Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Joshua slowly pulled on his socks. I hate school, he thought. I wish I didn't have to go. The guys will all talk about what they did with their dads over the weekend, and I'll be left out again. Joshua used to talk about the things he and his dad did together, but now Dad was gone. Almost without warning, Dad had left home and moved to another state. Joshua hardly ever saw him anymore.

Just as Joshua expected, many of the boys at school told the others about their weekends. Some had gone fishing, some camping, and it seemed to Joshua as though all of them had done something with their dads. He pretended he didn't care.

As he was getting ready for bed that night, Joshua's heart was heavy. All my life I've been taught that prayer can change things, he thought. Well, I prayed lots, but nothing changed. Dad's still gone. What's wrong, I wonder? I know I'm a Christian, so maybe I'm praying in the wrong way. Kneeling beside his bed, Joshua began to pray again-shyly at first, and then with more confidence. He prayed for his dad and mom and for his whole family. Then he prayed for himself, telling God all about how he felt. For the first time, he didn't ask God to change only the circumstances. He also asked for help to accept not having Dad home. He asked God to comfort him and his mother and brothers and sisters.

As Joshua climbed into bed, he actually felt much calmer and more peaceful than he had for a long time. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, he thought. After all, God is my heavenly Father. Mom told me He said He'd be a father to the fatherless. It's not like He's going to play baseball with me, but He does take care of me-and I can talk to Him whenever I want.

The next time Joshua heard boys talking about their
dads, he still felt a little out of place. But he had something new-a peace in
his heart as he realized that his heavenly Father was with him. He was even able
to laugh at a joke one of the boys had played on his dad.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a member of a one-parent family? Do you feel an emptiness inside? If you're a Christian, tell God exactly how you feel. Your heavenly Father cares, and He wants to give you peace. He's able and willing to meet each need of your life as you look to Him and trust Him to do that.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"A father of the fatherless . . . is God in His holy habitation." Psalm 68:5

[Soldier4Christ]

"How was your day?" Dad asked as Tyler wandered into the orchard where Dad was picking apples.

Tyler scowled. "Awful!"

"Define awful," prompted Dad.

"Justin put a really deep scratch in my new skateboard," grumbled Tyler. "He's such a klutz!" Angrily, Tyler gave a swift kick to a large rock, hurting his toe. "Ow!" he yelled.

"Calm down," cautioned Dad as he put another apple into the basket. "Do you remember what the Bible says about forgiveness?"

Tyler's conscience pricked him. "Of course I do, Dad, but I don't feel like forgiving him yet," he mumbled. Tyler reached for a plump, red apple. "Wow, this tree is loaded!" he exclaimed. "This branch almost touches the ground."

Dad and Tyler picked steadily. "Check this out, Dad," Tyler said after a while. "This branch was almost touching the ground before we picked the apples, but now it's about a foot higher."

Dad nodded. "And you know what?" he said. "Some people are a lot like that branch. They carry grudges that weigh them down. Jesus wants to take away their heavy burdens, but they cling stubbornly to them and drag them along their whole lives. Their hearts become bitter, and they are very unhappy people."

"I guess you're saying that a scratched skateboard isn't worth carrying a grudge over," said Tyler, "but it still makes me mad when I think about it."

"It isn't easy to forgive," said Dad. "That's why you
need to ask Jesus to help you. After all, He's an expert at forgiveness. Think
of the mess we'd be in if He wouldn't forgive our sins." Tyler nodded, but
didn't answer. "When you think about the skateboard, remember how picking the
apples made this branch lighter," suggested Dad, "and realize that forgiving
Justin will make your heart feel lighter, too."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you freely forgive if a friend or family member hurts or insults you? Or are you weighed down with grudges against someone? Ask Jesus to help you forgive that person and to fill your heart with love instead of hate and anger.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"Be . . . forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mornin', Brent," called Mr. Walker. " What have you got there?"

"Oh, brother!" Brent muttered, then in a louder voice he answered, "Good morning, Mr. Walker. This is a porch swing." Brent continued spreading newspapers under the swing as his neighbor came up onto the porch.

"Looks a bit worn out," observed Mr. Walker. "You fixin' to paint it?"

Brent nodded. "Mom got it at a garage sale. We're going to paint it white."

"White, eh?" asked Mr. Walker. "I'd paint it green. Match your house better."

Brent sighed and took a deep breath. "My mother wants it white."

"You gonna paint wearin' that good shirt, boy? When I was a kid, I only had two shirts to my name." Brent gritted his teeth as his neighbor continued. "We took care of things back in them days." As Brent dipped his brush into the paint, Mr. Walker grabbed his arm. "Wait a minute there! Where's your sandpaper? Look how that old paint's peelin'. You've gotta sand it down before you put on the new paint."

Brent put his brush down. "'Scuse me," he muttered, and he hurried into the house. "Mom, I thought I'd better come in before I told that old man to mind his own business," exploded Brent. "Mr. Walker criticizes everything I'm doing." He mimicked the old man. "You shouldn't wear that good shirt! You shouldn't paint without sanding."

"Mr. Walker means well, Brent, and his advice is good," said Mom. "That is a good shirt, so please change it-and you do need to sand off the rough spots, or the new paint won't last long. I should have told you that."

"Mom, you're criticizing, too," complained Brent.

"Criticism isn't always bad, Brent," said Mom. "It's a little like sandpaper. God can use it to knock rough spots off our characters. As we accept criticism, God can use it to make us wiser and more patient and kind."

Brent sighed. "Well, between you and Mr. Walker, I
should become a pretty smooth character," he teased as he left to change his
shirt.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Has someone criticized you lately? It's not a pleasant feeling, but think about what was said. Was this one of the times God used other people to show you where you should change? Accept constructive criticism to knock off rough spots in your character.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise." Proverbs 12:15

[Soldier4Christ]

Kenda used to be glad her name was different from any others in school-but not anymore. Some of the girls had pencils or notebooks with their names on them. Alexis even had shoestrings with her name on them. "I want something with my name printed on it, too," Kenda told her mother, but she couldn't find anything at all.

"You might as well give up looking, Kenda," advised Mom after a shopping trip. "I'm afraid you won't find your name on anything."

Kenda sighed. "You should have named me 'Kendra'" she complained. "Then I could find lots of things." She looked at her mother. "Does my name have a meaning, Mom?" she asked. "Jan's name means 'beloved of God.' I'd like to at least know what my name means."

Mom shook her head. "I don't know, honey. We just liked the name, so we gave it to you."

"Well, I wish I had a normal name," grumbled Kenda. "I'd love to have a notebook with my name on it-like Emily does."

"I guess that would be nice," Mom agreed. "But there's another book-a much more important one-with your name in it."

Kenda looked at her mother in surprise. "There is?"

Mom smiled. "You've accepted Jesus as your Savior, haven't you?" When Kenda nodded, Mom continued. "Then your name is written in heaven, in the Lamb's Book of Life," she said. "And that's important because only those whose names are written in that book will go to live in heaven."

Kenda looked thoughtful. Then she grinned. "That's
really better than having my name on things like notebooks or shoestrings, isn't
it? Those things will wear out, but having my name in the Book of Life is
forever!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you found things with your name on them-notebooks stickers, or other things? More importantly-is your name in the Book of Life? According to the Bible, those whose names are not written there will be cast into hell one day. Accept Jesus as your Savior now. Then your name will be written where it counts for eternity. (See the ABCs at the end of this book.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"Rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20

[Soldier4Christ]

As Kenda waited for the morning church service to start, she nudged her mother. "Look, Mom!" she whispered as she pointed to the church bulletin. Mom smiled when she saw the title of the pastor's sermon-"The Name Craze."

   Kenda listened closely when Pastor Davis began his message. "Our names are important to us," he said. "We all are alert to the sound of our own names-we even like to see them in print, and we like to have them written on things we own. Names are important to God, too. In Isaiah 43:1, God says to Israel, 'I have called you by your name; You are Mine.' And in John 10, Jesus is talking about Himself when He says the 'Shepherd' calls His own sheep by name. And think about this . . . if you know Jesus as Savior, your name is written in the Book of Life." Kenda smiled. But I still wish my name had a meaning, she thought.

Just then Kenda realized Pastor Davis was talking about that very thing. "Bible names usually had a meaning, but what does your name mean to God?" asked Pastor Davis. "God knows the name you answer to, but what comes to His mind when He thinks of you? Does He think 'patience' or 'my faithful servant'? Or does He think 'complainer' or 'spiteful' or some other unwanted name?"

Pastor Davis ended his message with the story of Dorcas and reminded the congregation that people associated her name with many acts of service. He encouraged everyone to live in such a way that their names would be also be associated with deeds that honor God.

   That's it! thought Kenda. I'm going to quit fussing
about not having an earthly meaning for my name. Instead, I'll work on living
the way God wants me to. I'll try to remember that what He thinks of me is
what's really important.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Were you aware that God knows you by name-that you're not just one of the crowd? Do you know if your name has a meaning? If so, maybe you'll want to live up to its meaning. But perhaps you don't know what your name means-or even if it has a meaning. No matter. Your name can be a good name as you choose to love God and live the way He wants you to live.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold." Proverbs 22:1

[Soldier4Christ]

A piercing scream from little Amelia's room filled the midnight air and woke everyone in the house. Mom's feet hit the floor, running. She found Amelia shaking and sobbing. "Did you have a bad dream, honey?" asked Mom soothingly.

"There was a g-gwate big giant bug." Amelia held her arms far apart to show its size. "He was c-c-coming at me!"

Mom hugged Amelia and turned on the light. "But it wasn't real," Mom assured her. "It was just a dream." Mom held Amelia and quietly talked to her. It took a while, but the little girl finally calmed down and went to sleep.

The next morning, Amelia talked about her nightmare. "I had a awful dweam," she said, "about a gweat big bug." She shivered as she thought about it.

"You don't need to be afraid of bugs," said Jacob, her older brother.

"Right," agreed her sister Alyssa, "especially when they're in dreams. They don't even exist."

"I'm scaid of 'em anyway," said Amelia.

"All of us are occassionally afraid of things that don't exist," said Mom, "and night time seems to be a time for those fears to come out."

Alyssa nodded. "Sometimes I'm just plain afraid of the dark," she said. "What about you, Jacob? What scares you?"

Jacob shrugged. "Let's see . . . well, I do have scary dreams sometimes," he admitted, "but they have scarier things in them than a few little old bugs."

Dad laughed. "That reminds me-long ago the word bug was often used to refer to something very terrifying. When Mr. Cloverdale translated the Bible into English in 1535, he translated Psalm 91:5 like this: Thou shalt not nede to be afrayed for any bugges by night." Dad wrote out the words to show them the old-fashioned spelling.

Jacob laughed. "Wow! You should memorize that, Amelia," he suggested.

"Let's all memorize it," said Dad.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
What frightens you? When you're afraid, do you trust God? Do you believe His promise to be with you and care for you? Do you remember that His children will never be separated from His love and care? Believe it! Trust Him and don't be afraid.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"You shall not be afraid of the terror by night." Psalm 91:5

[Soldier4Christ]

Michael tried to slip into the house quietly after school, but Mom heard the door close and called out, "Is that you, Michael?"

"Yes," answered Michael reluctantly.

"Come tell me about your day." Mom was finishing a batch of cookies in the kitchen.

"Well, I caught a fly ball," said Michael as he came into the kitchen, "and I finished the book I was reading for my report. I did good in track practice, too. Coach says he won't be surprised if I win the fifty-yard dash next week."

"That's great! And did you tell your math teacher about the mistake he made on your grade?" asked Mom.

Michael stared at his shoe. He had known his mother would ask about that. "No. I sorta forgot," he mumbled. Michael could feel Mom's eyes studying his face. Feeling ashamed he said, "I didn't really forget, but . . . it's just that math is my worst subject. If I tell Mr. Thomas about the mistake, I'll have a lower grade on my report card." He sighed. "I know it's the right thing to do, but I couldn't make myself do it."

Mom put the cookies in the oven and turned to Michael. "Remember how sore your legs were when you first started running track?" she asked.

"I sure do!" exclaimed Michael. "I almost felt like quitting, but I made myself keep at it. It's not so hard now, though."

"Developing the muscles of your spirit is like developing the muscles of your body," Mom told him. "At first your leg muscles felt sore, but as you kept exercising them, they got stronger. Doing what's right may seem hard, too, but God says He gives power to the weak. You get stronger in spirit as you yield to Him and do the right thing."

"Even if it hurts at first?" asked Michael.

"Even if it hurts," said Mom. "It's always best to do
what is right."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you develop your spiritual muscles by choosing to do what is honest and right? It's important to exercise your spirit as well as your body. You do this by waiting on the Lord-relying on the Holy Spirit for strength to make the right decision. He'll help you choose to do right even when it's difficult.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." Proverbs 21:3

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Whipping Boy." Austin read the title of the book his Mom had brought from the library. "What's a whipping boy?" he asked. "I never heard of that."

Mom smiled. "I didn't know, either," she told him, "but look . . ." She pointed to the back cover. "This says, 'It used to be the practice in some cultures that when a member of a royal family committed a crime deserving physical punishment, he couldn't be touched, so it was delegated to an unfortunate victim called a whipping boy who was punished in his stead.'"

Austin frowned. "You mean he was punished for the wrong things someone else did? I bet that made him mad!"

Mom nodded. "This book is just fiction-just a story," she said, "but such things may have really happened."

"It's so unfair!" exclaimed Austin. "Maybe the boy in this story ran away."

"We'll have to read it and see," said Mom. After a moment, she added. "I know Someone who had so much love for others that, in a way, He volunteered to become a whipping boy."

Austin stared at his mother. "Are you serious?" he asked. "I thought it was something people did long ago-if it actually did happen at all. You really know someone who did that?"

"I was thinking of Jesus," answered Mom quietly. "The Bible doesn't use the words 'whipping boy,' but think of what Jesus did for us. He willingly went to the cross and took our punishment."

Austin nodded. "Jesus wasn't just whipped for our sins," he said thoughtfully. "He died for us because He loved us."

"Yes," said Mom, "and that means we can be forgiven and enjoy fellowship with Him both now and in heaven some day. We need to thank Him for caring so much, and we should show our appreciation by living to please Him!"

"Yeah. I'm sure glad He didn't run away!" added
Austin.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you thanked Jesus for taking your "whipping" and dying for you? Have you asked Him to forgive your sins? If not, there is no better time to do so than right now.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18

[Soldier4Christ]

Why did Mom have to have an accident? Why did God let it happen? wondered Keaton. I know the roads were wet and slippery, but other cars drove safely that day. So why did Mom have the wreck? Keaton's parents tried to assure him that God would work it all out for their best, but Keaton simply could not see how that could be.

One day while Mom was still in the hospital, Keaton's class took a field trip to a silver refining plant not far from where they lived. A guide explained a little about the very complicated refining process, which involved the use of chemicals and all sorts of sophisticated equipment. Then at the end of the tour, the guide showed them a small, primitive-looking furnace. "We keep this old furnace around to remind ourselves of how far the silver industry has come," he said. "Years ago, silver refiners heated the ore in furnaces like this. They had to cool it and reheat it, cool it and reheat it, and so forth. It was a very long process before the impurities were finally worked out."

"How did they know when the silver was pure?" Keaton asked.

The guide smiled. "We're told that when the refiner could see a good clear image of himself in the silver, his job was done and he turned off the furnace."

When Keaton visited his mother at the hospital that evening, he told her about his trip. She nodded and smiled. "I think that's a good illustration of what God is doing in my life," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Keaton.

"Before my accident, I was so busy with all kinds of
projects-many of them good ones," said Mom, "but I didn't spend much time with
the Lord. Now that I'm flat on my back, I have time to spend with Him, and I
believe He's using this experience to make me more like Him. I'm learning to
trust Him more, and I think He has allowed me to be put in the 'furnace' of
suffering so my life will more closely reflect His image-His love and kindness
and giving of Himself to others."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Does your life show a clear reflection of Jesus? Do you ever wonder why you-or someone else-has to suffer? God may use an experience which seems to be a tragedy to get your attention. Don't rebel when God works out the impurities in you. Everything He allows is for your good. Trust Him to use it to refine you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"When He (God) has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10

[Soldier4Christ]

When Jenna and Joe came home from school, they found their mother sitting in the middle of the living room floor, surrounded by small piles of pictures. "You kids want to help organize these?" she asked.

Soon Joe and Jenna were giggling about the pictures-some taken years ago. "Look at Mom in this one!" squealed Jenna. "She has a ponytail!"

Joe laughed. "Here's Fiona when she was a tiny kitten," he said.

When Dad came home, Mom went to get supper on the table, and Dad joined the twins on the floor. Soon all three were chuckling over a group of baby pictures.

Before opening the Bible for family devotions that evening, Dad took two snapshots from his pocket. He showed them a picture of an old car.

Mom laughed. "Oh, dear! Remember all the trouble we had with that car?"

Dad smiled but looked thoughtful. "Yes, and when I saw this picture, I remembered the time the transmission had to be replaced and we didn't have the money. Remember how God provided the funds for it by allowing me to find that painting job?" Mom nodded.

Then Dad showed the second picture-a snapshot of Jenna in her bathrobe, looking very pale. "That was taken after my operation!" Jenna exclaimed, and the family talked about how her appendix had ruptured, and the doctors had said she might die. "Wasn't God good to us?" Dad asked. "He healed Jenna."

Joe was puzzled. "Dad, what do those two pictures have to do with having family devotions?" he asked.

"Just this, Son," Dad replied. "We've all been a little
anxious lately, wondering if changes being made at my office will result in the
loss of my job. But I think God wants us to always remember what He has done for
us in the past. Just like He was faithful then, He will continue to lead and
help us in the future-no matter what changes take place."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you worried about the future? Perhaps your dad needs a job, or maybe you wonder where you will live and whether God will provide new friends for you. Sometimes a good way to avoid worrying is to remember what God has done for you in the past. He is always faithful.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"You shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way." Deuteronomy 8:2

[Soldier4Christ]

Mallory skipped into the house, her pony tail bouncing along behind her. "Mom! I got it! It's finally my turn to have the Magic Eye book," she called.

"What's a Magic Eye book?" Mom asked.

"It's a book of pictures . . . well, sort of just shapes and colors, but if you stare long and hard, a picture comes out-it's like a three-D one," explained Mallory.

"I know what you mean," said Mom, "but I never can see the picture."

"Here . . . hold it up to your eyes like this," said Mallory, holding the book right up to her mother's face. "Then pull it away real slow. Keep your eyes on one spot-you'll probably feel like you're getting cross-eyed." She paused. "It's a cat. Can you see anything yet? Sometimes it takes a while."

"I don't see anything, but squiggly lines of color. Are you sure there's a picture here?" Mom asked.

Mallory's dad came into the kitchen, and Mallory handed him the book. Then she explained how to look for the cat. He found it on the fourth try.

When they sat down to eat, Dad thanked God for the food. "You know, Mallory," he said as Mom handed him the potatoes, "your Magic Eye pictures remind me of how hard it is for some people to see Jesus. We know He's there, but sometimes it's hard to explain it to people and get them to see Him."

Mallory nodded thoughtfully. "I tried and tried to make Sarah understand about Jesus," she said, "but she just didn't get it."

"I had to try four times before I could see the cat, but I finally found it," said Dad, "so keep talking to Sarah about Jesus. We'll pray that she'll understand. It's really God Who opens people's eyes-we can't do it."

"Okay," agreed Mallory. She grinned as she added, "I'll call her right after dinner and invite her to Sunday school if Mom will look for the cat again."

Mom nodded. "And I am going to find it!" she
declared.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you tell your friends about Jesus? Do you feel like you're not getting through to them? Does it seem as if you might as well give up? Don't do that. Keep on witnessing and pray faithfully for the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of your friends. It may take a while for them to understand, but keep telling them about Jesus.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"He who wins souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30

[Soldier4Christ]

As Kyle and his father walked down the street toward the Boston harbor, they could see the water sparkling in the sunlight. "What's that, Dad?" asked Kyle, pointing to an older ship docked off by itself.

"It's a British merchant vessel from the late 1800's," replied Dad. "I heard about it on the news this morning. They're moving it to various port cities so people can tour it-and judging by all those in line waiting to go on board, I'd say a lot want to see it."

Kyle and his dad walked closer to where the ship was docked. Dad smiled and pointed to a line on the side of the vessel. "See that mark?" he asked. "It's called an international load line-a Plimsoll line. In the early 1800's, many merchant ships sank because they were overloaded. Then Samuel Plimsoll came up with the idea of a load line. Once the water came up to that line, the ship couldn't safely hold any more cargo." Dad looked toward other ships and smiled broadly. "Even today, ships have Plimsoll lines."

"But why does that make you smile?" asked Kyle.

"I'm just thinking-Christians have something like a Plimsoll line," replied Dad. "God knows just where it is, and He won't allow us to be loaded down with more than we can handle-and He's always with us as we go through any difficult time."

"Like now . . . while Stacey is in the hospital?" asked Kyle, thinking of his little sister who was receiving special treatment at a Boston hospital. He knew his parents were very concerned about her, and he was, too.

"Right," agreed Dad. "God knows exactly what is happening with Stacey. We can leave her in His hands. He is faithful."

As they walked back to the motel, Kyle thought about the
things his dad had said. Thank you, Jesus, he prayed silently, for giving us a
Plimsoll line. Thank you for always taking care of us.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is something difficult happening in your life right now? Is a family member sick? Has a parent lost a job? Are you having trouble in school? God doesn't promise to take away problems, but He will comfort and help you through whatever problems come into your life. He is always faithful in His care.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

[Soldier4Christ]

"You're so dumb!" shouted Jon.

"Oh, yeah?" retorted Lisa. "Well, you're a pig!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" exclaimed Mom, coming into the room with her hands on her hips. "We do not talk to each other like that. Words hurt."

"Aw, Mom, Lisa doesn't care," said Jon. "She knows I don't really mean it."

"It hurts whether you mean it or not," pouted Lisa.

"Well, how do you think it makes me feel to be called a pig?" asked her brother. "And yesterday you said I was ugly."

Lisa looked down at her shoes. "You were mean to me, too," she defended herself lamely.

"You see," said Mom, "unkind things we say do hurt-and often the hurt gets worse as time goes by."

"What do you mean?" asked Jon.

"You found a leak in the basement faucet yesterday," Mom reminded them, "and Dad hasn't had time to fix it yet. So how much water do you think has fallen from that faucet since you first noticed it?"

"I don't know-maybe a few inches," said Jon. "It's just a tiny drip."

"When you discovered the leak, I put a mop bucket under the faucet," said Mom. "Let's go down and have look." Mom turned and led the way.

"The bucket's full!" exclaimed Lisa after they trooped downstairs.

Mom nodded. "A tiny drop of water leaked into it minute by minute, hour by hour-it all adds up," she said. "And all the unkind, little things you say add up to a big bucketful of hurts."

"I . . . I . . . I'm sorry I called you 'dumb,' Lisa," said Jon. "I was just mad. I . . . well, I know you're really smart."

"I'm sorry, too," admitted Lisa. "And you're not ugly, Jon-nor a pig."

Mom smiled. "This works two ways," she said. "All the
nice things you say add up to a bucketful of blessings."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
How do you talk to people? Do the things you do and say add up to a bucketful of hurts, or a bucketful of blessings? Instead of hurting others by saying bad things, make up your mind to "bless" them by saying good things. Honor God in the way you speak as well as in the things you do.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"Bless and do not curse." Romans 12:14

[Soldier4Christ]

"She is so my aunt!" insisted Ellie indignantly. She was trying to convince the other campers that she was the niece of the well-known author whose work was displayed on the book table. But no one would believe her! "She's one of my favorite people!" added Ellie.

"If she's your aunt and you like her so much, how come you can't tell us which one of these books is your favorite?" asked Rylie.

"Yeah." Skylar nodded. She picked up a book. "What's this one about?" she asked. "If this author is your aunt-like you say-and if you have copies of all her books, you should be able to tell us what's in them."

Ellie bit her lower lip. "I've never read most of them," she admitted. She paused, not sure how to explain. "I used to read them when she first started sending me books, but . . . I don't really care a lot about reading, so after a while I'd just look at the cover and then put it away with the others."

"But, Ellie, you say she's a favorite aunt," protested Skylar. "If that's true, I should think you'd want to know what she says in her books."

Ellie was embarrassed. "It's just that . . ." She stopped as Miss Patti, their cabin counselor, walked up.

"I overheard quite a bit of this conversation," Miss Patti told them as she picked up one of the books. "I think most of us are very much like Ellie. God has given us a book-a most important book-but we don't read it as often as we should." She paused briefly. "At least I don't," she added. "How about you? Considering how much you read it, would you have trouble convincing anyone that you love the author, or even know Him?" She glanced around as she laid the book back on the table.

After Miss Patti left, not another word was said to
Ellie about the way she had neglected her aunt's books. Ellie touched the one
Miss Patti had put down. "When I get back home, I'm going to read these books,"
she announced. "And I'm going to read God's book, too!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know the author of the Bible? Do you love Him? Do you have a copy of His book in your home? It's intended to be read, but are you reading it regularly? Perhaps you carry it to church and Sunday school, but what happens to it during the rest of the week? Pick it up and read at least a few verses every day.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:21

[Soldier4Christ]

 For His Glory

Cole and his friend Ethan lay in their sleeping bags, gazing up at the sky. "I love camping out," said Cole. "I wonder how many stars are out there. Look at them all! There must be millions of them."

"Yeah, and those are just the ones close enough to see without a telescope," Ethan replied. "My science teacher says there are hundreds of millions of galaxies, and each galaxy has about ten billion stars. Just think how big this universe must be. Do you ever wonder how it all got there?"

Cole was silent for a moment. "I believe what the Bible says-that God created the earth and sun and moon and all the planets and stars and galaxies in our solar system," he said. "God hung the world in space and placed each star just where He wanted it. My dad says the entire universe is God's masterpiece." Cole rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow to face Ethan. "Have you ever thought much about God, Ethan?" Cole asked.

Ethan stared into the vast darkness overhead. "Sometimes I do," he said. "I guess there must be a God, but I really can't see why He made all those galaxies and stuff that nobody can see anyway."

Cole grinned. "That reminds me of what I said to my mom when I cleaned my room yesterday. I told her I didn't see why I had to clean under my bed, since nobody sees under there anyway. She said she had her reasons even if I didn't understand them. So she said to clean it for her."

Ethan laughed. "That sounds like my mom," he said. "I guess all mothers are like that."

Cole nodded. "Mom has her reasons for wanting me to clean under the bed, and I'm sure God has His reasons for all that He created. I know the Bible says all things-those we can see and those we can't-were made by God and for God, so it sounds to me like He created everything for Himself, not just for us. But all those billions of stars help us realize how great and awesome God really is."

"Yeah," replied Ethan. "Makes me feel kind of small."

"I know," agreed Cole, "but we're all important to God, and He should be important to us-the most important thing in our lives."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think about the greatness of the universe-and of God? Does knowledge of all that God created make you realize the vast difference between Him and mere human beings? You can never fully comprehend His greatness nor the reasons for all the things He has done. As our Scripture reading says, God's greatness is unsearchable. Along with the writer of Psalm 145, think about the "glorious splendor" of God's majesty and His wonderful work of creation.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Great is the Lord . . . and His greatness is unsearchable. Psalm 145:3