Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Sarah shut her eyes and ducked quickly when she saw the pencil flying
through the air toward her. When she heard it bounce off her desk onto the
floor, she sat up and glared at Bill, who was grinning. "That almost hit me in
the eye." Sarah said crossly.
 

"Bill . . . Sarah . . . what's going on here?" Mrs. Newton asked as she walked up to their desks.

"Bill threw a pencil and almost hit me in the eye!" said Sarah.

"She needed a pencil, and I was just tossing one to her," said Bill quickly. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Did, too," accused Sarah.

"Did not," insisted Bill. 

"Bill," said Mrs. Newton sternly, "you need to be more careful. You could have hurt Sarah even though you didn't mean to." Bill nodded, still pouting. "Sarah, can you see that Bill didn't intend to hurt you?" asked Mrs. Newton. Sarah glanced at Bill and nodded.

Mrs. Newton looked thoughtful. "I think this may be a good time for a lesson on eyes," she said. "Class, take out your health books."

At home that evening, Sarah told her parents about the lesson. "We learned that we have a built-in instinct that tells us to shut our eyelids and move when something comes toward our faces," she reported. "That's because our eyes are sensitive and easily damaged. If we didn't do that, some people might even be blind today."

Mom nodded. "We all try to take very good care of our eyes because they're important to us," she said.

"Did you know that God sometimes refers to His people as the 'apple of His eye'?" asked Dad. 

"That's a funny expression," said Sarah. "What does that mean?"

Dad smiled. "The 'apple of your eye' refers to something
you consider very precious," he said, "so it means that God's people are
precious and important to Him. The Bible also says we should guard His teachings
as the 'apple of our eye.' We should consider God's Word to be precious and
important. If it's important to us, we'll use it and obey it."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
How do you treat God's Word? Is it important to you? Do you use it daily? God's promises and teachings will become more precious to you as you read and obey what He says in His Word.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 7:2)
Keep My commandments and live; and My law as the apple of thine eye.

[Soldier4Christ]

When Bud arrived home from school, he proudly showed his mother his
history test. All the questions were answered correctly. "Wow!" exclaimed Mom.
"That's wonderful. I must admit that I'm surprised-I know you didn't study very
much." She looked over the paper. "I used to know a lot of this material
myself," she said. "Let's play a game. I'll ask you some questions, and then you
can ask me some. We'll see who can do best."
 

"Aw, Mom," objected Bud. "I want to go play." But Mom insisted, and it was soon apparent that Bud knew little or nothing about the material covered on the test.

"Bud, have you been cheating?" asked Mom.

"Well . . . n-not exactly," stammered Bud. "I mean, lots of kids snitch a few answers. That's normal."

"Perhaps they do, but that doesn't make it right," Mom answered sternly. "Besides, you say that you've accepted Jesus as your Savior, so don't you think you should be different from 'lots of kids'?" 

"Yeah . . . well, I suppose, but I am human," Bud defended himself, "and it's not really so bad. It's . . . it's just kinda like . . . like getting a little help, that's all."

"Bud, would you steal something?" Mom asked.

"Of course not!" Bud replied. "It's wrong to steal. That's one of the commandments."

"Exactly," agreed Mom. "And what is stealing?"

"Well, it's taking something that doesn't belong to you," Bud answered. 

"Correct again." Mom nodded as she held up his paper. "And you took these answers that did not belong to you. You stole them, Bud."

"I . . . I . . ." Bud didn't know what to say. "I didn't mean to steal," he said finally.

Mom shook her head. "No," she said, "perhaps not, but
you did. You'll have to take this paper to your teacher tomorrow and tell her
about it and about any other times you've cheated. She'll decide what you must
do about it. Right now, you might want to confess it to the Lord and ask His
forgiveness. And then, instead of playing after school, you'll have to stay in
every day and study until you know this material."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you understand that cheating is the wrong thing to do-or do you think of it as just getting a little help? It is actually stealing. It is sin, and it must be confessed to God and perhaps to others as well.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:15)
Thou shalt not steal.

[Soldier4Christ]

I'll do it in a minute, said Luke when his dad told him to take out the
trash. When Mom reminded him to clean his room, Luke answered, "Okay-in a
minute." When asked to mow the lawn, his answer was, "Just a minute-I'm busy
now." But the "minute" usually stretched to many more, and often Luke had to be
told several times before the work was done.
 

After dinner one evening, Luke asked his dad to shoot a few baskets with him. "Sure will, Luke." Dad nodded. "Just a minute."

Luke went out and rode his bike up and down the driveway while he waited. Finally, he went to find Dad. "When are you coming out?" he asked.

Dad looked up from his newspaper. "Oh, in a minute," he replied, and he continued to read.

Luke waited a while, then asked again . . . and again. Each time he asked, he got the same answer. "But, Dad," protested Luke at last, "you've said that four times now. It's been thirty minutes already."

Mom smiled at Luke. "You know . . . we don't mind keeping others waiting," she said, "but we hate to wait ourselves, don't we?"

"What do you mean?" asked Luke. Actually, he was afraid he knew. 

"You often tell Dad and me you'll do something 'in a minute,' but then you don't do it quickly at all," came Mom's unwelcome explanation.

Dad nodded. "I decided to give you a little dose of your own medicine today," he added. He paused. "Actually, there's a good lesson here for all of us. It's easy for us to ask God to wait, too. For example, I sometimes put off speaking to someone about the Lord for 'a minute' and then never get around to it."

"I'm glad God doesn't do that kind of thing," said Mom thoughtfully. "Wouldn't it be terrible if we needed Him and He said, 'Just a minute-I'm busy with someone else now'? Let's all be very careful to promptly do what He wants us to do."

"Yes," said Dad, "and that includes obeying your parents
right away." He got up. "Get the basketball," he said. "Let's not wait any more
minutes."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you like to put things off for "just a minute "-or do you obey quickly? Ask God to help you go through each day doing your tasks the first time you're told. Don't put off doing the things you know God wants you to do. Prompt obedience pleases Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:60)
I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments.

[Soldier4Christ]

Paul and his friend Butch went to watch the work going on at a
construction site, and four-year-old Ricky tagged along as usual. "See that open
gate over there?" asked Butch, after they had watched a while. "Let's go up
closer and look around. If we act like we know what we're doing, no one will
ever question us. C'mon!"
 

Paul hesitated. "The sign says 'Keep Out,'" he said.

"Be a baby and stay here if you're scared," sneered Butch. "I'm goin' in."

"Wait," called Paul. He turned to Ricky. "You sit right here by this fence and wait for me," he ordered. "I won't be gone long." So Ricky watched while the older boys went through the gate to the other side of the fence.

Soon Ricky was bored and went in search of his brother. In the construction zone, bricks were flying as an old building was torn down. "Hey!" yelled a workman who spotted Ricky. "You tryin' to get killed?" He snatched Ricky up and turned him over to the manager. Soon Paul and Butch were also discovered, and they, too, were taken to the manager.

"We're sorry," apologized the older boys. "We'll never get in the way again." Paul turned to Ricky. "Come on," said Paul. "We need to go home."

"Not so fast," said the manager. "I'm sending someone with you to see that you really do go home. I want to be sure your parents hear what happened." So the three children were returned to their homes.

"You boys could have been seriously hurt," scolded Dad. "That workman said Ricky came within inches of being hit by those bricks."

"I told Ricky to stay outside," protested Paul.

"But you didn't stay outside," Dad pointed out. "You and your friends sometimes call Ricky 'The Shadow' because he follows you so much. You need to be careful who you follow yourself, knowing that Ricky will be right behind you. The Bible says that even though you're young, you need to set a good example for others to follow."

Paul sighed, and when he learned that he was grounded
for a whole month, he knew better than to complain.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have a "shadow "-a little brother or sister or neighbor who follows you? It may even be someone you don't know. Be a good example. To do that, you need to have a good leader-the Lord Jesus. Teach others to follow Jesus as you do.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Timothy 4:12)
Be thou an example of the believers.

[Soldier4Christ]

Ashley looked in horror as her chocolate milkshake began to spread over
the table. "Why can't you leave my stuff alone, Kristen?" she yelled.
 

"I didn't mean to spill it," said Kristen. Her lower lip was trembling. "I just wanted a taste."

Mom appeared at the table with paper towels. "Here, Kristen," she said. "Big girls clean up their messes."

"No . . . wait," said Ashley. "I want to drink it! We've got to put it back in the cup."

"I don't see how you can do that," said Mom.

Ashley grabbed a spoon and tried to scoop up the creamy purple drink. It was no use. "I bought this with my own money," she sputtered, "and you had no business touching it, Kristen."

"I . . . I'm sorry," murmured Kristen.

"You're going to buy me another one the next time we're at the mall," Ashley informed her.

"But I don't have enough money," wailed Kristen.

"Then save up," growled Ashley, glaring at Kristen. "I wish I didn't have a little sister."

"Go to your room, Kristen," said Mom. "We'll talk about this later." After Kristen left, Mom turned to Ashley. "Kristen should have left it alone," she said, "but that's no excuse for saying unkind things to your sister."

Ashley looked up from wiping the counter. "It's not fair," she complained. "Kristen messed with my stuff, but you're lecturing me."

"You need to understand," said Mom, "that having you wish you didn't have a sister hurts much more than having your drink spilled."

"Well . . . I was mad," mumbled Ashley. "I didn't mean it."

"We can be angry and still watch what we say," replied Mom. "When we don't, words can pour out and make a bigger mess than that drink. Taking words back is even more difficult than putting a milkshake back in a cup. In fact, you can never really take them back, but I think you'd better try to repair the damage, don't you?"

Ashley sighed, but she nodded and headed for Kristen's
room to apologize.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you careful to not say angry, thoughtless words? Sometimes it's hard not to let them spill out-but once they're said, it's impossible to take them back. Ask God for help in controlling your tongue.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 19:14)
Let the words of my mouth . . . be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

I wish I could be a missionary, thought Chris as he listened to the
special speaker at his Bible club meeting. Maybe I will be some day. When the
missionary offering was taken, he sighed. He knew some of the kids had more
money to give than he did. I wish I could give more, too, he thought. He
suddenly remembered that he had money to buy a candy bar after school. At least
I can give that! he decided, and he did.
 

After supper, Chris happily went with his father to visit Mr. Baker, an elderly neighbor. While Dad fixed a leaky faucet, Chris sat and talked with the old gentleman. "I wish I could be a big help to people, like my dad is," Chris said as he watched his dad work.

"Why, Chris, I think you're a very helpful person," said Mr. Baker with a smile. "It's a useful thing to make an old man like me happy by talking with me."

Chris looked surprised. "It is?" he asked. "I always wish I could do more important things and give lots of money to help missionaries and . . . and most of all, I'd like to be a missionary myself. Then I'd really be doing something worthwhile."

"Ever hear of the 'widow's mite'?" asked Mr. Baker.

"Widow's mite?" asked Chris. "A mite is a bug, isn't it?"

Mr. Baker slapped his bony knee and laughed. "There is an insect called a mite, but I was thinking of another meaning of the word," he said. "It can mean a small amount of something. The phrase 'a widow's mite' comes from a Bible story. Jesus saw a widow drop two just two small coins, called mites, in the collection box. He said that because she gave all she possibly could, in God's sight she gave more than people who put in larger amounts." Mr. Baker smiled at Chris. "Maybe you think you're not useful to God," added Mr. Baker, "but when you do 'little things' out of love for Him, you're giving much."

"So I don't have to grow up before I can serve God after
all," said Chris. He grinned. "I'll just keep on giving 'a widows mite'-even
though I'm not a widow!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Does what you do for Jesus seem little and not worth much? God looks at your heart and counts the smallest acts done in love as special gifts from you. Even a friendly smile given to a lonely person is a precious gift to God. He sees the love for Him that's in your heart. Don't wait to serve Him until you're older. Serve Him now.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Cor. 16:14)
Let all your things be done with charity (love).

[Soldier4Christ]

There he goes, said Brent as he watched the plane take off. Mr. Bell, a
friend of the family and a missionary to Africa, had visited Brent's family the
past week. "He sure works hard, doesn't he?" added Brent.
 

Dad nodded. "Yes," he agreed, "but as Mr. Bell says, it's worth it all because many people are being won for Jesus."

As Brent and his family left the airport and headed back toward town, they came to a large, impressive home where many cars had pulled off the road and lots of people were milling around. "Mrs. Graham White lived here-a very wealthy old lady who really clung to her possessions," said Mom. "She was always afraid people would steal them from her. She died recently, and I saw in the newspaper that there was going to be an auction. Her heirs are selling everything and dividing the estate." 

"Let's stop," suggested Brent.

"Okay," agreed Dad, so they stopped to look around.

"There are some lovely things here," said Mom as they moved through the rooms, "but even though they're used, most of them are still too expensive for our budget!"

When they were once again on their way, Dad spoke thoughtfully. "We've seen quite a contrast today. Mrs. White was known for her earthly possessions. Mr. Bell is known for his service for Jesus. Two different lives-two different kinds of treasure."

"Was Mrs. White a Christian?" wondered Brent.

"Well, not as far as we know," replied Mom, "but we can't judge her heart, of course."

"She seemed interested only in hanging on to all her
money and possessions," added Dad, "but all the riches and lovely things she had
are of no use to her now. It's sad to see people more concerned about their
earthly welfare than about their eternal destiny."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you want to have lots of money and possessions? Money and things will do you no good when you're called to stand before God. You need to prepare now for that time. You need to accept Jesus as your Savior.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 16:26)
What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Princess and the Pea

"Grandma, will you read The Princess and the Pea to me before I go to bed?" begged Alonya when she and her sister were staying over at Grandma's house.

"Oh, you know that story," said her sister, Terre. "The princess couldn't sleep good because there was a pea under her mattress. Even though there were lots of mattresses on her bed, the pea still kept her awake, and she . . ."

"Don't tell it!" protested Alonya. "I want to hear Grandma read it."

"I'll read it," agreed Grandma with a smile. She took the book Alonya handed her and read the story. "Bedtime," she announced when she finished.

While tucking the girls into bed a little later, Grandma began feeling under the mattress. "What are you doing, Grandma?" Alonya asked.

"I'm looking for peas, Princess!" Grandma replied.

Terre giggled. "There aren't any there, Grandma," she said.

"Good," said Grandma. "I hope there aren't any in your lives, either." She smiled at the puzzled expression on the girls' faces. "The pea in the story reminds me of a time when I did something wrong," said Grandma. "I took a dime from my mom's purse. I thought it didn't matter because it was such a little thing. But what does God say about stealing?"

"You shall not steal," quoted Terre.

"That's right," agreed Grandma. "My stealing was like the pea in the story. It was hidden, but it really bothered me. Sometimes I would lie awake at night, tossing and turning, thinking about it."

"Just like in The Princess and the Pea!" Alonya cried. "But you're not a princess, Grandma."

"In a way I am," said Grandma. "Our heavenly Father is the King of kings, and we're His children, so doesn't that make us princesses?"

"Wow! I never thought of that," said Alonya. "What happened to you next?"

"Finally, I couldn't stand trying to hide my sin any longer," said Grandma. "I had to ask Jesus and my mother to forgive me."

"And did you live happily ever after?" Terre asked, grinning.

Grandma smiled. "I must admit I still sin sometimes," she said, "but when I think about what happened so long ago, it's a good reminder to always confess my sin. I don't want any more 'peas under my mattress.'"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have any "peas under your mattress"? Have you done things that you feel guilty about? Does your conscience bother you? If you're a Christian, it's the Holy Spirit who makes you feel guilty when you sin. Confess your sin and get right with God. It's the only way to have peace.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. Psalm 32:5

[Soldier4Christ]

Mom, do we have to pull the weeds again? asked Jessica. "It seems like we just got done pulling them."

"I know," said Mom, "but more keep coming. We need to pull them if we want to enjoy lots of juicy red tomatoes and other vegetables."

"What will it hurt if we just leave them there?" asked Jessica. "Why can't we just let the old weeds grow and still pick the vegetables when they're ready?" 

"Well, for some reason, weeds always seem to grow better than vegetables do," replied Mom. "If we leave them, they'll use lots of water and nutrients that the vegetables need-and the roots of the weeds are liable to choke out good plants and cause them to die."

"Really?" asked Jessica. "They'd really die?"

"Many of them probably would," said Mom. "If the vegetables' roots are blocked or choked so that they can't take in what they need, they can't survive-or if they do, the harvest will be small."

"Okay," said Jessica, "let's go and get it over with."

That evening, Jessica told her dad about her activities of the day. "Mostly, I had fun," she said. "The best part of the day was playing with my friends. The worst part was weeding the garden. I don't like doing that much, but Mom says we need to or the weeds will choke out the vegetables."

"That's right," agreed Dad. "It's important to get rid of those nasty weeds." He smiled at Jessica. "Did you know that things can come into our lives and choke out the good things God is doing in our hearts?"

Jessica nodded. "You mean . . . sin can choke out good things, right?" she asked. "We talked about that in Sunday school. My teacher says we should grow to be like Jesus. She says that if the books we read or the shows we watch or the kids we play with interfere with that, they're wrong for us and we better get new books or friends."

"Exactly," said Dad. "We should not allow anything in our lives that chokes out the Word of God and what He wants for us."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have habits that hinder your spiritual growth? How about your choice of friends? Music? Books and magazines? TV shows? Examine your own heart and life and see if there are any "weeds" that you need to pull.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Mark 4:19)
<p>"The cares of this world . . . and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word."

[Soldier4Christ]

I saw you, Derek, taunted JoAnne. "You covered your ears during the sermon." 

"Only for a minute," muttered Derek. He didn't think anyone had noticed because he had slumped down in the pew.

"Well, why did you do that?" demanded JoAnne. "Pastor Hill talked about Jesus coming again. Don't you want Him to come?"

"Sure . . . some day," answered Derek.

"Sometimes I wish He'd come right away." JoAnne sighed. "Like before my math test tomorrow."

"If you'd study, you wouldn't have to wish that," said Derek. 

"Well, it's a good thing to wish for," insisted JoAnne. "Grandma always prays, 'Lord, come quickly.'"

"That's easy for her to pray-she's old," said Derek. "I want a horse first." Every day he thought, dreamed, and read about horses. If the Lord returned too soon, he would never own one himself.

"You always did like horses," recalled Dad, who had been listening to the conversation. "I wouldn't be surprised if you do get one some day."

"But what if Jesus comes today?" asked Derek.

"That would be even better than getting a horse," said Dad with a smile. "I was just thinking about the camping trip we took last summer. I promised we'd go, remember? I couldn't set an exact date because I didn't know when I'd be able to get off work, so we prepared for camping and then went about our daily lives. We did our work and scheduled fun times, too. When I finally said, 'We can go,' we were all glad to leave our daily schedules and take off. Nobody wanted to stay behind-even for those fun times."

Derek got the point. "You're saying that being with Jesus will be better than anything here on earth-even a horse-aren't you?" he asked.

Dad nodded. "Yes, and I'm also saying that until the time comes for us to be with Jesus, He wants us to keep busy working for Him and enjoying the blessings He sends. Maybe the Lord wants you to have a horse. But then again, maybe not. Either way will be all right."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you wished that Jesus wouldn't come until you've had time to do certain things? That's normal. But even as you enjoy many good things, remember that nothing compares with what awaits in heaven for those who know Jesus.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Corinthians 5:
<p>"We are . . . willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

[Soldier4Christ]

Kendra was having a hard time adjusting to the small town to which her family had recently moved. She was lonesome and longed for a friend, but there was no one in her neighborhood for her to hang around with-except Molly. And Kendra didn't care for Molly. "She giggles all the time," Kendra told her mother. "It drives me crazy!"

"Don't be too hard on her," advised Mom. "Maybe she's nervous and needs a friend."

Kendra sighed. "Oh, you just don't understand," she said.

A few days later, Kendra came bursting into the house after a Sunday school class party. "Molly and her mother brought me home," she reported. "Is it all right if I go to the ball game with her tomorrow night?"

Mom looked up in surprise. "That would be nice," she said. "Did you have a good time at the party?"

"Yes . . . but a lot of the kids laughed at me," reported Kendra. "We were sitting in a circle playing a game I never heard of before, and I was so nervous that I cracked my knuckles. Nicole Elmers made a big scene about it. She was so nasty and said real loud, 'Really, Kendra, do you always have to crack your knuckles? We hate to hear it!' I was so embarrassed!"

"That wasn't very nice, but don't let it upset you. Just try to see it as a helpful hint," suggested Mom.

"But so many of the girls laughed about it!" protested Kendra. She paused, then added, "Molly didn't, though. She was annoyed with Nicole. Then I remembered how I criticized her for giggling, and I felt ashamed. After the party, she and her mom offered me a ride home-and you know what? She's really nice!"

"Great," approved Mom. "It's good to remember that we all have some annoying habits. Perhaps that's why God tells us that judging needs to begin with our own lives. We should work on improving our own habits, and practice overlooking the bad habits of others."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you annoyed by someone who cracks knuckles, bites nails, giggles, sighs, or doodles? Do you forget that you probably have some strange little quirks of your own? Ask God to help you overcome your bad habits and to see the good qualities in others.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 7:1)
"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

[Soldier4Christ]

Tom and his sister Sonya sat on the curb watching the Fourth of July parade. "Here comes our school band," said Tom. "Look at old Jeff beating on the drum. It's almost bigger than he is."

"And look at Old Glory! Isn't she pretty?" said an elderly man who was sitting in a wheelchair.

"Old Glory?" asked Tom. "What's she playing?"

Sonya giggled. "He means the flag, silly!" she said. "Old Glory is a name for the flag."

The man nodded. "You two forgot to stand at attention as the flag passed by," he told them.

"But almost no one does that," protested Sonya.

"No," agreed the man, "only a few. I imagine they're the ones who know the price of that flag."

"Price? Did that flag cost more than other flags?" wondered Tom. "Is that a special flag?"

"To me, my country's flag is always special," answered the old man. "If I could stand, I certainly would. I was wounded while fighting for that flag and for what it represents-all the blessings and freedoms God has given us in this country. He has given us a free nation, but there was a price to pay. I like to believe I'm in this wheelchair today so that the flag can go down the street. These other people who stood at attention probably fought for Old Glory, too-or know and love someone who has. They know how much it cost because they helped pay the price."

Tom and Sonya felt ashamed. "We're sorry," said Tom. "I guess we didn't realize what our freedom cost."

"Many brave men and women gave their lives for that freedom," said the man, "and others-like me- were wounded. It's important to show proper respect for our flag and our country."

 Tom and Sonya were thoughtful as they left the parade. "I think our flag and our freedom will mean more to us now," said Sonya.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you stand at attention when the National Anthem is sung and the Pledge of Allegiance is said? Be sure to do that. As the Pledge of Allegiance says, it is "under God" that you have the liberties you enjoy. Thank God that you live in a country where He is recognized.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 33:12)
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

[Soldier4Christ]

When Tom and Sonya returned home from the parade, they found their parents having refreshments on the patio. "Can we go to see the fireworks tonight?" Tom asked eagerly as he helped himself to some fruit. "And can Jake Green go with us?"

"As a matter of fact, we've asked Jake's family to join us for a picnic before the fireworks," Mom told him. She smiled when he let out a whoop.

"I've been witnessing to Mr. Green for some time," said Dad, "and I'm eager for another chance to talk with him. He's interested, but he feels he should do something to earn his salvation-says you can't get anything for nothing these days."

Mom nodded. "But tell us about the parade," she said. "Did you enjoy it?"

Mom and Dad listened as Tom and Sonya told them about the man in the wheelchair. "We never appreciated the flag and our freedom because it never cost us anything," Sonya explained, "but it cost that man a whole lot."

"Yeah, and it cost some people even more-their lives," added Tom. "Did it cost you anything, Dad?"

Dad looked a bit startled as he answered. "No, I guess it really didn't. I'm glad you shared what you learned. It's so easy for all of us to take our blessings for granted, forgetting that someone paid a big price for them. You've given me an idea for reaching Mr. Green, too."

"Tell us," suggested Mom.

"As I said, Mr. Green feels that salvation can't be free -that it should cost something," said Dad. "Maybe I can show him that although it's free to us-like the liberties we enjoy in America-a big price was paid for it. It cost God His only Son. It cost Jesus His life. We can enjoy the privilege of being a child of God because He was willing to pay the price for our salvation."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you realize what salvation cost? Jesus had to leave the glories of heaven and live in this sinful world. He had to suffer and die on the cross-all this to pay the price of your salvation. Because He paid the price, salvation is free to you. Accept His gift by receiving Jesus as Savior today.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Corinthians 6:20)
"Ye are bought with a price."

[Soldier4Christ]

Mom said I could water her plant, said Bobby. As he headed for the sunroom with a cup of water, he stumbled, and the cup slipped from his hand. Water spilled onto Jason, who was doing homework at the kitchen table.

"Just look what you've done! Clumsy!" snarled Jason. "You got me all wet-and there's water on my homework paper, too, you idiot."

"I'm sorry," said Bobby, but Jason continued to mutter and call his brother ugly names.

"Jason, that was an accident, and Bobby said he was sorry," scolded Mom. "Stop using those names." 

"He called me a dummy," tattled Janelle, "and yesterday he said Mary was scum."

"I'll take care of this, Janelle," said Mom. "You go and play." Mom turned back to Jason. "It seems to be easy for you to call people bad names, Jason," she said. Jason looked at the floor and nodded. "Would you like some help?" asked Mom. Again Jason nodded, and Mom got a marking pen. She took his hand, and on the back of it, she wrote "WWJS." She smiled at Jason. "This stands for 'What would Jesus say?'" she told him. "When you see it, think of what He'd say, and remember-He'll give you the power to say it."

As Jason and his friend Aaron played outdoors that afternoon, Janelle came out. She got in Jason's way when he started down the driveway on his bike. He was about to call her a few unkind names when he noticed the "WWJS" on his hand. When his sister apologized, he managed to say, "Oh, that's all right."

Just then, their next door neighbor strode out into the yard. "Look what your dog did to my flowers," scolded Mrs. Wood. "Can't you keep that animal on your own property?" 

Still thinking of his hand, Jason muttered, "Sorry."

"I would have told her off," said Aaron after Mrs. Wood left.

"I felt like it, but . . ." Jason glanced at his hand again. "I have help today," he said with a smile.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you remember to say only the kinds of things Jesus would say? Perhaps you'd like to write WWJS on your hand, or you could write it in large letters on paper and hang it in your room. It could be a good way to remember to please Jesus in both what you do and say.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 19:14)
<p>"Let the words of my mouth . . . be acceptable in Thy sight, OLord."

[Soldier4Christ]

Oh, no! groaned Brad as he and his sister Sandi waited for Mom outside the grocery store. "Here comes that old grouch!"

Sandi looked up and saw a neighbor, Mrs. Blake, approaching. "Quiet," hissed Sandi. "She'll hear you."

Mrs. Blake greeted the children pleasantly. "By the way, Brad, I found a baseball in my yard," she said. "Is it yours?" Sandi gasped when Brad said that it was.

After Mrs. Blake was gone, Sandi turned to Brad. "You know that ball's not yours," she scolded. "How can you lie like that? Wait till Mom hears what you did!"

"Don't be a tattletale," grumbled Brad, but when Mom came out, Sandi did tell her about the conversation. "Mrs. Blake doesn't know whose ball that is, so I might as well have it," argued Brad. "Saying it's mine doesn't hurt anyone." 

"Lying always hurts someone," said Mom. She frowned. "For starters, it will hurt you-you know what the punishment is for lying." Brad glared angrily at his sister.

When the doorbell rang that evening, Brad went to answer it. Mrs. Blake stood there. "Hello, Brad," she said, and she handed him a ball. "This landed on my prize rose bush and broke it off," she announced loudly. "I shall expect you to pay for it!"

Just then, Mom appeared and saw Brad with the ball in his hand. "Brad, you must tell the truth," she said sternly. "You know that ball isn't yours."

"Well!" snorted Mrs. Blake. "The ball belongs to the boy until you find out it has done some damage. Then it isn't his!" Brad and his mother tried to explain, but Mrs. Blake would not believe them. "I'm simply amazed!" she declared. "You claim to be Christians, but you're just hypocrites!" And she stomped off.

Mom shook her head sadly. "You thought you weren't hurting anyone, Brad, but now I'm being blamed because of what you did," she said. "Even worse-God's name has been hurt." She looked at the ball Brad held. "I don't know if it will help, but you'll have to return that ball and pay Mrs. Blake for the rose bush. Always remember that your actions do affect others."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you aware that your actions affect others? When you disobey, lie, cheat, or do other wrong things, those actions hurt you and others, too. Your family and friends may suffer because of what you say or do-and God's name may be hurt. When you're loving, kind, and helpful, others are blessed. Your actions-good and bad-affect others.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 14:7)
<p>"For none of us liveth to himself."