Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Alicia had looked forward to spending part of her summer vacation with her aunt in Colorado. Not only was Aunt Dee her very favorite aunt, but she owned a jewelry store, and Alicia loved to roam around, looking at all the beautiful gems. "Is that a ruby?" Alicia asked the first day she visited the store. She pointed to a ring in the display case. "It looks like the one you gave Mom for her birthday."

"It's not exactly the same," Aunt Dee replied, taking it out and handing it to her. "Your mother's is the real thing; this one is synthetic."

Alicia looked at the ring carefully. "Synthetic?" she asked. "I'm not sure what that means."

Aunt Dee laughed. "Well, I guess you could call it a fake; it's simply not a real ruby-it's man-made," she explained. "It looks very much like a ruby, but it costs a lot less."

"Lots of people could be fooled," commented Alicia, as she handed the ring back to her aunt.

Aunt Dee nodded. "Many people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but a trained eye can tell that it's not the real thing," she said. After a moment she asked, "Did you know that there are even synthetic Christians?"

"Synthetic Christians?" Alicia repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I mean people who look like Christians to us, but they aren't really born again," explained Aunt Dee. "There hasn't been a change inside. They're able to fool a lot of people-I'm afraid they sometimes even fool themselves-but actually, they're fakes. Jesus talked about people who even call Him 'Lord' but don't really know Him at all. We can't always tell who truly knows God and who's faking it, but God knows."

Alicia nodded thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind having a
synthetic ruby or other gem," she said, "but I'm awfully glad I'm a real
Christian and not just a fake. I'm thankful Jesus died for me and is my Savior.
I know He forgave me and made me His child!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you a genuine Christian? How do you know? Do you think it's because your parents are Christians? Or because you live a "good" life and do all the things you see other Christians do-attend church, read your Bible, do nice things, even pray? Those things don't make you a Christian. You have to be born again (John 3:3) by making a personal decision to trust in Jesus. Have you done that? If not, do so today!


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
The Lord is good . . . and He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

[Soldier4Christ]

"We're going to have company tonight," Aunt Dee called to Alicia, "so take out the good silver and set the table, will you, please?"

Alicia went to the closet, where she knew her aunt kept the good silverware tray. A look of surprise came over her face when she took it out and opened the box. "Aunt Dee," she called in concern, "these things are all . . . almost black. I wouldn't want to eat with them."

Aunt Dee came into the dining room and looked at the silverware. "Oops!" she said with a grin. "They're all tarnished. I have tarnish-proof chests at the store-you'd think I'd remember to bring one home. We'll have to polish that flatware before we can use it."

Aunt Dee got out the silver polish, and the two of them began to work. "If silver is such a precious metal, how come it turns black like this?" asked Alicia.

"It undergoes a chemical reaction with substances in the air," answered Aunt Dee, holding up a spoon. "It's not very pretty when it's tarnished, is it?"

"No, but I'm glad it can be polished and made to look pretty again," said Alicia, "otherwise, I wouldn't care to use it anymore."

"Me, neither," agreed Aunt Dee. She smiled. "I was just remembering a sermon our pastor gave a few weeks ago," she said thoughtfully.

"A sermon?" asked Alicia. "About silverware?"

"Not silverware," said Aunt Dee, "but he read from Second Timothy, which mentions silver 'vessels' and compares them to our lives. Pastor Boris pointed out that our lives need to be clean to be useful, just like silver does. When we allow sinful things to stain our lives, we can hardly expect God to use us in His service."

"Oh, I think I get it," said Alicia.

"We should be careful to keep our lives from becoming
soiled by the things of this world," added Aunt Dee. "We should go to the Lord
daily, confessing our sin and asking Him to remove any 'tarnish' we've allowed
to collect there."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you confess and turn away from sin so God can use you? If you know of any sin in your life, don't let it stay there. Receive God's cleansing so that you're a "vessel" ready to be used of God as you witness to a friend, sing in the choir, help in the nursery, or serve Him in whatever task He has for you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19

[Soldier4Christ]

Alicia continued to spend a lot of time in her aunt's jewelry store, and she read several books about gems and jewels. "Did you read this book?" her aunt asked one evening. "I think it's my favorite."

Alicia shook her head. "What's it about?"

Aunt Dee began to turn the pages of the book. "It's sort of a history of gems," she explained. "For instance, here's a chapter that tells how they became important hundreds of years ago." That didn't seem especially interesting to Alicia, so she didn't ask any questions about it. Aunt Dee went on to tell her more anyway. "It tells how carvings and inscriptions were made in the harder stones-those that would not chip or break easily. That made them very valuable. But then something terrible happened."

Alicia had been listening half-heartedly to what her aunt was saying, but now she gave it her full attention. "What terrible thing happened?" she asked.

"People started using these gems in their worship," Aunt Dee explained, "and then they began to worship the gems themselves, rather than worshipping God."

"They used them as idols?" asked Alicia.

Aunt Dee nodded. "Yes, and I find that especially sad because I enjoy my work with gems," she said with a sigh.

"It's too bad people worship idols," said Alicia. "I know God says we're not to worship them, nor anything else, either. Only Him."

Her aunt nodded. "That's right," she said, "but even Christians can get caught up in putting things ahead of God. I must admit that sometimes I get priorities mixed up myself. Often the items that become so important to me aren't evil, but if I let these gems or television or clothes or some other thing cause me to forget whose I am and to whom I owe my devotion, that's not good. If I allow them to take up most of my thoughts and time, I'm putting them ahead of Him."

That was a new idea to Alicia. I wonder if I put God
first all of the time, she thought. I'll have to think about that a little
more.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do "things" in your life become so important that you forget God? It's unlikely you would ever make an idol and actually bow down to it in worship. And you probably won't choose any other objects to bow down to, either. But if you let friends, fads, styles, or other things become too important, there is a danger of neglecting God. Check yourself! Make sure you keep your relationship with God the most important thing in your life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
It is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve." Matthew 4:10

[Soldier4Christ]

Alicia had enjoyed her vacation with Aunt Dee, but now it was time to go back home. The day before she left, her aunt gave her a special present-a little gold pendant with a real diamond chip! Alicia squealed in delight. "Oh, it's so pretty!" she exclaimed. "Look at it sparkle."

"There's no gem with quite so much sparkle as the diamond," said Aunt Dee as Alicia gave her a hug.

"My mom has a diamond ring," said Alicia, "and that's what I want when I get engaged!"

Aunt Dee laughed. "Well, I hope that won't happen for a long time to come," she said. "But it's true that a young man often does show his love for a young lady by giving her a diamond." She paused in thought. "In a way, God has also given us a diamond," she added, but then she quickly corrected herself. "No, that's not right. He gave us more-much more-than a diamond. He gave us His Son, Jesus. That's how much He loves us."

Alicia nodded. "That's what it says in the most familiar verse in the Bible," she told Aunt Dee, who looked at her in surprise. Alicia laughed. "Just the other day, I heard a preacher on the radio say that John 3:16 is the most familiar verse."

"I'm sure that's right," agreed Aunt Dee. "Say it with me." So they quoted the verse together. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Aunt Dee smiled. "A man gives a beautiful diamond to the
woman he loves," she said, "but God gave His very own Son, the Lord Jesus, for
everyone." Alicia looked at the necklace her aunt had given her and nodded as
Aunt Dee added, "Diamonds are beautiful and precious, but they can't compare
with God's gift."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you thought seriously about what God gave to this world-to you? It isn't something man-made; it isn't something you have to buy or that you can earn; it isn't something that has only a sparkle. It's His own Son, Jesus. How much does that mean to you? Have you accepted His gift of love? You can do so right now. Be sure to thank God for His wonderful, priceless gift.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9

[Soldier4Christ]

Todd could not believe how cross Dad had been lately. Mom said it was because his company had run into major problems with the construction of a building they were putting up. She said something about the state inspector not approving the plans Dad had drawn for the electrical wiring. I don't understand any of that, thought Todd. All I know is Dad's like a . . . a bear with    a sore foot!

The problem was beginning to affect Dad's health, too. He wasn't eating much, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Todd overheard Mom telling Dad he needed to get more sleep. Dad replied in a gruff tone, "Doesn't do any good to go to bed. Can't sleep anyway."

For devotions each evening, Todd had been reading from the book of  Psalms. When he came to Psalm 127, the first two verses seemed to jump right off the page. (Did you read today's Scripture?) Dear God, Todd prayed before going to sleep, please help Dad relax and forget his problems and sleep good tonight, and . . . and thank You.

In the middle of the night, Todd woke up. He went to get a drink and saw a light in Dad's study. Sure enough, there sat Dad with his head in his hands, staring at his plans for the wiring. Todd approached him timidly. "Dad, can I show you a verse I read tonight?" he asked.

"Sure, Son," agreed Dad. He waited while Todd found the verse and read it aloud. Dad repeated it softly. "It is vain for you . . . to sit up late . . . for so He gives His beloved sleep." He reached out and gave Todd a hug. "Well . . . thanks, Todd. Let's both go to bed."

The next morning Todd couldn't believe his ears. Dad was
whistling! "Todd, this morning I found the error in my plans," said Dad. "I
don't know why I never saw it before. Guess my brain was too muddled by worry
and lack of sleep." He tousled Todd's hair playfully. "Oh-and look here at the
rest of Psalm 127," he added, picking up and opening his Bible. "These verses
are certainly true." Todd grinned, and the two exchanged high fives and headed
for the breakfast table.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have your parents said they couldn't sleep because of a particular problem? Could you gently remind them God can help them sleep? Do you lie awake yourself and worry about a test, moving to a new school, or how you can get money for camp? The Bible says it's useless to lie awake and worry. Study well for that big test; ask God for a friendly attitude; ask Him to help you find ways to earn money. Then trust God to provide what is needed. Get a good night's sleep.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late . . . for so He gives His beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2

[Soldier4Christ]

"I need that red marker!" grumbled Ellie, snatching it from her brother Rick. "I had it first!" She dropped it on top of the card she was coloring and bent to scratch the big mosquito bite on her leg. "Oooh, won't this ever go away?" she moaned. The big, swollen bump stung and throbbed and itched some more. Ellie straightened up, intending to color, but Rick had grabbed the marker back. "Give it here!" ordered Ellie, her voice rising. "Making a card for Mom was my idea. You're always copying me!"

"Well, I draw better than you," retorted Rick, "and I want the red."

"Give me that marker right now!" Ellie was almost shouting as she reached down to scratch the bite again.

Just then Hannah, their older sister, came into the room carrying a big laundry basket full of clothes. "Quiet down you two!" she ordered. "Remember, Mom needs lots of rest to get strong again after her operation." Hannah sat down with a sigh. "What's the problem this time?" she asked.

"Rick took my marker," grumbled Ellie. "And besides . . . I just feel so 'itchy-scratchy' from this mosquito bite!" Her fingernails scratched and scratched and scratched the bite.

Hannah nodded sympathetically. "You know, scratching an insect bite generally makes it worse, Ellie. You need to soothe the itch away," she said. She got up, took a cloth, and ran cold water over it. "Here." She handed it to Ellie. "Try this." Ellie smiled in relief as she held the cold, wet cloth against the bite. "It's soothing, isn't it?" asked Hannah. "I think Mom has some lotion that will help. I'll go see . . . but meanwhile, try to remember that God's love is soothing, too. If your heart is filled with His love, you won't be so 'itchy-scratchy' with other people."

"Yeah, Ellie!" exclaimed Rick. Ellie glared at him.

"If someone makes you feel like scratching at him, remember that will only makes things worse," advised Hannah. "Show God's love instead."

"Okay," Ellie agreed reluctantly, "but hurry back with
the lotion." She gave Rick a questioning smile as Hannah left. To her surprise,
he grinned back, and together they finished their cards.




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Does love play a big part in your life? If you're a Christian, it should. Even the little things that can be so annoying seem less important when your reactions reflect love for others. What irritates you? A bossy big sister or a whining little brother? A friend who always wants his or her own way? When you feel annoyed with someone, ask God to help you show love for that person. Remember that love is patient. Let it soothe away the "itchy-scratchy" feelings you have toward others.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Love suffers long and is kind . . . does not envy . . . is not puffed up. 1 Corinthians 13:4

[Soldier4Christ]

"Look what Joshua did to my tape!" Nicole's face was red with anger. "He's ruined it!" She turned toward her little brother, who sat at the table eating ice cream. "Don't you ever touch my tape player or tapes again!"

"I'm sorry, Nicole," Joshua said sadly. "It just broked."

"Tapes don't just break!" Nicole argued. "You broke it." She shook her finger at Joshua. "From now on you leave my tapes alone!" she repeated as she went to her room to study.

The next afternoon Mom joined Nicole in her room. "How's the homework coming along?" asked Mom. "You had a test today, didn't you?"

"Yes, but we have another one tomorrow," Nicole replied. "Most of us    messed up on today's. We didn't understand the problems very well, so Miss Nelson explained them again, and she's giving us another chance to bring our grades up."

Mom smiled. "I'd say it's good of her to give you a second chance."

Nicole nodded. "Miss Nelson is a really nice teacher," she said.

"Joshua sure could use a second chance, too," said Mom.

Nicole looked puzzled. "Does Joshua have to take tests in kindergarten?"

"He needs a second chance with you," explained Mom. "Don't you think you were a little hard on him yesterday? I don't think he's quite gotten over it-he's been very quiet ever since." Nicole looked down at her hands.

As Nicole hesitated, Joshua came into the room. "I'm going to save my 'llowance and buy you a new tape," he told his sister.

Nicole's glance fell on her math book. Remembering her second chance in math, she shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Joshua," she said. "I know you didn't break it on purpose. It was an old tape and probably would have broken soon, anyway." She gave him a smile. "You can use my player and my tapes. Just be careful, okay?"

"Okay!" agreed Joshua with a big smile. "I'll be very
careful!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you realize that God has often given you a "second chance"? And probably a third, fourth, or fifth chance-or even more? How many times have you cheated, lied, or disobeyed? How many times have you failed Him in one way or another? Yet when you confessed your sin to God, He always forgave you. Are you holding a grudge against somebody? Don't you think that person deserves a second chance, too? Ask God to help you forgive as He does.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:13

[Soldier4Christ]

"Oh-h-h-h! Look at all the pieces!" exclaimed little Ben when his sister first opened the puzzle box. "I want to help." After helping Alyssa and Kent turn puzzle pieces right side up for a little while, Ben went to play with other toys.

"Ben, quit pushing," said Alyssa when he returned and tried to fit a piece into the puzzle. "Your white piece doesn't go here. I'm working on the blue lake."

"It doesn't go here, either," Kent said. "Quit elbowing me. Look-these are green trees. Your piece is part of the white house."

"But where does the house go?" asked Ben.

"The picture on the box cover shows how the finished puzzle will look," said Mom. "The trees are here on the picture," she pointed, "and here in the puzzle. Now show me where the house will be in the puzzle." Soon Ben was looking back and forth from the picture on the box cover to the jigsaw puzzle on the table.

"The puzzle is getting more and more like the picture all the time," said Ben after watching the others put several pieces in place.

"That reminds me of what the Bible says about us," said Dad, who had come into the room. "We should grow to be more and more like Jesus."

"But we don't have a picture of Jesus to look at," Alyssa said.

"No," Dad replied, "but it's not His physical appearance we should be like. We don't need to look like Him, but we should be like Him. We should love the things He loves and share His attitudes and desires. Who knows how we can tell what Jesus is like?"

"I do!" Kent looked up from the puzzle. "The Bible-especially the New Testament-is our picture of Jesus. It tells all about Him!"

"For example?" asked Dad.

"He is holy, because He is God," suggested Kent.

"He loves us, and He's kind and patient," Alyssa said. "And . . ." She grinned and looked at little Ben, "He wouldn't elbow people out of the way!"

"Well, I think He'd help the ones who need help!"
declared Ben. Then he grinned from ear to ear as he pounded a puzzle piece in
place. "I looked at the picture to find where it went, and I got a piece
in!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you growing to be more and more like Jesus? Do you look at the "picture" God gave of Him? The Bible tells you what He is like. Read it for yourself. Listen to Bible stories. Pay attention in church and Sunday school. When you read and hear about Jesus and what He is like, think about how He would act in your situation. As you follow His example, you will grow to be more like Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
"We all . . . beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image." 2 Corinthians 3:18

[Soldier4Christ]

Keanon pulled out his chair and sat down, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth. He waited patiently as the food was put on the table and his father offered a prayer of thanks. Then Keanon spoke up. "Please pass the sodium chloride," he said as seriously as he could manage.

"What?" Dad laughed. "I know what you're talking about, but where did you learn that term?"

Keanon laughed, too. "In school today," he said. "We had a lesson on salt, and I thought I'd ask for it by another name."

"If you were trying to impress us," said Mom, "you did."

"Salt's important," Keanon informed them. "It's used for lots of things."

"Well, I know it's important to my cooking," said Mom. "Salt is used to flavor food and also to keep it from spoiling."

"Did you know that sodium chloride is mentioned in the Bible?" asked Dad.

"Yeah, Dad, but not by that name," said Keanon. "It's just called plain old salt."

Dad chuckled. "I dare say you learned a verse that says Christians are the salt of the earth. They can help preserve and flavor the earth, unless . . ." He stopped and looked at Keanon. "Do you know what would keep them from doing that?"

"Ah . . . I think the verse says they can lose their flavor, right?" Keanon asked.

Dad nodded. "And it says if that happens, the salt is actually good for nothing except to step on."

"Neither of you said what a 'salty' Christian is like," said Mom, "nor how they lose their 'saltiness.' So . . . first of all, how do Christians help preserve or flavor the earth? How about it, Keanon? Do you have any ideas?"

"Well . . . by helping people and being kind and loving and useful," suggested Keanon, "and by being a good influence on anyone they meet."

"And how do they lose their 'saltiness'-their good influence?" asked Dad.

"By being stubborn and not obeying God," replied Keanon. "By not witnessing or following His commandments."

Dad smiled at Keanon. "I wonder if the people we see
each day can tell we're part of the sodium chloride of the earth," he said. "I
hope so."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you being a "good flavor" to your schoolmates? To your family? Do you tell others about Jesus so they can know Him, too? Is your school and home a more pleasant place because you live the way God wants you to live? Can others see that you follow the principles and instructions God gives in His Word? Jesus didn't say you could be like salt if you wanted to be. No, He said you are the salt of the earth. Make sure your life reflects His love.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
You are the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13

[Soldier4Christ]

Jessie carefully worked a lump of clay with her fingers. After a while, what had begun as a brown glob was turning into a vase. When Mom came into the kitchen, Jessie held it up. "It's a present for Gran's birthday," said Jessie. "I'll keep working on it until I have it just right." And she did. When the vase was finally just the way she liked it, she put it on a shelf to dry.

That afternoon, Jessie was in the middle of an exciting book when Mom asked her to empty the waste baskets. "Better hurry," urged Mom. "I think I hear the truck coming."

Jessie made a face. "Why do I always have to stop what I'm doing to do my stupid chores?" she grumbled as she got up. Mom caught her eye and frowned.

Later, Jessie's friend Michaela came over to play . . . but after a while, Jessie lost her temper. "Hey!" she snarled when they were playing "dress-up" and Michaela tried walking in the high heeled shoes Jessie had been using. "Leave my stuff alone!" Michaela kicked off the shoes, grabbed her coat, and went home.

With a sigh, Jessie went to the kitchen. "Mom," she began hesitantly, "I . . . I did it again. I lost my temper and hollered at Michaela." She sat down at the table and rubbed a hand across her eyes. "I . . . I'm sorry I was grouchy about my chores, too," she added. "I guess I'm hopeless. I'll never be the kind of person I want to be."

Mom wiped her hands and pointed to the shelf holding the vase Jessie had made. "That vase started out as a lump of clay," she said. "It took a potter-you-to mold it into something lovely. And you worked at it until you had it just right, didn't you?" Jessie nodded. "Well, when you accepted Jesus, you agreed to let Him mold your life," continued Mom. "It takes time and patience, but He can smooth out the 'lumps' that keep you from being the kind of person He wants you to be."

"Lumps?" asked Jessie. "Like my bad temper?"

"Exactly," said Mom. "Sometimes He uses parents and
discipline to help smooth the lumps away. Other times He may use unpleasant
results from your own actions. But Jesus keeps working to make you more and more
like Him. He doesn't give up, and don't you give up, either!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you discouraged because you often do or say wrong things? Do you feel you're hopeless, even though you're sorry for doing wrong? God doesn't give up on you, and you shouldn't, either. Accept whatever correction He sends as He molds you, and learn to depend on Him for help to stop doing the things that displease Him. Thank Him for continuing to work on you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. Philippians 1:6

[Soldier4Christ]

I knew this would be here today, thought Laurie when she opened an envelope addressed to her. Aunt Bette sends me a birthday card and money every year. I know just what I want to spend it on this time. She quickly opened the envelope and took out a beautiful card. She opened the card, expecting to see the money inside . . . but there was none! The card was signed, "Lots of love, Aunt Bette." Laurie looked in the envelope again, but there was no money.

"I can't believe this!" Laurie exclaimed, feeling bitterly disappointed. "Mom, I got a birthday card from Aunt Bette, but there's no money in it!"

"I know you're disappointed," Mom said gently. "Aunt Bette told me she was going to leave it out this year."

"But why?" wailed Laurie. "She always sends me money! I was counting on it."

"Actually, she left the money out because she cares what kind of person you become," said Mom. "She loves you very much and doesn't want . . ."

"Loves me? She sure has a funny way of showing it," interrupted Laurie.

Mom frowned. "Aunt Bette doesn't want you to be an ungrateful or unthoughtful person," she continued. "The last few years you never wrote to tell her you received the money and to thank her for it. You didn't mention it when you saw her, either." Laurie blushed. Mom had reminded her many times, but she had never gotten around to thanking her aunt.

"Remember the ten lepers Jesus healed?" asked Mom. "It seems to me they must all have been delighted, yet only one came back to tell Jesus how he felt. Jesus was pleased with that one. It's good to be grateful for a gift, but you should also show that you're grateful."

Laurie was very sober as she thought it over. "I know I was wrong to not write Aunt Bette," she admitted finally. "If I apologize now, will she think I'm just trying to get her to send money?"

"I don't think so," said Mom.

"I'll write to thank her for the card then," said Laurie. "And . . ." She hesitated.

"And?" prompted Mom.

"And apologize," finished Laurie with a sigh. "I'd
better do it before I forget."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you remember to thank others when they do something for you? How about thanking your mother for doing the washing, cooking, and cleaning-and your father for providing a home? Also thank other people who do things for you. It takes practice to become a thoughtful and grateful person, but that's the kind of person God wants you to be. Be sure to thank Him for all He's done for you, too. Don't be numbered with the nine lepers who failed to express their thanks.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" Luke 17:17

[Soldier4Christ]

Marcia zipped her suitcase with a dismal sigh. "I am scared to death of getting on that plane," she said.

Ruthe stared at her sister. "Why?" she asked. "I think flying is fun."

"I guess I . . . I just don't trust airplanes since all that horrible stuff happened on September eleven a few years ago-all those planes that were crashed on purpose," admitted Marcia. "It makes me nervous."

"Oh, we'll be okay," said Ruthe, putting her slippers into her suitcase.

"What if a terrorist sneaks through the airport security?" demanded Marcia. "What if someone hijacks our plane and crashes it?"

"It could happen," admitted Ruthe, "but it's not likely, and even if it did and we didn't survive, we'd be with Jesus."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" muttered Marcia. "I mean . . . I am glad I know that, but . . . well, I still wish the government would track down all the terrorists and kill every one of them-or at least lock them up for good-before I fly again."

"Well, yeah," said Ruthe slowly. "Look . . . I don't want to sound preachy, but I think you're putting your faith in the wrong place, Marcia."

Raising her eyebrows, Marcia stared at her sister. "I shouldn't have faith in our government?"

"In people-period," said Ruthe. "At least not entirely, because even if the government stops terrorists, there's still going to be evil out there. The devil will still be at work, you know."

"I . . . I guess so," Marcia replied cautiously.

"You can have ten zillion checkpoints and computers, and pieces of technical equipment," said Ruthe, "but that won't stop a single terrorist unless God says so."

Marcia stared doubtfully at Ruthe. "So you say to forget the X-ray machines and metal detectors and everything?"

"No, that would be inviting trouble," said Ruthe, "but you can only do so much. You do what you can, but most of all you trust God."

Marcia nodded slowly. "I know you're right," she
admitted. She opened a drawer. "Oops! I forgot to pack my real weapon against
being scared," she said, pulling our a red, leather-bound book. "The 'sword of
the Spirit'-my Bible."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you terrified of the evil in this world? That's just what terrorists want, and it's what Satan wants, too. Terrorists and those who rob and murder are serving him. It's scary when these things happen. But don't panic and don't only trust what people and government can do to protect you. Trust God. He's the one in control of all that happens.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

[Soldier4Christ]

Alex and Heather, along with their father, watched a fisherman on the long pier carefully arrange his big, green net. Then he made a sudden motion, and the net glided out over the Gulf of Mexico.

"That's quite a skill you have there," Dad told the fisherman.

The man chuckled as he pulled the dripping net back in. "Casting a net takes a lot of practice," he said, "but the mullet fish I'm after taste so good, it's worth taking the trouble to learn."

After watching a little longer, Alex, Heather, and Dad continued their walk along the sparkling Gulf. "I wish Mom could come walking with us," said Heather sadly. Mom had not been well for some months and had stayed at the motel to rest.

"Dad, when will Mom get better?" asked Alex as they walked along.

Dad put a strong arm around each of the children and held them close. "I don't know-the doctors don't, either," he said, "but I know what we have to do during this time."

"Oh, what can we do?" asked Heather eagerly.

"Remember how that fisherman cast his net out over the water?" asked Dad. "It reminded me of a different kind of 'casting.' Psalm 55:22 says, 'Cast your burdens on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.' That's what we have to do. We'll keep praying for Mom, and then we need to leave our worries with God. Too often we go to Him with our troubles, but then we keep hanging onto them even after praying about them. We need to cast them far away from ourselves and onto God."

"I try to do that," said Alex with a sigh, "but it seems like it's taking so long for Mom to get better and I can't seem to help worrying."

"I know, but don't be discouraged and give up," said
Dad. "That fisherman had to practice casting the net, but he kept at it because
he knew the prize-the fish he would catch-was worth the effort. So . . . go to
God as often as necessary and ask Him to help you learn to trust Him. When we
leave our cares with Him, He gives us a wonderful 'prize'-peace that only His
children can know."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
After you pray about something, do you stop worrying about it? If the worry comes back, take it to the Lord again. He loves you and understands what's troubling you. He knows what's best for everyone concerned. Trust Him to help you deal with the problem and to take care of it in the best possible way.


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

[Soldier4Christ]

When Jase and his mother arrived at the zoo, he quickly jumped from the car and waited eagerly while Mom paid the fee. Then they began their tour of the areas where various kinds of animals were kept securely in cages or behind  fences and deep "ditches."

Jase and Mom strolled past the areas where the bears were kept and where  lions had space to roam. They looked at the giraffes and the elephants. They walked past the wolves, who stood together far beyond the fence. They saw the zebras-"horses in striped pajamas" Jase called them. They admired the mountain lion as it stretched above them on rocks that were enclosed behind a tall fence. Jase and his mother spent time at the monkey house where they were entertained by the amusing actions of the little animals. They went to the buildings that housed the aquariums and the birds. 

As Jase and his mother headed back to the car, they saw a cage that held a large bird. "Look! That's a bald eagle," said Jase. "But what's it doing in such a little cage? Most of the animals have lots of room to run-or swim or fly or whatever it is they do."

Mom pointed to a sign. "This bird was injured and has to stay caged until its wing is healed," she said. "Then it will be released to fly away."

Jase frowned. "Poor old eagle," he said. "I feel sorry for it. I'd hate to live in such a small cage, even for a little while!"

Mom looked thoughtful. "There are a lot of people who live in cages," she murmured.

   Jase laughed. "I've never heard of a people zoo. Where is it? Let's go," he joked.

Mom shook her head. "No people zoo," she said, "but we see people all the time who are 'caged in' by their sin-something like these animals are caged in. People aren't in literal cages, of course, but they're trapped by sin. The Bible refers to them as slaves of sin."

Jase nodded. "But they don't have to stay trapped, do
they? They can be set free," he said. He looked at the caged eagle again. "And
when they're freed," he added, "they'll feel even better about it than this guy
will when he's set free!"




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you asked God to set you free from sin? You may consider yourself to be a good person-perhaps a member of a Christian family or of a church. Many of the people Jesus talked with were "good," too . . . good, that is, in the eyes of man. But they needed to be set free by the Son-God's Son, the Lord Jesus. You do, too.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36

[Soldier4Christ]

"Derek, you can watch Erin while I pick up a few groceries before dropping you off at your game," said Mom as she turned in at the supermarket. "You can come in, but keep an eye on her. I'll zip on ahead, and it won't take long to get everything. I'll meet you at the checkout counter in about ten minutes."

"Okay," Derek agreed. "Come on, Erin," he added as they got out of the car.

"Look!" squealed Erin when they went into the store. "Candy!"

"Don't touch anything, Erin," Derek warned. He turned down an aisle. "Let's go this way and see where Mom went."

As they reached the end of the aisle, they met one of Derek's classmates. "Hi, Brad," said Derek, and the two boys started chatting. Then . . . CRASH! Derek whirled around to see Erin sitting in the middle of a soup display. Cans were rolling everywhere! "Erin!" Derek wailed. "I told you not to touch!" Erin began to cry as Derek and Brad tried to restack the cans. A stock boy relieved them of the task, so Derek grabbed Erin and rushed to find their mother.

That evening, Derek told Dad what had happened at the grocery store. "I was so embarrassed!" said Derek. "I just wanted to hide. I didn't want anyone to know Erin was my sister!"

Dad smiled. "Did you really knock over the cans, honey?" he asked his daughter.

"Yes, Daddy," Erin admitted. She frowned at her brother. "But Derek yelled real loud," she added. "He made me cry! I was 'shamed of him, too."

"So you were each ashamed of the other," said Dad. After a moment, he asked. "Does that make you think of the Scripture verses we read together this morning?"

"Ah . . . they said something about Jesus being ashamed of us, didn't they?" asked Derek.

"That's right," said Dad. "We sometimes seem to be
afraid of what people will think of us if they know we love Jesus. We act
embarrassed and ashamed of our relationship with Him, and forget that He might
be ashamed of us when He comes back in a blaze of glory. How sad that would be!
When we think of all He did for us, we should be glad to identify ourselves as
His followers, no matter what anyone thinks or says."




HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do your actions or words indicate that you're not ashamed of Jesus? Do you freely talk about activities (church, Sunday school, Bible study) related to your relationship with Him? Do you tell others about Jesus? Or are you embarrassed to be known as a Christian? Do you do things that would make Jesus ashamed of you? Remember, some day Jesus will come as King. Live each day in such a way that you won't be embarrassed at His coming and He won't be ashamed of you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Whoever is ashamed of Me . . . of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes. Mark 8:38