Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Bradley shivered and tightened his hood as he stood with his mother in an outdoor courtyard. They were waiting to see an ice sculptor carve the huge block of ice that stood in the center of the yard. Bradley shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's cold here!" he exclaimed. "Will it be much longer?"

"About five minutes," Mom answered as she glanced at her watch. "Do you still want to wait?" Bradley nodded.

Mom was right, and soon an announcer stepped up on the platform. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so glad you could join us on this cold, snowy evening," he said. "I guarantee that you won't be disappointed as you watch what happens to this block of ice. Now . . . without further ado, I give you Ice Artist Sam Price!"

A man carrying several different types of chisels and picks leaped up onto the platform. He even had a chain saw, and he used that first. As he worked, using various tools, the block of ice started taking on a whole new shape. Before long, a beautiful eagle with outstretched wings stood before them.

As the sculptor made a wide, sweeping motion toward the eagle and then took a bow, the crowd erupted into loud cheers. "Wow! He's good!" exclaimed Bradley. "That old block of ice sure changed."

Mom smiled. "Yes, it did," she agreed. "Bradley, can you guess what this reminds me of?"

"Of the time Tommy brought some icicles into the house-and that you're glad this thing won't melt all over your kitchen floor?" suggested Bradley with a grin.

Mom laughed. "That, too," she agreed, "but something even more important."

"Uh . . . I give up," said Bradley. "What?"

"I'm reminded of what Jesus does for us," said Mom. "That
sculptor gave the block of ice a whole new beauty, and the Bible says that Jesus
makes us a 'new creation' when we accept Him as Savior. When He enters our
lives, we take on a whole new beauty, too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a "new creation"? Does Jesus make a difference in what you think and feel? Do you feel guilty when you lie, cheat, or disobey? Do you enjoy hearing about Jesus and being with kids who know Him, too? Do you like to please Him? If you're not sure you've been made a new creation, make sure today.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Corinthians 5:17)
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature."

[Soldier4Christ]

Chris followed his dad and sister Emma as they walked through the city zoo-but all he could think about was how his life was going to change because they were moving to a different town.

"Enjoying your last visit to this zoo?" asked Dad.

Chris shrugged. "I practically know the information about these animals by heart." He sighed. "The hippo is responsible for more deaths in the wild than any other animal. The flamingos are pink because of the shrimp they eat. The bears . . ."

Dad interrupted him. "I guess you won't miss the zoo when we move to Smithville."

"Not as much as I'll miss my friends and school," said Chris. "I really don't want to move."

Dad nodded understandingly. "I'll miss the impalas," he said after a moment.

Chris looked up in surprise. "The impalas?" he asked. "Sometimes I think they're the dumbest animals here." He pointed. "Look, there they are-over there. Do you know why they don't have cages?"

"Why?" asked Emma.

"Because they're big chickens," said Chris. "They're great jumpers, but they won't jump unless they can see where their feet will land. All they need is a small hedge around them, and they'll never escape."

"Is that true, Dad?" asked Emma.

"I believe so," agreed Dad. He smiled. "If you were an impala, would you jump, Chris?"

"I would," said Emma.

"Except that if we were impalas," said Chris, "we probably wouldn't know enough to jump, either."

"What if you were a twelve-year-old boy, who was scared to move because you didn't know what it would be like?" asked Dad. "What if your parents told you it would be okay and you just had to trust them-and trust God. Would you jump to the new place?"

"Well, I . . . okay, I get the point," said Chris after a moment. "I guess I can't live inside a hedge forever."

"Not if God has a better place," Dad agreed.

"Okay, I'll jump," said Chris. "Come on. Lets go see the
impalas. Maybe we can convince them to jump, too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you scared when you're facing something new? Sometimes God gives you a chance to meet new people, take on a new responsibility or try a different, worthwhile activity. If there's something you feel God wants you to do, trust Him and give it a try. If you never take that leap of faith, you'll never know how good it can be.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Corinthians 5:7)
"We walk by faith, not by sight."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Catherine, you know you can't take that book to Amy's house," Mom reminded her daughter.

Catherine looked at the book she was packing in her overnight bag. "Why not?" she asked. "It's a really good book."

"But it's not a Christian book," said Mom. "You know Aunt Kathy doesn't let Amy read books like that one."

"But you don't mind this book," said Catherine. "Don't I just have to obey you and Dad?"

Mom shook her head as she tried to explain. "It's not about obedience," she said. "It's about love and respect."

Catherine looked at the book again. "But I'm not going to try and get Amy to read it," she protested. "She can read whatever she wants-or whatever Aunt Kathy wants her to read."

"Do you remember how uncomfortable you were at Madison's birthday party last month?" asked Mom. "You said the kids rented a movie you knew we wouldn't like." Catherine nodded. She had tried not to watch the movie, but it was hard not to see it, and it had made her feel guilty. She had finally told her parents about it.

"Well, if you take that book into Amy's house, you might make her uncomfortable," said Mom. "You may even be tempting her to read it herself. That could cause an argument with her mother-it may even cause her to disobey her mom."

"And it would be my fault?" Catherine asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe partly at least," Mom agreed. "Even though the book may not be bad, bad things could happen if you don't respect other people's feelings? Can you understand that?"

Catherine nodded. "This book isn't that important to me," she decided, putting it back and scanning the shelf for another one.

Mom gave Catherine a hug. "I think you made a very loving
decision," she said.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you ever disagreed with other Christians about what is right? Do their rules sometimes conflict with yours? There are many little matters that Christians don't agree on. What is important is that you show love by respecting their rules and feelings.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 14:13)
"Let . . . no man put a stumbling block . . . in his brother's way."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom," called Shelby as her mother walked past her room, "may I invite Leslie to come over and work on our class project?"

Mom stopped. "I have people coming over today," she said. "Isn't it your turn to work at her house?"

"Yes," admitted Shelby, "but her room is always such a mess! I can't even sit down without landing on a pile of dirty laundry. I hate working in a mess like that."

"Why don't you just offer to help her tidy up before you work on your project?" suggested Mom.

Shelby wrinkled her nose. "But that would mean more work for me! I'll just tell her I can't make it today," she said.

Mom looked sternly at Shelby. "But you can make it."

"She won't know that," said Shelby.

Mom frowned. "I see. Well . . . then why don't you tell her you have a really sore arm and won't be able to write for a long time?" asked Mom. "Tell her she'll have to do the project by herself."

"Mom!" Shelby was shocked. "That would be lying."

"You're right," agreed Mom. "Tell me something-the dirty clothes Leslie has lying around . . . are they old and ugly, or are they nice clothes."

Shelby looked suspiciously at Mom. "What difference does that make? They're dirty and in the way, no matter what kind of clothes they are."

Mom smiled. "And lies are lies, no matter how nicely they're said." She looked around the room. "I'm glad to see that your room is clean and your clothes are hung up," said Mom, "but lies and deceit make ugly clutter in your heart just like dirty laundry makes ugly clutter in a room. It makes no difference to God if they're pretty, nice-sounding lies or big, ugly lies. What He sees is a messy heart. Lying is wrong even if your friend doesn't find out."

Shelby sighed. Then she went to the closet, took out some empty hangers, and started for the door. "Where are you going with those?" Mom asked.

"To Leslie's house," answered Shelby, "to help her clean
up the clutter."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
What does your heart look like? Is it neat and clean, or is it cluttered with sin? God doesn't judge sin by how "big" or "small" it is. All sin-no matter how carefully it's done-is wrong. Is there pride, selfishness, anger, or any other sin in your life? If so, confess it to God, and ask Him to cleanse you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 51:2)
"Cleanse me from my sin."

[Soldier4Christ]

"A dog of my own!" exclaimed Marc in delight when Mom and Dad gave him a puppy for his birthday. "I'm going to name him Buffy." He hugged the puppy. "Next to Rex, he looks so little!" added Marc, referring to the family dog.

Mom smiled. "Let's hope they get along," she said. "It will be your job to train your dog and care for him."

Marc spent hours playing with both Rex and his new puppy. He taught Buffy to fetch a stick and roll over and to come when he was called. Then one day Dad brought home a leash and a collar. "It's time to teach Buffy to walk quietly at your side," said Dad, and a new part of Buffy's training began.

The collar was called a "choker," and whenever the puppy pulled at the leash, the choker tightened around his neck. He whined, and Marc knew he didn't like it at all. "I don't think Buffy's choker fits right," said Marc. "Rex doesn't seem to mind wearing one, but Buffy does."

Mom smiled. "Rex is used to the collar and doesn't fight it," she said. "He knows that he needs to stay close to you. Buffy will soon learn that, too."

Later that evening, Marc studied his Bible club verse. "What's a yoke?" he asked. "This verse says we're supposed to take Jesus' yoke. What is that?"

"Well," said Mom, "it might be a burden or problem or a special task-whatever Jesus wants us to bear for His sake in order to teach us a valuable lessen or to serve Him."

"But this verse says His yoke is easy," said Marc. "Those things don't sound easy."

"They're a little like Buffy's collar and leash," explained Mom. "As long as he doesn't fight it, it's easy on him."

"Like it is on Rex," put in Marc.

Mom nodded. "And as long as we don't fight the will of
God, any yoke Jesus puts on us is easy," she explained. "Like Rex, we're
comfortable with it. That doesn't mean we don't go through hard things, but it
means that as we go through them, we willingly yield to God. When we do that, it
makes a tremendous difference."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think you can have more fun by doing your own thing and ignoring what God wants of you? You can't. Acknowledge God's claim on your life and willingly serve Him. With His help, follow His commands. Work hard, be honest, kind, and loving. Life will be not only worthwhile but also enjoyable.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 11:30)
"My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, can Jeff and I go to Mike's house?" asked Noah one day. "He called to ask if we could come swim in his pool." Mom agreed, so the boys ran off to get their swim suits. Soon they were ready to leave.

"Good-bye, boys," said Mom. "Be good."

"We will," they promised.

Their sister Rachel laughed. "Easy to say," she teased, "but impossible for the two of you to do. Being good is not included among your talents."

After the boys had gone, Rachel turned to her mother. "I know that when you tell us to be good you're telling us to behave ourselves nicely," she said, "but if we take those words literally, we can't do it, can we? Nobody is good-except God, right? My memory verse says, 'There is no one who does good, not even one.'"

Mom smiled. "Well, let's think about that," she said. "It's true that in God's sight nobody is good in himself. That verse is pointing out that everybody is a sinner and needs to receive Jesus and His goodness, or righteousness, to go to heaven. After we're saved, Jesus lives in us, so we can do good things as we depend on Him to help us."

"I didn't think of that," said Rachel.

"You've learned Ephesians 2:10, haven't you?" asked Mom. "It says we're 'created in Christ Jesus to do good works.'"

"Oh, I guess I did learn that verse," remembered Rachel. As she spoke, the phone rang and she ran to the kitchen to answer it. "Mom," said Rachel when she returned, "that was Angela. She asked if I could go with her and her mom to the ice cream shop. Is that okay? They're going right away."

"That's okay," agreed Mom. She grinned as she added, "Be
good!" Rachel grinned back.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you "good"? You can't be good in yourself. When you know Jesus, you need to depend on Him to help you show love, do your best in school, be gracious and helpful and kind, and witness for Him. As He works through you, you can "do good" for Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Eph. 2:10)
"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works."

[Soldier4Christ]

Tim whistled as he went to the cupboard and got out a loaf of bread. "How was school today?" asked Mom.

"Good," replied Tim. As he buttered the bread, he added, "There's a new kid in my class. His name is Jake, and he's a Christian."

"That's good news," said Mom. "Do you know if his family has found a church they like?"

Tim nodded. "Yep. They go to People's Church," he said.

"They do?" asked Mom. "Well, honey, that church is part of a religious group that doesn't believe many of the biblical truths."

"But it must be a good church," protested Tim. "Jake brings his Bible to school and everything."

"They do have some good points-they even claim to believe the Bible," said Mom, "but they don't believe the whole Bible, just parts of it."

"Well, isn't the part they do believe good?" asked Tim. He stopped speaking and looked at the bread he was holding. "This looks kind of funny," he said. He sniffed it. "It smells funny, too."

Mom went over to look. "It's moldy!" she exclaimed. "Throw that away and get a loaf from the freezer."

"I'm glad I didn't take a bite of this," said Tim. As he got out a new loaf, he added, "I still think Jake's a Christian. His church can't be all bad."

"I don't know Jake's heart, so I don't know if he's a Christian," said Mom, "but . . ." She pointed to Tim's sandwich. "What if you had put that nice, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and fresh meat on the moldy bread? Then would you have had a good sandwich?"

"Of course not," said Tim. "Why are you asking such a funny question?"

"I want you to see that Jake's church is like a sandwich made with some good parts and some bad parts," replied Mom. "In fact, they've left out a most important part-they don't believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven."

"Really?" asked Tim. "That is bad! I'll have to ask Jake
what he believes."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know of people who claim to believe the Bible but not all of it? Be careful. All of the Bible is true. God says to "test the spirits"-check out what they teach about Jesus to determine whether they are truly from God. It's absolutely necessary to believe in Jesus as the only way to heaven.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 John 4:1)
"Try the spirits whether they are of God."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Meek old Mr. Martin couldn't hurt a flea," the girls sang as they jumped rope. Dad enjoyed watching them, but this particular rhyme bothered him. Every new verse began with the words "Meek old Mr. Martin," and it went on to describe another way in which he was weak.

At dinner, Dad asked Kirsten if she knew the meaning of the word meek. "Sure," Kirsten responded. "It means to be chicken." She laughed as she thought about the rhyme.

"That's one meaning for the word," acknowledged Dad, "but it's often not the best one. Did you know that the Bible says the meek are 'blessed'-and that it also refers to the 'meekness' of Jesus? Do you think He was chicken?"

"Of course not," answered Kirsten. She was surprised at the thought of Jesus being meek.

"I don't think so, either," agreed Dad. "Jesus was quite the opposite! He knew how He would suffer in coming to earth and going to the cross, but He came anyway."

"But then what does that word mean?" asked Kirsten.

"Another word for meekness is humility," said Dad. "It's human nature to be proud and to look after ourselves first, but the Bible teaches Christians to strive to be meek, or humble." Dad smiled. "I just want to be sure you know that being meek is often a good thing."

Kirsten thought about that. "I guess we should make up a different rhyme," she decided. "Just so nobody gets confused, we could change it to . . . ah . . . to 'Weak old Willie Weller' instead of 'Meek old Mr. Martin.' What do you think?"

"I guess that would work," said Dad, "but don't you think it would be even nicer if you made it say something kind-like 'Nice old Nellie Norton,' and then it could describe some nice thing she did?"

Kirsten shrugged, then nodded. "Sure," she agreed. "That
would work just as well." She grinned. "We'll see who can make the best
rhyme."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you meek? God doesn't want you to be fearful, but He does want you to be humble. Jesus became a humble servant for you, and God desires you to be humble, too-not proud.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Peter 5:5)
"God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."

[Soldier4Christ]

Simon's shoulders slumped as he dropped his bike in the driveway and joined his dad in the garage. "What's wrong, Son?" Dad asked as he sanded the chair he had recently made.

"I just visited Grandma Reese." Simon sighed and picked up a piece of sandpaper. "I don't understand her, Dad."

"What don't you understand?" asked Dad.

"Well . . . I know the doctors can't cure her disease-and she knows it, too-but she actually seems happy about it." Simon started to help Dad sand an arm of the chair. "She keeps talking about heaven and how great it's going to be and how she can't wait to see Jesus-stuff like that."

Dad put down his sandpaper and looked at Simon. "Do you remember the old apartment we used to live in?" asked Dad.

Simon stopped working. "Sure I do! It was a mess. Pipes leaked and the paint was chipping. The floorboards were all rough and rotting."

"How did you feel when you found out we were going to move?" asked Dad.

"Good!" exclaimed Simon, and he started sanding again. "That place was just falling apart."

Dad nodded. "That's pretty much what it's like for Grandma Reese," he said. "She's stuck inside a body that's falling apart-just like our old apartment was. In heaven, she'll have a beautiful new home, and she'll also have a brand new body. She won't be in pain all the time. Even better, she'll get to see Jesus. That's a lot to look forward to."

"I guess so." Simon scuffed his toe on the garage floor. "I just hate to think of her dying."

"I know . . . I know," agreed Dad. "Grandma's death will
be hard for us because we'll miss her, but it won't be hard for her at all.
She'll finally get a new body and a new home with God, so even while it makes us
sad, we can be happy for her."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you afraid of dying? If you trust Jesus as Savior, you don't need to be. You'll be leaving an imperfect home and going to a perfect one in heaven. You'll have a special, new body, and you'll be at home with God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Philippians 3:21)
"Who (Jesus) shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body."

[Soldier4Christ]

As Ben and Meg played in their grandmother's attic one day, Ben found a small case filled with an assortment of carved wooden shapes. "Look at this!" he said to his sister. "It looks like some kind of puzzle."

"Grandpa used to carve things," said Meg. "I'll bet he made it." Together they studied the pieces.

"Let's see if we can put it together," suggested Ben. As they worked, Ben tossed aside a piece that was painted red. "This must belong to another puzzle," he said. "It looks way different from the other pieces."

Some time later, Meg looked up and sighed. "This just won't go together,"she said. "Maybe it's nothing but a pile of odd pieces of wood. Let's forget it."

Ben agreed, and they began to put the pieces back in the box. "Hey, wait a minute," said Meg as she put the last piece in. "What about that red piece you threw away?" She looked around. "Here it is! Maybe it does belong to the puzzle after all. Let's try it again."

Ben sighed but turned the box over, and the pieces came tumbling out. He picked up the red piece, and to his surprise, the other pieces fit easily around it. Soon the entire puzzle was finished. Instead of a pile of odd shapes, they now had a smooth, polished wooden ball.

When Ben and Meg went downstairs, they showed the puzzle to their grandmother and told her about the odd red piece. "That's just like your grandpa-painting the key piece red so it's easier to find," she said, "but you two threw it out because it was different." She smiled. "Your grandpa used it in a Bible club once to illustrate what people often do when they're trying to find answers as to how they got here, where they're going, and whether there's any purpose to their lives."

"I don't get it," said Meg.

"Many people go through life searching for answers to
those questions," said Grandma. "The trouble is, they reject God and Jesus and
try to find the answers by themselves. They don't understand that the pieces of
their lives will never 'fit together' right until they put Christ in the center,
where He belongs."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
What's at the center of your life? Is it your family? Your friends? Yourself? Family and friends are good, but for eternal joy and happiness, you need Jesus. Trust Him as Savior today.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 6:33)
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Did you pick up your toys, David?" asked Mom.

   "Yep," said David as he popped up on a kitchen stool. "What are you making?"

   "Cinnamon rolls," replied Mom.

   "Oh, yummy!" exclaimed David. He watched as his mother tore open a small package and poured its contents into a cup of water. "What did you put in there?"

   Mom smiled. "Yeast. It makes the dough expand, or grow, so the bread will be light," she explained as she poured the liquid into a large bowl. Then she sifted flour into it and set it aside. "Why are you quitting?" asked David. "The rolls aren't done."

   "We have to let the dough rise for about an hour," Mom answered. "Then we'll make the rolls."

   Mom smiled when she walked into David's bedroom a little later. There was not one toy in sight! But when she opened the toy chest to put away a truck she had found in the family room, she frowned. There were no toys in the chest, either! She sighed and picked up the edge of the bedspread. There, under the bed, were the toys.

   When Mom went to finish the rolls, David bounded into the kitchen. "Can I help?" he begged. His eyes grew big as he looked at the bowl in his mother's hands. "The dough looks like it's about to spill over!" he exclaimed.

   Mom nodded. "That's what the yeast did to the dough," she said. She punched down the dough with her fist as she continued, "David, why did you tell me you had picked up your toys?"

   David looked down. "I . . . I . . . I did." Mom shook her head. "What I meant is I put 'em out of sight," added David.

   "First of all, you did not obey me, and then you felt you
had to lie about it," Mom said sternly. "Sin is like the yeast in this dough,
David-it often grows. One sin leads to another. Now-you have a job to do. Go to
your room and put your toys where they belong. When I get these rolls into the
oven, we'll talk about what you did and what your discipline will
be."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
In the Bible leaven, or yeast, generally refers to sin. Today's verse shows what happens when it's present. No sin is little in God's sight, and sins that seem to be little in man's sight usually multiply. If you have told a lie or know of some other sin in your life, confess it now. Don't wait and let it grow.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Galatians 5:6)
"A little leaven (yeast) leaveneth the whole lump."

[Soldier4Christ]

As Quon and his friends walked to the ball park one spring day, they cut across the lawn of a large brick house on a corner lot. One day the owner of the house was working outdoors when they came by. "I know it's a big temptation to cut corners," said Mr. Warren, "but I'd appreciate it if you would use the sidewalk so there won't be a path worn in the grass. Okay?"

"Sure thing," agreed the boys.

The next day they crossed over Mr. Warren's lawn again. "Hey," said Quon, suddenly remembering their promise, "we said we'd use the sidewalk."

"So what? The old man didn't catch us," snapped one of the boys. "Anyway, how much harm can we cause just walking across his lawn once in a while?"

Day after day the boys used the short cut. By the end of the summer, a definite path appeared in the area where they had walked.

As Quon passed the house on his way home one day, Mr. Warren was working on his lawn. "You boys didn't keep your promise very well," said Mr. Warren.

Quon shrugged. "I guess we didn't think that walking on the grass once in a while would do much damage."

Mr. Warren shook his head ever so slightly. "Doing it a few times probably wouldn't make too big an impression, but doing it over and over leaves a mark. Guess it's pretty much like a bad habit that way." He looked at Quon from beneath bushy eyebrows. "Better keep that in mind if you're tempted by any other bad habit," he said. "Some habits leave much worse marks than the path worn in the grass."

Quon thought of the temptations he sometimes faced
-temptations to smoke, try drugs or alcohol, or participate in questionable
"fun." He was surprised to hear Mr. Warren's next words. "I'm talking about
ordinary things," said Mr. Warren. "Things like disobeying your parents or
putting off doing something nice for somebody. Those are things that leave
marks, too. They're things that God is concerned about."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you avoid developing bad habits such as smoking or swearing? Good-but how about talking back to your parents, putting off things that should be done today, or neglecting your chores? Has something like that become a habit? Don't let bad habits control your life. With God's help you can break them.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:133)
"Let not any iniquity have dominion over me."

[Soldier4Christ]

Chad entered the back door, grunted a "hi" at his mom, headed for his room, and slammed the door as he tossed his books down on the bed. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on his wall. He had to admit it-he didn't like what he saw. His hair stuck out in all directions. His hands were filthy, his scuffed tennis shoes were untied, and there was a tear in his pants. It probably came from sliding into second base in the ball game at recess.

Just then there was a knock on his bedroom door. "Chad," his mother called, "may I come in?"

"Sure, Mom," replied Chad.

"What's wrong, Chad?" asked Mom. "You came in the door all clouded over, and that's not like you."

Chad sighed. "It's just that Cassie makes me so mad," he said. "I passed her on the way home from school, and she told me I was an ugly sight. She oughta remember that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. It's the inside that counts."

"Hmmm . . . I guess I need to have a talk with your sister," mused Mom. "That was no way for her to talk to you. But you know what? You do look a bit of a mess. It would have taken only a moment to wash your hands and pull a comb through your hair."

"But that's not so important," insisted Chad. "Like my Bible verse last Sunday said, 'Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.'"

"The inside is definitely more important," said Mom, "but
the fact is that man does look at the outer appearance. It's all he can see."
Chad shrugged and bent down to tie his shoes. "Your appearance can even have an
effect on your testimony for the Lord," added Mom. "People are more likely to
listen to you if you're neat and clean than if you're sloppy and careless about
how you look." Chad looked at his dirty hands. "Go wash those," suggested Mom.
"Then come to the kitchen and have a snack."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you careful about your appearance? Jesus said vessels (and people) should be clean and pure on the inside-that's most important. But people can't see inside you, so take a look at yourself to see what others have to look at.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Samuel 16:7)
"Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Why do you say I should be the one to invite Uncle Jorge to church?" Philipe asked his brother Marc. "Aunt Polly always invites him, and he always says no. Besides, you're older than me, so I think you should ask him."

"Well, it was your idea to make a pledge to invite someone to come to the evangelistic meetings at church," said Marc, "so you have to do that. You might as well make it Uncle Jorge. Maybe he'll listen to you even when he won't listen to Aunt Polly. Sometimes people won't listen to those who are close to them."

Philipe sighed. "When I made that promise, it seemed so easy," he said, "but now it seems so hard."

"Philipe, I've got an errand for you," said Mom as she came into the room. "Renee is over at Aunt Polly's, and she needs to come home for supper. I can't call because the phone is out of order. Jump on your bike and go tell her it's time to come home. Okay?"

"Sure, Mom," agreed Philipe. "I'm on my way." He got up and started for the door.

Marc grinned at him. "Hey, Philipe, you're the errand boy for Mom, right?" Philipe nodded as he looked at his brother suspiciously. "My Bible club teacher says that when we go out of our way to do something we know God wants us to do, it's kind of like running errands for Him," added Marc. "Think about it."

 "Speak for yourself," mumbled Philipe as he got up to leave, but as he rode down the block to Aunt Polly's house, he did think about his brother's words. If I'm willing to run errands for Mom, I guess I should be willing to run them for God, too, he thought. It's scary, but I've got to try to do it.

Before he knew it, Philipe was turning into the driveway.
There was Uncle Jorge-watering Aunt Polly's flower garden. Well, here goes,
thought Philipe as his heart pounded against his chest. As soon as I've given
Renee Mom's message, I'll find Uncle Jorge and invite him to
church.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you willing to run errands for your parents? How about for God? One of the things He asks is that you give out the good news of salvation. Will you tell someone about Jesus, give a Gospel tract, or invite someone to church today?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Mark 16:15)
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

[Soldier4Christ]

The restaurant hostess led the Blake family to a table and handed them menus. "Your waitress will be with you in a minute. Enjoy your meal," she said.

Kyle didn't even open his menu. "I know what I want," he said. "A cheeseburger, french fries, and a large Coke."

Nadia watched a waitress bring a tray of food to the next table. "I don't think I'd like to be a waitress," she declared. "It looks like hard work."

"It is," agreed Mom. "A good waitress must be courteous, efficient, and have a good memory."

"And be fast," added Kyle. "I wish she would hurry. I don't like to wait, especially when I'm hungry."

"Be patient, Kyle," said Dad. "She'll soon be here to wait on us."

"On Thee do I wait all the day," quoted Nadia. "Do you remember? We read that this morning in our devotions. I hope we don't have to wait for our food all day!"

Dad smiled. "You remember what that verse means, don't you?" he asked.

"It means we should patiently wait for God to work things out in His own time, right?" asked Kyle.

"I know," agreed Nadia, "but maybe we should also wait on the Lord all day like the waitress waits on customers all day. She serves them, and we can serve God." She grinned. "We can be His waiters and waitresses."

Dad nodded. "Good thought! While we're waiting for Him to come or to work out His will in some situation, we can wait on Him by doing the work He has left us."

"Things like praying for others, witnessing to them, and helping them," suggested Mom.

"May I help you?" interrupted a soft voice.

"You sure may," said Kyle with a grin.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a good "waiter or waitress for the Lord"? Do you cheerfully look for ways to help others? Do you pray, witness, do chores, show kindness? What have you done to serve God? Make plans today to "wait on" the Lord.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Mark 9:41)
"Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name . . . shall not lose his reward."