Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"There sure are lots of apples on your trees this year!" exclaimed Todd as he and his uncle walked through the apple orchard. Todd grinned and added, "I can't wait for a piece of Aunt Susan's apple pie." His aunt always served her warm, juicy pie with big scoops of ice cream!

Uncle Mike smiled. "I'm looking forward to that pie, too," he said as they began to pick apples. "I'm very thankful for the good crop of apples this year. Last year the weather wasn't good for them, and the crop was very small."

"I remember that," said Todd. "The trees didn't get enough rain last year, did they?"

Uncle Mike shook his head. "No, it was pretty dry," he said. "They didn't get much sunshine, either. We had a rather unusual summer-dry and cool." They soon filled their basket with apples. "Hey, Todd, here's something to think about," said Uncle Mike as they started back to the house. "Just like trees soak up the sun-spelled s-u-n-in order to bear fruit, you need the Son-this time spelled S-o-n-in order to produce fruit in your life."

"You lost me, Uncle Mike," said Todd with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

"Many people do their best to produce the 'fruit' of good deeds," explained Uncle Mike. "They hope all their good deeds will earn them an entrance into heaven."

"That's not right," said Todd. "They need to trust in Jesus to go to heaven."

"Exactly," agreed Uncle Mike. "Without Jesus, the Son of God, they really can't even produce fruit. Ephesians 5:11 refers to 'unfruitful works of darkness.' Things people do may look good to them-it may look like fruit to them, but it really isn't. In God's sight, it's worthless. Even Christians can't produce fruit without Jesus' help-He told His disciples that without Him they could do nothing." Uncle Mike smiled at Todd. "Like I said, you need Jesus, God's Son, to produce fruit in your life."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think you do some pretty good things? You can do nothing good enough to save yourself. You need God's Son, Jesus. If you've never done so, accept Him as your Savior today. (See page 72.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Titus 3:5)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Why is my favorite nine-year-old so sad today?" asked Mom when she noticed Molly's unhappy face.

"Oh, Mom," whimpered Molly, "I'm no good at anything! I can't sing good like Cheryl, and I can't play the piano half as good as Tiara does!"

"You do fine," insisted Mom, "and I know something else you're very good at-helping me get lunch on the table. Dad will be home for lunch today, too." Molly smiled and seemed to forget her blue mood while they ate.

To the surprise of Molly and her mother, Dad sat down at the piano after lunch. He began to bang on the keys as he playfully-and loudly-sang off key. Giggling, Molly put her hands over her ears. "Daddy, please!" she shouted. "Give our ears a break!" Dad pretended to be offended as he stopped playing.

"Molly," said Mom, "you said you couldn't play the piano well, remember? But it all depends on who you compare yourself to. Compared to your father, you play very well."

Molly laughed as Dad objected. "Well, maybe so," she said, "but I'm not good at sports like Daddy is."

Mom chuckled. "But, Molly," she said, "you're much better at sports than I ever was!"

"Well . . . you do other things better than I do," said Molly. "Like decorating cakes-I wish I could do that."

"Give yourself time," encouraged Dad. "Mom's been at it a long, long time."

"Hey! Not so long," protested Mom, laughing. "But do you know what you're doing, Molly? You're constantly comparing yourself with others. Don't do that! You have lots of talents. Mrs. Pierce told me that you're one of the best altos in the junior choir."

"I know a verse from the Bible that you need to learn, Molly," said Dad. "First Peter 4:10. It tells us that God wants each of His children to develop their own talents. Don't waste your time comparing yourself with your friends. Don't try to be like them-just be yourself!"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you recognize your own talents? Or do you want to be like someone else? Do you often compare yourself with others? God wants you to be yourself. He wants you to serve others and Him as you use the gifts He has given you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Peter 4:10)
"As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another."

[Soldier4Christ]

Sondra pushed open the screen door of the ranch house and started down the desert path. She was going to play with Kellie Clark, her best friend and nearest neighbor. "You better get home before dark, or the spiders and snakes and coyotes will get you," teased her brother Nate.

Sondra made a face. She had no intention of being out after dark. She loved the desert with its prickly plants, shining rocks, and hot sand. But at night, desert breezes whistled eerily through the brush. It was easy to imagine bumping into the hard cactus spines or stumbling over a rattlesnake or feeling the fuzzy legs of a tarantula. Coyotes prowled at night, too. Their eyes glowed in the moonlight, and their way of slinking along told Sondra that they were up to no good.

At the Clark's ranch, Sondra and Kellie were soon squealing and shouting as they played outdoors. Then they went in to play a new game Kellie had gotten for her birthday. "I need to leave soon," said Sondra as she glanced out the window, but she became so interested in the game that she forgot the time. When Kellie's dad came in from work, Sondra realized that it was already getting dark. She jumped up. "I've gotta get home!" she exclaimed.

Mr. Clark smiled. "Being out alone at night can be scary, can't it?" he asked. "Kellie and I will walk home with you while her mom makes supper." Soon they were on their way.

"You made it," said Nate when Sondra arrived home. He grinned. "I bet you were scared every minute."

Sondra shook her head. "I wasn't scared at all," she said. "Mr. Clark and Kellie walked with me."

"So? That didn't change the desert," Nate told her.

"Having Mr. Clark along didn't change the desert at night," said Dad, who overheard the conversation, "but Sondra was no longer afraid because she no longer faced the desert night alone." He grinned. "Having someone with you helps you to be strong and courageous, and that's one reason I'm so glad I'm never alone," he added. "I always have God with me."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel fear when you're faced with new or scary situations? If you're a Christian, you don't have to face them alone. Be encouraged with the knowledge that God is with you always. Trust Him to help you at all times.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Haggai 2:4)
"Be strong . . . for I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts."

[Soldier4Christ]

As Jai turned his bike into the driveway, he skidded on gravel and fell, scraping his elbow. "It's just a couple of scratches. They don't hurt," he said, trying not to wince as Mom bandaged it. Actually, his arm hurt quite a bit, but Jai wouldn't admit it. He didn't want anybody to think he was a crybaby. "Is Dad still at the fire station?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Mom. She turned on the TV. "Let's see if the news has anything about that fire today."

As they watched, they were surprised to see a film clip of Jai's father climbing a tall ladder to help a man escape the burning house. "Wow! Dad is sure brave!" exclaimed Jai.

When Dad got home, dirty and smelling like smoke, Jai grinned. "Hey Dad," he said, "we saw you on TV!"

Dad didn't smile. Instead, he slumped down in a chair, put his face in his hands-and started to cry! Jai was horrified!

"What's wrong?" asked Mom. "Are you hurt?"

Dad wiped his eyes. "No, I'm all right. But the man we rescued from that burning house is in very serious condition, and I feel so bad for the family! They had no insurance, and his wife is very upset and . . . and just scared." Jai grew quiet and went to his room. A short time later, his father came in to see him. "Are you all right, Son?" Dad asked. "You seemed upset."

Jai looked away. "Well," he mumbled, "I thought men never . . . at least, a firemen wouldn't . . . well, I never thought you'd . . ." He stopped, uncertain what to say.

Dad smiled. "You mean you thought men never cried, or at least they weren't supposed to. Right?" Jai nodded. "I know I don't usually seem very emotional," continued Dad, "but I'm not ashamed to show that I have feelings. In fact, I wouldn't make a very good fireman-or Christian, either-if I didn't care about people. Jesus cried when His friend Lazarus died, remember? Do you think He was a wimp?"

"No. He was brave enough to go to the cross and die for us," Jai replied slowly. "I guess I've got a lot to learn about being a 'real man,' haven't I?"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think you should be "tough" -hiding your feelings to prove how brave you are? Jesus didn't hide His feelings, and He was no weakling. When you show that you share in either the joy or sorrow that others experience, you are an encouragement to them.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 12:15)
"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."

[Soldier4Christ]

Angie was bored and lonely. Samantha, her older sister, was on a weekend camping trip with a group of girls her age. "They could have asked me to go, too," muttered Angie as she kicked a shoe across her bedroom floor. She went to find her mother. "I'm too young to do anything that's fun!" she complained. "I'm too young to go camping. I'm too young to ride my bike in the street. I'm never old enough to do the things Samantha does. It's not fair!"

"You'll get to do those things soon enough, honey," Mom told her. "Don't try to rush through life. That will only make you unhappy." Mom picked up some pattern pieces. "I love to sew," she said, "and when you were a baby, I often pinned patterns on material, got out the scissors, and tried to cut the materials. I got interrupted so often that I never got much done. The twins were toddlers then, and your sister was five. You needed feeding or the boys needed a drink or your sister needed attention. It was the wrong season of my life to sew, so I put the patterns away."

"You sew now, though," observed Angie.

"Yes, I do," said Mom, "because it's the right time now. You and your brothers and sister are older and don't need as much attention anymore, so now I can sew." She smiled at Angie. "God gives us 'seasons' of life like He gives us seasons of the year. Crops won't grow if they're planted in the wrong season-and we can't be happy if we try to live in the wrong season. If you'll patiently wait for the right season to do the things Samantha is doing, you'll be much happier."

Angie sighed. "Okay," she agreed, "but it must be the right time for me to do something."

"It is," said Mom. "You know what I think you're just the right age to do?"

"What?" asked Angie.

"I think you're just the right age to help me make cookies," replied Mom.

Angie grinned. "All right!" she agreed, and they headed for the kitchen.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you enjoying the season of life in which you are right now? God will take you through various "seasons" in your lifetime. Take pleasure in doing what you can do now, and look forward to doing other things later. Be happy where you are.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom," called Jon as he stared into his closet, "there's no room for all this new stuff. Where am I going to keep it?" He and his mother had just returned from a shopping trip, and he was trying to squeeze several items of new clothing into his closet.

Mom came to see. "Well, Jon, think about it," she said. "Why did we get you so many new things?"

"Because my old clothes are too small," said Jon.

Mom nodded and grinned. "So there's no reason for you to keep them," she said. "Put them in this box for Jeremy. That will make room for your new clothes." She turned to go. "Always keep that principle in mind," she added as she left. "Get rid of the old to make room for the new-in closets and in life!"

As Jon removed clothes from the closet, he frowned. I really like some of these old things, but I'm getting rid of them since they don't fit anymore, he thought, and he put them in the box Mom had left for them. Getting rid of the old to make room for the new works for the closet, but I sure don't know what Mom meant by doing that in life.

That evening Jon told Dad about the shopping trip, his new clothes, and Mom's advice for making closet room for them. "They're all hung up now, but I still don't know what Mom meant about getting rid of old stuff and making room for new stuff in life," said Jon. "Do you?"

Dad smiled. "Well, the Bible says that for Christians, all things become new," he said. "Among other things, we should have new attitudes, new habits, and new desires. Some of the old ones don't fit Christians anymore. It was probably pretty easy to decide what to get rid of from your closet, but are there things in your life that you should get rid of, too? That may be harder to figure out, but think about it."

 As Jon thought it over, he remembered excuses he often made for getting out of chores. He remembered the way he had treated a classmate he disliked. He remembered deliberately "forgetting" to do his homework. I can't dump those kinds of things in a box, he thought, but I'll ask God to help me get rid of them, too.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
To make room for new things God wants you to enjoy, do you need to get rid of old habits, old friends who are a bad influence, or old attitudes? Give them up for Jesus. He'll replace them with something far better.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Cor. 5:17)
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

[Soldier4Christ]

Luke sat and pouted in the back seat of the car. His sister Mary laughed when Mom asked why he seemed so unhappy. "He's mad because Dad wouldn't let him buy that junk at the sports store," she said.

Luke scowled. "It wasn't junk, and I never get to buy anything," he said. "Besides, we've been on vacation four days already, and I'm tired of always having to sit in the back seat with you."

Mary scowled. "Well, I'm tired of sitting back here with you, too," she grumbled. "It's so hot, and you know I get carsick sometimes."

Dad and Mom exchanged glances. Mary and Luke had been complaining most of the morning. Then Mom's eyes twinkled. "Well, how about me?" she whined. "That mattress last night was so hard, I couldn't sleep, and the eggs I got for breakfast were cold and overdone. And I've got . . ."

"You think you've got it bad?" interrupted Dad in a complaining tone. "This trip is costing me a bundle! I don't think anybody appreciates me very much!" The children stared. It surely seemed strange to have their parents whining!

Dad and Mom laughed at the expressions on Luke and Mary's faces. "We thought we'd get in on the pity party," said Dad.

"Pity party?" asked Luke. "What's that?"

"That's what we call it when someone feels so sorry for himself that he doesn't even want to be cheered up," said Dad. He pulled into a scenic turnoff. "Look at that magnificent view," he said. "We were so busy with our pity party that I'm afraid we forgot to notice the good things around us most of the morning."

Mom nodded. "I think we should spend the next few minutes thinking of things we're thankful for. A praise party is more fun than a pity party any day! What do you say?"

After a moment, both children slowly nodded.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you had a "praise party" lately? Or do you complain and feel sorry for yourself? That attitude blinds you to God's many blessings and to the needs of others. Stop being selfish. Instead, be thankful. Change your "pity party" into a "praise party" and see how happy you'll be!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 103:2)
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."

[Soldier4Christ]

Elena was almost home when the new boy next door whizzed by on his bike and slammed on the brakes in his driveway. He had raced right through a big puddle next to the sidewalk, and he laughed as he looked back to see her reaction when the muddy water splashed on her. No, I won't say anything, Elena thought. I won't even look at him. Shaking off as much water as possible, she ran up the walk and around to the kitchen door.

Mom looked up in surprise as Elena banged the door shut. "Look what Joe-the-Jerk did," Elena wailed. "And they want me to invite him to the evangelistic youth rally next Saturday. Well, I'm not going to ever speak to him again if I can help it!"

Mom came over to help Elena dry off. "It wasn't very nice of him to do this," said Mom, "but I think he does need to be invited to the rally."

"Then let someone else ask him." Elena stamped her foot. "He's always so mean."

"Maybe that makes him a good candidate for the rally," suggested Mom. "He needs to see that he has to have his sins forgiven."

"I don't want him to be forgiven!" Elena cried. "I want him to be punished."

"You sound like Jonah did back in his day," said Mom.

"Jonah?" asked Elena. "He was swallowed by a big fish-then spit out on dry land. How am I like that?"

"I was thinking of what happened later," said Mom. "Jonah was supposed to give God's warning of destruction to the people in the city of Nineveh. At first he refused. After his episode with the fish, he did tell them, and they repented and were saved. But Jonah didn't like that. He thought they should be punished as they deserved to be. He seemed to think he knew better than God how they should be treated."

Elena sighed as she looked at her Mom. "Okay. I guess I don't want to be a Jonah," she said slowly. "I suppose that means I'll have to invite Joe-the-Jerk-I mean Joey-to the rally."

Mom raised her brows. "I'm glad to see you decided to stop calling him that name, too," she said.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you willing to tell everyone the good news of Jesus? Or are there some kids you want to see punished someday? Don't be like Jonah. Do all you can to make sure everyone knows about Jesus.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Mark 16:15)
"He (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."

[Soldier4Christ]

As they traveled with their parents, Brett and Jenny played a game to see who could spot the biggest variety of license plates. Before long Brett had seen seven different kinds, and Jenny had seen five. Then Jenny said, "Look, there's another one! I saw it first!" She read it. "Ill-a-noise, Land of Lincoln."

"That's pronounced 'Illi-noy,'" corrected Mom with a smile. "It's called 'Land of Lincoln' because that's where Abraham Lincoln completed his education, was married, and was elected to Congress and eventually to the Presidency. The people of Illinois are pretty proud of old Abe."

"Abraham Lincoln is my favorite President," declared Brett. "It must have been cool to know him."

"Wouldn't it be fun if one of our own neighbors became President?" asked Jenny.

Mom smiled. "When a person earns the respect of his neighbors by doing some great thing, he's often called the 'Favorite Son' of that city or state," she said.

Dad nodded. "What would you think if the people of Illinois refused to acknowledge Abraham Lincoln?" he asked. "What if they were ashamed to even mention his name?"

"That would be crazy," said Brett.

"I think that would be sad," said Jenny. "They don't really act like that, do they?"

"No, and it's hard to believe that anyone would," said Dad, "but that's exactly like what happened when Jesus came to earth. In the book of John, it says that He came to 'His own'-that's referring to the nation of Israel-and they wouldn't receive Him."

"It seems like He should have been their 'Favorite Son,'" observed Brett.

"Yes," said Mom. "It's sad that to this day the majority still don't recognize Him as their Messiah."

Dad nodded. "In another sense, Jesus came to all the people of the world," he said. "John points out that the world was made by Him, but the world as a whole-that is, the people-didn't know Him, either. Many still don't. It's sad that they fail to recognize Him as Savior."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you received Jesus? He created you, and He came to this world and died to save you. He took the punishment for your sins. If you will receive Him as Savior, He will make you His child.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 1:12)
"As many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God."

[Soldier4Christ]

Kevin lay on his stomach in the sand and stared at the sandcastle he and his dad had just built. Large towers were at each corner, and they were joined by four wide walls. "I'm naming this Fort Sandcastle," announced Kevin. He turned to his father. "How soon will the ocean wash it away?"

Dad turned his head to check the approaching tide. "The water probably won't reach our castle until after we've left to go home," he replied.

"Good." Kevin sat up and crossed his legs. "Wouldn't it be cool if we had castle walls around our house?" Dad opened his mouth to answer, but Kevin kept on talking. "We could have a tower at each corner and a bridge that we'd let down only if we knew it was safe. Nobody could get in unless they knew the secret password!"

Dad nodded, smiling. He leaned on his elbow in the sand. "You know, Kevin," he said, "we do have a strong tower, and we sort of do have castle walls around our house."

Kevin frowned. "We do?" he asked.

Dad nodded. "Oh, there aren't towers and walls that we can see," he said, "but the Bible refers to God as our strong tower, and we might consider His laws-His commandments-as walls around us." Kevin blinked uncertainly.

Dad rolled over onto his back and smiled at Kevin. "God gave His commands to us because He loves us. When we stay within the boundaries of those commands, they protect us-so they're something like the walls of a fort or a castle."

Kevin thought about what his dad had told him. "Okay," he said, "but I'd still like to live in a castle."

Dad nodded and lunged at him. "Yeah, then I could throw you in the dungeon when you don't eat your vegetables!"

"I'd throw you in the dungeon," Kevin countered as he and his father rolled over in the sand, laughing and trading threats of imprisonment.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you stay inside the boundaries God has set? You do this by obeying His commands. As you depend on the Holy Spirit to help you develop the character and attitudes that please God, you avoid the dangers that the world offers.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:10)
"Let me not wander from Thy commandments."

[Soldier4Christ]

Robbie didn't mean to cheat, but somehow his eyes wandered over to Lara's paper. There in plain sight was the word he was trying to spell. Robbie quickly wrote it down. I really knew how to spell it-I just forgot for a minute, Robbie told himself, so it wasn't really cheating! But deep down inside, Robbie knew he had cheated, and it made him feel bad!

The next week when test time came, he again found himself glancing at Lara's paper-this time for more words. I do know these, he told himself. It's just nice to be able to check my work. It's not really cheating. Even when he found himself changing the spelling on a couple of the words he "knew," he didn't feel very guilty.

When the next Friday rolled around, Robbie freely copied many words directly from Lara's paper. This time it hardly bothered him at all.

   Robbie's family went swimming at a nearby lake that weekend. Dad was the first to plunge in. "C'mon in!" yelled Dad. "The water's fine!"

Robbie eagerly ran across the beach, but when his feet touched the water, he stopped quickly. It felt like ice water! "Oh, Dad, it's cold!" Robbie exclaimed.

"Not after you get used to it," encouraged Dad.

Robbie took another step, and then another. Soon he wasn't so cold any more. He took the final plunge and dove into the waves! Soon he was shouting to his mom on the beach, "C'mon in. The water's fine!"

Back home that evening, Robbie talked about how much warmer the water had seemed after he'd been in it a while. "I thought maybe my legs were getting numb," he said with a grin. "After I got all wet, it was fine."

Dad nodded thoughtfully. "Do you know what else is like that?" he asked. "It's sin! At first it really bothers us when we do something wrong, but if we continue to do it, we get almost numb to it and it hardly bothers us at all. In fact, we may eventually think it feels fine!"

"Like lying?" asked Robbie. "Or like cheating, or . . ." Cheating! Robbie stopped in the middle of his sentence. He knew he'd better do something about his cheating at school!


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Does sin bother you? Whenever you realize you've done something wrong, confess and forsake it-stop doing it. If you don't, you may become numb to it, but it's still sin. Don't continue in it.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 28:13)
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

[Soldier4Christ]

"It sure is good to see you all after so long!" exclaimed Jacob's uncle. He was passing through town on a business trip and had stopped in for a brief visit. "I wish I had more time," added Uncle Jack, "but I've only an hour before I have to move on." He handed Jacob a package. "Here, Jacob-this is a little something I brought for you."

"Thanks!" exclaimed Jacob as he tore off the wrapping. "Cool!" he added when he saw that it was a kit for building a ship inside a bottle. Soon he was busy sorting the pieces and trying to put the model together.

Jacob's mother watched him for a little while. "Why don't you put that aside until later?" she suggested quietly. "Uncle Jack won't be here very long."

"Okay," agreed Jacob, but he was having so much fun, he kept right on working.

Suddenly Jacob heard Uncle Jack say, "Well, I've got to be on my way."

"Already?"asked Jacob, looking up from his model. "You just got here."

"It's been an hour and a half," said Uncle Jack with a smile. "I really have to be going now."

After the goodbyes were said and Uncle Jack's car pulled away from the driveway, Mom turned to Jacob with a frown. "Jacob, you ignored your uncle the whole time he was here," she said.

Jacob was embarrassed. "I . . . I didn't mean to," he said. "It's just that I got so involved in that model ship. I . . . I'm sorry."

"Uncle Jack was sorry, too," Dad told him. "I could tell he was disappointed when you didn't pay any attention to him."

"But, Dad," said Jacob, "didn't he want me to enjoy the gift he got for me?"

"Sure," said Dad, "but you got so interested in the gift that you forgot about the giver! I think you better write him a note and let him know you really care more about him than you do about what he gave you."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
God has given you many good things to enjoy. Do you sometimes pay more attention to the gifts than you do to the Giver? "Things" should never take the place of God in your life. It's the Giver who really counts!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Timothy 6:17)
"Trust . . . in the living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."

[Soldier4Christ]

As Rico left to go home, Mike's mother handed him a large paper bag. "Here are a few things your mother can put on her garage sale tomorrow," she said.

"Okay," Rico replied. Taking the bag, he started down the street. He soon felt something hit his face. A raindrop! "Oh, no!" he moaned. He started to run, but the paper bag broke, scattering items over the ground. Rico quickly snatched everything up in his arms and ran the rest of the way home, stopping several times to pick up objects that kept slipping from his grasp.

When Rico finally reached his house, Mom looked at him in surprise. "Why, Rico, you're soaking wet! And what are all those things you're carrying?" she asked.

Rico dumped his wet armload onto the table. "Just some things Mike's mom sent over for the garage sale," he gasped. "Here's a tennis racket, a book, some shoes, and . . ." Rico stopped short and stared at the table. There lay a new, green, perfectly good umbrella.

Mom laughed. "You mean you carried this umbrella all the way home in the rain without even opening it?"

Rico was embarrassed. "I didn't even think of using it," he said with a grin. "I just thought of it as something I had to carry." He went to his room to change into dry clothes.

When Rico came back, Mom was staring at the umbrella thoughtfully as she wiped it with a towel. "You know, " she said, "God has used this incident to make me aware of something I haven't been using as I should-my Bible. This umbrella had to be opened to do any good. My Bible does, too, but I haven't been opening it very often lately." She looked at Rico. "Know anybody else with that problem?"

"Yeah-me," Rico admitted.

"How about reading a passage together right now?" suggested Mom.

"Sure," agreed Rico, and he went to get a Bible.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have a Bible? Do you open it often? It must be opened, read, and obeyed in order to help you. Will you take a little time each day to see what God has to say? Let Him speak to you through His Word.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 19:11)
"Moreover by them (the Scriptures) is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward."

[Soldier4Christ]

"What are you doing , Mom?" asked Carrie when she arrived home from school. She looked around the kitchen. "Wow! "Where did all the flowers come from?" There were several very large bouquets on the table and counters.

"Your dad brought these home from the church this afternoon. He had a funeral, and the family asked if he would take these flowers and see that they got to some shut-ins," replied Mom. "I'm trying to arrange these huge bouquets into smaller ones for them. Want to help?"

"Sure," agreed Carrie. "There are so many of them! You need help-unless you think they might arrange themselves." She giggled. "You know-jump out of the big bouquets and divide themselves into smaller ones." She and her mother laughed at the idea. "Well, if the world just came together by chance, like some people believe, it seems like these little bouquets could do that, too," said Carrie.

"That's true," agreed Mom, "but we both know the world didn't just come into being on its own. It took someone-God-to make it."

"I know," said Carrie. "We had a lesson on creation in my after-school Bible club today. Mrs. Platt put a carton of milk and a package of instant pudding mix on the table. She asked us to guess how long it would take for those things to become pudding if we just left them there."

"What was your guess?" asked Mom

"We all knew they would never become pudding, no matter how long they were left there, unless someone put the ingredients together," said Carrie. "Mrs. Platt let us do that, and we all got a cup of pudding when it was set. Yum!" She grinned and rubbed her tummy. "Mrs. Platt compared the pudding ingredients to our universe," added Carrie. "She pointed out that there had to be a creator because nothing just puts itself together-not pudding, not bouquets, and not anything else in the whole universe!"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you heard the theory of evolution? Have you heard that the world just "happened" to come together? Can you see how foolish that is? It takes someone to put together pudding and bouquets. It takes a much greater Someone to make cows and flowers. It takes a Creator-God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Genesis 1:1)
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Let's cut across Mr. Warren's property," suggested Tia to her friends Anna and Heather. "His car is gone, so he'll never know. He's not home."

Anna shook her head. "Why not?" asked Tia.

Anna shrugged. "It wouldn't be right, that's why. Mr. Warren told us to stay off his yard."

Tia frowned. "There you go again with that 'I'm too good to do that' stuff!" she complained. "Just because you're a Christian, right? All you ever say is, 'We can't do this, and we can't do that.' It sounds like being a Christian is . . . is a bunch of rules that spoil your fun."

"That's not true," Anna protested.

Heather spoke for the first time. "It does seem that way, Anna. You're always so negative."

'But it's not like that at all!" insisted Anna. She looked at the cars rushing past as they talked. "That's like saying . . . well, it's like saying that getting your driver's license is about not being able to do anything!"

"That doesn't make a bit of sense," Tia said crossly.

"It does to me," said Anna. "My brother is taking driver's training this year, and he has all kinds of stuff to learn. There are lots of do's and don'ts-like how fast you can go and all the signs and signals you have to obey and when not to pass. Is that all negative stuff?"

Heather shrugged. "It's not the same," she muttered.

"Even though you have to obey those rules, you're a lot freer when you have your license, right?" asked Anna. "You can go places without having your mom or dad take you."

Tia scowled. "So what?" she asked.

"Learning and obeying the rules for driving makes your life better," said Anna, "and it's the same with doing the right things. Saying no to wrong things makes my life better, not worse! God's rules are worth following because I have more fun when I'm not scared or sick or in trouble or feeling guilty or . . . or whatever."

"Okay, okay," said Tia. "We won't take the shortcut."

"Got any other ideas?" Heather asked.

Tia smirked. "Why don't we rob a bank?"

"Tia!" Heather and Anna cried in unison, but they knew she was teasing. Tia just grinned.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you found that saying no to wrong things is actually a positive thing? Obeying God's laws makes your life better. It gives you more freedom by helping you keep out of trouble with parents, teachers, or the law. Ask God to show you what's right and what's wrong so you can make correct decisions in life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 25:4)
"Teach me Thy ways, O Lord."