Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"Can we color some eggs this Easter, Grandma?" begged Beth, who was spending Easter vacation at Grandma Bell's house.

Grandma laughed. "Okay," she agreed, "as long as you know that colored eggs don't have a thing to do with Easter." So they boiled eggs and dyed them a rainbow of colors. How pretty they looked on the kitchen counter!

Beth sat down to read a book, and Grandma's big tomcat snuggled down into her lap. Smokey purred in appreciation as Beth stroked his soft fur. But when some dogs began to bark outside, Smokey leaped out of Beth's lap, ran to the kitchen, and jumped on the counter! "Smokey!" cried Beth, running after him. "Those dogs can't get you, and you know you're not allowed up there. Watch out!" Several of the colored eggs rolled off the counter and onto the floor. CRASH! Cracks zigzagged across the colored shells. "Smokey! Look what you've done!" Beth cried in dismay. "You've ruined the eggs! You bad, bad cat!"

Grandma came and picked up the cracked eggs. "Get me your colored markers, honey," she said. When Beth brought them, Grandma reached for a pink one. She sketched pink flowers on one egg, using cracks for some of the lines. Then she drew in leaves with a light shade of green. She used a bright purple to make violets on another egg. On others she used the crack lines to make interesting designs. Soon Beth was having a great time designing eggs, too. Before long, all the eggs were decorated.

"Grandma, they're more beautiful than before!" Beth exclaimed. "It's a miracle."

"They are pretty, aren't they?" agreed Grandma. "What I especially like about them is that, although eggs have nothing to do with Easter, they now remind me of what Jesus accomplished when He rose from the dead. We rescued a few broken eggs, and God rescues 'broken' people. By 'broken' people, I mean all who have ever sinned-and that's everyone. Because Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead, we can be made more beautiful than before. That's a real miracle!"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you realized that you are a broken person-broken by sin? You don't need to stay that way. Jesus died for you and rose again so that you can be made beautiful. Trust Him as Savior today.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Corinthians 5:17)
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

[Soldier4Christ]

"I hope all the seeds we plant will come up," said Diego as he helped with the work in his grandfather's garden.

Grandpa smiled as he paused and leaned on his hoe. "I just hope not too many seeds that we haven't planted come up." He grinned at Diego's puzzled expression. "I'm talking about weeds. We usually get quite a crop of them," he explained, "but you've never seen me buy seeds for weeds, have you?"

Diego laughed. "No, they seem to come up by themselves!" he said.

Grandpa wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. "I think our minds are a little like a garden," he said. "The seeds represent our thoughts. Thoughts about good things are the ones you plant by reading your Bible or listening to your parents or teachers. Bad thoughts are like weeds. You don't have to try to put bad thoughts in your mind. They just come."

Diego glanced quickly at his grandfather. Does Grandpa know what I've been thinking? he wondered. He sighed. "I know. Sometimes I catch myself thinking bad thoughts," admitted Diego, turning red and squirming uncomfortably. "You know. Like . . . some of the stuff I've seen on TV or some of the bad jokes I hear at school."

Grandpa nodded. "I understand perfectly," he told Diego.

"You do?" Diego looked at Grandpa in surprise.

"Sure," said Grandpa. "Everyone struggles with sinful thoughts. What we need to do is hoe those bad thoughts out before they grow so big that they take over the good thoughts-like the weeds took over my garden when I was sick last year. Weeding your mind is like weeding the garden. It's an every day job."

"Hoe out bad thoughts," repeated Diego. "But how do I do that?"

"Talk to God about it," advised Grandpa, "and when those bad thoughts come, immediately and deliberately think about something else-something good. Will you try that?" Solemnly, Diego nodded.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you struggle with thoughts you know wouldn't please God? Everyone does at some time. The best thing to do with them is to jerk them out like weeds from a garden. Never let them take root and grow. Follow God's instructions to think about good things.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (2 Corinthians 10:5)
"Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Hi, Mom," said Tabitha, walking into the laundry room where her mother was sorting clothes to wash. "I have a question." Tabitha picked up a brown sweater and tossed it onto a pile of dark clothes. "Why won't you let me go to Shayna's house for her sleepover?" she asked. "I really want to go."

"I know," said Mom, "but I don't think Shayna is a good influence for you."

"But why?" whined Tabitha. "She's not so bad."

"Maybe not, but . . ." Mom picked up a pink shirt and placed it on a pile of light colored clothes. "Remember the time you did the laundry and put one of Dad's white T-shirts in the batch that included a new red towel?"

Tabitha laughed. "Do I ever! That T-shirt came out a pretty shade of pink."

"But it wasn't a color Dad wanted to wear, was it?" asked Mom.

"No," replied Tabitha. "He gave it to me-to remind me to sort laundry according to color."

Mom nodded. "Choosing friends is a little like sorting laundry," she said. "When you spend time with people, you sometimes take on some of their 'color'-their habits and language and values. That's one reason why it's good to spend most of your time with Christian friends."

"But I thought we should spend time with non-Christians to tell them about Jesus," protested Tabitha. "Even Jesus hung out with sinners."

"That's true. But when He did that, they changed, not Him. He wasn't influenced to do bad things," said Mom. "Are you sure that would that be true of you?"

"Well, I . . . I . . . " Tabitha blushed, knowing she had used bad words learned from Shayna.

"I want you be be a witness to Shayna," said Mom. "She's welcome to come to Sunday school and to come over to play sometimes. But I don't like you to spend lots of time with her right now. She is influencing you, not the other way around." Mom gave Tabitha a hug.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have friends who don't know Jesus? Take care not to let them influence you to do or to accept wrong things. Make sure you are influencing them-for Jesus. Choose to spend most of your time with Christian friends.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Corinthians 15:33)
"Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits."

[Soldier4Christ]

Eight-year-old Heidi loved to sit close to Great-grandpa Hohenberger and listen to stories about his younger days back in Germany. He had not come to America until he was a teenager, and Heidi thought he must have lived the most exciting life imaginable. As she sat down beside him, Grandpa smiled at her. "What did you learn in Sunday school today, little one?" he asked.

"We're studying the fifth chapter of Matthew," Heidi answered, "and I need to memorize some verses this week. My teacher calls them the Beatitudes."

"Oh, good!" responded Grandpa. "Have you learned any yet?"

"I memorized the first one. Mrs. Grey said we should think about what each one means, and we'll talk about them next week," replied Heidi. "The first one is 'Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'" She frowned. "I didn't know you had to be poor to be a Christian."

"Ach, Heidi! You don't!" Grandpa shook his head. "You have to be poor in spirit! That's the opposite of being proud. If you're proud, you may think you can get to heaven on your own. But if you're poor in spirit, you realize you have a need! It reminds me of when I left Germany and came to America!"

"How were you poor in spirit then?" asked Heidi.

"In a sense, I had to be 'poor in spirit' to want to leave Germany. In other words, I had to see my own need," explained Grandpa. "Now, that step wasn't hard for me. Hitler had taken over the government, and it was plain that he was opposed to God and Christianity. His army was being built up, and I knew I'd be forced to serve in it if I didn't leave soon. Oh, I could have been proud and said, 'Hitler will never get me!' But that would have been foolish!"

"Because you couldn't have escaped him, right?" asked Heidi. "You had to see your need to get out of Germany so you could be free from Hitler."

   "That's right." Grandpa smiled. "And when the Bible speaks of being poor in spirit, it means we must see our need of accepting Jesus in order to be free from sin."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you realize that you have a need for freedom from sin? Do you see that you cannot meet that need on your own? Every person is a sinner and needs Jesus to take away that sin. Don't be too proud to admit that you are "poor in spirit"-in other words, that you need a Savior!

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:3)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Have you learned the second beatitude, Heidi?" asked Great-grandpa Hohenberger.

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted," Heidi quoted promptly. "Does that mean it's good if somebody dies or something terrible happens to make us cry? I don't know if I really like that."

Grandpa smiled. "No," he replied. "God does comfort His children when they're sad, but I think the mourning referred to here means mourning over sin. In other words, it's being sorry for your sin. Let's see . . . when I saw the bad things going on under Hitler's rule, I knew I needed to get out, remember?" Heidi nodded. "I felt terrible about what was happening there-I mourned over it," continued Grandpa. "Many other people didn't like what was taking place in our homeland, either, but not all of them mourned like I did! I was so eager to escape that I ran from the Nazi soldiers in the night. I even hid in a garbage truck so they wouldn't see me. It stunk, and I felt like I might never be clean again."

"That sounds awful!" exclaimed Heidi.

"It was," agreed Grandpa, "but I would have done almost anything to get away. Some people didn't care enough to try to escape! Or maybe they just didn't know how to go about it."

Heidi was thinking deeply. "And they're like people who know they need to be saved, but they just don't care enough to do anything about it?" she asked. "I guess they don't feel sorry for sinning-right, Grandpa?"

"That's right." The old man nodded. "And if they don't mourn-if they don't repent of their sin-they won't know the comfort salvation brings!" He paused a moment, then added, "There are also Christians who know of sin in their lives. They need to repent, too, and then they'll find the comfort of the full forgiveness that God has promised."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you "mourn" about sin in your life-do you care enough to call on Jesus to take it away and help you change? Does disobedience, pride, carelessness, or any other wrong thing you do cause you to feel sorry? It should! Ask God to forgive you and to help you change. He is waiting to forgive and comfort you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:4)
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

[Soldier4Christ]

 Root of Bitterness

"Get a move on, Josh," grumbled Luke as he scraped the supper dishes and piled them on the counter. "You're just being lazy. Do your share of this work!"

Josh stopped daydreaming and slowly filled the dishwasher. "I am doing my share," he muttered.

"You are not!" Luke replied angrily.

Those boys are at it again, Mom thought as she put down her needlework and headed for the kitchen to try and solve the problem. "Boys, boys!" she said. "I'm tired of the constant bickering that goes on between you. You're brothers, and you ought to love one another."

"Love? Who could love him?" Luke asked. "Every time we do anything, Josh drags his feet, so I end up doing most of the work."

"You do not!" Josh shot back. "Mom, he always picks on me!"

"That does it!" exclaimed Mom. "You boys apparently need to work off some extra steam. When the dishwasher is loaded, we'll all go out to the berry patch and pull crabgrass."

"Aw, Mom . . ." The protests from the boys sounded as one, but soon they all were all busy in the garden. By the time they took a break, the boys were hot, dusty, and too tired to quarrel. They sat down while Mom went in and got a pitcher of cool lemonade and some snacks.

"You know, boys," said Mom as they enjoyed their refreshments, "this makes me think of a verse in the Bible that talks about a 'root of bitterness' springing up and causing trouble. I can see that bitterness is springing up between you two. It could destroy your friendship much the way this crabgrass could destroy our strawberry patch. We've been digging the crabgrass out. Now let's talk about problems the two of you have and how you can 'dig out' and get rid of the bitterness between you. Okay?"

The boys looked at each other and nodded. "All right," said Mom. "We'll start by asking God to help us." She bowed her head to pray, and the boys did the same. Then as they went back to work, they talked about their differences and how they could resolve them.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you feeling bitter toward someone? Do you often quarrel with a brother or sister? Does a neighborhood kid, a classmate, or perhaps even a parent upset you by things they do or say? Do you feel more angry as the days go by? Ask God to show you if there's anyone with whom you should talk. If He brings someone to your mind, go to that person and discuss the problem. Ask God to help you pull bitterness out by the roots.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Looking carefully . . . lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble. Hebrews 12:15

[Soldier4Christ]

"Grandpa, I learned another beatitude," said Heidi the next day. "It's 'Blessed are the meek.'" She grinned. "I think I know what that means. Everyone at school calls one of the third grade teachers 'Meek Mr. Milton.' He's a little man with a light, whiny voice. He's acts like a sissy, Grandpa! Why would Jesus give special blessings to sissies?"

"Heidi," said Grandpa sternly, "do not talk that way! Your teacher's age and position require your respect." He paused, then added. "Do you think I'm weak, Heidi? I was meek when my ship from Germany landed in New York City."

"I know you told me you cried when you saw the Statue of Liberty, Grandpa. But that didn't mean you were meek! You were just happy to be in a free land!" The little girl defended the old man she loved so dearly.

"Oh, I was definitely meek, too," said Grandpa. "Among other things, to be meek means to be humble and submissive-willing to surrender your will to another. I was willing to do whatever was necessary to stay in this country! When I became a citizen here, I switched my loyalty from Germany to America. I promised to serve and obey my new country." Grandpa nodded thoughtfully. "When we become Christians, we switch loyalties, too," he added.

 "We do? What loyalties do we switch?" Heidi wondered.

"That's an easy one, Heidi," said Grandpa. "Before I was saved, I obeyed Satan most of the time because I belonged to him. But since I surrendered my will to Jesus, I am willing to do whatever He wants me to do. That is being meek."

"I love Jesus, too, but sometimes I still want my own way," confessed Heidi.

Grandpa nodded. "We all struggle with that. Sometimes I missed Germany, and then I reminded myself that my loyalty now belonged to America. After we become Christians, we sometimes need to remind ourselves that our loyalty now belongs to Jesus. We must humbly surrender our will to Him each day to be fully happy and blessed."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you switched your loyalty from Satan to Jesus? Do you love Jesus enough to surrender your will to Him and do whatever He wants you to do? Do you have a humble, submissive, and teachable spirit? You'll be happiest when you give God full control of your life, and you will be rewarded in eternity as well.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:5)
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Guess what, Grandpa? My verse today is about hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and I think I understand it already," announced Heidi one day. "I think it means I should want to know all about God and become more like Him. But can you tell me a story about it, anyway?"

Great-grandpa Hohenberger smiled and patted the seat beside him. "Well, I guess you could say that I hungered and thirsted after America," he told Heidi. "When I got to this country and decided to become an American citizen, I wanted to learn all I could about America! I wanted to be a good American."

"You had to learn to speak English, right?" asked Heidi.

"Yes, and that was very hard for me, Heidi! But I wasn't content just to learn the language. I wanted to learn all there was to know about this country, too," explained Grandpa. "As soon as I could speak well enough, I went to high school at night and studied American history. Some boys in the class made fun of the way I talked, but I was so hungry to learn about my new country that even their teasing didn't discourage me."

"Have you ever been disappointed in America, Grandpa?" Heidi asked.

"Sometimes, but I still believe this country is the greatest in the world," said Grandpa. "The more I learn about it, the more I love it! It's like that with God, too. I have hungered and thirsted for His righteousness for many years-ever since I was saved. And the more I study about God and learn about Him, the more I love Him. He never disappoints me." Grandpa smiled at Heidi. "We must not only thirst to know about Him, but also to be more like Him," he added.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? God wants you to know all you can about Him. He has revealed Himself in His Word. Study it; learn to know God better. To know Him is to love Him. He wants His righteousness to be seen in your life, too.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:6)
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy," read Heidi as she studied a new verse. "Grandpa, what is mercy anyway?"

"Why don't you look in the dictionary?" suggested Grandpa. "I'll help you."

Heidi ran to get the dictionary, and together they found the word. "Let's see-to show mercy means . . . here it is. 'To be helpful when it's not required,'" read Heidi. "'To forgive; to forbear punishment when justice demands it.'"

"Yes," said Grandpa, "and God shows the most wonderful mercy of all. He's willing to forgive our sins instead of giving us the punishment we deserve. He wants us to follow His example and show mercy to others."

"Did people show mercy to you when you came to America?" asked Heidi.

"Indeed they did!" Grandpa nodded. "Let's see. Did I ever tell you about my first job in America?" Heidi shook her head. "Work was hard to find and I applied many places," said Grandpa. "When I inquired at the grocery store near our apartment, the manager told me they had no openings at all. As I turned to leave, the owner of the store came in. He must have seen the discouraged look on my face, for he stopped me and asked a lot of questions. The next day . . ."

"You got the job," interrupted Heidi.

"Right." Grandpa nodded. "Only it wasn't the job. There really were no openings. It was a job-one the owner made up for me. After hearing my story, he took pity on me. I didn't deserve a job, but he showed me mercy by finding work for me to do."

"Did you work there long?" Heidi asked.

"Quite a while," answered Grandpa, "and the owner showed mercy more than once. It was all so new to me, and I made many mistakes, but he never fired me as I deserved. He was a Christian, and I'm sure God blessed him for being such a merciful man."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a merciful Christian? Do you show mercy and forgiveness when you are wronged, or do you try to get even? If you see someone who needs a friend, is too busy to get everything done, or is struggling with school work, do you show mercy and help? If you show mercy to others, God says you will also have mercy shown to you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:7)
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Grandpa, this beatitude says the pure in heart will see God. What does it mean to be pure in heart?" asked Heidi.

Great-grandpa Hohenberger looked thoughtful. "To be pure in heart means to love God and to have His love so fill us that there is no room for sin," he answered. "We should center our thoughts and actions on Him, Heidi-looking forward to the day when we'll be in heaven with Him forever. We must not be double-minded."

"Double-minded?" Heidi asked, puzzled.

Grandpa nodded. "Peter, a friend who came from Germany with me, was double-minded. All he ever seemed to talk about was our homeland. He never did learn to like America because he always compared it to Germany. He thought the mountains here were not as pretty, the cities were not as clean-on and on he would go. I often tried to tell him to get his eyes off Germany so he could see America, but he never did. He died a very bitter man. He wanted to be a citizen here, but he wanted to hold on to the old country and the old ways, too."

"But you loved Germany, too, didn't you, Grandpa?" asked Heidi. "How did you forget about it?"

"I chose to!" said Grandpa emphatically. "I decided that America was my new home, and I would not look back!"

"That reminds me of a chorus we sing in Sunday school. It says . . ." Heidi paused and then began to sing. "I have decided to follow Jesus-no turning back; no turning back."

"That's exactly it, Heidi," agreed Grandpa. "We must follow Jesus and not turn back to the world. Jesus says we cannot serve 'two masters'-we can't serve both God and the world system. As we faithfully serve God, we'll see Him working in our lives right now, and we'll see Him in heaven some day in the future."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Can you see God at work in your life? If not, perhaps your eyes are clouded by looking at things other than God. Refuse to read books or watch TV programs that use God's name wrongly and that teach things contrary to His Word. Make a deliberate choice to follow Jesus without looking back at old sinful habits.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Guess what!" said Heidi eagerly as she took her Bible from the shelf and sat beside Great-grandpa Hohenberger. "For art class today, we had to make a drawing of one of our favorite things. Natasha and Maria both drew rainbows, and Natasha got mad-she said Maria copied her picture. Then Maria got mad-she said it was her idea to draw a rainbow in the first place. They were mad at each other all day." Heidi sighed as she opened her Bible, ready to learn a new beatitude.

"And what did you do?" asked Grandpa.

"Each of the girls wanted me to play with her at recess," answered Heidi, "so I told them I would if they'd quit fighting. But they both stayed mad, so I played with other kids. But Natasha and Maria really like each other, so Mom said I could invite them both to stay overnight on Saturday and go to church and Sunday school with us. They're coming, and I'm sure we'll all have fun. I hope they'll see how silly they've been. Besides, maybe they'll like Sunday school and keep coming."

"Good!" approved Grandpa. "Maybe they'll accept Jesus as Savior as a result of your invitation. Now, Heidi, let's get to work on that next beatitude. I think you'll find it interesting today because it applies to you."

Heidi looked down at her open Bible. "Blessed are the peacemakers," she read slowly. A big smile lit her face as she looked up at Grandpa. "Was I a peacemaker today, Grandpa?"

"I'd say so." Grandpa nodded. "You're not only trying to bring peace between your friends, but you're also doing something to introduce them to Jesus. Only He can give lasting peace."

"This beatitude is going to be easy to learn," declared Heidi, reading the words to herself. "And if Natasha and Maria accept Jesus, I know I'll never forget it."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
When friends are quarreling, do you eagerly listen to all the details and add a few biting comments of your own? Or do you heed Jesus' words and try to bring peace between them? Helping people get along is great, but also be sure your friends know about Jesus, the only source of lasting peace. Then you will truly be a peacemaker.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:9)
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

[Soldier4Christ]

By the time Heidi was learning the last beatitude at the end of the week, she anticipated what her Great-grandfather would say about it. "I know how this verse about persecution fits into your story of Germany. I hope I never have to face persecution like some Christians did." Heidi shuddered. "I'd be so scared!"

"It is scary," agreed Grandpa, "but many verses in the Bible promise God's special strength and blessing to those who are persecuted for Jesus' sake." Grandpa grew quiet, and Heidi knew he was thinking of many people he had known back in Germany-people who had been persecuted for their faith in the Lord.

"Grandpa." Heidi spoke softly.

"Yes, Heidi," responded Grandpa.

"I'm sorry your friends were punished for being Christians,"  Heidi said sympathetically.

"Me, too, little one." Grandpa sighed as he spoke. "Many people suffered great pain and hardship because they believed in Jesus. Sometimes homes were wrecked, parents were separated from their children, and many people were thrown in prison."

"Oh! That's terrible!" exclaimed Heidi.

"Yes, it was terrible," agreed Grandpa, "but even through all of that, these Christians still believed in Jesus Christ as Savior. One day-when they get to heaven-they will be rewarded for their faithfulness." After a moment, he added, "We need to remember that even today Christians are being persecuted in some countries. I can testify to the fact that Jesus is with His children in times of trial, but we do need to pray for them."

Heidi nodded. "You know what, Grandpa?" she asked as she went over to give him a hug. "Your stories have helped me so much to learn the Beatitudes."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do kids sometimes make fun of you because of your faith in Jesus? Are you willing to trust God and stand up for Him even if that happens? Have you heard of Christians in other places who are put in prison and who suffer harm because of their faith? Do you pray for them? Why not pray for them right now!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 5:10)
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

[Soldier4Christ]

Ramon hopped up into the dentist's chair, leaned his head back, and opened his mouth wide so the dentist could check his teeth. "Good!" said Dr. Scott after gently examining Ramon's mouth with special instruments. "I see only one small cavity. Now I'm going to take an x-ray of your teeth. I want to see if there are any problems I can't see with my eyes alone." He smiled. "This won't hurt, Ramon. Just hold very still for the x-ray so the picture will be clear."

The x-ray showed that Ramon had one more cavity. His mother made an appointment to have them filled, and they headed home.

That evening Ramon told his Dad about his visit to the dentist. "Dr. Scott gave me a new toothbrush," said Ramon. "He says if I brush really good twice a day, maybe I won't have any cavities next time he sees me." Ramon frowned. "I don't like brushing, though, and I don't see why I had to have that x-ray. Now I need two fillings instead of just one!"

"That's true," agreed Mom, "but the second cavity would have shown up quite soon anyway. By then it would have gotten much bigger, and you'd need a big filling instead of just a little one. So you see, it's a good thing Dr. Scott found it now."

Dad nodded. "X-rays are a big help," he agreed. "They show what's deep inside us where we can't see. The Bible does that, too-God uses it to examine our hearts. One of the things it does is to show us where there's sin in our lives-and also how to correct the problem. When we recognize our sin, we can go to God and ask Him to forgive us and to help us keep from repeating it."

Ramon thought about what Dad said. "Well . . . I'm glad God gave us the Bible. And I guess I'm glad we have dentists, too," he decided. "I know they both help us, so I'll try to do what they say."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you read the Bible to see what it has to say to you? Is there a sin to avoid? Is there a commandment to obey? A lesson to learn? A verse that encourages or comforts you? Study the Bible and obey it!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Hebrews 4:12)
"The word of God is . . . a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

[Soldier4Christ]

Michelle watched as her mother tightened the lids on several jars of vegetables and placed them in a pressure cooker. Then Mom put the lid on the cooker and adjusted the heat. "How does a pressure cooker work, Mom?" asked Michelle.

Mom smiled at her. "Well, the heat causes pressure to build up inside the cooker, and the force of the pressure helps to cook and preserve the beans inside the jars. When they're done, we'll be able to store them for a year or more, and they won't spoil."

When the gauge on the cooker reached ten pounds, Mom lowered the heat. When the required time had passed, she turned the stove off. "Now we'll wait till the pressure goes to zero before we open the cooker," she said. "Pressure is a powerful thing and must be handled with care."

CRACK! Michelle jumped. "What was that?" she asked.

Mom frowned. "I think a jar inside the cooker has cracked," she said. "It must have had a weak spot and couldn't stand the pressure."

"That's how I feel at school sometimes," said Michelle "I feel like I'm going to 'crack' under the pressure."

"What do you mean, honey?" asked Mom.

"The pressure to cheat is everywhere!" replied Michelle. "Lots of kids do it, and if you don't, it's like you're the one who's wrong!"

After a moment Mom nodded. "Pressure in our lives can work two ways, Michelle. It can 'preserve' us-that is, teach us patience and endurance. Or it can 'crack' us-it can cause us to take the easy way and give in and be unhappy. Sometimes people have weak spots and break under the pressure of life. The jars have no help for their weak spots, but we have the power of God's Spirit. I know the pressure of your classmates makes it difficult to be strong and do what's right, but ask God to help you. He will."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you pressured by friends to do something you know is wrong? Christians . . . especially young people . . . are often under pressure to be like everybody else, do what they do, go where they go. That's called "peer pressure." Don't break under it. Stand firm for right. Purpose in your heart, as Daniel did, that you will not let the wrong actions of others influence you!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Hi, Mom. What's for supper?" asked Traci as she came into the kitchen. Mom grinned. Traci asked the same question every day when she got home from school. "I'm so-o-o hungry when I get off the bus," added Traci. She went to the stove, lifted a lid off a pan, and peered inside. "Is this what I think it is? Are we having tacos?" At Mom's nod, Traci let out a whoop.

"Put your things away, and then you can help me cut up the rest of the stuff," said Mom with a smile. Traci grinned, grabbed her books, and bounded up the steps.

"Well, what should I do first?" asked Traci when she reappeared.

"First wash your hands," said Mom. "Then you can cut up those tomatoes. I've already washed them."

Picking up a shiny red tomato, Traci began to slice it. "Ugh, Mom! It's all rotten in the middle!" she exclaimed. "We can't use this."

Mom came over to see. "Hmmm, that's funny," she said. "It looks perfect on the outside-there isn't even a bruise. But you're right. We can't use that one."

At the dinner table, Mom added tomatoes to her taco. "You know, Traci," she said, "people are often kind of like that rotten tomato."

Traci gave her mother a puzzled glance. Mom laughed. "I was referring to people who put on a good show. They do good works, and they look fine on the outside," she explained. "But God sees hearts. He knows what they're really like on the inside."

"And they're rotten and useless, like that tomato?" asked Traci.

"Right. God says that even the 'good' things we do in our own strength are like filthy rags," said Mom. "We can't fix the tomato and make it good, so we just dump it, but God can fix people. When we trust in Jesus, He gives us His goodness, and we're whole and useful again. Isn't that great?"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you do a lot of good things? Do you expect God to allow you into heaven for that reason? It doesn't work that way. God sees your heart-He knows you're a sinner. You need Jesus. Confess your sin to Him and ask Him to forgive you, to change you and make you "good." He wants to do that.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 64:6)
"We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags."