Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"I really don't see what's so special about Jesus dying to save people," Brad said bluntly. His mother stared at him in amazement. "Well, I don't," he repeated. "Lots of soldiers have died so we can be free."

"True, Brad," agreed Mom, "and I'd say that's special, wouldn't you?"

"Well . . . sure," said Brad, "but what I mean is . . . if I could die to save ten-or even five-people, I'd do it. At least . . . I think I would. By dying for our sins, Jesus saved thousands of people from going to hell. Wouldn't lots of people be willing to do that?"

Mom raised her brows. "Dying for our sins involved more than just physical death," she said. "But, Brad, would you die for a thousand grasshoppers?"

A broad grin spread over Brad's face. "You kiddin'?"

Mom shook her head. "Don't you suppose that we look as small and unimportant in the sight of the Lord as grasshoppers look to us?"

Brad frowned. "I never thought of it like that, Mom."

"Next time you pick up a grasshopper and put him on your fish hook," said Mom, "remember that it's just as easy for the Lord to move you around and put you where He wants you." Brad was startled. Somehow he had always pictured God as just another man. It was a bit frightening to think of himself as a little grasshopper in comparison with God. "But, Brad," continued Mom, "there's an important difference between how you see a grasshopper and how God sees you. You don't care a thing for the grasshopper, but God loves you! That's why Jesus came. You're so important to Him that He willingly took your punishment and died for you because He knows you're totally incapable of getting to heaven on your own. Love makes all the difference in the world."

Brad's eyes misted. "I guess it must."

His mother hugged him. "You know, Brad, if you had been
the only person in the world, Jesus would have died just for you. In fact, He
did die for you-for you, personally."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you appreciate what Jesus did for you at Calvary? He died for you! What a special love! All the love you hear about on Valentines Day is nothing compared to the love Jesus has for you. Have you given Him your heart and accepted His gift of salvation? If not, invite Him right now to be your Savior and to take control of your life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Romans 5:
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

[Soldier4Christ]

When Rick spotted a box of chocolate-covered ice cream bars in the freezer, he took one. If Mom notices that one is missing, she'll think Dad ate it, he thought. Mom had gone next door to care for an elderly neighbor, but Rick still looked around to see if anyone had seen him before he took a bite.

Suddenly the outside door opened. It was his mother! Why is she coming back so soon? Rick wondered in panic. The sound of his mother's footsteps told him there wasn't time to put the ice cream back, so he quickly folded the wrapper around the bar and stuffed it into his back pocket.

"I don't have to stay with Mrs. Cook after all," said Mom, as she came into the kitchen. "Her granddaughter just came, and she'll stay all day."

As Rick leaned carelessly against the wall, hoping his mother wouldn't suspect anything, he felt the ice cream bar smash in his pocket. Realizing the trouble he was in, he turned and ran toward his room.

"Rick," Mom called after him, "be sure you change into a clean pair of jeans. When ice cream bars melt, they become very sticky."

Rick whirled about and looked at his mother in amazement. How does she know what I've done? he wondered.

"You wonder how I know?" Mom asked before he could get the question out of his mouth. Rick nodded. "It shows," Mom said simply. "There's chocolate around your mouth, and guilt in your eyes. And there's a wooden stick poking out of the back pocket of your jeans."

At first Rick couldn't answer. Then he looked up at his mother. "I guess I thought you wouldn't know, Mom. I'm sorry," he said. "I really am."

"I am, too," she replied. "I plan to serve those bars to
you boys at the Cub Scout meeting tomorrow. Now it looks as though someone will
have to go without." Rick knew who that "someone" was! "And Rick," added Mom, "I
hope you know that even if I hadn't discovered what you did, God knew all about
it. You're never out of His sight."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you aware that you are always seen by someone? Perhaps you've sneaked cookies, broken a dish, or read a bad book, and you think nobody knows. You're not fooling Mom and Dad as much as you suppose. You're certainly never fooling God. He sees everything you do. Instead of trying to hide your sin, confess it and don't do it again.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Numbers 32:23)
Be sure your sin will find you out.

[Soldier4Christ]

As Amy walked home from Bible Club, she thought about her good friend Maribeth who didn't go to church anywhere. I should tell her about Jesus, Amy thought, but what would I say? Maribeth might laugh! As Amy waited at a busy intersection for the light to change, she saw an old man on the other side of the street start to cross the street against the light. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but it was too late. A truck came through the intersection and hit him. Then everything happened quickly, and soon the injured man was on his way to the hospital.

Later that night, Amy's dad was watching the news. "Did you hear that?" he asked. "The announcer said that the police are looking for the little girl who witnessed an accident on the corner of Clay and Main at 4:20 p.m. today." Dad looked at Amy. "That's the accident you told us about, honey," he said. "The man who was hit is going to be all right, but it seems they need you as a witness."

"But why do they want me?" asked Amy fearfully.

"They need someone who can tell them exactly what happened," replied Dad, "and someone must have seen you there."   

"But I don't want to say anything," protested Amy. "I'm scared."

"You don't need to be afraid-and I'll go with you," promised Dad.

When Amy went to bed that night, the scene of the
accident went through her mind. She remembered that she had been thinking about
witnessing to Maribeth, but she had been scared to do it. Now I'm going to have
to be a different kind of witness, she thought. I'm scared about that, too, but
Dad will be with me. He promised. Suddenly Amy realized that just like her
earthly father would be with her when she witnessed at the police station, her
heavenly Father would be with her when she witnessed to Maribeth. If I can trust
my earthly father, I sure can trust my heavenly Father! she thought. With a
contented sigh, she turned over and went to sleep.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you afraid to witness for Jesus-to tell others about Him? It helps to have someone with you when you're scared, doesn't it? Jesus has told you to go and be His witness, and He has also promised to go with you. Trust Him. Remember . . . you're not alone.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 28:20)
"Lo, I (Jesus) am with you always, even to the end of the age."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Your job, Amy, is just to tell what happened," explained the police chief when Amy went to the police station with her father and they explained that she was the one who had seen the accident. "When this case goes to court, just tell the truth about what you saw, okay?" Amy nodded. Her father had told her the same thing.

On the day of the court case, Amy felt very nervous. She had never been inside a courtroom before. What am I going to say? she wondered. Then she remembered that Dad and the police chief had said she should simply tell what she had seen. I can do that, she thought, and when she finally gave her testimony, it wasn't as hard as she had expected it to be. The words came quite easily, once she got started.

After the case was presented, the truck driver was cleared of any traffic violation. He came over to shake hands with Amy. "I'm really sorry that man got hurt," the driver said, "but I'm thankful that you came and told what happened, Amy. I could have been sent to jail if I were convicted. Thanks. I'll always be grateful."

On the way home, Amy and her dad stopped for hot fudge sundaes. "You're kind of quiet, honey. What are you thinking about?" Dad asked.

"Oh, I was thinking about my friend, Maribeth," Amy explained. "I've wanted to talk to her about Jesus, but I didn't know what to say. Now I do. When I gave my testimony about the accident, I just told what happened. And I'll just tell Maribeth what happened, too. I'll tell her what Jesus did for me and how He helps me every day."

"Great!" approved Dad as he gave her a big hug.
"Remember how grateful the truck driver was for your testimony? It helped save
him from punishment. Perhaps some day Maribeth will be grateful for your
testimony, too. Perhaps she'll accept Jesus and be saved from eternal
punishment."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you want to witness, but you just don't know what to say? A witness simply gives his testimony. He tells the truth about what happened. You can do that. If Jesus has saved you, tell somebody. Don't be afraid-just tell what you know is true. Won't it be wonderful if your testimony helps someone learn to trust in Jesus?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Acts 22:15)
"You will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Who remembers the first commandment?" asked Dad as he closed his Bible after reading the Ten Commandments for family devotions one evening.

"Ah . . . don't have other gods," said Marc quickly.

Dad nodded. "Do we keep that commandment, or do we have other gods?" he asked.

"We don't have other gods," said Abbie, "but people in some countries-maybe even some in this country-make idols and worship them."

"Yeah," said Marc, "but my Sunday school teacher says not having other gods is a little different than having idols. He says it means that nothing is supposed to be more important to us than God." He grinned at his sister. "Like . . . you girls always seem to think that having the latest style clothes is the most important thing in the world." Marc put his hands over his face. "Oh, boo-hoo! I don't have a thing to wear. All my stuff is so old-fashioned," he whined in a high pitched voice, imitating his sister.

Mom spoke up. "I remember a boy who insisted that he needed a certain brand name on a tee shirt when we went shopping the other day," she said mildly.

"Yeah, and what about sports?" asked Abbie, glaring at Marc. "Lots of boys-including you-put sports ahead of everything else. Guys even think it's okay to stay home from church to watch the Super Bowl game."

"Whoa!" exclaimed Dad. "We're missing the point if we
start looking at the choices of other people. Let's each just think of our own
habits and interests and make sure that we are not putting anything in the place
that belongs to God. A good thing to ask ourselves might be, 'Is there something
I'm not willing to give up?' If there is, it may be that we're putting that
thing ahead of God."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you allowed something in your life to take first place over God? It could be a hobby, a TV show, money, good grades, the way you look, certain friends-anything you put ahead of God in your thoughts and devotion. Even good things become wrong if you allow them to become "gods" in your life. Always put God in first place.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:3)
"You shall have no other gods before Me."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Abbie, stop looking at yourself in the mirror!" exclaimed Mom one day. "That's getting to be a bad habit. You make me want to take all the mirrors off the walls!"

"I just want to look my best," protested Abbie, "and I like this new hair style!"

She was again admiring herself in the hall mirror when Marc came in. "Why are you forever looking at yourself-you don't look that great," he teased.

Abbie grinned at her brother. "Oh, be quiet," she said.

"You know what?" said Marc. "The Bible says we're not to make idols or images of anything and worship them as gods, but I think some girls almost worship their own images!"

Abbie felt herself blushing. "I don't do that," she protested. "Anyhow, I think the Bible is just saying we're not supposed to make idols of wood or stone and worship them."

"I think it includes more than that-doesn't it, Mom?" Marc appealed to their mother who had overheard their conversation.

"Well, some people believe it's not good to even have pictures of Jesus-or especially statues of Him," she said, "because people do sometimes bow down before such things. And along with images mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy, we're specifically told not to worship the sun, moon, or stars."

"See, Abbie? I'm right and you're wrong," said Marc smugly.

Mom frowned. "Don't forget to guard against your own
failings," she reminded him. She noticed Abbie glancing at herself in the mirror
again. "I think Marc has a point," added Mom. "I think we do need to be careful
to not become too occupied with the way we look."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have idols? Although it's not wrong to want to look your best, you shouldn't be continually occupied with your own image-don't let it become an idol to you. Also, be careful to not confuse man-made statues or pictures of Jesus with Jesus Himself. God will not share His glory with anyone. Worship only Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:4-5)
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image (idol) . . . you shall not bow down to them, nor serve them."

[Soldier4Christ]

A silly incident took place on the TV program Marc was watching, and he laughed out loud as the star of the show kept exclaiming the name of God. Looking up from his newspaper, Dad frowned. "Marc, how can you laugh when people use God's name in vain like that?" he asked.

"I'm not laughing at that," said Marc. "I'm laughing at that little kid. He . . . "

Dad shook his head. "You seem to have forgotten that God's name is holy. It displeases Him when it's used lightly, and it should displease us, too."

"I know, Dad," Marc replied soberly. "I wish they didn't swear on TV so much, but I'm just a kid. What can I do about it?"

"You can turn off the program," said Dad.

Mom nodded. "You could also inform the TV station and those who sponsor the program that you turned it off, and tell them why. We should all do more of that sort of thing!" Marc frowned but turned off the TV.

"Hey, Mom," said Marc several days later, "look what you started. I told my youth group at church what you said about turning off the TV and telling the program sponsors why. Now a bunch of us kids are following your suggestion. We're writing TV stations and complaining about the bad language used on lots of programs. We got sponsors' addresses at the library, and we're writing letters to them, too. Can I tell them our family will quit buying the products if they continue to sponsor such programs?"

"You sure can," agreed Mom, "but give me a list so I'll know who you wrote to-and what I shouldn't buy. I'm proud of you-and I'm sure your campaign will be effective."

"I hope so," said Marc, "but even if it isn't, at least
it reminds us that God won't stand for His name being used in vain and that we
shouldn't, either."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you heard people thoughtlessly use God's name so often that it doesn't even bother you anymore? It still bothers God! When friends use God's name in vain, do you ask them not to do that? Perhaps you could begin a campaign of your own to promote cleaner language on TV. And you can turn the TV off when God's name is misused.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:7)
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Dad, Carrie says we're supposed to keep the Sabbath Day holy, and she says that's Saturday, not Sunday," said Abbie. "She's wrong, isn't she?"

   "She's right about the Old Testament Sabbath being the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday," said Dad, "but the Bible gives evidence that New Testament believers met on the first day of the week."

"Why did they change?" asked Abbie.

"Because Jesus rose from the grave on Sunday," Dad explained. "When we meet on Sunday, we're celebrating His resurrection and the new life we have in Him. That's why we call it the Lord's day."

"Oh. Well, I'll tell Carrie," said Abbie as she left the room. But Abbie was a deep thinker, so in a few minutes she returned. "Dad, do we have to 'remember the Lord's Day to keep it holy' like it says about the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments?"

Dad smiled. "We don't live under Old Testament law anymore," he said, "but I believe that a day of rest is a principle God established. When He created the world, He rested on the seventh day. I also believe it's good to keep a day special for God."

"Sherri and her family don't," said Abbie. She frowned. "They had a picnic at the beach last Sunday, and they went swimming!" she added accusingly.

"Oh, now hold on!" cautioned Dad. "The way a person keeps the Lord's Day is between himself and God. Romans 14 says we shouldn't judge others on these matters. There are things that I believe our family should keep for other days of the week, but God doesn't really give any rule about that."

Abbie looked solemnly at her father. "Okay," she said
after a moment. "I'll remember why you won't let us do some things on
Sunday-it's our day of rest and our way of keeping that day special for the
Lord."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you set aside Sunday to worship and honor your Lord? Are there some things you don't do because you wish to honor God? Do you meet to worship with other believers and to study God's Word? Why not make Sunday a special day to honor God?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

[Soldier4Christ]

"What did you guys do yesterday?" asked Marc when he and his friends gathered for Sunday school.

"My old man made me help him paint our basement," grumbled Griffen. "What a bummer that was! I wanted to play football."

"Well, my old lady had her parents over all day," said Diego, "and the Grands are both deaf. I spent the whole day saying things louder after they said, 'Huh? What duds!'"

Sam had a complaint, too. "Helen and George made me wash their car. I told them I wasn't the one who got it dirty, but of course, that didn't matter!"

The others laughed. "Sam, how do you get away with calling your parents by their first names?" asked Griffen. "I'd get it for sure if I tried that!"

Sam grinned. "Are you kidding? I'd never dare do that to their faces. I have to call them Sir and Ma'am at home," he explained. "Can you believe that?"

At the sound of a buzzer, Mr. Beach called the class to order. He looked very solemn. "How many of you know the Ten Commandments?" he asked. Most of the hands went up, and at Mr. Beach's nod, Marc recited them rapidly. "Good." Mr. Beach nodded. "Now . . . how many of you realize you broke one of those commandments today?" This time only one hand went up. "Think about the fifth commandment-'Honor your father and your mother,'" said Mr. Beach. "Then think about your conversation a few minutes ago." Many of the boys looked ashamed.

"We . . . w-we didn't mean anything by what we said," stuttered Griffen. "I mean . . . we love our parents and everything."

"I'm sure you really do," said Mr. Beach, "but many of
you were thoughtlessly disrespectful." He looked around the class. "I have a
homework assignment for you," he said. "This week concentrate on putting the
fifth commandment into practice. We'll talk about it again next Sunday and you
can tell me what changes you made in your attitudes, words, and actions
regarding your parents."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you show honor and respect to your parents both when you're with them and when you're away from them? Or do you call them the "old man" or "old lady" or some other disrespectful name behind their backs? If so, you're guilty of breaking the fifth commandment. Ask God to forgive you and to help you truly honor your parents!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:12)
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."

[Soldier4Christ]

Abbie woke up in a terrible mood. She had an oral book report to do at school, and she wasn't well prepared. "Oh, no," she groaned as she looked out the window. "It's pouring rain! My hair will get all kinky and fuzzy!"

Abbie headed for the bathroom, and she and her brother reached the door at the same time. "Get out of the way!" ordered Abbie, grabbing his arm and giving him a shove.

"Ouch!" cried Marc as Abbie pushed him out of the way and went into the bathroom. Marc went to find his mother. "Mom, Abbie pushed me against the wall!" he complained. "She hurt me!"

When Abbie came out of the bathroom, Mom was waiting. "I'm ready to hear an explanation from you, young lady," said Mom sternly. "What did Marc do to deserve this?" She showed Abbie the long scrape on Marc's arm.

"He got in my way, that's what!" exclaimed Abbie. "I've tried to tell the dumb fool that I should always be in the bathroom first, but he won't listen to me! He knows it takes longer for me to get ready to leave than it does for him."

"Abbie, I'm ashamed of the way you're acting," scolded Mom. She frowned. "You know," she added, "you may not think that being angry for no good reason, or hating someone, or calling somebody a fool is so bad, but Jesus  compared that to murder. It's very wrong."

Abbie looked shocked as she glanced at Marc. She definitely didn't want to be a murderer! "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean it."

Mom nodded. "All right," she said, "but next time you
feel angry, remember that it can be a serious thing."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you remember what Jesus says about anger and hate and name calling? He said anyone guilty of these things is like someone who has broken the sixth commandment. Today's verse is short. Memorize it, and then always remember that hatred is as bad as killing! "You crazy fool" or "I hate you" are words you should never use.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:13)
"You shall not murder."

[Soldier4Christ]

Marc was glad when he learned his partners on the science fair project would be Fernando and Dean. Fernando was the smartest boy in the class, and Dean was certainly the best artist. I won't have to do a thing! thought Marc.

Fernando and Dean wanted to do a project dealing with environmental issues. Sounds boring to me, but I can't come up with a better idea, thought Marc, so he agreed. Fernando would study the scientific part and figure out what charts or other displays they would need. Dean would be in charge of getting the materials for them, doing the artwork, and setting them up. Marc, to his dismay, was to write a report. Oh, well. I can probably get Fernando to do it for me, he thought.

The evening before the science fair was to be held, Marc called Fernando. "Help!" he cried into the telephone. "I forgot to do the report! Besides, I don't really know what to say. You're the one who got the the information on all that stuff. " Fernando was disgusted but agreed to write the report himself.

At the science fair, winners were announced. "The winning project this year is 'My Environment and Me.' It was done by Fernando, Marc, and Dean," said the judge. Marc smiled broadly, but he didn't feel as happy as he thought he would about either the award or the "A" he knew he would receive on the project.

He felt even worse on the way home when his mother asked him what he had done for the project. "You never told us much about it," she said. Embarrassed, he admitted that he hadn't really done anything.

"Oh, Marc!" exclaimed Mom. "Do you realize what you've done? I'm sorry, but you're going to have to explain to your teacher."

"Aw, Mom," protested Marc, "it's not that serious, is it?"

"It's stealing," said Mom firmly. When he began to protest, she added, "Oh, I know you didn't take a physical object, but you took a reward that doesn't belong to you. Don't you think that's stealing something, too?"

"I . . . I . . ." stuttered Marc. He had to admit that
Mom was right.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a thief? You don't have to steal things to be a thief. For example, if you don't work when you're being paid to work, you're stealing time. If you take a grade you know you did not earn, you're stealing grades. Think of various ways Satan can tempt you to steal. Make up your mind that you won't yield to any of them, and ask God to help you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:15)
"You shall not steal."

[Soldier4Christ]

Abbie's Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments. They talked about a different one each week. "Who can tell me the ninth commandment?" asked Mrs. Bennett one Sunday.

Abbie's hand shot up. "'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'" She quoted her memory verse.

"What do you think that means?" asked Mrs. Bennett.

Jessica raised her hand. "I was watching a new show on TV last night," she said. "It was called 'Live Courtroom.' There were witnesses there-people who told what they knew about the case. So they were bearing witness, right?"

"Right," agreed Mrs. Bennett, "and so what is 'false' witness?"

"If a witness isn't telling the truth, he's bearing false witness," offered Abbie, "so false witness is . . . it's lies."

Mrs. Bennett nodded. "Yes, and bearing false witness doesn't happen only in court," she said. "Any time we tell something that is not true, we are guilty of bearing false witness, no matter where we are."

"Do you mean even if we fib just a little?" asked Janine in surprise. Mrs. Bennett nodded. "Even if it's just a little white lie?" asked Janine again.

"To God, a lie doesn't have a color," stated Mrs. Bennett. "A lie is a lie."

Jessica frowned. "But Mrs. Bennett, it wouldn't happen very often that we bear false witness against our neighbors, would it?" she asked. "I mean . . . my Mom and Dad talk to our neighbors quite a bit, but I don't even see most of them very often."

Mrs. Bennett smiled. "Remember the story Jesus told
about the Good Samaritan?" she asked. The girls nodded. "He made it clear that
anyone can be our neighbor-not just the people living next door to us. So let's
make sure we don't tell lies about anybody."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you like to talk about people? Be careful! Be sure that anything you say is really true. Some good questions to ask yourself might be: "Is what I want to say really true? Is it kind? Would it help or hurt somebody?" Remember that your "neighbor" is anyone you come in contact with. Be sure you don't disobey God by bearing false witness.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:16)
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

[Soldier4Christ]

Marc's bicycle was one of his favorite possessions. It wasn't very new, but he didn't care. It was a shiny, silvery color, and he rode it every day. He could even pop wheelies on it. But then Alex, the boy who lived next door, got a brand new bike, and Marc thought he had never seen anything so wonderful! It was just the kind of bike he would really like to have if he could get a new one. He lost interest in riding his own bike.

"Why don't your go play outdoors-ride your bike?" Mom suggested when Marc complained of nothing to do one afternoon.

Marc shrugged. "I don't feel like it," he said. He sat at the window and stared at Alex, who was out riding his new bike.

"Marc has been moping around the house lately, and I think I know what's wrong with him," Mom told Dad that evening. "I think he's almost sick with jealousy over Alex's bike. I hope this doesn't last too long."

During family devotions right after dinner that night, Dad read the Ten Commandments. When he came to the tenth one, he read it this way: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor his new bike, nor anyth . . ."

"It doesn't say that!" Marc exclaimed.

"No, but maybe it should," Dad suggested. "No doubt there are many things that could be listed here. It does say, 'Nor anything that is your neighbor's.' That would include bikes, wouldn't it?" Marc had to admit that was true.

When Dad prayed, he asked the Lord to help each of them keep from being jealous and coveting anything belonging to someone else-and to be content with what they had.

"May I go out and ride my bike?" Marc asked after the dishes were done.

"You certainly may!" said Dad with a
smile.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you ever jealously craved something that belonged to someone else-maybe a new bike or a video game or clothes? The Bible calls that coveting, and coveting is sin! As you memorize this last commandment, ask God to help you learn to be content with what you have.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Exodus 20:17)
"You shall not covet."

[Soldier4Christ]

Carter and Shawn whistled as they ambled home from school. Suddenly Carter stopped whistling and sniffed the air. "Chocolate chips," he said.

Shawn understood immediately. They were nearing Mrs. Kan's house, and she often baked cookies for the neighborhood children. Even if she didn't have cookies, they'd often stop to to visit or help her in the garden. It was fun to listen as she talked about the things she had done when she was a girl.

"Come in, boys," Mrs. Kan said as she set a plate of cookies on the table.

"We shouldn't come here so often," Shawn said. "My mother says cookies cost money and we shouldn't always be eating up all your food."

"Eat all you want," said Mrs. Kan, "and let your mothers know I love to share." She smiled at the boys. "Did you know that I am actually very rich?"

"Really?" asked Carter. "Then why do you live in such a little house?"

"Oh, this is just a place where I'm staying for a while," Mrs. Kan answered. "I have a mansion that I'm going to move into some day."

"Really?" Carter asked again. "Where is it?"

Mrs. Kan chuckled. "It's in heaven, of course," she said. "A lot of people think money is what makes you rich, but money won't get anyone into heaven-and you can't take it with you there, either."

"I guess not," acknowledged Carter.

Mrs. Kan grinned at the boys. "Love is what makes you rich," she said. "I have the love of all my friends, my children and grandchildren, and all the boys and girls who stop to visit me. Best of all, I have the love of Jesus. He loved me so much He gave His life to pay the penalty for my sins. I love Him, too, and He's preparing a place for me in heaven. Yes, I am very rich indeed."

Shawn and Carter grinned back at Mrs. Kan. Then they
happily followed her instructions to "eat all you want."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you rich in the things that count? The promise of eternity with Jesus is more valuable than any treasure earth has to offer. All the money in the world is of no value if you don't have a place in heaven. Is Jesus preparing a place for you? He is if you've trusted Him as Savior. If you haven't done that, accept Him right now.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 16:26)
"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

[Soldier4Christ]

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Emily as the railroad crossing arms came down and a very slow-moving train began passing by on the tracks in front of them.

"Looks like we'll be sitting here for a while," said Mom, and she turned off the car engine.

Emily sighed and watched the train as car after car rattled past. "I don't think this train will ever be gone," she complained.

"Really? You mean it will never end, and we'll be stuck here forever?" Mom teased. Emily grinned.

After a few minutes, Emily looked at her mother. "It's been two months since Dad moved to Newton for his new job," she said. "Do you think our house is ever going to sell so we can move, too?"

"The house will sell sooner or later," replied Mom. "We need to be patient."

"This moving is taking forever-just like this dumb train," said Emily.

"Well, every train has an end," said Mom, "and so does every problem." Just then a bright flash of blue darted past the windshield and perched high up on a wire. "Look-a bluebird!" exclaimed Mom. "I bet he can see the end of this train just like God can see the end of our moving problem. God knows exactly when our house will sell. We just have to trust Him and wait."

"I don't like waiting," said Emily.

"No one does," replied Mom, "but do you know what makes it harder?"

"What?" asked Emily.

"Being impatient," said Mom. "Instead of dwelling on how much we hate to wait for this train, let's sing. How about 'I've Been Working on the Railroad'?"

"Okay," agreed Emily, and they sang the whole song. Next
they sang "You Are My Sunshine." They were finishing "Heavenly Sunshine" when
the last car of the train rumbled by. Emily grinned. "That didn't take so long
after all," she said. "I'll try to keep busy while we wait for our house to
sell, too, and not be impatient with God."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you wait patiently for God to work things out? Being upset won't make problems go away, but it will make you miserable. Remember that every problem has an end. and God sees and knows just when that end will be. Trust Him and be patient. He'll help you with all your problems-big or little.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 37:7)
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him."