Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Mom, l can't get the toaster to work, called Jason. "Mom!" he called
again. Receiving no answer, he went to the laundry room where his mother was
working. "I want to make some toast, but I can't get the toaster to work," said
Jason. "It doesn't heat up at all."
 

"Is it plugged in?" asked Mom.

"Plugged in?" repeated Jason. "I guess so-it always is, but I'll go check." Jason went back to the kitchen. Oops! he thought. No wonder it didn't work. He plugged in the toaster, put two pieces of raisin bread into it, and soon was enjoying perfectly browned, buttered toast.

In Sunday school class the next morning, Jason's teacher held up his Bible. "I'm sure you all learned long ago that you should read your Bible every day, right?" asked Mr. Scott. Heads nodded. "Good," he said. "I hope you do that, but are you aware that just reading the Bible isn't enough? What you read there needs to be plugged into your life."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Samantha.

Jason raised his hand. " I have an example of something that needed to be plugged in," he said. "I was trying to make toast yesterday, but the toaster wouldn't work. When I checked, I found out that it wasn't plugged in."

"I know about plugging in toasters," said Samantha, "but I still don't get how we plug the Bible into our lives." She grinned. "The Bible doesn't have a cord."

Mr. Scott smiled. "'Plugging it in' means doing what it says," he replied. "God's Word was meant to change us. For instance, if you read 'Obey your parents,' but then you try to get out of doing your chores, you're not letting the Bible change you. You haven't plugged it into your life."

"But if we read 'Forgive one another,' and then we do forgive somebody who treated us badly, we've plugged in what we read," suggested Jason.

 "You've got it!" agreed Mr. Scott. "This week, let's not
just read the Bible. Let's 'plug it in' by allowing it to change our lives as we
obey it."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you read your Bible each day? Is it plugged into your life-does it change your behavior? It should. Let it bring you comfort and blessing, and be sure to put into practice what you read.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 7:24)
Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man.

[Soldier4Christ]

Noah quietly held his fishing pole as the morning sun turned the sky
purple, then pink. From the other end of the boat, his granddad cast his line
into the water. The bait landed with a small plop. All was silent except for the
chorus of crickets.
 

Suddenly, a loud squawk split the misty air. Noah jumped. The sound came again. "What was that?" asked Noah.

Granddad pointed to a tall dead cypress across the bayou. A lone owl sat perched on a top branch, his silhouette dark against the sky. A large crow circled him, squawking each time he passed by. "What's that crow's problem?" asked Noah.

"There's no telling," said Granddad. "The owl might be sitting too near the crow's nest. Or that crow could just be pestering the owl-they do that kind of thing sometimes."

Noah watched as the black bird swooped again and again, its harsh cries filling the swamp. Only the owl's head moved. "I wish that crow would go away," said Noah. "Can it hurt the owl?"

Granddad shook his head. "Not likely," he said. "The good Lord gave owls what they need to protect themselves-strong wings and sharp talons. If the crow gets too close, he'll come out on the short end, and he knows it. See how he stays at a safe distance?"

"Yeah, but if I were the owl, I couldn't just sit there with that noisy thing swooping around," said Noah. "I'd fight or fly away or . . . or something."

Granddad chuckled. "Maybe that old owl knows the crow
will get tired after a while and go bother someone else," he said. "We could
learn a lesson from him. When things that trouble us occur, we tend to get all
excited. We seem to think we need to do something about them. Instead of getting
all upset about what happens, we need to trust the Lord. We need to ask Him to
help us know when we should do something and when we should simply and patiently
wait for Him to work."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you troubled by what is going on in your life-or in the world? Things aren't always pleasant, but be assured that God knows all about it. Let others see that you're patiently trusting Jesus to take care of you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 37:7)
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mary and two of her friends were walking to school when Nolan, another
classmate, ran up to join them. "Go away! Walk with the boys, Nolan," said
Grace.
 

"Oh, don't be so mean," objected Mary. "He can walk with us." But the other girls ran on ahead, leaving Mary and Nolan to walk alone.

"Wanna hear a joke?" asked Nolan, and he proceeded to tell one.

Mary was shocked. "Nolan!" she exclaimed. "That's terrible! That's just dirty! I'm not going to walk with you, either."

Mary ran to catch up with her friends. "Oh," she fumed, "listen to what Nolan told me!" Then she told the dirty joke to them.

"That's awful!" exclaimed Grace. 

Sydney nodded. "The kids at school should be warned not to play with Nolan anymore," she said.

"Yeah! They should!" agreed Mary. "Since I'm the one he told the joke to, I'll warn them about it." So Mary repeated the story many times that week.

"I saw your teacher today, Mary," said Mom one evening. Mary frowned. Just that afternoon, her teacher had kept her in at recess to talk to her about the story she had been spreading. "Miss Cramer is concerned about you, and I am, too," continued Mom. "She said some of the other kids told her that you've been telling a dirty joke."

"But, Mom, you don't understand," protested Mary. "I was just telling the kids how Nolan talks-I was warning them so they wouldn't play with him. I tried to tell Miss Cramer that, but she doesn't understand, either!"

Mom shook her head. "I'm afraid you're the one who
doesn't understand," she said. "First of all, you spread the story far more than
Nolan did. Secondly, you were gossiping about Nolan. Are you proud of that?"
Mary slowly shook her head. "You need to confess to God what you've been doing,
Mary," said Mom, "and I think you should apologize to the kids you told the
story to and also to your teacher."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you make excuses for spreading gossip or saying words you know you should not use? Is what you say acceptable and pleasing to God? Say only what is good, kind, and helpful.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 19:14)
May the words of my mouth . . . be pleasing in your sight, O Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

I can't believe it! Breanna exclaimed as she kept an eye on the news
channel while setting the table for dinner. "Jennifer Taylor has everything
going for her. She's gorgeous, she's talented, she's rich, she's famous, and . .
."
 

"And she has spoiled her life by using drugs-and now she's been arrested," said Breanna's mother, shaking her head. "How sad!"

"If only I looked like that!" said Breanna as she watched Jennifer Taylor being led away in handcuffs.

"Don't forget that looks can be deceiving," said Mom. She opened the refrigerator. "Oh, Breanna, please go down to the basement and get a jar of Grandma's pickled beets. We'll have some with our dinner."

"Okay," said Breanna, heading for the stairs. She soon returned with a jar of deep purple-red beets. "Just look at the color of these beets-especially the juice!" she exclaimed as she held up the jar at a sunny window. "I wish I had a sweater this color."

Mom laughed. "They do look beautiful," she agreed.

Breanna handed the jar to her mother. "Oh, no," said Mom as she opened it. "This lid isn't sealed. We'd better not eat these beets. They may be spoiled!"

"But they look just fine," said Breanna.

"They may be okay, but when the lid isn't sealed, bacteria can get in. I'm not going to take a chance," answered Mom. She poured the contents down the garbage disposal. "If they are spoiled, they could cause serious food poisoning."

"Wow!" said Breanna. "Then I'm glad you noticed that the seal was broken."

"You know, honey, those beets remind me of Jennifer Taylor," said Mom. "She's beautiful and talented. To many people, her life looked perfect-but Satan was spreading his poison in her life."

Breanna sighed. "I guess you're right, Mom," she said.

"Appearances can deceive us," said Mom. "Things can look
good to us when they're really not good at all-and people can, too. On the other
hand, someone who is not attractive may be a fine person. We need to try to see
what people are really like and not judge by appearance."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you careful not to judge kids by what they wear or how many toys they have? By whether they're smart or good-looking? Get to know them-see if they're honest, if they're kind, and if they obey their parents. Find out if they love God. He doesn't judge by appearance, and He doesn't want you to do that, either.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 7:24)
Stop judging by mere appearances.

[Soldier4Christ]

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man,
read Dad during family devotions one evening. He closed the Bible.
 

"Jesus was well-balanced," observed Mom.

Patrick laughed. "I think you have balance on the brain," he teased. Due to an inner ear problem, Mom had been very dizzy and unable to keep her balance the day before.

Mom grinned. "I sure found out how important balance is," she agreed.

"And you think Jesus could walk without almost falling over?" asked Elena, but she knew that wasn't really what Mom meant.

Dad smiled. "Jesus was well-balanced in the way He was growing and developing," he said. "He 'increased in wisdom'-that's growing mentally."

"Brain power," said Patrick with a grin. "And growing in 'stature' means He grew physically, right?"

Dad nodded. "He was 'in favor with God,' and that tells of His good relationship with God. His growth 'in favor with man' shows that He developed socially and got along well with others."

"Right. He lived a well-balanced life. He's our perfect example," said Mom. "Too much of one thing and not enough of another will throw you off-balance and cause you to fail. For example, people may be very smart, but it will not make them happy if they can't get along with other people."

"Yeah-like you, Elena," said Patrick. Elena did very well in school, but she recently seemed to have problems with the other kids in her class.

"Look who's talking!" grumbled Elena. "All you ever do is work at your body-building stuff. You have strong muscles, but a weak brain."

"That will do," said Dad sternly. "Instead of criticizing
one another, each of you should be thinking about how you can develop balance in
your own life. And don't forget the spiritual side. Take time for God's Word and
prayer. When you do that regularly, you may be surprised at how nicely the other
areas develop."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you well-balanced? Do you eat well, get enough rest and exercise, enjoy and help people, and learn about and serve God? Check to see what you need to do to achieve a good balance to grow physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Luke 2:52)
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

[Soldier4Christ]

Are you ready for the test on evolution tomorrow? asked Josh as he and his
friend Dan walked home.
 

Dan sighed. "I guess so," he replied. "I can explain evolution the way Mr. Jackson did, but I don't believe it. I believe God created everything."

"Mr. Jackson says he believes the Bible, too, but he just doesn't think God really created everything," said Josh. He shrugged. "What's the big deal? What does it matter anyway?" As another boy rode by on a bike and waved, Josh scowled. "There goes Ben Norris. That's one guy I'll never believe again!" he exclaimed. "You know what Ben did? He promised me that when he got a new bike, I could buy his old one. After he finally got a new one, he told me he had sold the old one to Jeff for twice as much as he had said I could have it for."

"Well, you can't blame Ben for wanting the extra money," said Dan.

 "Maybe not, but I talked to Jeff last week, and he said he paid the same amount I was going to pay. Ben's been bragging to everybody about his new bike-says his father paid big bucks for it. I saw his cousin yesterday, and he says his dad gave Ben the bike for doing some work-and it's not new, either!" Josh frowned. "I don't think I'll ever believe anything Ben says. If he lies like that about one thing, he'll lie about other things, too."

"Wouldn't that be true about God and the Bible, too?" asked Dan.

"God?" asked Josh. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the Bible is God's Word, and the very first verse says, 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,'" replied Dan. "The whole chapter is about God making everything. There are lots of other verses in the Bible, too, that say God created everything. If they're lies, how can we believe anything in the Bible?"

Josh looked thoughtful. "So . . . if we're going to believe in the Bible and God at all, we've got to believe He created everything?" he asked.

"That's the way I see it," agreed Dan. "I think I'll put
that somewhere on my test paper tomorrow, too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you believe the Bible? All of it? Can you say, I know God created everything? To believe otherwise is to say that God does not always tell the truth-and that's wrong. God always tells the truth, for He is truth. All of His Word-the Bible-is true.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Timothy 3:16)
All Scripture is God-breathed.

[Soldier4Christ]

Oh, no! exclaimed Joe as he looked at his report card. He hated math. He
always hurried through his assignments as quickly as he could-sometimes he
didn't even do them-but he hadn't expected his grade to be quite as bad as it
was!
 

Joe 's parents were equally unhappy with his report card. "Mom and I discussed this with your teacher," Dad told him the next day, "and we don't believe you've been doing your best. We believe you're capable of getting a passing grade. What do you think?

Joe sighed and nodded. "I'll do better," he promised.

"As you know, we've been thinking of buying a horse," said Dad. "Mom and I have decided that if you work hard and get a passing grade, we'll get the horse this summer. If you don't study, it will be you who pays the consequences-no horse."

"All right! No problem!" exclaimed Joe . "Get ready to buy that horse, Dad. I just have to be sure to get my assignments done, and getting that horse will be a piece of cake. Let's see . . . what should I name him?"

For a while, Joe did well. Assignments were in on time, and the grades on his papers were good. Then, as the days began to get warmer, he studied less and played more. When exam time came, he knew he was failing in math. The night before exams, Joe got out his math book and spent several hours studying. "How do you work this problem?" he asked from time to time. He listened carefully as Mom or Dad explained.

After taking his math exam, Joe wasn't very confident that he had passed. But maybe I did, he thought. I should have studied more, but maybe I made it. 

When Joe got his paper back, he sighed. He had learned a lot in that last night of frantic study, but he had started too late, and he had just missed a passing grade. 

"Sorry," said Dad when he saw Joe's grade, "but you know this failing grade means no horse this summer."

"But, Dad, I almost passed," pleaded Joe .

Dad shook his head. "Almost isn't enough," he said. "We
agreed that you would get a horse if you passed math-not if you almost passed
it. We won't be getting a horse this summer."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you almost persuaded to be a Christian? Almost is not enough. Jesus said those who believe in Him-not those who almost believe-have everlasting life. Be fully persuaded. Decide right now to believe in Jesus and trust Him to save you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 6:47)
(Jesus said) He who believes has everlasting life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mom! I'm home, called Jan, "and guess what? I was voted to represent my
classroom in the 'Princess Contest' we're having at school."
 

"Super!" exclaimed Mom. "Good for you, honey." 

"I'm going to win-I know I am!" exclaimed Jan. "The whole school will be voting on three of us, and one of the girls isn't very pretty at all. The other one is shy, and hardly anyone knows her." Mom frowned slightly, but didn't comment.

During the next days, Jan spent a lot of time in front of the mirror. She fussed with her hair and smiled at herself and asked others if they noticed how pretty she looked. "Beauty is as beauty does," cautioned Dad.

One afternoon, Dad took Jan and her brother, Pete, to the animal shelter to choose a dog. "Oh, look at this puppy!" exclaimed Jan, pointing to a snowy-white dog. "Isn't he beautiful?" But when they tried to make friends with the puppy, he growled angrily. They learned from the attendant that he seemed to have a nasty temper. "But he's so beautiful," said Jan again.

"Beauty is as beauty does," Dad reminded her, and they decided on a less pretty but much more friendly little dog.

A few days later, Jan came home in tears. "I . . . I didn't w-w-win the princess contest!" she wailed. "I    c-can't understand it. Betsy, with her s-stringy hair and sloppy clothes, w-won!"

"Jan," said Dad gently, "remember the beautiful white puppy at the animal shelter? Why didn't we bring him home instead of our shaggy little Buffy?"

Jan wiped her eyes as she looked at Dad in surprise. "Because he was so mean and Buffy was so friendly and . . ."

"And you've been acting like the white dog," interrupted Pete, "and Betsy acts more like Buffy."

Jan gasped, but Dad nodded. "I'm afraid that's true," he
said. "Always remember that true beauty comes from within. I think you need to
spend less time in front of the mirror, worrying about your appearance, and more
time thinking about others and trying to please them-and especially trying to
please the Lord."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you too concerned about appearance? The Bible says outward beauty (good looks) is "vain." You need to develop kind and thoughtful ways to become a truly beautiful person. That principle applies to boys, as well as to girls. All need to develop inner beauty.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 31:30)
Beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

[Soldier4Christ]

Would you like to earn a few dollars? asked Keanan and Emily's Uncle Roy.
"I'll pay you for each bushel of apples you pick. Just get apples from the
trees. Don't pick up 'drops'-apples that have fallen to the ground."
 

Keanan and Emily eagerly went to work. To pick apples from high branches, they used a ladder or a long pole picker. At first that was fun, but they couldn't pick very fast that way. "This takes too long," complained Keanan. "A lot of the apples on the ground look just as good as these. Why don't we pick up some of them-just the good ones?" Emily agreed, and at first they were choosy about what they picked up. But the longer they worked, the less fussy they were.

Uncle Roy came back at lunch time. "My! You two surely are fast workers!" he exclaimed. But when he began to load the apples onto his truck, he immediately noticed what they had done. "I'm sorry, kids. I can't pay you for picking up the drops," he told them. 

"But they're almost spotless!" protested Keanan.

Uncle Roy nodded. "Yes, but when they fell to the ground, they got bruised. Unless they're used right away, the bruised spots will begin to rot," he explained. "Then they'll cause the good apples to start rotting, too. It wouldn't be fair to sell them to my customers."

"And we thought we were making so much money," said Emily with a sigh. "All that work for nothing!"

In church the next day, Keanan and Emily were surprised
to hear an illustration the pastor gave. "Last year my wife and I went out to an
apple orchard and picked up some good 'drops,'" said Pastor Grey. "We got lots
of them, and we enjoyed apple pie and applesauce-but we didn't enjoy the rotten
apples we had on our hands after a while. Those drops didn't keep well-they
didn't last. Many things in life are like that. People-even Christians-work so
hard to gain many earthly things. They enjoy them for a while, but earthly
things don't 'keep.' They last only a short time. God wants us to work for
heavenly rewards-things that last for eternity. As someone has said, 'Only one
life-'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will
last.'"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you working for what the world says is good-nice clothes, money, popularity, a good career some day? Those things are nice, but they last only a short time. To earn lasting treasure, make sure you do the things that please God. His rewards are eternal.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Colossians 3:2)
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

[Soldier4Christ]

All right!exclaimed Garret as they pulled into Grandma's driveway. "We're
finally here!" Grandma Peck lived so far away that they had been traveling for
two days to get there.
 

"Yeah," said Sarah. "I'm glad we're here."

Dad grinned. "Me, too," he said. "I want to relax right now with a nice, tall glass of iced tea."

Garret laughed. "Well, I bet Grandma has a pitcher of it all ready so that you can have some right away." He pointed. "Look! There she is at the door to welcome us," he added, "and she's got a glass of something in her hand. It's probably your iced tea."

Garret was right. "I knew you'd want this right away," said Grandma. She had also been thinking of the others. She had baked Garret's favorite pie, made fudge for Sarah, and fixed a "nibble tray" with snacks that she knew Mom especially liked. In addition, the house had been scrubbed, clean sheets were on the beds, and a special meal was in the oven. There were new books for the kids to read, and new games for them to play.

"It must have taken you a long time to get ready for us to come," said Sarah when she realized all that Grandma had done. 

"Oh, well, I loved preparing for you because I love you," said Grandma, giving Sarah a hug. 

"Sounds like my Sunday school lesson all over," said Garret with a grin. "It was about how Jesus loves us and is preparing a place for those who love Him."

"I'm so thankful to know that each one here loves Jesus and that we'll all enjoy heaven together," said Grandma. "What a wonderful place that will be!"

Dad nodded. "You've given us a great welcome here," he
said, "but you're right. We can't even imagine how very special God's welcome
will be!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you helped prepare for company-getting everything just right for those who are coming to visit? If you're a Christian, the Lord Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for you. It's hard to imagine what a very special, wonderful place that will be-and it won't be just for a visit. It will be for all eternity!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 14:2)
(Jesus said) I am going there to prepare a place for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Natalie ran down the library steps. "Hey, Kellie!" she called. "Wait for
me."
 

Kellie stopped and turned. She was carrying two big sacks of groceries. Her shoulders were slumped, and she looked very tired.

"Where have you been all summer?" Natalie asked. "I didn't even see you at the fair."

Kellie shook her head. "Mom's been sick and missed a lot of work," she replied. "Since Dad's not around, it's up to me to take care of the little kids and everything."

Natalie frowned. "I bet you've been doing the cooking and cleaning, too, right?" she asked. Kellie nodded. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" asked Natalie. She reached out for a grocery bag. "Come on. I'll carry one of those," she said. As they walked toward Kellie's house, Natalie asked, "Do you know who Moses was?"

Kellie shrugged. "A guy in the Bible who got the Ten Commandments," she said. "I heard of the movie."

Natalie nodded. "Moses was the leader of a very large and demanding bunch of people," she said. "They were stuck in the middle of the desert for forty years, and they whined a lot."

"Did you learn about him in church?" asked Kellie.

"Yes," said Natalie. "Anyway . . . Moses was trying to carry the whole load by himself. Then one day, his father-in-law came to him and said, 'Moses, you're going to kill yourself if you keep this up. How about getting some helpers?' So he did, and everything worked out fine." Natalie stole a glance at her friend. "Moses needed help, and so do you," declared Natalie. 

Kellie smiled slightly. "And I got help-thanks for carrying that, Natalie," she said as she took the bag from her friend. She sighed as she turned to go up the driveway to her house.

"Wait! I . . . uh, I see you bought spaghetti," said Natalie. "My mom's been teaching me to cook. Mind if I practice on you?"

Tears came to Kellie's eyes. "Thanks," she
whispered.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know someone in need of encouragement? Will you pray with-and for-that person? Try to think of practical ways to help, too. When God shows you someone who needs help or an encouraging word, be available.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 15:2)
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

[Soldier4Christ]

Are you coming to see our special program at school tonight? asked Tom
excitedly.
 

"Of course we are!" answered Mom. "We wouldn't miss it!"

That evening, Mom and Dad watched proudly as the play began. Prince Gregory, played by Tom, was unhappy with his life. "Why must I study all day?" he grumbled. "Why must I learn all the court etiquette stuff and all the responsibilities of a king and the history of my father's kingdom? Who cares what my great-great-grandfather did anyway?" He pushed his books away. "The village kids play and have fun. Why can't I ever have fun? Every day I'm told that a prince must always remember to be careful what he says-and that everyone watches what he does. It's tiresome!"

"Prince Gregory!" exclaimed his tutor. "You should feel honored to be the king's son and to have all the privileges you have!"

The prince frowned. "Well, does that mean I can't be human?" he asked. "Does it mean I must never lose my temper in public? I must never break a law? I must always look neat and clean and always say just the right thing?"

"Of course." The tutor nodded. "You must never do anything that would bring shame to your father. You must be an example to the village people."

"Will I ever stop hearing all those do's and don'ts?" grumbled the prince. "I'm sure the village children don't hear them all day long."

"You are not a village child," came the answer. "You are the son of King Gregory Victor. You must study and learn the ways of a king, for the village people are watching you. They expect you to display kingly qualities. If they look at you and see that you have no respect for your father, for his reputation and his laws, they will also lose their respect for your father and won't obey his commands. As a prince, you must bring honor to your father's name."

Tom's parents and the others in the audience clapped
loudly as the first scene ended.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you the child of a king? If you're a Christian, you're a child of God-the King of Kings! Are you studying the ways of your Father-God-and learning how to live for Him? Does your life bring shame or honor to the King? Follow the instructions in God's Word and live in a way that will bring honor to His name.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Malachi 1:6)
A son honors his father.

[Soldier4Christ]

A king's son should have the right to do as he pleases! muttered Prince
Gregory in the second scene of Tom's play. "I'm sick of studying!" He looked
around the empty room. "For once, there's no one around to stop me, so I'm going
to the village." The prince ran off the stage.
 

In the next scene, Prince Gregory wore dirty, torn clothes. "What's your name?" some children asked him.

"I'm Prince Gregory," was the reply.

"Right!" said one of the boys mockingly. "And I'm Peter Rabbit, and this is Goldilocks!"

"I've left the palace-my clothes got messed up when I sneaked out," explained the prince. "I'm tired of rules, and I'm out for some fun." The children laughed merrily, shook their heads, and ran off. 

Prince Gregory walked around, looking for some other children to play with. He asked a woman where all the children were. "Working in the fields," she replied. "They go to school, and then they work until supper." She asked who he was, and then she immediately invited him to stay with them. "There isn't much food, but please join us," she said. "We'd be glad to give you a place to sleep, too."

Scene three of the play showed Prince Gregory eating with the other children. "Bedtime," announced a woman as soon as they finished eating. "Young man, you'll share a bed with those two boys." She motioned with her hand.

"I'm still hungry," muttered Prince Gregory, but there was no more food. He climbed into bed, but tossed and turned restlessly before finally falling asleep.

In the last scene, the prince was awakened by a call. "Time for chores!"

"What?" the prince muttered. "It's still dark!"

"It's almost daybreak. We have to do chores before school," said the oldest boy. "Come along."

"No, I'm going home," answered Prince Gregory.

"You were right," the prince told his tutor when he arrived back at the palace. "Being the king's son is a great privilege even though it has responsibilities. I really am blessed, and I won't complain any more." 

The curtain fell, ending the play.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you complain about having responsibilities as a child of the King of Kings? Think about how blessed you are to be the child of the Creator and Ruler of all the universe. Be thankful! It will make doing the things you should do more joyful.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Thess. 2:12)
Live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

There! exclaimed Isaac as he finished pounding a nail. "This is the best
tree house I've ever seen! I can hardly wait to sleep here-we'll be rocked to
sleep by the swaying of the branches. It's like being in a swaying castle!"
Bryce nodded in agreement. "Let's ask if we can sleep out here tonight," Isaac
suggested.
 

"I know my dad won't let me," said Bryce. "He'll want to check it out first, and I know he won't have time to do that today. He says he needs to be sure it's safe before we use it."

"My dad said the same thing," Isaac admitted. "Hey! I know! Let's each ask our folks for permission to spend the night together. They'll think we're at each other's houses, but we'll really be sleeping in the tree house."

"Well . . . I don't know." Bryce sounded doubtful, but he finally agreed to try it.

Their plan worked, but in the middle of the night, they were wakened by a loud crack of thunder and the sound of rain! "Hey! I'm getting wet!" yelled Isaac. "The roof is leaking. Come on! Let's get over to my house."

The storm had awakened Isaac's parents, too, and they were very surprised when the boys stumbled into the kitchen. "What happened? Is something wrong at your home, Bryce?" asked Isaac's father.

Isaac spoke quickly. "No," he said, "but we . . . ah . . . we were sleeping in the tree house, Dad."

"The tree house?" asked Mom. "You asked if you could stay at Bryce's house overnight."

"Not really," replied Isaac. "I just asked if I could spend the night with Bryce."

"I see," said Dad. "You used the correct words . . . but
what about your intentions? You deceived us, didn't you?" With downcast eyes,
the boys nodded. "Even though your words were correct, you were not being
honest. You lied with your actions," continued Dad. "You knew I wanted to
inspect the tree house before you slept in it-I had told you that. I'm thankful
God protected you tonight, but I'm afraid the tree house will be off-limits
until you show us that we can trust you."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you trustworthy? Can you be counted on to be honest in actions as well as in words? God hates lying and dishonesty. He is not pleased with lip-service only. He wants you to be truthful with Him and with others, too.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 12:22)
He delights in men who are truthful.

[Soldier4Christ]

Just as Mom and Beth sat down to eat lunch one day, the door opened and
Dad walked in. His clothes and face were dirty, and his hand was bandaged. "What
happened?" cried Mom.
 

"The apartment house near my factory burned, and I ran to help," explained Dad.

"You're injured!" exclaimed Mom, looking at his hand.

"Nothing serious-I'll be fine," Dad assured her, "but I'm home for the day. I'll go change, and then I'll tell you all about it while we eat."

Beth and Mom listened eagerly as Dad talked about the fire. "Smoke and flames were billowing from the house," he said, "and I saw a little girl-about your age, Beth-at an open second-story window. I just held out my arms and called, 'Jump, honey! Jump! I'll catch you. I promise I will.' She was crying, but she hesitated only a moment before she jumped. Her clothes were on fire, but I caught her and beat out the flames."

Beth was wide-eyed as she listened. "You're a hero, Daddy!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad you caught her. You saved her life!" After a moment, Beth added, "She needed to be saved, and you . . . you just stood there and told her to come to you, didn't you?"

"Yes, honey, I did," answered Dad. "I'm glad she trusted me and jumped like I told her to."

"Me, too," said Beth, "but . . . well, it's kind of like the way we have to trust Jesus, isn't it? In Sunday school, my teacher said Jesus wants us to come to Him. We need to be saved, and He loves us and wants to save us. I thought maybe I should wait until I was older-like you and Mom. But if that little girl was old enough to trust you and just go to you when you called her, Daddy, I guess I'm old enough to go to Jesus and trust Him."

"Why, Beth!" exclaimed Dad. "Of course you can trust
Him. This is an answer to our prayers."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know that you need to be saved from your sins? Jesus loves children-He loves you. He died for you. You, too, can go to Him and give Him your life and your love. Trust Him to save you. (See page 66.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Mark 10:14)
Let the little children come to me . . . for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.