing tastes better than vegetables fresh from the garden. They're worth all the work."

Micah picked up empty seed packets and flipped through them. "You planted onion seeds before, but you don't have any now, do you?" asked Micah. "You have squash instead. How come?"

Grandpa glanced at the packets. "Onions usually do best when they're planted in early spring. Now it's time to plant things that grow better later in the season, so I decided to try squash," he said. He stood up. "Tell me about your day," he said. "You wanted to take one of your school friends along on your Sunday school camping trip next week. Who's going?"

"Nobody, I guess," said Micah. "I asked Scott again, but he never comes to anything. And Josh says he'd rather go to a major league ball game with his dad."

"Well, giving an invitation is kind of like planting seeds," Grandpa told him. "Sometimes you get results and sometimes you don't. But keep on trying!" He motioned toward the garden. "If one vegetable won't grow in my garden, I try some others," he said, "and if one friend doesn't accept an invitation to church or camp, try some other friends. Isn't there a new boy on your block?"

"Yeah," answered Micah. "His name is Brett."

"He may need some new friends," said Grandpa.

Micah grinned. "Okay, Grandpa," he said. "I'll stop to
see Brett on my way home."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you give up if someone you invite to Sunday school or to a Bible club doesn't come? Or if you tell a friend about Jesus and he or she isn't interested?  Keep on inviting kids and witnessing to them, and trust God for the results.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Galatians 6:9)
In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Oh-h-h-h!" squealed Paige when she opened the birthday present from her
sister. "A diary. Super! Thanks loads, Cathy." Her sister smiled and nodded.
 

"Read your book to me," begged Kenny.

Paige laughed. "I can't. See . . . the pages are all empty." She flipped through them so he could see. "This is a book for me to write down everything that happens in my life," she explained.

"Write down that I cut my finger," Kenny said importantly. "And that I got a new truck."

Paige grinned. "This is supposed to be the story of my life, little brother, not yours," she told him. "I'll write about all my activities, and then when I'm old and gray, I'll read my diary and remember all the stuff I did."

"Well, what if you don't like what you did?" asked Kenny.

"Then I'll . . . I'll rip those pages out," said Paige.

Kenny thought about that. "I want a book, too," he decided.

Dad smiled at the conversation. "You know," he said, "in a way, our lives are like books. Each day is like an empty page for us to fill."

"That's true," agreed Mom, "and we look back over the pages, too. Some are filled with happy memories that make us laugh again. Of course, there are always a few sad pages in every life -- but even those can bring good memories as we recall how God helped us through a difficult time."

Dad nodded. "God has given us the responsibility and
privilege of deciding what will be printed on our 'life-pages' -- and we can't tear
any out," he said. "We need His help to choose wisely what will be written
there."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
What are you "writing" on the pages of your life? When you look back, will you see that you've been kind, obedient, and loving? Or will you be ashamed of the things recorded there? Ask God to help you live in such a way that there won't be pages you'll want to tear out or skip over when you look back.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Titus 3:
Be careful to maintain good works.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Derek, look! It snowed last night!" exclaimed Tara as she looked out the
window. "Oh, it's just so gorgeous! It's so clean and white. I just love it,
don't you?"
 

"Oh, yes! It's so-o-o be-e-e-yew-tiful!" Tara's brother, Derek, clasped his hands in mock delight. "I just adore the snow," he continued. "There's nothing I like more than to have the dirt covered up -- clean person that I am. I think it's simply divine, and I . . ." His teasing was cut short by the napkin his sister tried to stuff into his mouth.

"All right, you two," said Mom with a smile. "Get ready for school. I don't want you to miss your bus."

By dinnertime, the snow had begun to melt. "I hope it snows again tonight," said Tara as they finished eating. "It was so pretty this morning, but now everything is starting to look dirty again. I think we should have just a little snow every day to cover up the old stuff and keep things looking clean."

"That would be nice," agreed Mom. 

"Oh, indeed!" swooned Derek. "The sno . . . auwk!" Tara clapped her hand over his mouth.

"Enough!" said Dad, but he smiled. He stood looking out the window for a few minutes. "Today," said Dad, "I was talking to a man who thinks he'll get to heaven by doing good works. He thinks his good deeds cover up his bad deeds -- something like the way new snow covers up dirty snow."

"But the dirty snow is still there, and it shows again when the snow starts to melt," said Derek.

Dad nodded. "That's right," he said. "Even Mr. Carlson
admitted that every time he thinks he's making progress, he does something wrong
and has to start over again. I told him that instead of just hiding his sin for
a while -- or trying to -- he needs to trust in Jesus and have it taken care of
permanently."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you do good things to try to make up for -- or cover over -- the bad things in your life? Covering them by your own efforts doesn't work. Invite Jesus into your life and let Him take your sin away.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 1:29)
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

[Soldier4Christ]

The wind whipped snow all around the small car, and the Carter family
shivered in their seats. They had slid off the road and into a snowbank. Dad
stepped on the gas pedal and tried to move the car forward and then back.
Nothing happened. The wind was strong, the snow was deep, and the car was stuck!

 

Mom got behind the wheel, and Dad, Isaac, and Nolan tried to push the car free, but it was stuck tight. "Last winter I bought a shovel to keep in the car in case something like this happened," Dad muttered as they got back into the car, "but then we had such a mild winter that I never needed the shovel. I stored it away in the basement, and it's still there." He sighed. "Now we'll just have to sit here and wait for help." He flicked on the car's emergency flashing lights.

It seemed like a long time before someone stopped to help, but eventually the car was back onto the roadway. "When we get home, I'm putting that shovel in the trunk first thing," declared Dad when they were finally on their way.

During family devotions that night, Dad had a question. "How many of you read a few Bible verses on your own today?" he asked. Only Mom had done that. "We all need God's Word in our hearts and in our memories," said Dad. "I've found it important to read my Bible daily, and you should read a little each day, too. I'm sorry I haven't been encouraging you to do that."

"That's okay," said Nolan. "I don't have time to do much reading anyway."

"Me, neither," agreed Isaac.

"It wouldn't take you any longer to read a few verses
than it would have taken me to get the snow shovel from the cellar and put it in
the trunk of the car," Dad told them. "Ever since we got home today, I've been
thinking about being prepared. As long as the winter was mild, I didn't bother
to pack a shovel, and when things in our lives are going smoothly, we often
don't read God's Word. But sooner or later we're going to be challenged -- with a
snowstorm, or with a temptation or problem. In either case, we need to be
prepared."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you preparing for whatever may come your way in life? Don't wait until you have problems before you read God's Word. Read it now -- and learn verses, too -- so you'll be ready for both good and hard times.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:92)
Unless Thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.