Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Dead-Letter Office

When the doorbell rang, Mia ran to open it. Mr. Zach, the postman, stood on the step. "Hi, Mia. Did you address this letter?" he asked, holding out an envelope. Mia nodded. "You didn't put down the zip code-or even the city and state," said Mr. Zach. "If it goes like this, it will end up in the dead-letter office."

"Oops!" exclaimed Mia. "I was going to ask Mom for the rest of Aunt Julia's address, but I was in such a hurry to mail my letter before you got here that I forgot. What's the dead-letter office?"

"It's a department of the Post Office. Mail that can't be delivered or returned goes there," explained Mr. Zach.

"What happens to it then?" asked Mia.

"The letters are opened to see if there's an address inside, but most of them end up being destroyed," said Mr. Zach. "The contents of parcels are sold, and the money goes into the Post Office funds."

"Well, I don't want Aunt Julia's letter to end up there," declared Mia. "Thanks, Mr. Zach." She took the envelope and went to ask her mother for the rest of the address.

At family devotions that evening, Dad read from Psalm 66 and talked about what the verses meant. Then he asked Mia to lead in prayer. She hesitated. "Okay," she said. She began to pray. "Dear heavenly Father, thank You for a beautiful day and for . . . for . . ." She opened her eyes. "My prayer is going to God's 'dead-letter office,'" she said tearfully. Her parents looked at her in surprise. "You said one of those verses you read means God doesn't answer prayers if we hang onto sin, and I . . . I did something wrong. I took some money from Mom's purse last week. I'll have to pay it back, won't I? You can take it from my allowance, okay? Please forgive me?"

"Of course we forgive you, Mia," said Dad. "Yes, you'll have to pay the money back-and as you know, there will be other consequences for stealing. We'll have to discuss what we need to do to help you resist that temptation again. But you need to confess your sin to God, too."

Mia nodded her head. "I know. I'm going to do that right now," she said. Mia began to pray again, telling God how sorry she was for what she had done.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sometimes think God doesn't answer your prayers? Maybe it's because there is unconfessed sin in your life. Being unwilling to confess and quit doing or thinking things you know are wrong can interfere with your communication with God. You need to repent-to be sorry for the wrong you have done and, with God's help, stop doing it. Make things right with others and with God. Then you know that your prayers are not in His "dead-letter office."


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. Psalm 66:18

[Soldier4Christ]

"I'm hungry!" declared Sarah one afternoon, "and there's candy way up on the top shelf of the cupboard. Let's sneak some before Mom gets back from the store. She'll never know-I've done it lots of times, and she's never caught me yet!"

"Doesn't that make you feel guilty?" asked Jack.

Sarah shook her head. "Nah," she said. "At first it did, but it doesn't bother me anymore." Jack still hesitated, but when he saw his sister eating a chocolate bar, he just couldn't resist.

When their candy was gone, Jack and Sarah went outside to play in the snow. They stayed out until their mother arrived home and called them in. She was shocked when she saw how wet and cold their feet were. "Why didn't you come in sooner?" she scolded. "Didn't your cold feet bother you?"

"At first they did, but we wanted to finish our fort," said Sarah. "After a while they didn't feel so cold-but they don't feel very good now!"

Mom shook her head. "That cold feeling was meant to be a warning to you," she said. "If you had stayed out much longer, you might have gotten frostbite. The most dangerous time isn't when you feel cold, but when you stop feeling it." She rubbed their feet gently and added, "That reminds me of my conscience and sin. I'm in danger if my conscience stops bothering me when I do something wrong."

Jack and Sarah looked at each other, and when Mom left the room, Jack sighed. "I sure feel my feet now," he said. "Now that they're getting warmed up, they hurt-almost as much as my conscience does."

Sarah nodded. "My conscience hurts again, too," she
agreed, "but I think we'll feel better when we tell Mom about the candy-even
though we'll get the punishment we deserve."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are there habits or things you do that made you feel guilty in the past but not anymore? You may have changed, but God's standards of right and wrong haven't. Confess any sin you're aware of, and be willing to follow the "pricking" of your conscience and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Don't let yourself become numb to sin!


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

[Soldier4Christ]

"Help me with my mittens, Kent." Davy held his hand up to his big brother.

Kent groaned. "You're in the first grade, Davy. You should be able to put them on by yourself. Who helps you at school?"

"My teacher," replied Davy. "Will you pull me on my sled after school?"

Kent shrugged. "Maybe," he said.

"Are you boys ready to go to school?" Dad asked as he came into the hall, pulling on his coat. "If you are, I'll give you a ride."

As they got in the car, a neighbor came over. "Got a minute, John?" he asked. "My car won't start. Could you give me a hand?"

"Sure," Dad replied. He backed the car out of the drive and pulled in beside Mr. Gleason's car. The men raised the hoods of the cars and attached jumper cables to the batteries. Then Mr. Gleason got in his car and started it.

"Why did you stretch those lines from our car to Mr. Gleason's?" asked Davy when they were on their way. "I thought your were going to give him a hand." Davy looked at his own hands.

"When we help someone, we call that giving the person a helping hand," explained Dad. "The battery in our car had power in it, and Mr. Gleason's battery didn't. We helped him by connecting our battery to his. That allowed power to flow from our battery into his so that his car would start."

As they pulled into the schoolyard, Kent turned to Dad. "I think I'll run over to Gramps' after school and shovel the walk for him," he said.

"You gonna give Gramps a hand?" Davy asked.

"I guess you could say that," replied Kent.

"Like you gave me a hand with my mittens?" asked Davy. Kent grinned and nodded. "I bet God likes us to give people a helping hand, doesn't He?" asked Davy solemnly.

"He sure does," agreed Dad with a smile. "He sure
does."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you given anyone a helping hand lately? Can you think of someone who needs you to run an errand or write a note-or maybe who needs someone who is willing to just listen? Give somebody a hand today. You'll be glad you did. Best of all, God will be pleased.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 41:6)
"Everyone helped his neighbor, and said to his brother, 'Be of good courage!'"

[Soldier4Christ]

"Brrr!" Malia's teeth chattered as she slammed the kitchen door and kicked off her boots. "It's freezing out there, Mom! I need a warmer hat!"

"There should be one in this closet," Mom replied, opening the closet door. She rummaged around and pulled out some knitted hats, mittens, and scarves. "Oh, no!" she groaned when she saw holes in several of them.

"Those holes weren't there last year!" Malia exclaimed. "What happened?"

 "These are made of wool, and moths got into them," explained Mom.

   "Moths?" asked Malia. "Those things that look kinda like little butterflies?"

   "Yes," said Mom, "but it's not at that stage that they eat clothing fibers. It's earlier-when they look like small worms. Each one can eat enough to permanently damage an article of clothing."

   "Worms? Oh, gross!" exclaimed Malia. She made a face. "Yuck! Who would have thought that such little things could cause all this trouble?"

   Mom glanced at her. "Little things often cause trouble," she said.

   "What do you mean?" asked Malia.

   "Well, sometimes we're tempted to think that the 'little' sinful things we do aren't so bad," explained Mom. "We think if we tell a little lie or cheat just a little, it won't hurt anyone. But it does."

"I know. We forget that in God's sight sin is sin, right?" asked Malia. "At least that's what my Sunday school teacher says. She says sin doesn't come in sizes."

"Right," agreed Mom. "One so-called little sin can 'worm'
its way into our lives, causing our fellowship with God to be broken. That can
lead to other sins. The result is much suffering and sorrow." She paused, then
added, "If the idea of worms eating your mittens sounds gross to you and me,
think of how gross sin is to God. He hates it-all of it-and we should hate it,
too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think "little" sins aren't very serious-that they don't really hurt anything? Don't let Satan fool you! All sin is so serious that Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the penalty for it. Never take any sin lightly.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 8:13)
"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil."

[Soldier4Christ]

"I can't memorize these verses!" grumbled Carter. He threw his papers down on the table. "There's no way, so why should I try?"

"You can do it," encouraged Mom gently. "I know it's hard-but it's worth the time and effort. Not only will you earn a scholarship to Camp Grace this summer, but you will also have God's Word within you."

"I know, I know," groaned Carter, "but I just can't do it!"

"Well, maybe I can help you after supper," suggested Mom. "If we talk about the meaning of the verses, they might be easier for you to learn." Postponing study time sounded good to Carter. He put his Bible away and went to watch cartoons with his sister Laura.

Carter and Laura watched together for a few minutes, but soon there was a commercial break. As they went to the kitchen for a glass of milk, Carter recited the advertiser's "blurb" right along with the announcer, imitating the tones and enthusiasm the announcer was trying to express. Laura giggled. "You should apply for a job as an announcer," she told Carter. "You didn't miss a word. Cool!"

"It's amazing!" exclaimed Mom. "You've learned that entire commercial- word perfect!"

Carter grinned. "Well, I've heard it often enough. That old commercial comes on over and over. No wonder I know it."

"That's interesting," said Mom. "You memorized something that means nothing to you . . . but you can't memorize Scripture verses."

Carter was a little startled. He hadn't thought of that before.

"Maybe if you go over those verses as many times as
you've viewed that commercial, you'll memorize them, too," suggested Mom. "How
about trying a little harder?"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you take time to learn God's Word? Do you find it hard to memorize? Go over and over the verses you're learning. Make them a part of your thoughts, and find ways to use them. Hiding God's Word in your heart is very worthwhile, and it's something you can do.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 119:11)
"Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

[Soldier4Christ]

"This is going to be fun!" Ashley declared as her grandmother lifted a bucket filled with water and reeds out of the sink. Ashley was eagerly looking forward to having Grandma teach her how to weave a basket.

Ashley watched carefully as Grandma demonstrated how to bend the reeds and explained the weaving pattern. Then Grandma watched as Ashley began her own basket. "You're doing great," Grandma commented after several rows of weaving were completed.

"It's fun-and it's easier than I thought it would be," said Ashley happily. She kept on weaving, stopping only now and then to ask Grandma for help.

"This reed isn't bending very well," said Ashley after a while. She was using the last reed from the pile Grandma had made when they began the project.

"Let me see," Grandma said as she looked at Ashley's basket. She nodded. "This reed is too dry. You need to put it back in the water bucket and get a different one. It's important to keep your reeds wet."

After switching reeds Ashley began weaving easily again. "This is better," she said.

"Good," said Grandma, and a moment later she added, "Your dry reed reminds me of hard-hearted Christians."

"Hard-hearted Christians?" asked Ashley. "Who are they?"

"I'm thinking of people-Christians-who are determined to do things their own way," explained Grandma. "They're not interested in learning whether or not God has something different for them to do. Just like a basket weaver needs bendable reeds to form a basket, God needs our hearts to be humble and pliable so He can form us into what He wants us to be."

"My Sunday school lesson last week compared God to a potter," said Ashley. "We learned that we should be like soft clay that He can shape."

"That's absolutely right," agreed Grandma. "Every time
you look at your basket, remember to be like a damp reed or soft clay that God
can work with."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is your heart and mind open to what God wants you to do? Are you reading the Bible and praying each day? Do you listen carefully and have a teachable heart when God's Word is explained? He wants moldable people. Ask Him to help you to be like clay that He can shape.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 64:
"You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter...we are the work of Your hand."

[Soldier4Christ]

Jenny was so excited that she could hardly sit still as she waited, eyes closed, for Mom to bring in her birthday cake. "Okay, sweetie! Open your eyes!" said Dad at last.

Jenny blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light created by the glowing candles on top of the most beautiful birthday cake she had ever seen! Nine colorful frosting angels each held a flickering candle. "Make a wish and blow the candles out!" said Dad with a smile.

Closing her eyes again, Jenny made a secret wish that all her days would be as happy as this one! She opened her eyes and blew out the candles. But as she reached for the cake knife, she saw that, somehow, every candle had started burning again! "Look! The candles!" exclaimed Jenny. "I thought I blew them out, but they all started up again!" Dad tried not to laugh.

"Better blow them out again, Jenny!" suggested Mom.

Jenny took a deep breath and blew extra hard this time. Once again all the candles went out, but as she watched, one by one they sparked and soon were burning again. Jenny was speechless!

Her father burst into laughter. "Got ya, Jenny," he teased. "We put special candles on your cake! They're made so that no matter how hard you try to blow the light out, it will always come back!"

"Sort of like the light that burns within us when we know Jesus as Savior," said Mom. "No matter how Satan tries to blow it out, God never allows it to go out."

Both Jenny and Dad tried to blow the candles out a few
more times. They laughed together as the lights kept coming
back.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a Christian? If so, you were chosen by God as His "special candle" to share His light-Jesus-with others. Have you been doing that? Satan would like to put your light out, but he can't. God won't let anything separate you from Himself. Thank Him for that, and let your light shine brightly for Him every day!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:16)
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Allison must be mad at me," Heather told her mom one morning. "I saw her at the mall on Saturday, but she didn't even wave at me. And yesterday she didn't save me a seat next to her in Sunday school!"

"There must be a reason for that," said Mom. "Ask her about it."

Heather shrugged. "I've got to get going," she said. "I have to be at school early for a make-up test." She hurried off, forgetting to call Allison and let her know she couldn't walk to school with her.

The girls-usually such good friends-hardly saw each other all week. Each thought the other was angry, and both felt miserable about it.

That week their Sunday school teacher surprised his class by pointing out a huge snowball just outside the classroom window. "How many of you could lift that snowball?" asked Mr. Stone. A few of the boys raised their hands.

"No way!" scoffed Heather. "A snowball that big is much too heavy."

"Heavy? Everyone knows snowflakes aren't heavy," Mr. Stone teased.

"Packed like that they are," insisted Heather.

   Mr. Stone nodded. "You're absolutely right," he said, "and they remind me of misunderstandings, which also start small but often grow and get out of hand." He looked around the room. "Is there someone that you've had a quarrel with lately, or perhaps someone that doesn't seem friendly?" Heather looked across the room at Allison. "Could it be simply a misunderstanding?" continued Mr. Stone. "God wants you to clear it up before it gets any bigger!"

After class the girls met in the hall. "Why didn't you speak to me at the mall last week? And why didn't you save me a seat last Sunday?" demanded Heather.

"At the mall?" asked Allison. "I didn't see you-where were you? And on Sunday Mr. Stone asked me to sit next to a visitor." She frowned at Heather. "But why didn't you meet me Monday morning to walk to school?"

"I'm sorry. I had to go early for a make-up test," said
Heather. "Oh, Allison, we've had a terrible week because of the littlest
things!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Has someone been acting differently toward you, and you don't know why? Why not ask? Is there someone you're treating differently than usual because you're annoyed with him or her? Discuss it together and stop the problem before it "snowballs." Honor God in the way you handle friendships.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 12:14)
"Pursue peace with all people."

[Soldier4Christ]

Jake sat in the living room, stirring his cocoa. He wasn't supposed to bring drinks into this room because of the new carpet, but Mom was busy outside and there was a program he wanted to watch. I'll be careful, he thought. He set the mug on the coffee table, reached for the TV control, and plopped his feet on the table. "Oh, no!" he cried out as his foot nudged the mug onto the floor. The chocolate drink made a huge spot on the new light-colored carpet.

Jake raced for a towel. He rubbed and dabbed, but he could not get the ugly dark spot off the carpet. Hearing Mom come into the house, Jake pulled the coffee table over the stain. Mom will never see that until someone moves the table, he thought. Maybe by then I can pretend I don't know how it got there.

Jake tried to read a magazine, but he felt guilty. If I tell her now, maybe she'll know a way to get the stain out, he thought. He hesitated. I'd better tell her. Jake slowly headed for the kitchen. "Mom, I . . . I took cocoa into the living room," he confessed. "I accidentally spilled it on the carpet, and I can't get it out."

"Oh, Jake! You didn't!" exclaimed Mom. She hurried to survey the damage. "Where is it?" she asked. Jake slowly pulled the table away. "It looks like you tried to cover it up," said Mom.

"I did," admitted Jake, "but I know now I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Well, I've got some carpet cleaner that works really good on fresh stains," said Mom. As she worked on the carpet, she added, "I'm glad you decided to tell me about this, Jake. You couldn't get the stain out yourself-and you couldn't have hidden it forever-but this cleaner will get rid of it. Does this remind you of something? Something about God?"

"Um . . . that we get found out when we sin?" asked Jake.

"That's true," said Mom, "but it also reminds me that no
matter how hard we try, we can't hide sin forever nor get rid of it by
ourselves. The only way to get rid of sin is to bring it to Jesus and confess
it. His blood cleanses us and takes away the guilt."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you? You can't hide your sin forever, and no matter how many good things you try to do, you can't get rid of it yourself. Only the blood of Jesus can wash your heart clean. Confess your sin today and ask God to make you His child.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 John 1:7)
"The blood of Jesus Christ His (God's) Son cleanses us from all sin."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Brian, grab your catcher's equipment and I'll help you practice," called Dad as he opened the back door. Brian scrambled from the floor, grabbed his gear, and rushed out the door. His little sister, Megan, was close behind him.

On the patio Brian stopped and pulled the chest protector over his head. He strapped it together on each side. Then he slipped the plastic shin guards over each leg and fastened the straps. Finally he pulled on the catcher's mask and grabbed his mitt. "Ready!" he called as he ran out to the backyard.

Brian bent down and steadied himself on his feet in the "catcher's position." Dad wound up and pitched the ball to Brian as hard as he could. The ball bounced off Brian's mitt, popped up, and struck his face mask hard.

Megan, who was watching, gasped and ran toward her brother. "Brian, are you hurt?" she asked.

"It's okay, Meg," said Brian. "The mask stopped the ball from hurting me. See?" Smiling, he lifted his mask.

"Oh-h-h," breathed Megan. "That ball hit you really hard. I was sure it hurt you bad!"

For family devotions that evening, Dad chose to read about the armor of God. "You saw how sports equipment protects you and keeps you from getting hurt so you can do your job well," he said. "God gives protection in our spiritual lives too. The armor of God protects us from Satan's evil tricks."

Megan's face showed surprise. "You mean we don't have to be afraid of him?" she asked.

"That's right, honey," said Dad. "Satan has no real
power over us, because Jesus defeated him at the cross. When we wear God's
armor-when we trust God and follow His directions for our lives-He protects us
from Satan's schemes and deception."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sometimes feel that you're too weak to fight Satan? God provides His own armor to protect you: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and His Word. Satan is powerful, but he's no match for God-or for the Christian wearing the armor of God! Is each part of that armor an obvious part of your life?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Ephesians 6:11)
"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mike, get up! Time to get ready for school," called Mom. Mike pulled the covers over his head and burrowed deeper into the warm cocoon of blankets. He didn't even open his eyes. He was too busy dreaming about being the pilot of a big jet. It would be so exciting to travel around the world! "Mike," Mom called again, "get up right now! Do you hear me?"

"Yes." Mike's voice was muffled by the pillow over his head.

"Mike, I said now!"

Mike sighed. Oh, bother! Why do my good dreams always have to be interrupted? he thought as he finally stumbled out of bed and into the shower.

"It's raining," moaned Mike as he entered the kitchen a little later. "Why can't the sun ever shine?" He eyed the breakfast table. "Oh, yuck!" he said with a frown. "Oatmeal! I can't stand oatmeal!" Just then his sister Madelyn came to the table. She was chattering excitedly about the field trip her class would be taking that day. "We never go on field trips. I hate school," complained Mike.

"Who would like to give thanks before we eat?" asked Mom.

"It's Mike's turn," said Madelyn.

Mike scowled. "Oh, all right," he agreed, and he bowed his head. "Dear Heavenly Father," he prayed, "thank You for the beautiful day You've given us, and thank You for this good food and for our school. In Jesus' name, Amen."

"Mike, I think something is very wrong," said Mom as she passed the oatmeal.

Mike looked up. "Wrong?" he asked. "You mean this oatmeal, right?"

"No, I mean you," said Mom. "You thanked the Lord for the beautiful day and for the food, but all you've done so far is grumble."

Mike couldn't deny it-since getting out of bed, he had
grumbled the entire time! "Sorry. I'll try to do better," he said. Then he
grinned. "I'll even have some oatmeal!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
How do you greet each day? Do you grumble when you have to get up in the morning? Do you complain about the food and then thank the Lord for it? Sometimes boys and girls-and men and women, too-get in the habit of grumbling about everything. The Bible says to rejoice. Be a joyful Christian, not a grumbling Christian.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 118:24)
"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Want to come over to my house on Saturday, Julia?" asked Rachel, looking hopefully at her friend as they walked out of school.

"Can't! I have a cheerleaders' meeting," said Julia. She smiled haughtily and hurried away.

Rachel felt a familiar knot in her stomach, and hot tears pricked her eyelids. Ever since Julia started cheerleading, she hasn't had time for me, thought Rachel unhappily. Shouldering her backpack, she trudged toward home in the light, cold rain that was falling.

A car slowed up beside Rachel and stopped. She glanced up. "Hi, honey. Want a ride home?" Mom asked. Rachel hopped in, threw her backpack in the back seat, and gave the door a loud slam. "You look like you lost your best friend," Mom said gently.

"Ever since Julia became a cheerleader, she hardly talks to me anymore," explained Rachel. "I don't know the kids she runs around with now, and she never introduces me to any of them or asks me to come along." Rachel struggled to hold back tears. "I feel like I haven't got a friend left in the whole world."

"Oh, honey," said Mom, "you have lots of other friends."

"Well . . . well, maybe," admitted Rachel, "but I've lost my best friend."

"Actually," said Mom, "your best friend is right here in the car with you."

"What?" In surprise, Rachel glanced into the empty back seat and then at her mother. "Oh, you mean yourself," she said. "Thanks, Mom. You're great, but I still miss Julia."

Mom smiled. "I was thinking of God," she explained. "He'll always stay with you-even if other friends leave. You can depend on Him, so remember that when you feel lonely, okay?"

"I'll try," agreed Rachel, "but it's kinda hard."

"I know," said Mom, "but He's your faithful friend. He
loves you very much. He doesn't change from day to day and will always feel the
same about you."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have faithful friends? They provide companionship and fun, don't they? But they can't always be with you-and sometimes may treat you badly. Jesus is a friend who is always with you. Do you treat Him like a "best friend"-often talking to Him in prayer, telling Him how you feel and looking to Him for understanding and guidance? He'll always be there for you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 13:5)
"He Himself (Jesus) has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"

[Soldier4Christ]

Joe shut the door behind him, but he could not shut out the taunts ringing in his head. He walked slowly toward the room where he heard the "whir-r-r-r" of his mother's sewing machine. "Did you have a good day, Joe?" asked Mom, looking up. Tears filled Joe's eyes, and he shook his head fiercely. Mom pointed to a chair. "Sit down and tell me about it."

Joe gulped and sat down. "At lunchtime some of the guys started telling jokes-just funny ones at first. Then Stan told a dirty joke, and I left."

"Good for you," Mom said.

Joe breathed a heavy sigh. "Oh, yeah, good for me! Good old Holy Joe! That's what they called me the rest of the day."

"Doing the right thing isn't always easy," said Mom. She started taking pins out of a piece of material.

Joe sniffed. Then changing the subject, he asked, "What are you making?"

"A corduroy jacket for Kim," his mother replied.

 Joe ran his thumbnail across a piece of the material. "Corduroy sure is bumpy," he said. After a minute he added, "You know what? In history class we learned that they used to make corduroy roads, and now I can see why they called them that. Logs were laid side by side, and that made ridges-like corduroy. Imagine riding down a corduroy road. Bumpity-bump! Bumpity-bump." Joe grinned as he ran his thumbnail across the material again.

Mom put down her scissors. "That would be rough," she agreed. After a moment she added, "Part of the highway to heaven must be corduroy."

"Like . . . the part I hit today?" asked Joe. "It was pretty bumpy."

"But you made it." Mom smiled. "The rough spots didn't wreck you."

Joe stood up and grinned. "I guess there are worse
things to be called than 'Holy Joe.' I think I'll go ride my bike. There's a
stretch of Oak Street that's almost as bumpy as a corduroy road. It's kinda fun
to ride on it."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you run into some rough roads lately? Maybe you had to go down a different road from the one your friends were taking. Maybe you had to say "no" or take a stand against some things they were doing. Living for the Lord is not always easy, but it is always best.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Proverbs 16:17)
"The highway of the upright is to depart from evil."

[Soldier4Christ]

"See that, Mom?" Jeremy pointed. "It looks like water on the road way up ahead." Jeremy and his mother were driving on the highway, and it was a very hot day.

Mom nodded. "It looks like the water," she agreed, "but see how it disappears as we get closer? That's called a mirage-it's kind of like the mirage desert travelers sometimes see."

"We studied that in school," said Jeremy. "Years ago people sometimes got lost in the desert and became very thirsty when their water supply was gone. Then they'd see what looked like a lake in the distance and hurry toward it. As they got closer, it would disappear. Then they'd see another and another."

"I guess that happened quite often," replied Mom.

"Yeah," said Jeremy. "My teacher said it was really sad because people would go rushing toward all those places they thought were lakes, trying to find a drink, and then when they saw a real lake, sometimes they'd turn away because they thought it was a mirage again. They often died of thirst."

"So when water that would satisfy their thirst was right there, they didn't believe it," said Mom. After a moment she added, "After being mistaken many times, people often don't recognize the real source of satisfaction."

"That doesn't happen in our country anymore, does it?" Jeremy asked. "Don't people have better ways to travel now-and better water supplies?"

"Actually, I was thinking about people who are 'thirsty'
for happiness in life. They try to find it in so many different ways-ways that
don't satisfy," said Mom. "Jesus is the Living Water. The Bible says anyone who
'drinks of Him' will never thirst. He's available to all, but after being
disappointed so often with other things, many people don't recognize Him as the
one who can truly satisfy their thirst for happiness."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you "thirsty" for happiness? Have you tried to find it by being busy, going to parties, joining church, or doing good? These things are like a mirage-they seem to promise satisfaction and lasting happiness, but they can't give it. Turn to Jesus. He's the only one who can give you lasting joy in this life and eternity in heaven.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 4:14)
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, may I subscribe to this magazine?" asked Clint as he came into the kitchen. "It shows how to make all this cool stuff." He flipped the pages. "I could make gifts for birthdays and Christmas and Mother's Day. Think how much money I could save!"

"Okay," agreed Mom. "Do-it-yourself projects sound like a good idea."

Each afternoon for a few weeks, Clint asked the same question, "Did my magazine come today, Mom?" He was delighted when she finally met him at the door with a smile on her face and a magazine in her hand.

When Clint's mother was cleaning out his closet several months later, she found a stack of the craft magazines. The pages of several were worn from wear. She was putting the last one back on the shelf when Clint came bursting into the room. "Jason Black makes me so mad! He makes the dumbest rules, and he always has to be first. Just because it's his game or his house, everyone has to do what he wants or leave. I left!"

"So I see." Mom nodded and pointed to the magazines. "I can see that you've read these a lot, but have you ever made any of the crafts shown in them?"

Clint shook his head. "No, but some day I'm going to."

Mom closed the closet door. "In some ways, living for the Lord is like a do-it-yourself project with the Bible for a book of instruction," she said. "But you need to be careful not to treat the Bible like you're treating these magazines. Don't just read it and intend to follow its instructions, but then put it off."

"I don't," Clint declared. "I do what it says."

"What about the verse we read this morning?" Mom asked. "It says, 'Submitting yourselves one to another.' Could that mean letting Jason call the shots when you're playing at his house? It won't hurt you, you know."

   "But, Mom . . ." Clint started to argue. Then he
grinned. "I guess you're right. Okay, I'll do it. And you know what else I'm
going to do? I'm going to do one of those craft projects, too.
Tonight!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you truly obey what you read in God's Word? Did you read today's Scripture? Do you obey all that you read there? Maybe you need to get rid of a bad habit or submit to someone or change a sour attitude. Whatever the Word of God has shown you to do, start now.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Philippians 4:9)
"The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do."