Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 Unequally Yoked

"Come on, Angela, try it," coaxed Carol after puffing on the cigarette Jane had handed her. Angela hesitated but then shook her head. She knew smoking was harmful and displeasing to God, but she didn't mention that. Carol and Jane were popular at school, and Angela was thrilled to be considered part of their group.

On the way home from school, Angela stopped at her grandparents' home. She put her hand over her nose as she entered the kitchen. "What's that awful smell?" she wanted to know.

"What smell?" asked Grandpa as he seated himself at the kitchen table.

Grandma smiled. "I think she means the sauerkraut we had for lunch today. It does have a strong odor, and the smell must still be in the air. We've gotten used to it and don't notice it any more."

Angela made a face. "What's sauerkraut?" she asked.

"It's a cabbage dish," Grandma explained. "Sauerkraut is a Dutch word that means 'sour cabbage.' Grandpa and I like it."

"Well, it smells just horrible!" declared Angela.

Grandpa laughed. Then he said thoughtfully, "This reminds me of sin, Angela. When we're first saved, we're often very aware of sin-we can sort 'smell' how horrible it is. But if we stay around it, we may get so used to the 'smell' that it doesn't bother us anymore."

Grandma nodded. "That's right," she agreed.

"At the shop where I used to work, I hung around for a while with guys who had bad habits," continued Grandpa. "I thought I could influence them, but then I found myself laughing along with them when they told dirty jokes. They obviously had more influence on me more than I did on them, so I decided I should spend less time with them." He smiled at Angela. "You know how oxen or horses are 'yoked' together and pull together. Well, the Bible would say those guys and me were 'unequally yoked' because we weren't pulling in the same direction."

Angela suddenly remembered that Carol and Jane did quite a few things she knew were wrong. She wondered if spending time with them was dulling her spiritual "sense of smell." Being part of their group might not be such a great thing after all, she decided. I guess we'd be 'unequally yoked,' too.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you want to be accepted by kids who do things you know are wrong? Are you tempted to join them in doing some of those things? Or do you speak up and tell them how you feel about what they do? Do they listen to you and follow your suggestions, or do you go along with what they do? Think about it. Perhaps you should reconsider whom you should spend a lot of time with. Follow God's instructions and enjoy friendships with others who honor Him as you do.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14

[Soldier4Christ]

Surprise! (He Is Not Here, He Has Risen)

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6 (NIV)

Do you enjoy surprises? I do! I have a surprise for you this morning. (Bring out the Jack in the Box toy and start to turn the handle. Act surprised when "Jack" pops up.) When I was a child, one of my favorite toys was a Jack in the Box. I can remember sitting for hours, turning the handle, and waiting for the moment when the lid would open and Jack would pop out. Even though I should have known what was going to happen, I was always surprised to see "Jack" pop out of the box.

This Jack in the Box reminds me of a story in the Bible -- a story about a very special surprise.

Early in the morning, on the first Sunday after Jesus had been crucified, two women went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. When they arrived, there was a great earthquake as an angel came down and rolled away the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb. When the guards saw the angel and the open grave, they began to shake in their boots and fainted dead away!

Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don’t be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said he would. Come, see where his body was lying. Now, go and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead."

The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy as they rushed to give the disciples the message. As they went, they met Jesus and ran to him. They fell at the feet of Jesus and worshiped him. Jesus said to them, "Don’t be afraid! Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and I'll meet them there."

Some surprises, like this Jack in the Box, make us happy, but the best reason we have to be happy this morning is that the grave is empty, Jesus is alive, and he loves us very much! That is what we celebrate today!

Dear Father, we praise you! Jesus has risen -- just as he said he would! Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Old and Wrinkled

"Hi, Mom," said Andrew when he came in from school. "We talked about euthanasia in current events class today." He laughed as he added, "I always thought euthanasia was probably a youth group some place in China."

Mom, who was cleaning the refrigerator, laughed, too. "That's funny-but euthanasia isn't," she said. "Tell me more about the discussion you had in class."

"Well, Mrs. Grant said the cost of keeping old people in nursing homes is getting to be a real problem and that more and more people think we should stop paying so much money for their care," replied Andrew. "We have to write a paper giving our ideas about it."

"Really?" asked Mom with great concern. "What does your teacher, herself, think should be done?"

"I'm not sure," answered Andrew, "but when she explained 'euthanasia'- she called it 'mercy killing'-she said it might be a solution for taking care of people who are old and useless. She said most people like that don't really want to live anyway." He frowned. "Sounds terrible to me!"

"Me, too," agreed Mom as she wiped a refrigerator shelf. She took an orange from the refrigerator and held it out to Andrew. "Before you write that paper, have a little snack," she suggested.

Andrew looked at the orange. "This one's all dried out," he said. "It's old and dark and wrinkled! Is there another one? I'll dump this."

"Cut it open," suggested Mom.

"What for?" asked Andrew, but he took a knife and cut the orange. To his surprise, it looked juicy, so he tasted it. "I'm glad I didn't dump this. It's really good!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," replied Mom. "I have more oranges like that. They've been around for a while, but they're juicy and good. Just think-you were ready to throw that away."

"Mom, are your trying to tell me something?" asked Andrew suspiciously.

"I'm just pointing out that 'old' does not mean 'useless,'" said Mom. "When you write your paper, I want you to remember that even the oldest or most helpless people-those who may be considered 'useless' by today's culture-are valuable to God and to us. They give us the chance to practice God's love by showing kindness and gentle, loving care. God will reward us for that."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you heard people talking about euthanasia or "mercy killing"? Don't be fooled by words people use to make it sound like a nice-and even good-thing to do. Euthanasia is murder! Remember that all human life is sacred to God. He is the only one who may decide when it should end.


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

[Soldier4Christ]

 Life-Pictures

"See my picture!" Little Emily proudly showed Samantha a page of scribbled lines. Red, blue, green, and yellow streaks criss-crossed the picture of balloons.

"That's no good! Mom likes my pictures much better than yours," said Samantha proudly. "Yours are always a mess! You don't stay in the lines."

Emily's lips puckered, and big tear drops crept down her cheeks. "Mommy!" she wailed and ran to find her mother.

"Don't be a tattle-tale," Samantha called after her. She sighed as she took an orange crayon from the box and began to carefully color the stained glass window in a picture of a church. Now I suppose Mom will come and fuss at me just because I told Emily the truth, she thought. My pictures are much neater and prettier than hers, so why shouldn't I say so? Samantha looked critically at her coloring and chose another crayon to use. The picture was nearly finished when Mom walked into the room, holding Emily's hand.

"I came to see some pictures," said Mom. "Let me see what you colored today, Emily." The little girl found her picture and handed it to her mother. She beamed when Mom complimented her on the colors she had chosen.

Then Mom looked at Emily's picture. "This is very nicely done," said Mom. "The outlines of the pictures in your coloring book are boundaries, and you stayed in the lines very well as you colored. Like you told Emily, a picture is prettier when you stay inside the lines." Samantha smiled and nodded as she glanced at Emily. "But I'm concerned about some other boundaries that we have in life-God's boundaries or rules," added Mom. "When we obey His rules-like 'Be kind to one another'-it's as though we're making a pretty picture of our lives. When we go outside His boundaries, our 'life-pictures' don't look very pretty to others or to God." Mom looked at Samantha. "Do you think your words to Emily were within God's boundaries?"

"I . . . I guess not," Samantha mumbled, knowing she was wrong.

"I don't think so, either," said Mom. "What can you do about it?"

"Well, I . . . I'm sorry, Emily," said Samantha. She smiled at her little sister. "Would you like me to help you color another picture?" Emily nodded happily.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
How does your "life-picture" look? Today's Scripture tells about Dorcas. An amazing part of her story is that God raised her back to life after she died. But the important lesson to remember is that your life, like hers, can be a "pretty picture," showing others what Jesus is like. She helped others; she made clothes for the poor; she was kind; her life pleased Jesus. Let His beauty be seen in you, too, as you stay within God's boundaries by being kind, cheerful, friendly, helpful-showing His love to others.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us. Ephesians 5:2

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Smelly Cover-Up!

Jonathan took out his dad's aftershave lotion and splashed it on his face before leaving the bathroom. When his mother stepped into his room a little later, she sniffed the air. "What do I smell?" she asked.

"Jonathan used Dad's aftershave lotion," hollered Sophie from her room across the hall. She came to the doorway. "He didn't take a shower again."

Mom checked the bathroom. "His towel is damp," she said.

"Well, when I took a shower, the soap wasn't even wet," tattled Sophie. "He's so disgusting! Lots of times he just wets his washcloth and towel and pretends to have showered."

"Is that true, Jonathan?" asked Mom. She stood in Jonathan's doorway holding a bar of soap in one hand and the aftershave in the other.

"I just don't like getting all wet," Jonathan said defensively.

"You're so gross," sputtered Sophie.

"Sh-h-h." Mom held up a finger. "Jonathan, I'm sure you know that using this . . ." she held up the aftershave, ". . . doesn't take the place of using soap. When you splash on cologne or lotion instead of washing, you may smell nice, but the dirt remains."

"Yeah, Jonathan," taunted Sophie, coming to the doorway. "You cover up with smelly lotion, but you're still dirty as a pig!"

"Well, Jonathan is going to take his shower now," said Mom. She looked sternly at both of the children. "It is important to keep our bodies clean," she added, "but we also need to think about something even more important. Just like our skin gets dirty, our lives and hearts and thoughts can get 'dirty'-dirty with sin. Things like pride or an accusing, unloving attitude fall into that category, Sophie. And so does deceiving your mother, Jonathan."

Both Sophie and Jonathan squirmed guiltily as Mom continued. "We may sometimes cover up wrong things we do and hide them from other people, but there is nothing we can hide from God. We need to confess our sin to Him. He'll forgive us and wash us clean-as white as snow."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you try to cover up your sins? God can see through any cover-up. You need to confess your sins to God and turn from them. Trust Him to "wash" your heart and life and make you clean in His sight. Ask Him to "create " and "renew" a clean heart and spirit within you so you can again enjoy fellowship with Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:2

[Soldier4Christ]

 Effort Rewarded

Tom was having a difficult day. While he was in the locker room, he overheard some boys laughing because he had been friendly to a new student who was very awkward. Then at noon, some other boys had told him Christians weren't allowed to sit at their table. The way they said "Christians" made it sound like something bad. When the the kids started talking about the latest horror movie, even his friends seemed to think he was "weird" because he didn't go to see it.

In math class, Tom finally heard something good. Mrs. Brown announced that the regional math competition would be held the next week. "The students who will represent our school are Amy, Rita, Bob, and Tom," she said. "They'll be staying at the Grand Hotel while they're at the competition. The winning team will get a trophy and go to the state contests next month."

"Wow! That's a cool place to stay. It's got a huge swimming pool and all kinds of game machines," growled one of the students. "Those guys are so lucky!"

"Luck had nothing to do with it," said Mrs. Brown. "Hard work did. These students have shown that they're willing to put out the necessary effort to get ready for the competition and do well in it. We can count on them to do their best as they represent our school."

When Tom arrived home, he told his mother about his day. "Some of the kids are jealous because I get to go to the competition," he said with a grin. Then he sighed. "Sometimes, though, I wish I could be like the other kids so they wouldn't make fun of me," he admitted.

Mom frowned slightly. "Tell me-have you always felt like studying your math?" she asked.

Tom shook his head. "Of course not," he said.

"But you studied anyway," Mom pointed out, "and your efforts are being rewarded." She smiled. "Your efforts to serve the Lord and live for Him will be rewarded, too-in heaven, if not on earth," she assured him. "I know it seems hard when the kids reject you, but the reward for serving the Lord will be much greater than the reward for studying math. Keep doing what God wants you to do."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sometimes wish you could be more like other kids-perhaps cheat a little, use bad language, or go to the same places they do-so no one would make fun of you for being different? When it seems too hard to do the right thing, remember that suffering for Jesus is actually a privilege-one that will bring you rewards. Ask God to give you strength to bring glory to His name as you are faithful to Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Blessed are you when they revile . . . and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Matthew 5:11

[Soldier4Christ]

 Julie's Light

"Here's Mom now," Julie told her little brother as their old, blue car pulled up in front of the church. They ran out to the car, and Julie opened the door. She and Benji got in and fastened their seat belts.

"So how was your first day at Bible school?" asked Mom.

"Great," answered Julie, "except that Mrs. Wilson asked me to play the piano for the Primary Department's sing-time the rest of the week."

Mom frowned. "You don't like that?" she asked.

Julie shook her head. "I'm not going to do it," she said. "I just can't! With all those kids looking at me, I'd be so nervous I'd mess up for sure." Just thinking about it was making Julie's stomach feel a little funny.

Mom sighed. "I wish you'd try it," she said quietly.

Four-year-old Benji tugged at Julie's sleeve. "Listen to my song!" he said. Holding one chubby finger straight up before him he began to sing. "This little light of mine-I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine . . ."

When he had finished, Julie gave him a big hug. "Good job," she said. "When I was little like you, that was one of my favorite songs. Let's sing the 'hide it under a bushel' verse together, okay?" Benji nodded.

"Maybe you shouldn't sing it if you don't mean it anymore," suggested Mom before they could start the song.

"Wha-a-t?" Julie turned toward her mother with a puzzled frown.

"Aren't you 'hiding your light under a bushel,' honey?" asked Mom. "I'm thinking of your refusal to play the piano."

"Oh, Mom," grumbled Julie as Benji began to sing again. But she didn't join him-not until the very last line, that is. When the song ended, she grinned at her mother. "Okay," she said. "I guess if God gave me the talent to play, He can give me the courage to do it in front of those kids. I'll try it." She turned to her brother. "My turn to sing a verse, Benji."

Mom smiled as Julie sang a verse she made up to the old familiar tune. "I'm gonna play for Jesus-let my light shine now."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you ever afraid to use the talents God gave you? Do your knees shake, and does your throat get dry when you get up in front of others? Are you afraid you'll "mess up"? God gave you certain talents, or abilities. Ask Him for the courage to use them to help other people and to bring glory to Him. Let your light shine brightly for Jesus.


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

[Soldier4Christ]

 Dead or Alive?

"Is not!" Michael's voice rang throughout the house.

"Is too!" Sandy shouted back at her older brother.

"Don't be so narrow-minded!" exclaimed Michael crossly. "When you're a little older, you'll learn more about the world and find out you're not always right."

"Well, Dad's older than you, Mike, and I bet he agrees with me!" Sandy replied indignantly. She turned to her father, who was just coming into the room. "Michael's been learning about different religions, Dad, and he thinks they're as good as ours," said Sandy.

"I didn't say that!" protested Michael. "But you should be willing to listen to them and think about what they say instead of being so sure you're the only one that's right."

"Well, I learned a verse for Sunday school that says no one gets to heaven except through Jesus," said Sandy. "Isn't that right, Dad?" Her father nodded.

"But some of the religious leaders we've been learning about in school were really good people," muttered Michael.

"Better not be too broad-minded," cautioned Dad. "Have they told you about Mohammed's tomb? Or Buddha's grave? You could visit the places where those men are buried, right?"

"Well . . . ah . . ." Michael shrugged. "I suppose so," he said. "I could visit the tomb where Jesus was buried, too."

"If you did-if you visited all those graves or tombs-what would you find there?" asked Dad.

"I know!" exclaimed Sandy, almost jumping up from her seat. "Just like Mary and the disciples on Easter morning, you'd find nothing in Jesus' grave. But those other tombs aren't empty."

Dad nodded. "Sandy's right, Michael," he said. "Jesus not only died to pay the price for our sins, but He rose again so all of us can have eternal life. The men you're learning about may have been very smart teachers. In fact, many of them mimic the teaching of Jesus. But not one of them took our sins upon himself, died to take our punishment, and then came back to life to save us. Those men are still dead. If you choose to trust in anyone other than Jesus, you are choosing death, not life."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know the difference between Christianity and other religions? It's that Christianity is the only one that has a risen Savior. The leaders that started every other religion are dead-but Jesus is alive. God's Word, the Bible, says there is no way to heaven except through Jesus Christ, God's only Son. He died, but He rose again. Trust only in Him. On this Easter day, praise God for a living Savior.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Jesus said . . . "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

[Soldier4Christ]

Checking the Roll

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" John 20:24-25 (NIV)

What is the first thing a teacher does at the beginning of the school day? I don't know about your teacher, but the very first thing many teachers do each day is to check the roll. The teacher opens the roll book and begins to call out the names... Johnny, Susie, Mary, James. As the student's names are called, they raise their hand and answer, "Here!" If the teacher calls Caleb's name and he is not there, the teacher marks in the roll book that he was absent. Why is it important for the teacher to know that Caleb is absent? It is important because he needs to be told what he missed when was absent.

That's similar to something that happened in our Bible lesson today. It was the Sunday after Jesus was crucified and his disciples had gathered together in a locked room. They were together in that locked room because they were afraid. They were afraid of what Jesus' enemies might do to them. The Bible tells us that, even though the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood there with his disciples. When the disciples saw Jesus, they were very happy.

One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas, was not there with the others in that room when Jesus appeared to them. I don't know why Thomas wasn't there. Perhaps he was sick, or maybe he just decided to stay at home that day. The next time the other disciples saw Thomas, they told him what he had missed when he was absent. They said, "We have seen Jesus. He is alive!" Thomas didn't believe them. He said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it,"

The next week the disciples were in the house again, and this time Thomas was with them. The very same thing happened again. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among his disciples. He turned to Thomas and said, "See my hands; put your fingers here. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas didn't need to touch the wounds where the nails had been or put his hand into his side. He fell on his knees before Jesus and said, "My Lord and my God!"

One of the great promises Jesus made was when he said, "Where two or three gather in my name, I am there with them." Each week we come together in the name of Jesus to worship and to praise him. So, what do we miss out on if we are absent? We miss out on the same thing that Thomas missed out on when he was absent -- the chance to be with Jesus!

Dear Jesus, we have come into this house and gathered in your name today because we want to be with you. We have come to worship and praise your name. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Beginning to Fly

"Leave my stuff alone!" Jared shouted at his younger brother. "Get out of my room right now!"

Mom hurried to see what was going on. As she arrived at Jared's room, five-year-old Lance came running out, his eyes brimming with tears. "Jared! What's the problem?" asked Mom as she sat on the edge of his bed.

Jared's eyes flashed with anger. "Lance knows he's not to touch anything on my desk, but I caught him holding my model airplane! He might have broken it!"

"Calm down," said Mom. "I'll have a talk with Lance."

"Well, I'm going to do more than talk to him if he touches anything on my desk again," threatened Jared. Mom sat silent while Jared continued to voice his anger. At last, he was quiet.

"Remember that colorful butterfly we saw earlier today?" Mom asked after a moment. "We talked about the big change that takes place while butterflies are in a cocoon. Do you think they ever try to crawl back into those old things?"

"Of course not," said Jared. "Why are you asking that, Mom?"

"I was actually thinking about how much you're changing since you trusted Jesus as Savior and asked Him to take control of your life a few months ago. You may not realize it, but you've become more obedient, more patient, more respectful," said Mom quietly. Jared stared at the floor as she continued. "Seeing you change is a little like seeing a butterfly emerge from its cocoon and begin to fly." Mom paused. "God doesn't plan for butterflies to return to their old cocoons," she added, "or for you to return to your old ways of behaving."

Jared was thoughtful. "I guess I'm not 'flying' very well this afternoon," he admitted. He frowned. "But Lance is supposed to leave my desk alone!"

Mom nodded. "That's true," she said, "but don't you think there's a better way to teach him that?"

Jared sighed. "Like . . . correcting him without shouting or calling him names?" Mom nodded. "I do feel bad about losing my temper," acknowledged Jared. He paused, and then his face brightened. "I'll go find Lance." A twinkle came to his eyes as he added, "Don't worry, Mom. I won't yell at him this time."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
How are you "flying" lately? Are you aware that when you trust in Jesus, He changes you? That doesn't mean you'll instantly be totally different as far as what you like or dislike. It doesn't mean you'll never say a cross word again or do something wrong. But it does mean that God will help you become more like Jesus each day. The changes may seem slow to you, but those around you should see God working in your life. Don't go back to old, sinful habits. With God's help, "fly" with Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
If anyone is in Christ . . . old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

[Soldier4Christ]

 Double Topping

"Can you stop at my house for a while?" asked Kathy as she and Marcie walked home after school.

Marcie shook her head. "I can't go anywhere till my mom gets home from work," she said. "I have to start supper, and tonight I'm surprising Mom by making a special dessert."

"I'll come in and help," offered Kathy. "I'm sure my mom will say it's okay." Marcie shook her head again. "Please?" begged Kathy. "I know you're not supposed to have anyone over unless you ask your mom first, but she'll never know."

"No, but . . ." Marcie hesitated. "Mom trusts me to do what she says," added Marcie, turning to go up the walk to her door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

After changing clothes, Marcie got busy in the kitchen. Soon, she scooped the last bit of the pudding she had made into glass dishes. There! she thought. Now all I need is . . . But Marcie slapped her forehead, realizing she had forgotten to get the ingredients she wanted for topping on the pudding. Oh, no! Without topping, pudding is so . . . so plain! She sat down as she thought about her problem. I could run to the store, she told herself, but then I'd be disobeying, and like I told Kathy, Mom trusts me. Marcie sighed. That settles it. We'll have plain pudding. Some surprise!

When Marcie served the dessert after their evening meal, Mom exclaimed in pleasure. But Marcie sighed. "I wanted the dessert to be such a nice surprise," she said sadly, "but I forgot to stop on the way home and get whipped topping for it. I meant to get cherries to make it look pretty, too."

After hearing the whole story, Mom hugged Marcie tight. "Your surprise is much better than you think it is!" exclaimed Mom.

"But it has no topping," moaned Marcie.

"Yes, it does! The 'topping' is the fact that you obeyed me!" Mom replied. "You were tempted to break my rules in order to do a nice thing for me, but you chose to obey. That makes me happier than a hundred desserts with whipped topping and cherries!" Marcie grinned as her mother hugged her again, and added, "Actually, honey, your surprise has double topping. When you chose to obey, you not only pleased me-you also pleased the Lord."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you wanted to do something nice for someone-but you'd have to disobey parents or a teacher to do it? There is no gift you can give and no deed you can do that is better than obedience-obedience to those in authority and obedience to God. By obeying, you bring honor and glory to Him.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Colossians 3:20

[Soldier4Christ]

 Hamburger for Babies?

"Janie sure drinks a lot of milk, doesn't she?" observed Laura one day as she watched her baby sister. "I would think she'd get tired of it."

"Maybe she does," replied Mom. "Shall I fix her a peanut butter sandwich or offer her an apple?"

"No-o-o-o." Laura laughed at Mom's joking. "I just think milk all the time sounds boring, but I know Janie can't eat sandwiches or cookies or stuff like that. She isn't big enough, yet. She hasn't got any teeth to chew with."

"You're absolutely right." Mom smiled as she added, "But before too long she'll be able to have soft foods, like cereal and mashed bananas."

"It will be a long time before she can have hamburgers, won't it?" asked Laura.

"Yes, it will," agreed Mom. "She's got a lot of growing to do before she'll be big enough for that."

Dad held up his roast beef sandwich. "Well, I'm glad I'm big enough to have this," he said with a grin. "But you know what, Laura? Just like human babies slowly grow big enough to eat different things, baby Christians do, too."

"Baby Christians?" asked Laura, looking puzzled.

Dad nodded. "When a person first accepts Jesus as Savior, he's called a 'babe'-an infant-in Christ. Older Christians help him understand the 'milk' of God's Word-the easiest verses and stories. Then, as a new Christian grows spiritually, he needs the 'meat' of God's Word-the deeper truths of Scripture that are harder to understand."

Laura thought for a moment. Then she grinned. "I'm not going to ask what stage you think I'm at," she decided. "I don't think I'm at the 'milk' stage anymore, but I'm probably not quite ready to chew all of the 'meat' of the Bible, either. You'd probably say I'm at the 'mashed banana' stage, and that sounds horrible."

Dad smiled. "As long as you're growing in Christ-a little every day-it's great, not horrible," he said. "The only horrible thing would be if you stopped growing altogether."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you listen to Bible stories and also look for lessons they're teaching? Are you ready now to listen to sermons at church and try to learn at least one thing from them? Do you read God's Word for yourself? Don't get discouraged when you don't understand everything. As you grow in Christ, you will understand more and more. You'll begin to "chew the meat" of God's Word.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Salty" Christians

"This sure is a good breakfast, Grandma," exclaimed Nathan, taking another helping of ham and eggs. "I love this ham you fixed!"

"Well, thank you," said Grandpa.

Nathan grinned. "Sounds like you're taking credit for Grandma's cooking."

"I'll take partial credit," said Grandpa, "and Grandma can have the rest." He grinned as he took another slice of ham. "I cured this ham," he added, "and it is good, if I have to say so myself."

"You cured it?" asked Nathan. His eyes twinkled. "Was it sick?"

Grandpa laughed. "I think you know that curing a ham refers to the process of preparing it so that it doesn't spoil and has a delicious flavor," he said, cutting a bite to eat. "But did you know that you're supposed to be a little like this ham?"

"Be like the ham? Me?" asked Nathan looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"One main ingredient in the curing process is salt. It helps keep the ham from spoiling," explained Grandpa. "And in the Bible, Jesus called believers the 'salt' of the earth."

"Does that mean that we're supposed to keep other people from going bad?" asked Nathan. "How could we ever do that?"

"Well, by our witness and example of right living, some people around us may be led to Jesus and be saved from a life of sin," said Grandpa. He smiled at Nathan. "Be a 'salty' Christian, Nathan," Grandpa added. "Obey God and your parents cheerfully. Jesus said if salt loses its 'savor'-its saltiness-it's good for nothing. It's tasteless. When a believer falls into sin, it spoils his testimony, making the Christian life seem undesirable-or tasteless-to sinners. So refuse to do things you know are wrong!"

Nathan nodded. "Grandma, may I please have some more milk?" he asked. "The ham makes me thirsty."

"And why do you suppose it does that?" asked Grandma, reaching for the milk.

"Because of the salt," answered Nathan. "Popcorn does that, too." He paused. "Hey! I get it!" he exclaimed. "If we're 'salty' Christians, we make others thirsty for Jesus!" Grandma nodded as she filled his glass.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do your friends see a good example when they see the way you live? Do your actions and attitude cause them to want to know Jesus, too? Boys and girls, as well as men and women, can be examples to show other people that knowing Jesus is a wonderful thing. Follow Him cheerfully-be a "salty" Christian.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers. 1 Timothy 4:12

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Ant Farm

Sally and her little brother Joey watched ants scurry up and down the tiny tunnels in her ant farm. "Look!" said Joey, pointing to one of the ants. "What is that one carrying?" After a moment, he added, "And why is that one digging a new tunnel? Oh! Is that one cleaning up? Did God make ants, too?"

"Such a lot of questions," teased Sally. "Yes, God made ants, too."

"Are these ants just like the ones outside?" asked Joey.

"Well . . . I guess so. I'd say they're cousins anyway," replied Sally with a grin. She stood. "I have to go study," she added, "but you can watch my ants."

Sally was in her room only a little while when she heard Joey run outside. Minutes later, she heard the screen door slam and Joey scurried by on his way to his room. When she went to check on him, he was lying on the bed with his head under the pillow. It was the way Joey had tried to hide when he was smaller, and occasionally, he still did this. "Joey, I see you," said Sally. "What happened? Why are you hiding in your bed?"

Slowly, Joey pulled his head from under the pillow. "I wanted to show your ants to their cousins outside, but I dropped the ant farm," he confessed. "It broke, and some of the ants ran away." Tears ran down the little boy's cheeks. "I didn't want you to see," he said.

"Oh, Joey!" cried Sally. She sighed. "Well, you might have hidden it from me, but you know that God sees all you do. You can't hide from Him," scolded Sally. "Just like you could see the ants and everything they did in the ant farm, God always sees you and everything you do. In fact, He sees you better than you saw the ants."

"I'm really sorry," Joey said anxiously. "Really, I am."

"I know, and I forgive you," replied Sally. "I don't like what happened to the ants, but I hope you'll remember that God always sees you-and that you can't ever run away from Him!"

"I'll remember," promised Joey. "Will He forgive me, too?"

"He will if you're really sorry and ask Him to," said Sally. "Now . . . let's go and pick up what's left of the ant farm."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
When you've done something wrong, do you try to hide it? Maybe that would work with people, but never with God. Psalm 139 says He knows all about you-even what you're thinking. It points out that there is no place where you can hide from Him. He sees when you do the right things and also when you do something wrong. Don't try to hide. Confess your sin and turn from it. Live each day with the knowledge that God sees you and loves you. Live to please Him in all you do.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
You (God) are acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:3

[Soldier4Christ]

 Such a Little Thing

"A-vee-air-ee," read Paul, looking at the sign above the door of one of the buildings at the zoo. He was visiting the zoo with his Uncle Mike. "What does that mean?" asked Paul.

"An aviary is a place where birds are kept," answered Uncle Mike. "Let's see what kinds they have here." They opened the door and heard a lot of chirping and squawking, and as they walked through the building, they saw many different kinds of birds. "Look over there," said Uncle Mike. He pointed toward a flamingo standing on one leg with its head on its back. "That one is asleep."

"What a funny way to sleep," said Paul. "How can that skinny leg hold up such a big bird?"

"Well, all I can tell you is that God made it that way," answered Uncle Mike. "It's amazing, isn't it?" Paul grinned and nodded.

After leaving the aviary, Uncle Mike bought them each a snack. As they sat on a bench and munched their chips, Paul was very quiet. "Thinking about your parents again?" asked Uncle Mike.

"Yeah," Paul answered. "I just know they're going to get a divorce."

"Now you don't know for sure, Paul," replied Uncle Mike. "The reason you're here with me this weekend is so they could go to that marriage seminar. I believe they'll try to work things out."

"Well, maybe," replied Paul. "I know that's what they talked about, but I wish I could do something to help them."

"You can pray," answered his uncle.

"Oh, I do that," said Paul. "I pray all the time! But that's such a little thing."

"That's pretty much what you said about the flamingo's leg," Uncle Mike reminded him, "but that little leg held the bird up, didn't it? And your 'little' prayers can do great things, too." Uncle Mike smiled as he added, "God made it that way."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have problems you can do nothing about? Nothing, that is, except pray? You need to remember that your prayers are going to a very powerful God. Praying is always the best thing you can do for any of your problems. There's a little chorus that says, "Why worry when you can pray?" The next line goes on to say, "Trust Jesus." Will you do that? Pray, and then trust God to answer in His own, special way.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16