Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom," said Shaya, "These quilt pieces don't fit together right."

Mom looked at Shaya's work. "You traced the pieces from the cardboard pattern, didn't you?" she asked.

"Well, most of them," answered Shaya. "Sometimes I just used one the fabric pieces I had already cut."

"When you cut quilt pieces, they always turn out slightly bigger than the pattern," said Mom, "so if you use a quilt piece instead of the pattern, the next piece is a little bigger yet. If you do that very often, they can vary quite a bit in size." She picked up the cardboard pattern. "Every piece should be cut from the same pattern so they'll all be he same size and shape. I'm sorry, honey, but you'll have to re-cut some of these pieces." Shaya sighed and nodded.

That evening Mom looked in at Shaya's bedroom door. Shaya looked up and quickly set aside the book she was holding. "What are you reading?" asked Mom.

"A book I borrowed from Jenny," mumbled Shaya.

Picking up the book, Mom looked at the cover, then read a few pages. "What do you think of it?" she asked.

Shaya looked embarrassed. "Well, there's some bad language in it," she said, "and . . . well, I suppose the kids in the book do some stuff that isn't very nice . . . but Jenny said it was a good book, and I like the main story line."

"I see," said Mom. "Why do you trust Jenny's judgment instead of figuring it out for yourself?"

Shaya shrugged. "Jenny's been a Christian lots longer than me," she replied, "and she always answers questions in Sunday school about what the Bible says. Wouldn't she know if it was all right or not?"

Mom sat down. "Shaya, when you were working on quilt pieces, why were some of them the wrong size?"

"Because I copied them from other quilt pieces instead of the pattern," answered Shaya.

"Exactly-and if we want to please the Lord," said Mom,
"we need to model our behavior after God's pattern-Jesus. People-even
Christians-make poor judgments sometimes. If we simply copy other people instead
of following God, we can go wrong."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think some of your actions are all right because other Christians do the same things? Are you sure those things don't conflict with what God teaches in the Bible? Do you think they're things Jesus would do? Examine what you do and say by checking whether or not they follow the principles of conduct God has given.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ephesians 5:1)
"Be . . . followers of God." (NIV)

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, look at this!" called Brad from his bedroom. He had decided to rearrange his furniture, but when he moved the dresser, he saw that the wall behind it was covered with ugly crayon marks. "Isn't that awful?" exclaimed Brad, as his mother walked in. "Tricia must have done it, though I don't know how she got behind the dresser. It looks terrible!"

Mom smiled. "Don't blame your little sister," she said. "Those marks were made long before she was born."

"But if Tricia didn't do it, who did?" asked Brad.

"You did!" Mom answered. "You were about two years old when you marched into the kitchen, holding a crayon, and tugged at my hand. I followed you in here, and this is what I found. I tried to clean the wall, but the marks didn't come off very well, so I moved the dresser to cover it. I meant to paint the walls long before this, but I never got around to it."

"Wow!" exclaimed Brad. "I made a mess."

"You sure did!" replied Mom. "I had warned you several times about writing on walls, yet you eagerly showed me what you had done. Apparently, you thought I'd praise you for your fine art work instead of punishing you for disobeying."

Brad looked at the colorful scrawl and laughed. "Some art work!" he said. "I'm sure not proud of that now! It's funny how things seem different when you get older."

"I wonder how many other things in life are like that," said Mom. "Probably quite a few. Sometimes we wish we could go back and undo foolish things we've done-but we can't. It's as though our actions are like crayons that we've used to color ugly 'life pictures.' We try to clean up the mess we've made, but even when we've been forgiven by God and others, some of the marks often remain." She smiled at Brad. "You still have your life ahead of you, Brad. Be careful not to do things you'll be ashamed of later."

Brad nodded solemnly. Then he grinned. "Maybe I can sort
of undo this by painting the walls," he said, "but for now, I better move this
dresser back."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you "live for today"-doing whatever seems like the most fun? If you live in sin, you'll regret it some day-when God judges you, if not before. Obey and serve Him. Then you won't look back on your life with shame!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 6:21)
"What fruit have ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?"

[Soldier4Christ]

Alex was almost ready to go skating with his friends when Dad came in from the back yard. Dad was scowling. "Alex Robert," he said, "how often must I tell you to put the garden tools away when you're done with them? I found these out in the yard. They must have been out there for quite some time." He held up a rusty rake and hoe.

"But, Dad," objected Alex, "I didn't . . ."

"Don't try to make excuses," his father said sternly. "I'm not going to let you off easy this time." Alex began to protest again, but it seemed to make his father more angry. "Not another word. Go to your room till it's time for supper," ordered Dad.

As Alex flopped onto his bed, he brushed away a tear. It's not fair! I didn't leave that stuff outside, but Dad won't listen, he thought. Now I'll miss skating, too. He scowled when he noticed his Bible on the dresser. How could God let this happen?

Late that afternoon, Alex heard his bedroom door open, and his father came in. Dad looked worried. "I have to apologize, Alex," he said. "I just remembered that I was the last one working in the garden, and I left the tools there when I had to come in for a phone call. Then I forgot all about them. Will you forgive me?"

"I guess so," Alex mumbled unhappily.

"Something like this happened to me when I was a boy," said Dad. "My father gave me a licking for something he thought I had done. I was sore for days!"

"What did Grandpa say when he found out he was wrong?" mumbled Alex.

"He never did find out," said Dad, shaking his head. "At first, I was bitter and questioned God, but then I realized that God wanted me to forgive my father. That lesson of forgiveness was worth a hundred lickings to me. It's one I've remembered the rest of my life." Dad looked at Alex. "I'm hoping you'll forgive me, too," he added.

Alex couldn't help but laugh at the anxious expression
on Dad's face. "Okay, Dad," he said. "I know I shouldn't expect you to be
perfect." He grinned. "I'll remember that story so I can tell it to my kids some
day-just in case their father isn't perfect, either!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
How do you feel when your parents make a mistake? Do you become bitter and critical? Parents aren't perfect-but God wants you to forgive them as well as other people who hurt you. For His sake, be willing to do that. Try to learn from the experience.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ephesians 4:32)
"Be . . . forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Who wants to go to the carnival this afternoon?" asked Dad as he opened the door to leave for work.

"Me!" chorused Kendra and Shana.

"Okay," said Dad. "Have your rooms cleaned by the time I get home, and then we'll go for rest of the day."

After Dad left, Kendra turned on the TV. "Let's watch cartoons and then clean our rooms," she suggested. "We've got plenty of time." Mom started to speak, but changed her mind.

A little later, one of the girls' friends came over to play, and they forgot all about their rooms until after lunch. "We still have plenty of time to clean," said Shana, "so let's have a quick round of our new game first."

"Okay," agreed Kendra. They got out the game and began to play. Before they knew it, it was almost three o'clock. "I guess we'd better get started on our rooms," said Kendra with a sigh. "Mine is really a mess."

"Yeah, mine, too," agreed Shana. As she spoke, they heard the door open. Their father had come home! "Dad!" Shana exclaimed in dismay. "You're home early! We were just going to do our rooms!"

"You mean you haven't even started on them yet?" asked Dad. Kendra and Shana looked ashamed and embarrassed. "I'm sorry, kids, but we'll have to forget our trip to the carnival," Dad told them.

"But, Dad," whined Kendra, "if you had just told us what time you'd be back, we'd have been ready on time. Can't we go as soon as we finish our rooms?" Dad shook his head, and the girls knew it would be useless to argue.

"You girls remind me of a story in the Bible," observed Dad. "Jesus warned that we should always be ready for His return-we don't know just when that will be. It would be too bad to be caught unprepared when He comes-like you were unprepared for my coming today."

"Yeah," said Shana thoughtfully, and Kendra nodded.

"If there are things we want to do for Him, we'd better
get at them," said Dad. "You'd better start by cleaning those rooms. I think
that's what He wants you to do right now."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know Jesus as your Savior? If so, are you busy obeying and serving Him? Are there things you want to do for Him someday -perhaps tell someone about Him or help someone? Don't wait. Serve Him now, and be ready for Him to come at any time.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Luke 12:40)
"Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not."

[Soldier4Christ]

While Heidi and Dan were visiting their uncle and aunt, they went with them to Sunday school and church-but they didn't like it much. Pastor Hake's sermon was about hell! He spoke earnestly of the pain and suffering that lost souls would experience there.

Dan made a face. "Wow!" he whispered to Heidi. "Is he trying to scare us or what?"

As Aunt Ella fixed dinner, Uncle Bob set a box on the table and lifted out a round, white object. "I bought this smoke detector yesterday," he said. "I meant to try it out, but I didn't get around to it. Let's see if it works."

"We have those at home, too," said Dan as Uncle Bob put batteries in place and then pressed a small, round button on the case. Immediately an earsplitting shriek filled the room! Heidi screamed and jumped back, while Dan covered his ears.

Uncle Bob laughed at the look on their faces. He took his finger off the button, and the noise stopped. "Whenever there's smoke from a fire in the house, the alarm will go off," he said.

"It's awful!" said Heidi. "Why does it have to be so loud and scary?"

"It's supposed to be that way, silly!" Dan said. "Otherwise you might not hear it, especially if you're sleeping. Right, Uncle Bob?"

"Right," his uncle replied. "The purpose of this thing is not to scare people. It's to warn them of danger so they can avoid it." He paused, then added thoughtfully, "It's like Pastor Hake's sermon this morning. Sermons about hell sometimes scare us-but actually they're meant to warn us."

Heidi and Dan looked at each other. "Well, that 'warning' this morning did scare me," said Heidi with a sigh. "I don't want to go to hell."

"Me, neither," said Dan.

"You don't have to," Uncle Bob told them. "Let's go over God's plan of salvation again."

As they sat around the dinner table, Dan grinned. "I'm
glad I know Jesus now," he said. "That sermon this morning was the best scare
I've had in my life!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you been warned about hell? Yes, it is a scary subject! It is also real, but you don't have to go there. Trust Jesus as Savior. Then your name will be written in the book of life, and you'll spend eternity in heaven.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Revelation 20:15)
"Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

[Soldier4Christ]

Josh watched as his father tuned a piano, but he didn't say anything. There was one thing he had learned about watching Dad-not to talk or disturb him while he was working.

"You like piano tuning, don't you, Dad?" asked Josh when the two of them were in the car and on their way home. Dad nodded. "But why do you like it to be so quiet while you're working?" asked Josh.

"Well, when people talk or when there are other outside distractions, my ears are not totally listening to the sound of the piano," explained Dad. "Then I might not do a good job." After a moment, he added, "And you know something else?" Dad paused and waited for Josh's complete attention.

"What else?" asked Josh.

"To live the kind of life God wants us to live, we have to be in tune with Him," said Dad. "Sometimes Christians allow things to distract them from God's voice."

"Like sinful things?" Josh asked.

His father nodded. "Sometimes it's sinful things, and sometimes it's just . . . things."

Josh looked up at his dad. "I don't get it," said Josh.

"Anything that keeps us from giving the Lord first place in our lives is a distraction," explained Dad. "Sometimes young people-and older people, too-put things like sports, clothing, popularity, cars, or money before the Lord."

"But . . . I mean . . . well, it's just human nature to like some of those things," said Josh, "and some of them-like sports-aren't really sinful, are they?"

"Not necessarily," replied Dad. "That's where tuning comes in. As long as you keep your heart and mind tuned on God, these other things won't take over and become more important than God and what He says."

"Yes, but . . . how can a guy keep his mind tuned on God?" asked Josh.

"Choose to turn away from anything-even a good
thing-that's becoming more important to you than God," said Dad. "Choose to put
God and His will first in your life."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you in tune with God? Do you deliberately turn away from things that would distract you from Him? Do you turn to things that help you honor and love Him? Spend time on things that count.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Colossians 3:2)
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

[Soldier4Christ]

It was hot! The land dozed beneath a blanket of heat-haze as Tom joined his sister on the porch. "Pour some juice for us, Tom," said Emma. She put down her Bible. "I've been trying to learn a verse, but it's too hot here in Australia. The words won't stick in my head."

"Which verse?" asked Tom.

"Leviticus 26:3. 'If you keep my laws and are careful to obey my commands . . . ah . . .'" Emma paused. "I can't remember it. It's too hot, and I need a breeze."

As Tom handed Emma a glass of juice, a breeze slipped between the trees. Tom grinned. "Here's your juice-and a breeze." As they sipped their juice, a small pink cockatoo-suddenly aware of danger-shot into the air, screeching in distress. Emma leaped to her feet as she called, "Dad, quick! What's happening?"

Dad came to look, and he pointed to a dark shape that was silently clawing its way up the gnarled trunk of the tree in the front yard. Evil-looking eyes stared coldly at the chewed hollow high in the tree. "That's a goanna," said Dad. "It's a large lizard, and it wants lunch-baby cockatoos. Watch."

Slowly, relentlessly, the goanna hauled itself upward. It stopped when the cockatoo again swooped. The reptile turned and lost his balance. He clutched frantically at the tree. Then he slipped through the branches and crashed to the ground.

"Cockatoos prepare for enemies," said Dad. "Branches and rough bark were cleared away from that tree hollow, so the goanna couldn't get a toehold. He didn't have firm footing." Dad motioned to Emma's Bible. "Christians need to prepare for their enemy, too," he said. "Do you know who our enemy is and how we can keep him from getting a toehold in our lives?"

"Our enemy is . . ." began Emma.

"Satan!" Tom and Emma finished together. "We keep him away by knowing Gods commands and obeying them," added Tom.

"Oh . . . I guess that's why I need to learn my Bible verses," said Emma.

"And obey them," said Dad. "You don't want to take a fall
like that goanna. Ouch!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you take time to read the Bible? How many verses do you know? To know God's Word is to know what is right. It should be part of your thoughts and your actions, helping you do the things that please God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:11)
"Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."

[Soldier4Christ]

"May I please have apple pie for dessert?" asked Mark. He and his family were having dinner in their favorite restaurant to celebrate their decision to move to Honduras and start a church there.

"Sounds good!" agreed Dad. "I'll have a piece, too."

 As the waitress left with their dessert order, Mark had a question. "Dad," he said, his forehead creased and a scowl of concentration on his face, "you've decided to quit your job so we can go to Honduras, but how will we live without money?"

"I'll be working part-time for a while," replied Dad, "and before we go, we'll be speaking at various churches to raise our support, remember? We won't have as much as before, but God will provide everything we need."

"But how?" asked Mark, folding and refolding his napkin. "We're not really rich, are we? How will we get along until all our support money is raised?"

Dad smiled at Mom, leaning back in the booth. "I tell you what, Mark," he said, "why don't you pay for our dinner here out of your allowance?"

"Me? Pay for dinner? You can't be serious, Dad! I don't even have enough . . . I didn't . . . I don't . . ." Mark spluttered.

Dad grinned. "Relax, Son. I'm paying," he said, "but why did you automatically think I would pay?"

"Well, you're the dad," said Mark, "and it was your idea to go out to eat to celebrate. Besides, I'm just a kid. I don't have as much money as you do."

"That's right, Mark," agreed Dad, "and it's God's idea for us to go to Honduras."

Mark's face brightened. "It's His idea, so He takes care of the money part-just like a dad, right?" he asked. "He's our heavenly Father, so He takes care of us just like you take care of your family."

Dad nodded. "We're His children, and we know He'll provide whatever we need."

"I get it ," said Mark, digging into the warm apple pie
that had just been served. "Boy, am I glad I didn't have to pay for this!
Thanks, Dad, for taking us out to eat!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you worry about things that are out of your control? Put every part of your life in God's hands. If you've trusted n Jesus, God is your heavenly Father, and He'll take care of all your needs.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Philippians 4:19)
"God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

[Soldier4Christ]

Stephanie plopped down in front of the TV. I'll turn this off when I hear Mom come, she thought. I don't want her to know that I'm watching this movie again! When she heard her mother's steps on the porch, Stephanie switched off the TV and grabbed a schoolbook.

"Hi, honey," said Mom when she walked inside. "Have you got your homework finished? And have you done your Bible class lesson?"

Stephanie shook her head. "Not yet, Mom, but I'll do it now."

"There's no time now," Mom said. "You need to help me with dinner. We have a missionary service at church tonight-remember?"

"I can't go," Stephanie said. "I have more homework." To herself she added, And there's a TV program I want to watch.

"You can do your homework and Bible reading when we get home," said Mom. Stephanie sighed.

Although Stephanie hadn't wanted to go to the meeting, she found Mr. Allen, the missionary speaker, to be very interesting. "How can the people in that country worship things made of wood and stone?" she asked on the way home. "They're not really such a backwards country in most ways."

"What do you think about people in our country who worship a black box made of metal and glass?" asked Mom.

 "That's weird," Stephanie. "Who does that?"

"I wonder if you were doing that this afternoon," Mom said. "You forgot that the blinds were open."

Stephanie felt rather foolish as she realized that her mother had seen her watching TV.

"You spend a lot of time in front of that black box," continued Mom, "yet you have trouble finding time for Bible lessons or church. Remember what Mr. Allen said tonight? That anything we put ahead of God is an idol?" Stephanie gasped. Me, an idol worshiper? she thought.

Dad spoke. "Mom and I already decided it would be good for
all of us to eliminate TV entirely for a while," he said. "So starting tomorrow,
no TV."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you worship an idol? Probably not one of wood or stone-but do you spend far more time watching TV, reading comic books, or surfing the Internet than you do in things that promote fellowship with God? Don't worship an idol. Put Jesus first in your life. Spend time with Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hosea 13:4)
"Thou shalt know no god but Me. "

[Soldier4Christ]

 No Wicked Thing

Jeremy and Alicia were lying on the floor watching a television show when their parents arrived home. "What's on?" Dad asked as he sat down in his favorite easy chair.

"Oh, it's about an undercover policeman who's trying to break the mob's secret code." Jeremy kept his eyes glued to the television set as he answered.

"Oh, wow! Look at that, Jeremy!" Alicia, too, kept her eyes fastened on the TV. "He's breaking into the mob's warehouse where they store their drugs. See there . . . he's got a shotgun, and he's going to blast the bad guys."

"Wait! There's his girlfriend-I wonder if they're going to kill her?"

 "I hope not!" exclaimed Alicia. "She and that cop just fell in love at the beginning of the show!" Just then the sound of gunfire pierced the stillness of the living room, followed by a torrent of staccato machine-gun fire. The mobsters began to fall to the ground while the hero continued to recklessly shoot around the warehouse. "Oh, wow!" exclaimed Alicia. "I wonder if anybody survived that?"

Dad got up, walked over to the TV set, and turned it off. "I thought you two knew better than to watch such a program," he said. "Doesn't that violence bother you?"

"It's not real," Alicia protested weakly.

"Real or not, this kind of entertainment is wrong," replied Dad. "In fact, just this morning I read some verses that talk about these kinds of shows."

"Aw, Dad, the Bible doesn't mention TV shows," objected Jeremy.

Dad frowned. "No, not by name," he said, "but Psalm 101 says, 'I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.' Wouldn't you say that could be applied to programs like the one you were watching?"

"You kids did not make a good choice when you picked that show," said Mom.

Dad shook his head. "No, you didn't, and after this," he added, "the rule is no TV when we're not here." Mom nodded in agreement.

"But there's nothing better to watch," protested Jeremy.

"You forgot one option," said Dad. "You could-and should-turn the TV off." He smiled. "Now, how about if Mom and I challenge you two to a board game? Alicia, you choose one, okay?" Alicia grinned and went to get a game.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you watch TV programs that have violence or inappropriate suggestions? Do the programs make sin look glamorous and desirable? Do they make you forget God and His principles? Be very careful about what you "set before your eyes" when you're reading books, looking at magazines, or watching television. Choose activities that don't require you to participate visually or mentally in wrong things.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. Psalm 101:3

[Soldier4Christ]

"Wow, Mom! That was a good supper," said Luke one evening. "Yummy, yummy, yummy!"

"Thank you, honey," said Mom. "I'm glad you liked it." She smiled and shook her head. "When I see you nibbling between meals, I'm sometimes afraid it will spoil your appetite, but I guess it didn't."

"Naw, you don't need to worry about that," said Luke. "I'm always ready for meals-I've got a good appetite all the time!"

Dad grinned as he reached for the family Bible. "How about your appetite for spiritual food?" he asked. "We need regular meals, both for our bodies and our souls. We'll have some spiritual food now by reading some verses from God's Word." As he turned the pages of the Bible, he asked, "Have you been nibbling on spiritual food between meals, too?"

Luke was puzzled. "How would I do that?"

Dad smiled. "How do you think?" he asked.

"Well . . . I guess regular Bible reading and family devotions would be like regular mealtime," said Luke thoughtfully. "Maybe nibbling between spiritual meals would be . . . ah . . . thinking about things I've learned in church and Sunday school, and going over verses I've memorized."

"Good," said Dad. "I hope you do that often."

Luke grinned. "Well, I don't know. I don't want Mom worrying about my appetite again," he teased.

Mom and Dad laughed. "I find it interesting that while
nibbling between meals might curb our appetites for physical food, nibbling
between spiritual meals generally increases our appetites for spiritual food,"
said Dad. "So go ahead and nibble. Throughout the day, keep going over those
Bible verses and meditating on what you've learned from God's Word and on how
you can apply it to your life."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you get spiritual food through daily Bible reading? Throughout the day, think often about what God says. Enjoy peace, comfort, and joy, and receive instruction as you meditate on verses you've learned.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Jeremiah 15:16)
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart."

[Soldier4Christ]

Hardy's Department Store was having a grand opening, and Mom had let Mike take two-year-old Andy in his stroller to walk downtown and see what was going on. As they approached the area, Mike saw a clown blowing up helium balloons at the front of the store and giving them away to the children. "May we have balloons, please?" Mike asked politely.

"Sure thing," boomed the clown. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue," answered Mike without hesitation.

The clown filled a blue balloon and handed it to Mike. "And what color would you like, young man?" he asked Andy.

"Wahyo boon!" shouted Andy bouncing up and down.

"Well, I hope this won't go 'boom' for you too quickly," said the clown, smiling as he selected a green balloon and handed it to Andy.

Andy pulled back. "No! Wahyo boon," he insisted. "Wan wahyo boon!"

At the clown's puzzled look, Mike laughed. "He says he wants a yellow balloon."

Grinning, the clown filled a yellow balloon. "I hope you appreciate your brother, little guy," he said as he handed it to Andy. "He does a good job of interpreting for you."

When Dad came home that evening, Andy proudly showed him his yellow balloon, and Mike explained how he got it. Dad grinned as he picked up Andy. "It's a good thing your brother can understand you," he said.

"You know," said Dad as they watched Andy play with his balloon that evening, "I was just thinking that we're all a little like Andy." He smiled when Mom and Mike looked at him curiously. "He needed help in speaking, and Mike was able to help him. All of us sometimes need that kind of help-I'm thinking of when we pray. We often don't know what to say or even what to ask God for, but God has given His Holy Spirit to help us. He makes our requests clear and 'just right' before God."

Mom nodded. "I'm thankful for that," she said, "and it
encourages me to keep praying!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel like you don't know how to pray? Like the prayers of Mom and Dad or your pastor would accomplish more than your prayers? The Holy Spirit will take your prayers and make them just right. Keep praying.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 8:26)
"We know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit Itself maketh intercession for us."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mmmm . . . smells good in here," said Monica as she and Kayla stepped into the kitchen. Monica had come home from church with Kayla.

Kayla nodded. "What's cooking, Mom?" she asked.

"Beef stew." Mom smiled as she lifted the cover off a crockpot. "I hope you like it, Monica."

When Monica murmured an answer no one could understand, Kayla looked at her suspiciously. "You don't like stew!" exclaimed Kayla. "I can tell!" She laughed. "Not to worry, Monica. You'll like this. Mom's stew is super good-trust me!"

When they began to eat, Monica reluctantly tried the stew. To her surprise, it was very good! "This is great!" she said. "I even like the vegetables."

Kayla's father smiled. "Aren't you glad you had faith in what Kayla said and did?" The girls looked at him curiously. "When you first heard we were having stew for dinner, Kayla was delighted. She has faith in her mother's cooking because she's tasted it before," explained Dad. "Monica, you were willing to try the stew because Kayla liked it, but it wasn't until you tasted it yourself that you really believed it was good, right?" Monica nodded.

"In a way, it's like that with our faith," continued Dad. "Our faith is based on God's unchanging Word, the Bible. We become interested in God because of the testimony of others who have proven that what He says is true, but we still have to step out in faith and decide to trust God ourselves. We're saved through faith. Then as we learn more about God and about His care for people who put their faith in Him, we learn to trust Him in all circumstances."

Kayla grinned mischievously. "So because Monica knew I liked Mom's stew, she tried it," she said, "but you know I don't always like the things Mom makes."

"No, but you know it's always good for you," said Mom.
"In the spiritual realm, we may not always like to obey God or like what He
allows to enter our lives, but we know it's always good for us. Accepting it in
faith is pleasing to Him."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you trust God through the happy times in your life? Through sad or difficult times? The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews tells of people who had faith in God through all kinds of circumstances. Make up your mind to believe and trust Him, too, in every situation He allows to enter your life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 11:6)
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)."

[Soldier4Christ]

While Theo's parents were away one hot summer day, Theo took his new magnifying glass and a pad and pencil outdoors to work on a nature project for school. At the edge of a neighbor's garden, he picked a wild flower and examined it. Then he put it down, propped his magnifying glass so he could see the flower through it, and sketched it on his pad. "Cool," he murmured to himself, "but that's enough for now."

Some time after returning home, Theo realized that he had forgotten to pick up his magnifying glass. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed when he hurried out to get it. The heat of the sun through the glass had started a small fire among the dead leaves on the ground. Theo ran and stomped out the fire, but it left an ugly black, burned spot on the edge of the Prestons' flower garden.

Frightened, Theo hurried home. A few minutes later, he saw Mr. Preston walk over and look at the scorched ground before coming to Theo's house. Mr. Preston rang the bell several times, but Theo didn't answer it.

As Mr. Preston turned to leave, Theo's parents arrived home. Mr. Preston talked with them a few minutes and then returned to his own home.

Soon Theo found himself ringing Mr. Preston's doorbell. Dad had sent him right over to apologize.

Back home, Theo reported what Mr. Preston had told him. "He knew I never intended to start a fire," said Theo. "He just wanted me to face up to being careless. Since I did that now, he forgave me." Dad nodded as Theo added. "When he came over, I should have invited him in and apologized, and he would have forgiven me right away."

"That's a lot like what Jesus does for us," said Dad thoughtfully. "He wants to forgive people, but they need to first acknowledge their sin and let Him come into their lives. He doesn't come in uninvited."

"There's a Bible verse about that, isn't there?" asked
Theo. "A song, too." He started to sing . . . "Behold! Behold! I stand at the
door and knock, knock, knock. . . ."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you running and hiding from your sin? Jesus wants to forgive you. When you're sorry for your sin and ask Him to come into your heart and life and take control, He will.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Revelation 3:20)
"I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in."

[Soldier4Christ]

When Carrie and her brother Toby came home from school one day, the family dog ran to meet them. "Hey there, Butch," said Carrie. She reached down to pet him as he bounced back and forth between her and Toby, eagerly wagging his tail.

"Hi, kids. How was school today?" asked Mom. Carrie frowned and plunked her books down on the kitchen table. "Something wrong?" asked Mom.

"Well . . ." Carrie hesitated. Then the story tumbled out. "When Tammi came into our classroom at school today, she waved and smiled real big. I was so glad, because she usually doesn't even talk to me. I waved and smiled back, but she frowned and looked funny at me. Then she smiled again, and this time she said, 'Hey, Robin! Let's play together at recess time.' So she wasn't waving and smiling at me at all, only at Robin who was right behind me." Tears filled Carrie's eyes, and Butch came over and put his chin on her knee.

"I'm sorry, honey. I know that hurts-I've had the same sort of thing happen to me," comforted Mom, putting an arm around Carrie.

"At least Butch likes me," murmured Carrie as the dog snuggled against her.

Mom smiled. "Lots of people-including kids-like you," she said, "but when we have a disappointing experience, we should learn from it. Think for a minute about the kids at school and at church. Are you always friendly to each one of them? Do you greet each and every one with a smile?"

Carrie was thoughtful. "I will from now on," she said with determination. "I'll remember how it hurt to have someone snub me-and how good it felt to have Butch like me." She patted the dog. "I'll be friendly like Butch instead of nasty like Tammi!"

"Careful how you talk about her," warned Mom. "Be
friendly to Tammi, too. Who knows? Some day she may respond. I remember that
Grandmother Hearne used to tell us to always be generous with smiles. That was
good advice. You never know what impact your smile might have on someone's
life."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you smile at and greet only those you like best? A friendly smile to others is the least you can do. In Bible times it was the custom to greet each other with a kiss (see today's verse). If Peter were writing today, perhaps he would tell us to greet one another with a warm smile. Do that for God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Peter 5:14)
"Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity (love)."