Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Jeanne was watching television one evening while Mom sat in a chair, knitting. When the commercials came on, Mom asked, "Did you finish cleaning the kitchen as I asked you to?"

   "Yes . . . well, almost," said Jeanne, her eyes glued to the television set.

"Go and finish it right now then," said Mom.

Jeanne jumped up and dashed into the kitchen. She hurriedly put dishes into the dishwasher and picked up the dishcloth to wash the table. She hesitated and then threw the cloth down and started back to the family room. Feeling guilty as she passed the unwashed table, she went back and turned off the kitchen light. "There, I'm done," she said as she sat down in her chair.

"I'm thirsty," said Mom as she got up a little later.

Jeanne jumped up, too. "I'll get you a drink," she said, but to her dismay, Mom continued her way to the kitchen where she turned on the light.

"Jeanne, I thought you finished your work here!" exclaimed Mom. "The table is far from clean."

"Well, I . . . ah . . . I was going to do it during the next commercial," replied Jeanne. "Can't we just turn out the light until then? It . . . it doesn't look so bad."

"Not in the dark anyway," said Mom dryly. "You remind me of a verse in the Bible. John 3:19 says, 'Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.'"

"Oh, Mom! Leaving the table unwashed isn't evil, is it?" protested Jeanne. "I thought Pastor Grant said that verse was talking about unsaved people!"

"Yes, but I think we can apply that principle to
Christians, too," said Mom. "I admit that evil is a pretty strong word to
describe failure to wash the table, but you disobeyed and you also lied when you
said you were finished with your work. Isn't that really why you turned out the
light?" Jeanne blushed and Mom continued. "When you find yourself doing
something you'd just as soon nobody would notice, it's a good idea to stop and
think about whether or not it's really a good thing to do," she
said.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you always happy to have yor parents see what you're doing? How about your teachers? Your pastor? How about God? If you're tempted to do something you'd prefer to keep in the dark, stop and reconsider. Remember that God always sees all that's going on. Live a a 'child of light,' not darkness.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ephesians 5:
"Walk as children of light."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Wow! This beach is crowded today," said David as Mom spread out some towels and Dad planted an umbrella in the sand.

"It's awfully noisy, too," replied Mom. "Everybody's laughing or shouting or making noises of some kind."

With a happy shout, David and his brothers and sisters headed for the refreshing ocean waters. As they passed a lifeguard stand, the lifeguard suddenly jumped down from his perch high up on a bench and ran into the water. A crowd gathered and watched as, with quick strokes, he swam out into the deep water and rescued a drowning girl.

"I'm surprised the lifeguard even knew that girl was drowning," said David when all the excitement was over. "There was so much noise all around. I was right there, and I didn't hear her call for help."

"Well, your ears and eyes weren't trained-or tuned-to hear or see people in trouble," replied Dad. "Before anyone can work as a lifeguard, he has to take a lifesaving course. When lifeguards are put on duty, they have to stay very alert. They continually watch for anyone who might be in trouble and listen for calls for help!"

"Cool!" said David. "Maybe I'll learn to be a lifeguard some day." He thought about it. "Don't they ever miss a call?" he asked.

 "It's possible, of course," said Dad. After a moment he asked, "Can you think of someone who never, ever misses a call? Someone who always hears His children when they need Him?"

"Ah . . . I guess you mean God, right?" asked David.

Dad nodded. "Right," he agreed. "One verse in the Bible says, 'Call to Me and I will answer you.' Another one says, 'I call on the Lord in my distress, and He answers me.' Those are just a couple of the verses that tell us God hears when we call on Him. There are many more."

David grinned. "That's good," he said. "He's got lots of
people to listen to, hasn't he? Way more than the lifeguard has, but He still
hears them all!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Aren't you glad God is always ready to help you when you need Him? Learn today's verse . . . and see how many more verses like this you can find in your Bible. Then follow its advice-pray to God when you need help, and don't forget to thank Him for His constant love and care.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Jeremiah 33:3)
"Call unto Me, and I will answer thee."

[Soldier4Christ]

Bob's mother pulled up to the curb in front of the church. "How was the youth group today?" she asked as Bob climbed into the car.

"Good," replied Bob. "We had a missionary speaker. He showed us how to witness to someone."

"Well, don't start preaching at me," said Mom. "I don't want to hear it." She eased the car into the traffic. "I'm doing fine on my own," she added.

"But, Mom," said Bob, "the only way to heaven is through Jesus. We need to have our sins forgiven."

Mom turned a corner. "Bobby, if God is a good God-like your Bible says-then He'll let good people into heaven. That just makes sense. Life hasn't been easy for me since your dad moved out, but I've kept my job and I've kept my house clean! That should count for something!"

Bobby sighed. "Mom, what counts is what God says. He says nobody is good enough for heaven and that you need to believe in His son, Jesus."

Mom sighed. "I told you-I don't want to be preached at," she said. She was quiet for the rest of the drive home.

It was raining when Bob and his mom got out of the car. Mom grabbed her keys and headed for the door.

"Hurry, Mom. I'm getting wet!" exclaimed Bob as she fumbled with the keys.

"I can't get the key in the lock," said Mom. "Here, hold my purse." She handed her purse to Bob and tried to stab the key into the lock again, but it didn't fit.

"Mom, do you have the right key?" asked Bob.

Mom looked at the key in her hand. "Oops! This is the key to the shed!" she exclaimed. She found the right key and turned the lock.

When Bob and his mother were warm and dry again, she laughed. "I can't believe I was trying to open the door to my own house with the wrong key!" she said.

"Mom," said Bob quietly, "you're trying to do the same thing with God. You're trying to get into heaven by your own goodness. That's the wrong key!"

Mom was startled. This time she didn't protest as Bob
again told her that she needed to trust in Jesus.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you trusted in Jesus for your salvation, or do you think you can get to heaven some other way? The Bible clearly teaches that God loves you and sent His Son, Jesus to die for your sins. Trust Him today. (See page 72.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Acts 4:12)
"There is none other name under heaven . . . whereby we must be saved."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Are you kids ready for church?" asked Mom.

Brian frowned. "I wish we could skip it," he said. "We just started playing our new video game. It's cool."

"Yeah-lots more fun than Sunday school!" agreed Becky. "Can't we stay home just this once?"

"Of course not," said Mom. "You both know better!"

After church, Becky and her family were headed for their car when Becky's Sunday school teacher caught up with them. "Enjoy those cupcakes, Becky," she said. She waved and got into her own car.

"What cupcakes?" asked Brian.

"Well . . . ah . . . Miss Kathi brought cupcakes for us today," murmured Becky. "There were a few left, and she said I could take them home."

"All right! Can I have one now?" asked Brian.

"Well . . . I . . . I ate them" admitted Becky.

"All of them?" asked Brian. "How many were there?"

"Only a few," said Becky. She was surprised and relieved that her parents didn't say much about it, and she changed the subject quickly.

"Yummy!" exclaimed Brian that noon as he helped himself to fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn.

Becky sighed. "I'm not really hungry," she said.

"No wonder," grumbled Brian. "You ate all those cupcakes!"

After dinner, Dad picked up a book. "This is a new devotional book," he said. "I think you'll like it, so let's have family devotions."

"Aw, Dad, can't we play our video game now?" begged Brian.

Dad shook his head. "I'm afraid your video game is like cupcakes," he said.

"Like cupcakes?" asked Brian. "Well . . . they're both good, if that's what you mean."

"What I mean," said Dad, "is that the cupcakes made
Becky lose her appetite, and I'm afraid the excitement of that game makes you
lose your appetite for learning about God. Things like meat and milk and
vegetables provide the vitamins we need for physical health, and 'feeding' on
the Word of God and putting Him first in our lives provides what we need for our
spiritual health!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there some activity that keeps you from going to church or reading the Bible or serving the Lord? If something-even a good thing-is spoiling your appetite for learning about God and serving Him, you need to remove that thing from your life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 John 2:15)
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world."

[Soldier4Christ]

"How are you, Aunt Eva?" asked Toby's Mom when they stopped at her house to drop off a casserole dish.

"I feel just miserable," replied Aunt Eva. "I went to a new doctor, but he hasn't done me a bit of good. It's been a waste of money to go to there. I sure wouldn't recommend him to anybody else."

"That's too bad," said Mom. "Didn't he give you any medicine?"

"Well, yes, he prescribed some pills," said Aunt Eva. "I took a few, but I'm not going to take any more of those things! They're so hard to swallow. Besides, they didn't seem to help much."

"What about your diet?" Mom asked. "Did he say anything about that?"

"He said to cut down on salt," answered Aunt Eva, "but you might as well not eat if you can't salt your food properly. I can't stand food without lots of salt on it."

"What about exercise?" asked Mom.

Aunt Eva laughed. "He says I should go for a walk three or four times a week. At my age? Ridiculous!"

Mom tried to persuade Aunt Eva to follow the doctor's instructions, but the old lady shook her head sadly. "It wouldn't help," she said.

That evening, Toby told his dad about the visit to Aunt Eva. "She's funny," said Toby with a grin. "She thinks her doctor is no good, but she doesn't do a thing he told her. No wonder she's not getting better!"

Nodding, Dad spoke slowly. "I hope our family isn't like that-but a lot of Christians are."

Toby looked puzzled. "We listen to Dr. Barr," he said.

Mom chuckled. "I think Dad's talking about God-our Spiritual Doctor."

"Right," agreed Dad. "God has given us the Bible to tell
us what to do for a healthy Christian life-how to get along with people, how to
resist Satan, how to be like Jesus, and many other things. We need to obey Him.
Otherwise, instead of showing what a great 'doctor' Jesus really is, we're a
poor testimony to others and can't very well recommend Him to those who need to
accept Him as Savior."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you read the Bible? Pray? Attend a good church? That's good, but don't be like Aunt Eva who didn't follow the doctor's orders. Don't just read or listen to God's instructions-obey them!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (James 1:22)
"Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Aunt Emma said to be sure to come over and swim this week-now that we're finally not grounded anymore," Justin told his brother Ryan. "Let's go."

"Yeah, let's," echoed Ryan. "Going into that chat room on the internet sure wasn't worth being grounded a whole week, was it?" The boys had gone into a chat room that was not approved by their parents.

When Ryan and Justin arrived at their aunt's home, they found that the water in the pool was a sickly green. "Yuck!" exclaimed Ryan. "What's wrong with the pool, Aunt Emma?"

"The filter broke," answered Aunt Emma. "The filter is what keeps impurities out of the water. When it doesn't work properly, the water gets contaminated."

"And turns green," added Ryan with a shudder. "I sure wouldn't want to swim in that kind of water!"

"Why don't you come back tomorrow afternoon?" suggested Aunt Emma. "It should be fixed then."

That evening, the boys talked about their plans for the next day and told their dad about the pool filter. Dad nodded. "The pool needs a good filtering system," he said, "and Christians do, too."

"What do you mean?" asked Justin.

"The world is full of things that will cause our hearts to become impure-if we let them in," explained Dad.

"Like bad movies or TV shows?" asked Ryan..

Dad nodded. "Or certain kinds of music, or . . ."

". . . or chat rooms on the internet," Justin finished.

"Yes," agreed Dad. "I use a simple question as my 'filter.' I ask myself, 'Would I let this in if Jesus were right here?'"

"Does your filter ever need repairs?" asked Justin. "I guess ours did."

"The filter doesn't really need repairs," said Dad, "but sometimes I fail to use it. When that happens and I do something wrong, I need to go to Jesus. If I'm truly sorry and willing to obey Him, He'll make me clean again."

Justin sighed. "I'm glad filters can be fixed," he
said.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you watched questionable TV programs or movies? Looked at the wrong kind of magazines or books? God will use His Word and your conscience to alert you to things that allow impure thoughts and desires to enter your life. He will help you filter them out and keep your heart pure and clean.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 51:10)
"Create in me a clean heart, O God."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Why do I always have to take out the trash?" grumbled Chad. He glared at his sister. "Why can't you help, Patty?"

"Me help you? Look at all these dishes I have to do!" complained Patty. "I don't think Mom did any while we were in school. This afternoon she found out that Pastor and Mrs. Watson lost their electricity in the storm, so she invited them for supper. She had to go to the store."

Their brother, Jon, had some complaints, too. "Have you seen the garage?" he asked as he headed for the door. "I'd gladly trade jobs with either of you!"

When Pastor and Mrs. Watson arrived for dinner, everything was ready. After the delicious meal, Mom looked at the children. "Chad and Jon, would you two clear the table, please?" she said. "And, Patty, you can load the dishwasher."

Immediately, the children got up to do their work. Mrs. Watson smiled. "What helpful kids you have!" she exclaimed. "You had to ask them only once."

Chad gave his sister a playful poke. "Patty here doesn't always jump so fast," he teased.

"Yeah, you should have heard her complain about washing a few dishes this afternoon," added Jon.

Patty blushed. "Okay, I admit I'm not always so eager to help, but look who's talking," she said. "I didn't see you guys hurrying to do your chores, either. And I didn't see any big smiles on your faces while you did them."

"Oops! I'm sorry I mentioned it!" Chad grinned. "It's true," he admitted. "Dad and Mom have taught us to obey, but I'm afraid we don't always have the right attitude or move as quickly as we should. I guess it's easier to be obedient when others are watching us."

Pastor Watson nodded. "Yes, that's true," he agreed,
"for adults as well as for kids. When we're tempted to grumble, we need to
remind ourselves that Someone-God-is always watching. When I think about that,
it helps me want to do things more quickly and cheerfully."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you respond quickly and cheerfully when your parents ask you to do something? Or do you often grumble and gripe and complain? Don't forget that God wants you to be a cheerful "do-er."


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Philippians 2:14)
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings."

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Overdue Book

Rachel groaned when she discovered a library book tucked away in the corner of her closet. She checked the due date. "This is more than a year overdue," she gasped out loud. She flipped through the pages. By now, the fine will be really huge, she thought. I'll never be able to pay it! I bet Mom and Dad will be mad, too. They always say I need to be more responsible for the things I have. She sighed. I don't remember ever getting any notice about this book. Maybe it hasn't even been missed.

Rachel shoved the book back into the closet, but she continued to worry about it for days. Finally, just before family devotions one evening, she confessed to her parents that she had found the long-forgotten book. "I'm really sorry I didn't return it long ago," she said. "I . . . I would have told you before, but I thought I'd first try to save enough money to pay the fine." Rachel looked down at her hands. "I just don't know when I'll ever have enough money, though, and the fine just gets bigger and bigger. What should I do?"

"Oh!" exclaimed her mother. "When I was at the library several months ago, the librarian asked me about that book. It was already so long overdue that it was cheaper to buy it than to pay the fine, so that's what I did." She smiled at Rachel. "I must admit, I was pretty annoyed that you hadn't brought it back." Mom shook her head. "I guess there are two forgetful people in this family. I can hardly believe I forgot to tell you!"

"Whew!" Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks a lot, Mom. Just think-I've been feeling so guilty and worried, and all the time the book was paid for!"

"What happened to you is similar to what happens to a lot of people," said Dad. "They often feel guilty for years about things they've done wrong. Just like you put off going back to the library, they put off confessing their sin to God. Like you, many want to first be able to 'pay the fine'-which in their case, would be to 'clean up' their lives."

Mom nodded. "Also like you, they'll never be able to do that. They need to realize that Jesus paid the full price for all their sins on the cross, and all they have to do is accept Him and receive His forgiveness."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel guilty about things you've done? Are you trying to do better-to clean up your life? Perhaps you even try to do good things to "pay for" bad deeds of the past. Jesus already paid a great price-the full price-for all your sins. Trust in Him as your Savior. (See the ABCs at the end of this book.) Then thank Him for purchasing your forgiveness. Don't feel guilty anymore-instead,feel glad for what God did for you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
You were bought at a price. 1 Corinthians 6:20

[Soldier4Christ]

The streetlight in front of Grandma's house shone through the bare branches of a tree outside the window and cast eerie shadows across Jenny's bed. As the wind tugged at the branches, pointed, twisted black shadows inched their way over the covers. They look like big, black teeth, thought Jenny fearfully. She swallowed. This isn't at all like my bedroom at home. Mom turns on the night light, and everything seems safe there.

Sounds came with the shadows. A moaning sound stole through the bedroom and seemed to settle down right beside Jenny. She thought she heard something click underneath her bed. Lying there in the shadows, Jenny shivered. That sounds . . . well . . . it sounds as if a giant mouth just snapped shut, she thought. She drew the covers up to her chin and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. No, I've got to keep them open, she decided. I've got to be ready to jump out of bed! The shadows trembled. "Dear Jesus," whispered Jenny in prayer, "I'm really scared! I know it's just shadows and sounds and that it's silly of me to be afraid, so I don't want to call Grandma. Please help me get over it."

As if in answer to her prayers, Jenny remembered stories from Sunday school-stories about times the disciples were afraid. Once, as the men sailed in a small boat, the wind roared down out of a savage sky and the waves crashed into their boat. The disciples rowed for their lives! They bailed out the water as more poured in. Like Jenny, the disciples had been terrified. Jenny remembered what happened next. Jesus had been sleeping, but the disciples woke Him up. Then Jesus said, "Peace, be still," and the wind and the sea grew calm. Jenny remembered that Jesus rules the wind and the waves-that He is Lord of all. "You're even Lord of shadows and scary sounds," Jenny whispered.

After that, the sounds didn't seem quite like snapping
fangs anymore. Now the shadows seem more like . . . like just shadows, she
thought. When she remembered how strong Jesus was, she settled down and,
trusting Him to keep her safe, she fell asleep.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you sometimes scared? Are you afraid of darkness or shadows or creaking sounds in the night? Jesus, Who created all things, is in control of them, too. Trust Him when you feel afraid.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 91:5, 9)
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night . . . because thou hast made the Lord . . . thy habitation."

[Soldier4Christ]

"I'm going to be a pilot when I grow up," declared Jason as he watched a small plane circling overhead. "Maybe I'll be a missionary pilot," he added.

   "I don't know yet what I want to do," said his friend Barry. "I like . . ." His words were drowned out by the noise of the Piper Cub. "That's a crop duster-crop dusting is dangerous work," said Barry when he could be heard again. "Look how close he gets to those wires!"

"Yeah," agreed Jason. "It's important work, too. One year Dad decided we couldn't afford to spray, and we almost lost everything. The bugs took over." As the plane returned, he added, "Maybe I'll be a crop duster pilot instead of a missionary pilot."

As Barry watched the plane leave a little later, he picked up his baseball mitt. "I'm going to go and show Liang how to hit a baseball," he said. "Want to come along?"

Jason frowned. "No!" he exclaimed. "I can't stand that guy. He talks funny, he's dumb, and his clothes are always dirty."

Barry shrugged. "You're not so clean yourself."

Jason looked down at his ragged jeans and dirty hands. "Yeah, but . . ."

"I imagine Liang thinks we talk funny," added Barry.

"At least we talk English!" argued Jason. "He speaks a mixture of two or three languages."

"Then maybe he's smarter than we are-we can speak only one," Barry told him, and Jason scowled. Barry started for the gate, then turned around. "You know, Jason, I think you would be a better crop duster than a missionary pilot. Why do you think you can tell people in foreign lands about Jesus when you won't even be friends to a guy who is a little different from you? You're a mighty picky witness."

"I . . . I . . ." Jason didn't know what to say. After a
moment he looked up. "If you'll wait a minute, I'll go get my ball mitt and come
with you," he said.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have visions of doing great things for God someday? What about today? How do you treat those around you? Are you willing to be friendly with anyone and everyone-and to witness to them?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 24:14)
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Someone's always bossing me around," grumbled Tim. "My school teacher said I had to stay in at recess and finish my work. Dad told me to clean the garage. Mom says I have to make my bed every day. My Sunday school teacher says I should learn my Bible verse."

"That's quite a list of bosses," observed Grandpa Hill.

"Yeah . . . and Pastor Green says I have to obey all of them!" added Tim.

"And so you do," Grandpa agreed, "because that's what the Bible says, too."

"Well, I'll be glad when I grow up," said Tim with a sigh. "Then I'll be my own boss."

Grandpa chuckled. "That's just what I thought when I was ten or so, but now I have more bosses than ever."

"You do?" asked Tim. "Who's your boss?"

"Well, first of all, there's God," said Grandpa. "Second, your pastor is my pastor, too. And then . . ."

"But does Pastor Green tell you what to do?" asked Tim in surprise..

"He certainly does!" said Grandpa. "Oh, he doesn't say, 'Sweep the floor.' Or, 'Pay your tithes.' Or, 'Visit the nursing home.' But lots of times he preaches sermons that tell me I need to do those kinds of things. God placed him in the church to lead me."

"Who else tells you what to do?" Tim asked.

"My employer gives me orders at work," said Grandpa. "The city council tells me if I can build a new house and if I can keep chickens. The police tell me where I can park my car." He smiled. "I think I have as many bosses as you do."

"I guess you're right," said Tim. He sighed. "You sure take the fun out of growing up."

"Homer!" called Grandma. "Please come and take out this trash."

Grandpa stood up. "Coming, Sarah." He grinned at Tim as he spoke. "Even your grandmother tells me what to do," he joked.

Tim laughed. "Right," he said, "but I know you both well
enough to know that neither of you is bossy!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you get tired of being bossed around? You probably do-but remember . . . it's God who has placed people in authority over you. You will never be sorry for being obedient. In fact, you will be blessed because you'll be doing what God says you should do.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 13:17)
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves."

[Soldier4Christ]

"What are we taking to Mrs. Grant today?" asked Kim as she and her mother left home. When Kim went with her mother to visit the elderly widow, they generally took cookies, bread, or other baked goods.

Mom smiled. "I learned that her doctor called in a prescription for her, but she hasn't gotten it filled," replied Mom, "so I picked it up to take as a gift for her."

"Cool!" exclaimed Kim. "She'll be glad to get that!"

When Mom took out the medicine, Mrs. Grant drew back. "I don't have money to pay for that right now," she said.

Mom smiled. "Kim and I brought it today to give to you as a small gift of love," she said.

The elderly woman shook her head. "Oh, no," she argued. "I can't accept it unless I can pay for it."

Mom's voice was soft and kindly. "Please, Mrs. Grant," she said, "we want to give this to you. We love you and want to see you get well again. Please take it."

The elderly woman looked up at her. "Well . . . well, all right." She smiled. "Thank you! Thank you so much."

As they talked together, the conversation turned to things of God. "Mrs. Grant," said Mom, "have you ever made the decision to trust in Jesus as your Savior?"

Mrs. Grant shook her head. "No," she said, "I . . . I never felt like I had anything to offer God-and I certainly have nothing to offer Him now."

"None of us do," Mom answered. "Salvation is free."

"Free," Mrs. Grant repeated. "That sounds nice, but it just seems to me that it should cost something."

"It did! It cost Jesus His life," explained Mom. "He died willingly because He loves us, but He also rose again. Now He's offering the gift of eternal life to all who will trust Him as Savior."

Kim could not be quiet any longer. "It's just like the medicine," she said excitedly. "That's a gift for you-so you can't pay for it. You can't pay for God's gift, either. It's free to you. You have to just accept it."

After a few moments, Mrs. Grant nodded. "I will," she
said. "Thank you for showing me that eternal life is really free. I never
understood that until now."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Salvation was provided by Jesus Christ. It cost Him His life, but He offers salvation as a gift. You can't pay for a gift-there is no charge. Accept Jesus as Savior today and receive the gift He offers.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 6:23)
"The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Hey, Dad," said Geoffrey when Dad came home from work, "Sheba has her puppies!"

"Great! How many does she have?" asked Dad.

"Seven," replied Geoffrey. "Come see them." He led the way out to the dog house where Sheba and her new family were cuddled up on a warm, soft blanket. "Good girl," Geoffrey said softly. He patted Sheba's head gently. "What pretty babies you have!"

"Let's see-two black, two chocolate brown, two black and white, and one white one," said Dad. "But come along now-I hear Mom calling us for supper."

As they ate, Geoffrey and his little sister, Julie, talked excitedly about the puppies. "All their eyes are closed," said Geoffrey.

"Puppies are always born with their eyes closed," said Dad. "Their ears are closed, too. In about ten days the pups will begin to see and hear."

"Mom, were my eyes closed when I was born?" Geoffrey wanted to know.

Mom and Dad chuckled. "No, Geoff. Your eyes were open," Mom told him, "but you closed them when you were asleep-and you slept a lot, just like the pups will. God knows that babies need lots of sleep."

"Did God know how many puppies Sheba would have?" asked Julie.

"He sure did," said Dad. "He created Sheba and the pups, too. He created all things-He created you."

"Did He know what I'd be like?" Julie wondered. "Did He know I'd like dolls and books and stuff?"

"Yup." Dad nodded. "Psalm 139 tells us that God protected us even before we were born. He knew all about you then, and He knows all about you now."

"That's right," agreed Mom, "God even knows how many hairs you have on your head."

Geoffrey grinned. "Well, at least it must be getting a little easier to keep track of yours, Dad," he said, laughing as he rubbed Dad's balding head.

Mom and Dad laughed, too. "All right, Mr. Smartie." Dad
stood up. "If you've finished eating, let's go check on the new family in the
back yard before you can insult me some more!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Did you know that you are important to God? He created you, He knows all about you, and He loves you very much. He takes care of you each day-you're special to Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 139:17)
"How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God!"

[Soldier4Christ]

Randy did not enjoy family devotions. "The Bible is about people who lived thousands of years ago," he had once complained. "That's boring! Things are way different now."

His parents didn't agree with that. "The Bible is about yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever," Dad often said. Mom encouraged regular Bible reading, too, so Randy had to sit through family devotions every day.

One day Dad announced that he was going to Australia on business, and-best of all-his family could go along. Randy was excited. He told all his friends and teachers about the coming adventure.

As Dad picked up the Bible for devotions one evening, Randy showed him a book and map he had brought home from school. "My teacher loaned me these," said Randy. "Mr. Tucker's been to Australia, and he told me all about it. Lots of things are different there. This guidebook suggests things to do and good places to go."

"That's great, Randy," Dad said.

Randy laughed. "Mr. Tucker says he'll tell me about some mistakes he made when he was there-he says that should help me to not make those same mistakes. He says this book lists things we shouldn't do, too. I'm going to start reading it tonight. I think it will be interesting."

Dad nodded. "A guidebook is a good idea," he agreed, "but since you never seem interested in reading the guidebook for your most important journey, I'm a little surprised that you're interested in this one."

Randy stared at Dad. "What journey?" he asked. "What guidebook?"

"Your journey through life," answered Dad. He held up the Bible. "This is the guidebook for life-it teaches us a lot of things and tells us about people who have gone before us. Some of them made mistakes, and we can read about them and learn to avoid making those same mistakes."

Randy was quiet. He had to admit that Dad was
right.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you trying to journey through life without a guide? The Bible is filled with instruction and help for you. It has all you need to know how to make a good trip through life. Read it, and follow its directions.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Corinthians 10:11)
"These things happened unto them as ensamples: and they are written for our admonition."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Hi, honey," said Mom as Jodi came in from school and put her books on the table. "How would you like to go to Aunt Melody's to see the new baby?"

"Oh, good!" squealed Jodi. "I'm so glad it's a girl."

At Aunt Melody's house, Jodi held her new cousin. "Oh, she's so beautiful," she gushed. "Crystal is just perfect, isn't she?"

"We think so," agreed Aunt Melody.

Jodi wrinkled her brow. "There's that word 'perfect' again. Crystal is perfect. I wish I were." She told her aunt about a problem she was having. "Before school this morning, we learned a verse that said we should be perfect, so I made up my mind that I was going to do that," explained Jodi. "I did pretty good most of the day, but just before the last bell, I lost my temper." She sighed. "I tried so hard to last all day, but I couldn't. I've tried lots of times before, but I just can't do it. I give up-I'll never be perfect!"

Aunt Melody smiled. "Crystal can't walk or talk or eat meat, yet she's a perfect newborn infant," she said. "Now if she stays exactly like this for six months, we'll be worried. In some ways, she wouldn't be perfect anymore, would she?"

Jodi frowned. "I guess not," she said.

"To be perfect often means to be complete for your age," Aunt Melody continued. "When the Bible speaks of being perfect, I think it can have that meaning, too. To be a perfect Christian doesn't mean we never make mistakes; it means we grow, and overcome, and learn from them."

Mom nodded. "If you're perfect in that sense, it doesn't mean you'll never lose your temper," she said, "but it does mean you'll learn to say you're sorry when you do. It means you'll learn to depend on God to help you control your feelings."

The baby wiggled in Jodi's arms and puckered her lips.
Aunt Melody laughed. "Better let me have that perfect baby, Jodi," she said. "I
think she's about to lose her temper."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you growing in Christ? Do you learn from your mistakes? That's a sign of growth. Each day you should become a little more like Jesus.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (James 1:4)
"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."