Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

One Saturday, everyone in the Baker family was enlisted to help clean the
attic. "Look, Max!" exclaimed Penny as she pulled a small book out of an old
trunk that had belonged to their great-grandmother. On the cover of the book
were printed the words "My Trophies."
 

"Cool," said Max. "I wonder what kind of trophies Grandma Baker won."

"Not long distance running, like you're hoping for, I bet," said Penny with a grin. "Maybe she entered a reading contest and won a trophy like the one I'm trying to win."

Max took the book and opened it. "May 10. Thank You, Lord, for letting me talk to Sarah today," he read. "Thank you for working in her heart and that she accepted You as Savior." He turned a few pages. "July 16. Today William left for India as a missionary. He was such a trouble-maker before he got saved."

"Who were Sarah and William?" Penny asked her father.

"I think they were children Grandma Baker led to the Lord," Dad replied. "She worked as a children's missionary for many years. These children became living 'trophies' of God's grace as they turned to Christ."

"Yes," agreed Mom. "Grandma didn't have much earthly treasure, but she was rich in heavenly treasures. There are some verses in Matthew that tell us it's important to lay up treasure in heaven."

"There's a good lesson here for all of us," added Dad. "Each of us should ask ourselves, 'Where am I storing treasure? On earth, or in heaven?'"

"But do I have to lead somebody to Jesus to get treasure in heaven?" asked Penny. "I'm not sure I could do that."

"Maybe you'd be surprised," said Dad. "Actually, I
believe we lay up treasure in heaven whenever we do something for Jesus-whether
it's witnessing to someone, being kind, or maybe just willingly helping at home.
If we do it for the Lord, He'll reward us."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Where is your treasure? Are you concerned only about the things you can gain for yourself on this earth? Lay up-or store-treasure in heaven by witnessing, helping others, being obedient to parents and to God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 6:20)
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

[Soldier4Christ]

Can't you learn anything? muttered Cody, picking up the Frisbee. His black
Labrador, Bingo, tilted his head to one side and lifted his front paw. "No, not
shake! Fetch!" ordered Cody, hurling the Frisbee across the yard. Bingo raced
after it. Before it spun to the ground, Bingo jumped into the air and caught it
in his mouth. "Good dog!" called Cody, clapping his hands. "Now, bring it here,
Bingo!"
 

Bingo's wagging tail stopped and pointed into the air. He perked his ears while staring into the nearby woods. Suddenly, he dropped the Frisbee and dashed after a squirrel. "This is hopeless," groaned Cody, letting himself drop to the ground.

"What's up?" asked Cody's big sister, Valerie. She came over and sat on the grass next to him.

"I'm trying to train Bingo," said Cody, picking up a book. "I've done everything this dog training manual says, and sometimes he seems to get the hang of it. Then, out of the blue, he chases a squirrel."

"Bingo's a hunting dog-it's in his nature to do that," said Valerie, paging through the book. She grinned at her brother. "Kind of like it's in your nature to sin," she added. "That's what Pastor Bill's junior sermon was about, remember?" 

Cody frowned. "Thanks for the reminder," he said. He hoped God didn't give up on him as easily as he gave up on Bingo. "Do you suppose God thinks we're hopeless?" he asked. 

Valerie shook her head. "You know the answer to that as well as I do," she said. "Because God loves us and will help us, we are no longer hopeless. The Bible is our training manual. God wants us to learn not to sin, but when we do sin, we can ask Him to forgive us and He will."

Something pawed at Cody's back. He turned to find Bingo,
holding the Frisbee in his mouth. Cody smiled as he patted Bingo's head. "Want
to try again?" he asked. He gave it a fling, and Bingo bounced after
it.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel like a hopeless case-like you'll never have victory over sin? Don't give up on yourself. God doesn't! Confess your sin to Him and ask Him to forgive you. Use your training manual-the Bible. Ask God each day to teach you and to help you follow His instructions.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 143:10)
Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Listen to this, Kent. Doug sat on the bed while his brother sat in front
of their computer. "This magazine article tells about a computer that can scan
the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in two seconds!"
 

Kent shook his head in amazement. "I bet the whole world will be run by computers ten years from now," he said.

A crack of lightning and boom of thunder brought Doug up off the bed. "That was close!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, no!" wailed Kent. "The computer's down! There must have been a power surge, and I lost the whole program! How could that happen? We have a surge protector."

"Yeah, but Dad said it could happen anyway, and he warned us not to use the computer when we were having a storm," remembered Doug. "Let's hope it's not wrecked!" They stared at each other in dismay.

Doug headed for the living room. "Dad," he said, "that last big crack of lightning . . . uh . . . zapped the computer."

Dad hurried to the boys' bedroom and frowned at the blank screen. "These are sensitive machines," Dad reminded them. "They've got to be protected."

"And we were just talking about how they were going to run the world some day," said Kent. He sounded disgusted.

"Computers are amazing, but they need people to make them useful and to keep them in working order," said Dad. "They're just man-made machines, so they're imperfect. God created man to be a remarkable creature, but because man became flawed by sin, anything he produces is flawed, too. As advanced as a computer is, it's primitive compared to the mind of God."

"Yeah. He created the minds that invented the computer, didn't he?" said Doug.

"That's right," said Dad. "We can't even begin to
understand God's wisdom and genius. Only He is perfect." He turned to leave.
"We'll take this to the shop tomorrow and see if it can be
fixed."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you so impressed with the great technical achievements of men that you begin to feel like you no longer need God? Remember that it's God who created man. Man knows only what God chooses to reveal to him-and depends on God for life itself. You'll always need God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 1:11)
They (creation) shall perish; but Thou (God) remainest.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Just a Lamb's Keeper?

"Good morning, Hendrick," Brent greeted his lamb as he entered the fenced enclosure. "C'mon. I'll brush your nice, wooly coat. You're going to win that blue ribbon at the fair in a couple of weeks." Brent got busy and groomed Hendrick until his mother called him for lunch.

"Hendrick is going to win that blue ribbon, Mom. I just know he is," Brent said as he tackled the sandwich and chips his mother had prepared.

Mom smiled. "He just might," she agreed.

When Brent finished his lunch, he got up and headed to the door. "By the way, have you called Kevin to see if he'll be going to church with us tomorrow?" asked Mom.

"No." Brent shook his head. "But he got saved last week," he said, "so it doesn't matter." He went out the door. "I'm going to see what Hendrick's up to."

When Brent reached the enclosure, he saw that the gate had been left open and the lamb was gone. "Mom!" he called as he ran to the house. "Hendrick got out! Will you help me find him?" Mom came quickly, and together, they searched for Brent's lamb.

"Hendrick! You naughty lamb!" scolded Brent when they found him in a nearby field-right in the middle of spiny flowers and burrs which caught and stuck in his coat. "I had you all cleaned and brushed. Now look at you!"

Mom stood and eyed the lamb. "We wouldn't want this to happen to your friend Kevin, would we?" she said.

"Kevin?" Brent was puzzled. "I don't think he's going to go out in the field and get burrs in his hair. What do you mean?"

"Hendrick needs guidance and restrictions even after he's been brushed and fed. Left to himself, he gets all messed up again," explained Mom. "And Kevin-even after he's saved-needs guidance, too. He needs to be around people of God, who can teach him and guide him in his Christian life. God wants you to be your lamb's keeper, and He also wants you to be your 'brother's keeper.'"

Brent nodded slowly. "I get it," he said. "I'll ride over to Kevin's and ask him to go to church with us-as soon as I get this naughty lamb locked up."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you encourage kids who are already saved to attend Sunday school? Do you invite them to join you in Bible club? Or do you think a newly saved person should take care of himself? All Christians- especially those who are new converts-need help and guidance. You can help them. Jesus' advice to Peter (see the Key verse) is good advice for you, too.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Strengthen your brethren. Luke 22:32

[Soldier4Christ]

 The White Pillowcase

"Sorry, Susie, but I can't come over," said Julie after listening on the phone for a few minutes. "Mom needs help with the laundry." Mom frowned as Julie talked a little longer and then hung up the phone and began folding clothes.

"Why, Julie," Mom said in surprise, "I never mentioned needing help with the laundry. Why did you tell Susie that?"

"Don't you want me to help you?" Julie asked.

"It's nice having you help," agreed Mom, "but what you told Susie wasn't really true, was it?"

"In a way it was, even though you hadn't asked for my help," argued Julie. "Besides, lots of people say things that aren't completely true, so is that so bad?"

"Should you follow the example of 'lots of people'?" asked Mom. "Or should you follow Jesus' example?" She pointed to the pillow case Julie was folding. "What color is that?" Mom asked.

Puzzled, Julie looked at the pillowcase. "It's white," she replied promptly.

Mom nodded. "Now pick up the towel on the top in that other basket," she said. Julie did as she was told. "What color is it?" Mom asked.

Julie held it up. "It's white, too," she said. "It's even whiter than the pillowcase. In fact, next to this towel, the pillowcase looks . . . yellowish-white."

"That's right, Julie," agreed Mom. "Until you had a really white object, you didn't notice that the pillowcase was actually old and yellow. It's the same with our lives. If we compare ourselves with people around us, we may think we're doing all right. But when we compare ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ-who never lied or sinned in any way-we see just how sinful we are."

"So you're saying we should be totally truthful, no matter what other people do," said Julie. "I really knew that. I guess I was looking for an excuse."

"Always remember that even though people may think it's okay to tell what they call 'little white lies,' God says He hates lying. Period!" replied Mom. "I think you learned Psalm 119:63, where He says that, didn't you?" Julie nodded solemnly. "Like I said, Jesus never lied or sinned," repeated Mom. "Be careful to use Him as your example instead of watching how others live."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
To whom do you compare yourself? When you do something wrong, it's tempting to compare your life with the lives of other kids-especially with those who do things you consider to be even worse than anything you've done or would like to do. Don't make that mistake. Don't compare your life with any other human. Instead, look to Jesus. He is the only perfect pattern after which to shape your life. Let Him help you know which things are okay to do and which are not.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. 1 Peter 2:21

[Soldier4Christ]

If You Love Me...

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23 (NIV)

Can anyone guess who this is in this picture?  It is my mother.  My mother is in heaven with Jesus now, but I still think of her often.  I loved my mother very much and I know that she liked to hear me say, "Mom, I love you!" Do you think your mother likes to hear you tell her that you love her? Of course she does! But do you know what your mother likes even more? She likes for you to show her that you love her.

How can you show your mother that you love her? Well, I made up a list of what I think might be the top ten ways to show your mother that you love her.

10. Make your bed
9.  Pick up your clothes
8.  Keep your room clean
7.  Take out the trash
6.  Help her fix dinner
5.  Set the table
4.  Help with the dishes
3.  Don't fuss with your brothers or sisters
2.  Give her a gift that you made yourself

And the #1 way to show your mother that you love her is....

1.  Obey her when she tells you to do something

So remember, your mom likes to hear you say, "I love you," but she likes it even more when you show her that you love her.

Do you love Jesus? I'm sure you do. Do you think Jesus likes to hear you say, "I love you?" I know He does. But he likes it even better when you show Him that you love Him. How do you do that?  He told us how.  He said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teachings."  The Bible is full of things that Jesus taught us.  You show him that you love him by obeying his teaching.

When you leave here today, don't forget to tell your mom that you love her, but more important, show her that you love her. As we worship today, tell Jesus that you love him, but more important, remember to show him that you  love him by doing the things that he taught us.

Dear Lord, we have come to your house today to say, "I love you." Help us to go out of here today and show you that we love you by obeying your teachings. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Lesson from Blackie

Michael stood on the lawn, wishing he had someone to play with. "Timmy!" he called loudly, hoping his friend next door would hear him. "Ti-im-e-e!"

Michael's mother appeared on the back porch. "Go over and knock on Timmy's door, Michael," she said. "It's not polite to just holler for him."

"But what if his mom answers?" protested Michael. "What if she doesn't want to be bothered?"

"Oh, Michael! Timmy's mom is a very nice lady. She wouldn't mind answering the door," Mom assured him. "Don't be so bashful."

Michael looked at the neighbors' door. I think I'll just play here, he decided when his mom went back in. Maybe Timmy will see me and come out.

Michael wandered behind the house to the tall maple tree in which a black squirrel lived. He had named the squirrel Blackie and often tried to get close to watch the little animal get kernels from the ear of corn Dad had nailed to the fence post. At first, Blackie always ran away. Now the squirrel watched with his beady black eyes, but he didn't run until Michael was only a few feet away.

"I think Blackie's starting to trust me," Michael told his mother at lunchtime.

Mom smiled. "He's learning you're not there to hurt him," she said. "That reminds me of you. You're still learning to trust our new neighbor-Timmy's mom. When you know her better, you'll see that she's happy to have you come over. The better you know someone, the easier it generally is to trust him or her." Pushing her chair back, Mom stood and started clearing the lunch table. "You know, Michael," she added, "it's like that in our relationship with God, too. The better we get to know Him, the easier it is to trust Him. We get to know God as we read His Word and learn about Jesus, who loved us so much that He gave His life for us." She smiled. "I know I can trust Him to do what's best for me," added Mom.

Michael thought about how Blackie was learning to know and trust him. I know I should learn to trust Timmy's mom, too, he decided. I need to get to know her better. And I gotta get to know God better, too! It's even more important to trust Him!


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you afraid to trust God? Are you afraid He'll send things into your life that you don't like (such as sickness)? Or that He'll ask you to do something you don't want to do (like volunteer to do the dishes)? Or to go somewhere you don't want to go (like to the mission field someday)? When you know God's love and learn about His kindness, you'll be able to trust Him. Your Bible tells you all about Him. Use it regularly to become better acquainted with Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust. Psalm 40:4

[Soldier4Christ]

Josh sat at the table surrounded by art supplies. "Tomorrow is the
deadline for the ecology poster contest," he told his mother. "I'm hoping to win
first prize. Think I've got a chance?"
 

Mom looked over his shoulder. "Looks good to me."

Three-year-old Melissa tugged at Josh's arm. "I wanna color, too," she said. Josh grinned and gave her a piece of paper and some markers. 

After dinner, Josh and his parents were in the living room when Melissa bounded in. She shoved a magazine into Dad's hand. "Read me a 'tory, Daddy."

Dad raised his eyebrows. "Where did you get this?"

"Under Josh's bed," the little girl answered.

"I told you to stay out of my room!" Josh exploded.

Dad frowned. "Where did you get this magazine, Josh?" he asked.

Josh glared at Melissa. "Mike gave them to me," he answered sullenly. "What's wrong with them?"

"What's right with them?" asked Dad. "'Them'?" he repeated. "Did you say 'them'?" Too late, Josh realized his mistake. "Throw this and any other magazines of this kind into the garbage right now, Josh," ordered Dad. "This kind of trash often plays a part in ruining people's lives. We will not have it in our home."

Josh reluctantly went to his room and pulled the magazines from under his bed. He quickly stuck one under his pillow and then carried the others to the garbage can in the garage.

A short time later, Josh returned to the living room, waving his poster and shouting, "Look what Melissa did! She ruined my poster!"

"I just colored it," explained the little girl.

"Yeah, with a purple marker," moaned Josh.

"I thought you returned Josh's markers," said Mom. 

Tears filled the little girl's eyes. "I kept only one."

"It took only one to ruin my poster!" Josh stormed. "It
took only . . ." A funny look crossed his face. Slowly, he repeated, "It took
only one." Without another word, he went to his room, got the magazine from
under his pillow, and threw it into the garbage.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you tempted to hold on to "one little sin"? When God makes you aware of sin and you get rid of most of it, you are still guilty before God. Confess your sin to Him and ask Him to forgive you and help you turn away from all of it.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (James 2:10)
Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

[Soldier4Christ]

Why does God allow war? Brent asked after hearing a news report on TV.
 

"That's a hard question-it's one men have been asking for centuries," said Dad. "It's hard to . . ." He paused as the door opened and Mom came in carrying Trina. Dad jumped up, took the little girl, and placed her on the couch. "What did the doctor say?" he asked.

"She has strep throat," said Mom. "Dr. Tom gave her a shot and this prescription." She handed Dad a slip of paper. "Could you get this filled while I fix dinner?"

Brent reached for his sweater. "I'll go with you," he said, and he and Dad went out to the car.

When they returned, Dad smiled at Trina, who was very fretful. "I'll give her a dose of this medicine," Dad told Mom.

"I don't want it!" Trina wailed. "My throat hurts!"

"This will make your throat feel better," Dad said gently. He held a spoonful of medicine toward her.

Trina hid her face in the pillow. "No! I don't want it. It'll make my throat hurt worser."

"It will make it feel better," Dad again said patiently.

"I can't swallow," Trina wailed.

"If you can scream and cry like that, you can swallow," said Dad firmly. "Now take this."

The little girl recognized the "do-what-I-say-or-else" tone. She took the medicine and soon was sleeping soundly.

Later that evening, Brent returned to his question. "Why does God allow war, Dad?"

"I think I have an answer now," said Dad. "Think of war as a sickness caused by sin. When Jesus died on Calvary, He gave this world the prescription, or cure, for sin. He invites all of mankind to trust in Jesus as Savior and then to follow His teaching each day. The doctor's prescription wouldn't have done Trina any good if she hadn't taken it, and the prescription God offers doesn't help people when they don't take it by trusting in Jesus. I made Trina take her medicine, but the Lord Jesus does not force anyone to accept His prescription."

 Brent nodded. "I get it," he said. "Because people
refuse to follow Jesus' prescription, there is war."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you wondered why there is always war in this world? If everyone had the peace of God in his or her heart, there would be no war. You cannot stop war in the world, but you can follow Jesus' prescription and have peace in your own heart. Trust Jesus as Savior and live to please Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 14:27)
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Philip felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. Today was the day of the
spelling bee, and he was the one who had been chosen to compete against the best
spellers in all the other classes of kids his age. "Mom," he said frantically,
"you know that book my teacher gave me to help get ready for the spelling bee?
I've got to study it, and I can't find it. Have you seen it?"
 

"No," said Mom. "Where did you use it last?"

"Actually, I've hardly even looked at it," admitted Philip. "It always seemed like there was plenty of time, but now all of a sudden, the day is here."

"Well," said Mom, "I think you're a little late if you haven't studied by now. It's . . ."

"Mommy!" Philip's little sister Amber called from her room. "Can you help me with my shoes?"

"I'm sorry, Philip," said Mom, "but I can't help you search for the book right now. Maybe Dad can help you."

Philip looked at his father, who was finishing a cup of coffee. "I've got to get to the office, so I don't have much time," said Dad, "but let's give your room one quick check before I go." As they headed for Philip's room, Dad asked, "Do you remember what Pastor Tom preached on last Sunday?"

"I already thought of that, Dad," said Philip. "He talked about how awful it feels to be unprepared for something important."

"Right," said Dad, "and especially how dreadful it would be not to be ready when Jesus returns." He looked through the books on a shelf in Philip's room. "Well, I don't see the book you're looking for, but take comfort in the fact that being unprepared for a spelling bee is not as important as standing unprepared before God on Judgment Day," added Dad.

"Yeah. I'm sure that even the funny feeling I have in my stomach over the spelling bee can't compare to that," Philip said. "I guess a lot of people think they have plenty of time to get ready to stand before God, don't they?"

"I'm afraid so," said Dad. "I'm afraid many will wait
until it's too late, and when they meet God face to face, they'll be caught
unprepared."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you been unprepared for something important? It's a very unpleasant feeling. Nothing is as important as preparing for the day when you will stand before God. Don't wait. Trust Jesus as Savior before it's too late.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 25:13)
Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hi, Matt! Toby greeted his friend when they met on the way to school one
day. "Is that a new mitt?"
 

"Yeah, I got it for my birthday," said Matt. "Cool, isn't it?" He held it up proudly. Then he scowled. "Guess what my aunt gave me?" he added in disgust. "A Bible! What would I want with a Bible?"

"Well . . ." Toby hesitated. He was a Christian, and he knew he should use this opportunity to witness to Matt. "You could read it," suggested Toby timidly.

"You've got to be kidding!" exclaimed Matt. "I could never understand it-I'm just an ordinary guy. Give me one good reason why I should read it."

"Well . . . well, the Bible tells us how to . . . ah-h-h . . . how to live," stammered Toby. He just couldn't think of what to say.

"How to live?" echoed Matt. "How could an old book, written thousands of years ago, tell me how to live? Besides, I know how to live-I don't need any help from an old book that was written before there were cars or planes or telephones. The Bible is old-fashioned and totally outdated."

"No, it isn't," disagreed Toby. "It's more up-to-date than the morning newspaper. My dad said so."

"Yeah? Well, my dad says it's old-fashioned," retorted Matt. "These are modern times! Besides, we can't understand it anyway, so I, for one, don't believe it. I don't see how it could affect our lives. Hey-there's the bell. We'd better run, or we'll be late!"

That evening, Toby told his dad what had happened. "I blew it," confessed Toby. "I was taken by surprise and couldn't think of a good answer."

"That's too bad," said Dad. "You know, the Bible says we
should always be ready to give an answer concerning our faith. Do your
'spiritual homework'-read God's Word and think about what it says. Let's talk
about what you could have said-and what you could say the next time you have a
chance to witness to Matt. You could even write down your own personal testimony
and go over it. Pray about it, and I will, too. Then the next time you get a
chance to speak, trust God to give you the right words to
use."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you prepared to witness? Or do you sometimes keep quiet because you can't think of what to say? Be ready to speak up and share what God has done for you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Peter 3:15)
Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Let's stop and see the house my uncle is building, said Matt as he and
Toby walked home from school one day. "It's only a couple blocks out of the
way."
 

"Okay," agreed Toby, so the boys stopped at the new house. "Cool!" exclaimed Toby. "It's huge!"

"Yeah, and look at that solar power unit!" replied Matt. "Most of the power for heating and cooling will come from the sun. Uncle Ben thinks people should use solar energy more often." He glanced up at the sky. "That old sun's been around a long time."

At those words, Toby recalled the conversation they'd had about the Bible, and he had an idea. "Yeah, it has," he agreed. "Maybe that's why people don't use it-it's so old and outdated. Your uncle should use something more modern and up-to-date."

Toby smiled when Matt turned and stared at him in surprise. "Are you crazy?" exclaimed Matt. "Solar energy is a modern way to go."

 "Yeah? But you can't understand it, can you?" asked Toby. "What's that thing?" He pointed to a piece of equipment. "And that one?"

"I'd have to ask Uncle Ben," admitted Matt. 

"The sun is as old as creation, but you still believe it's useful," noted Toby. "You don't understand solar energy, but you believe in it." He paused a moment, then added, "If the old sun is useful and powerful even though you don't understand it, why can't that be true of the Bible, too?"

"Well . . . I . . . I . . ." stammered Matt in surprise.

"Besides, you've never tried to understand the Bible," Toby continued. "You need to read and study it and ask God to help you. The Bible can affect your life even more than the sun does. Did you know that the sun will stop shining some day, and that this earth will be destroyed and there will be a new heaven and earth?"

Matt was startled. "Where'd you get that?" he asked.

"In the Bible," answered Toby.

Suddenly Matt laughed. "Okay," he said, "you made your
point. Come on. Let's finish looking this over, and when I get home, I'll start
reading my new Bible. And maybe you can help me understand what it
means."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think the Bible is outdated? It teaches about God and truth-neither of them ever change. The Bible also tells the way to heaven, and that doesn't change, either. The Bible is filled with important information and help. Read it daily.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Mark 13:31)
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hearing his mother call, Jason ran out to the back yard. Mom was standing
behind the garage, looking at the ground. "Look at those melon plants," she
said. There, almost hidden by tall grass, Jason saw a cluster of green vines.
"The funny thing is," continued Mom, "I didn't plant any watermelons this year."

 

"Maybe they got planted accidentally," suggested Jason. "Maybe a squirrel dropped some seeds there."

"Think so?" asked Mom. "I was thinking of something else. Remember when someone stole a watermelon from the fruit stand Mr. Smith set up in front of his store last summer? The whole neighborhood was talking about it."

"Yeah." Jason shifted uncomfortably. "It was one of those big green ones, with stripes, wasn't it?"

"You seem to remember a lot more details than I do," observed Mom. "I don't remember what kind it was, but I was wondering if maybe the person who stole the melon came here, ate it, and then buried the rinds and the seeds so no one would find out." Jason's face was red as Mom looked closely at him. "Is there something you need to tell me?" she asked. Jason refused to look her in the eye. "It was you, wasn't it, Jason?" added Mom softly. "I wondered about it last summer because of the way you reacted then."

"I . . . I . . . John and I did it," Jason admitted, close to tears. "When we buried everything, I thought that would be the end of it. I didn't know those little green plants would come right up out of the ground to tell on me!"

"No matter how you try to hide sin, it always comes back
to tell on you," said Mom. "The Bible says, 'Be sure your sin will find you
out,' and, sooner or later, it always does."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
When you do something wrong, do you try to hide it from others-and even from God? You can never hide anything from God. Instead of trying to hide sin, confess it and turn from it! Let God's forgiveness make you clean, and let His strength give you victory over temptation.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 69:5)
O God . . . my sins are not hid from Thee.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jason was horrified! He had admitted that he and a friend had stolen a
melon from the fruit stand in front of a neighborhood grocery store the summer
before. Now Mom said he had to go see Mr. Smith, the owner, and tell him about
it. "But, Mom, that happened a long time ago," protested Jason. "Why can't I
just be punished and then forget about it? I'll . . . I'll ask God to forgive
me, too. Isn't that enough?"
 

"Asking God to forgive you would be enough if you had sinned only against God," replied Mom, "but when you lie or steal or hurt someone, you need to also make things right with that person. You need to show you're really sorry you did wrong, not just sorry you got caught."

"But I'll bet Mr. Smith doesn't even remember it anymore," objected Jason.

"Oh, I'm quite sure he does," said Mom, "but that doesn't make any difference. Even though it happened long ago, you did steal from Mr. Smith, and you'll have to repay that debt."

"Well . . . well . . . can't we just buy another melon and leave it at his door after dark tonight?" asked Jason hopefully. "Then he'll have been paid back."

"The melon would be paid back," agreed Mom, "but you not only owe Mr. Smith a watermelon-you owe him an apology, too. You caused him a lot of trouble. You need to ask both God and Mr. Smith to forgive you."

Ten minutes later, Jason and his mother arrived at Mr. Smith's store, and Jason haltingly confessed to the crime. Mr. Smith agreed to forgive him and let him work off the debt by doing yard work.

"Well, Jason, don't you feel better now that you've done the right thing?" asked Mom as they headed home.

Jason nodded. "Yes," he said with a sigh, "but I sure
hope I never have to do that again! I know I'm never going to steal another
thing!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you stolen, lied, disobeyed, or done some other thing that has hurt someone? If so, confess your sin to God. Then talk to the person you've hurt and do what you can to make things right with him or her.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Luke 19:
If I have taken anything from any man . . . I restore him fourfold.

[Soldier4Christ]

Sally and some of her friends were playing in the attic. "This is fun,"
said Sally as she looked at an old dress she had pulled from a trunk.
 

"Yeah," agreed her cousin Jeff. He held up an old tuxedo. "Look at this long coat!"

"And look at these old lace curtains-they'd make a good wedding veil and train," said Jane. "Let's play wedding. I'll be the bride, and Jeff can put on that tuxedo and be the groom. Ben can be the preacher."

"And I'll be the bridesmaid," added Sally, putting on the old dress she had found. The boys protested but finally agreed to the plan, and the "wedding" was on.

"Raise your right hand," said Preacher Ben. "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth . . ." He stopped as the others broke into peals of laughter.

"This isn't a murder trial-it's a wedding," said Jeff.

Just then, Sally's mother came up to the attic. She laughed, too, when she heard how Ben was going to have them swear to tell the truth at a wedding. "The way so many marriages are ending up in the divorce courts these days, that might not be a bad idea," she said.

"How old should you be when you get married, Mom?" asked Sally.

"Well, that depends," answered Mom. "I guess that varies with different people."

"I don't think a Christian should marry someone who isn't a Christian, do you?" asked Jane.

"If you loved somebody who wasn't a Christian, shouldn't you pray about it?" asked Ben. "Maybe the Lord would tell you to marry her so you could win her to Him. Couldn't that happen?"

"Many people have tried that, but it seldom works," said Mom. "No, this is a matter we don't need to pray about. God already gave the answer in His Word, and there are no exceptions to His rules. That's why it's so important that when you reach dating age, you choose to date Christians."

The children were thoughtful. Then Jane grinned at her
brother. "Come on, Jeff," she said. "We won't get married for real for years and
years, but let's get on with this pretend wedding today!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Does dating and marriage seem a long way off? Even now you can make up your mind that when you're old enough to date, you'll date only Christians. Don't take a chance on becoming interested in someone who is an unbeliever. Listen to God in this matter.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Cor. 6:14)
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.