Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 Mending the Rip

Heidi darted out of Samantha's house and headed for home. "Some friend she is!" fumed Heidi as she stomped up the steps to her own back door. But at the top step, she stumbled and fell. Getting up, she brushed herself off. "Oh, no!" moaned Heidi when she saw a rip in her shirt. Tears filled her eyes, and she ran into the house to find her mother. "Mom," she cried, "this is the worst day of my life! Samantha called me names, and just now I fell on the steps and tore my shirt."

"I'm sorry, honey," said Mom as she examined the shirt. "This isn't a very bad tear, though. I'll mend it right now before it gets worse. I'm sure I can fix it so no one will ever know it was torn."

Heidi changed her clothes, and as her mother got busy with needle and thread, Heidi told her about the quarrel with Samantha. "You should have heard what she called me," whined Heidi.

"And what did you call her?" asked Mom.

"Uh-well, I . . . I don't exactly remember what I said," stammered Heidi, "but I was pretty mad." She continued to grumble and complain while Mom worked on the shirt.

Soon the tear in the shirt was mended, and Mom showed it to Heidi. "I'm glad you showed me that rip right away," said Mom. "If it had gotten longer, it would have been much harder to fix."

Heidi inspected the shirt. "Awesome! Thanks!" she exclaimed. "I can't even see where it was ripped!" She smiled. "It's my favorite shirt," she added.

"And what about the rip in your friendship with Samantha-your favorite friend?" asked Mom. "Shouldn't that rip be mended today, too?"

Heidi looked at the floor in embarrassment. "But it wasn't my fault," she said, trying to excuse her part in the quarrel.

"Not entirely, perhaps," replied Mom, "but does that matter? Don't you think mending that ripped friendship is more important than fixing your ripped shirt?" Heidi hesitated. "Think about it," added Mom. "Mend it before it gets worse. You'll be glad you did."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you quarreled with a friend or relative? Isn't your relationship with that person important enough for you to forgive and forget? Besides, you may need to be forgiven, too, since it takes two to quarrel. Mend torn friendships quickly. Perhaps that will be easier to do if you remember how much God has forgiven you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:13

[Soldier4Christ]

 Catch Me, Daddy

Little Kelsey climbed out of the pool. Then she eagerly walked along the edge to where her father was standing waist deep in the water. "Catch me again, Daddy!" she called. Kelsey leaped toward her father almost before he could get his arms up to catch her.

"Whee-e-e!" called Daddy as he pulled her around in the water and then took her to the shallow end where she could touch bottom. Soon Kelsey was back up the steps and heading toward her jumping spot again.

"Kelsey sure does trust Daddy to catch her," observed her older sister, Linda. "And I can't believe how many times he keeps doing it. You'd think he'd get tired of it, but he actually seems to enjoy it!"

Mom smiled. "You know what I think?" she asked. "I think this is a good picture of our faith in God. Your dad is happy that Kelsey trusts him enough to jump into his arms again and again. And because he caught her the first few times, she learned to trust him more and more. She jumped almost before he was ready the last time."

Linda was confused. "I know," she said, "but how is that like us and God?"

"Well, first of all, we need to trust God to forgive our sins and save us," replied Mom. "Then we also learn to trust Him for many other things in life-sometimes for special, specific things, like safety on bad roads or help in finding friends at a new school." Linda nodded. Since they had moved the year before, those things sounded good to her.

"After we trust God for something and find that He's faithful to keep His promises, it's easier to trust Him the next time we have a problem," explained Mom. She smiled as Kelsey squealed and leaped toward her father's arms once again. "The more we exercise our faith, the more it grows," continued Mom. "When Kelsey jumps into the pool, she doesn't think, 'Maybe Daddy will catch me.' She knows he will. Dad is pleased that she trusts him, and when we trust God like that, He is pleased, too."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have enough faith to trust God? Do you trust Him in times of trouble as well as when things are going great? Do you trust Him in scary situations-when a scary dog barks at you, when the thunder is extra loud, when something goes wrong at home, or when kids tease you because you're a Christian? Exercise your faith, and trust God to take care of any problem you have.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God). Hebrews 11:6

[Soldier4Christ]

Crumbs from the Table

The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Matthew 15:26-27 (NIV)

Do any of you have a dog? I once had a dog named Mac. When we were at home, Mac was usually in the house. When we sat down at the table to eat, Mac would take his place and sit quietly beside my son's chair. Can you guess why he always sat beside my son? He knew that our son was the most likely person at the table to drop some tasty bit of food on the floor, and when he did, Mac was right there to clean it up

There was another reason why Mac always sat patiently beside my son's chair. You see, my son loved Mac very much, and he always made certain that when he finished eating, he always left something on his plate for Mac to clean up. Even though the dinner was not prepared especially for Mac, it sure did not keep him from enjoying it.

When Jesus came to earth, he came to preach and teach first to the Jews. That does not mean that He didn't love the other people of the world, but the first priority in his ministry on earth was to bring God's chosen ones to repentance.

When other people saw Jesus healing the sick and lame, they followed him wherever he went. One day there was a woman from Canaan who came to Jesus and asked him to heal her daughter. Jesus explained to the woman that his first mission on earth was to preach to the people of Israel.

The woman refused to give up. She came closer, knelt down, and begged, "Please help me, Lord!"

Jesus replied, "It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs."

The woman answered Jesus and said, "Lord, that's true, but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table."

Jesus was so touched by the faith of that woman that he told her that because of her faith, her daughter would be healed.

Even though Jesus came first to the Jew, he loved us so much that he shared his love with all of us. I guess I am a little bit like my dog Mac -- even though the meal was not prepared especially for me, it doesn't keep me from enjoying it. I will gladly sit at my Master's feet and thankfully receive whatever crumbs might fall from the table.

Dear Father, thank you for loving us so much that you shared your son with the whole world, so that through him we could be saved. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Different Kinds of Seeds

Mia and her brother Caden were getting ready to plant a small vegetable garden. "I'll get the seeds," said Caden. "They're in my room."

After a little while, Mia went to Caden's room. "What's taking you so long?" she asked. Then she frowned. "Your room's a mess," she added. "I suppose you can't find the seeds."

"I put them right here on my desk, but they're gone," said Caden. "Let's go ask Mom if she's seen them." Mia and Caden found Mom busily washing dirt off their little sister's face and arms. "How did Annie get so dirty?" asked Caden.

"She was playing outside-digging in the flower beds," answered Mom.

"I wasn't playing," said Annie. "I was planting a garden. I found the seeds on Caden's desk, so I planted 'em for you."

"You what?" Mia was shocked. "You don't know how to plant a garden!"

"Do, too," protested Annie. "I dug a big hole and put all the seeds in it."

"They weren't yours!" yelled Mia. "You stole them, and everybody hates thieves!"

"That's enough, Mia," said Mom sternly.

"Well, they do!" exclaimed Mia. "Including me!" She turned and ran to her room.

Mom followed a little later. "Mia," said Mom, "do you remember what we read this morning?"

"We . . . uh . . . it was something from the Bible about reaping what we sow," mumbled Mia.

"Yes," said Mom. "It was wrong of Annie to use those seeds, but what you planted was worse."

"I haven't planted anything," argued Mia. "I couldn't. Annie stole our seeds."

"You planted a seed of hate in your sister's heart," said Mom. "I'm sure you don't want to reap hate from Annie."

Mia sighed. "I . . . I didn't mean what I said. I was just mad," she admitted.

"I know, but I think an apology is in order, don't you?" suggested Mom. With a sigh, Mia nodded. "Maybe you could also go buy some more seeds and teach Annie how to plant them the right way. Okay?"

"Okay," agreed Mia. "She can plant some in our garden and watch them grow."

"I think that's a great idea," said Mom. "And I think you're learning how to plant some other seeds the right way, too-seeds of kindness."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sow seeds of hate or seeds of kindness? How do you react when people do things you don't like? The Bible says to treat others the way you like to be treated. You should do that all the time, not just when you're happy with the way someone has behaved. And remember that whatever it is you sow, that's what will eventually come back to you.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7

[Soldier4Christ]

 Counting the Cost

"Aw, Dad! Do I have to be grounded? One cigarette can't hurt a guy. I only wanted to give it a try," pleaded Jeremy. "Can't we just forget it?"

Dad shook his head. "Jeremy, remember when you wanted a dollar the other day?" he asked. "You saw some CDs advertised in a magazine, and you wanted to send for them."

"Sure . . . but what does that have to do with trying a cigarette?" asked Jeremy.

"After you asked for the dollar, we noticed the fine print in the ad," replied Dad. "We found that you wouldn't be just buying ten CDs for a dollar. You would also be obligating yourself to buy ten additional ones in a year's time-for ten dollars each. Once we counted the true cost of those first ten, you decided you really couldn't afford them."

Jeremy nodded. "Ten CDs for a dollar sounded so good that I didn't think about what it would really cost me to have them because of the others I'd have to buy."

"Well, Son, sin can also cost more than you think it's going to," said Dad. "For example, you said you just wanted to try smoking-so you had only one cigarette. But have you 'counted the cost' for trying it?"

"Like getting grounded?" murmured Jeremy.

"There could be even more serious costs," said Dad. "Smoking can result in major health problems."

"But not from just one," protested Jeremy. "I wasn't planning to smoke any more of them."

"No, you weren't planning to, but they're addictive," said Dad. "Besides, when you decided to try a cigarette, you also made the decision to disobey your parents. If you'd gotten away with it, you might find it easy to try it again-or to try some other forbidden thing. That could result in addiction, not only to cigarettes, but to disobedience and other sins."

Jeremy nodded. "Okay, I see what you're saying," he admitted slowly, "and I am sorry, Dad-really!" He paused. "You're sure I haven't learned my lesson well enough to skip the punishment?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm sure," said Dad. "I love you too much to let you get away with smoking even one cigarette. I pray that from now on you'll count the cost of your actions a little more carefully."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you ever found yourself much farther into sin than you expected to be? Maybe you decided to "just try" something-just one time. That's dangerous. One sin often leads to another, and then another. Don't take that first step-don't "just try" anything that is wrong. Instead, follow the Apostle Paul's advice to Timothy. Flee from it.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Flee also youthful lusts. 2 Timothy 2:22

[Soldier4Christ]

 Really Listening

Marc unlocked the garage door, swung it open, and plopped his school books under the clip on his bike. He had just adjusted his mirrors when he heard his mother call. "Marc! Oh, Marc!" She went on to say something but he couldn't hear very well. I'm guessing Mom wants me to do something before I leave, thought Marc. I'll pretend I don't hear her. I want to get to school in time to play basketball a while before the bell rings. "'Bye," he called. He quickly glided out of the garage even though he could hear that his mother was still talking.

School sure has been boring today, thought Marc as he finally closed his locker for the last time and headed home. And I suppose Mom will have work waiting for me, too. I just don't feel like working on a hot day like this.

As Marc opened the kitchen door, his mother looked up in surprise. "Oh, Marc! I thought you were fishing with Grandpa," she said. "He called just after you left the house this morning-but you were still in the garage when I called to you. I was sure you could hear me, and I even thought I heard you answer."

As Marc looked at his mother, he remembered that he had deliberately decided not to listen when she had called to him that morning. He recalled that she was still talking as he left.

"I was telling you to go right over to Grandpa's house after school," said Mom. "I took your overnight bag and fishing gear over there at noon."

"Oh, no! I . . . I didn't want to listen because I thought you had some work for me to do, so I hurried off!" exclaimed Marc. "Now I'm missing fun with Grandpa, and it . . . it's my own fault!" Marc's voice broke as he turned and stumbled up the stairs to his room.

Big sobs were smothered in the bed covers as Marc pictured Grandpa and his boat-probably on the river that very moment. After this I'm going to listen when someone talks to me, Marc thought to himself, and I'm going to quit trying to get out of work, too. After a few minutes, he got up. He ran down to the kitchen. "Mom," he said with a determined look, "is there anything you want me to do?"

Mom looked at Marc, saw his teary eyes, and gave him a hug. "Yes, there is, Marc," she said. "I called Grandpa. He was wondering where you were, and he said to hurry over. Let's go!"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you deliberately not listened when  a parent spoke to you? Or when a teacher told you something you should do? God gave everyone-even adults-instructions, and part of His instructions to children is to obey their parents and others in authority. To do that, you need to hear what they say. God uses them to guide you-and you may even be surprised how often you like what you hear. So pay attention. And remember that blessing comes with obedience, so hear and obey.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Proverbs 1:8

[Soldier4Christ]

 When I Grow Up

Zach frowned as he crumpled up another piece of paper and threw it in the wastebasket. "I'm supposed to write about a couple of jobs I might like to do when I grow up," he said. "I thought about being a professional baseball player-or maybe a photographer like Dad. But the chances of me playing pro baseball aren't very good, and I don't really want to be a photographer." Grinning, he added, "I hope Dad doesn't mind."

"Well, I know Dad doesn't expect you to do what he does," Mom assured Zach. "God has given you talents of your own to use for Him."

"Maybe I should want to be a preacher or a missionary," said Zach. "God would probably want me to do something like that, wouldn't He?"

Motioning for Zach to follow, Mom got up and walked to the kitchen window. She pointed to a tree in the back yard. "What kind of fruit does that tree out there produce?" she asked.

Zach looked at his mother suspiciously. "Apples, of course," he said. "It's an apple tree, Mom."

Mom nodded. "Yes, and apple trees produce apples, not some other kind of fruit," she agreed, "but they don't struggle to do it. They automatically produce apples because that's what God made them to do. That principle applies to you, too."

"Yeah? But I'm not an apple tree," said Zach with a grin.

Mom smiled. "No, you're not, so God doesn't expect you to produce apples-and He doesn't expect you to act like somebody you're not," she said. "Whatever you end up doing for a career-working as a lawyer, farmer, missionary, businessman, factory worker, preacher, or whatever-you can serve God. He needs Christians in every field of work."

"I guess I know what you mean," said Zach, "but I still don't know what to write for my paper."

"Write about things you like to do and things you do well," suggested Mom. "Those are pretty good clues to help you begin to understand God's plan for your life."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
What are you good at doing? What do you like to do? Your interests may change as the years pass, but keep praying about these things. Keep working at the things you enjoy doing. Be willing to let God use you and your special abilities in any way He sees fit. Be a witness for Him in whatever work you do, both now and in the future.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 37:4-5)
Delight yourself also in the Lord . . . Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Seasons of Life

"It's raining! It's pouring!" sang six-year-old Josie as she ran into Missi's room. "I love rain," she said. "It makes puddles to play in."

"Yeah," Missi snapped, "and it cancels picnics."

"Are you going on a picnic?" asked Josie.

"I'm not going anywhere," grumbled Missi. "I told you. My picnic is cancelled." She sighed. "And that's not all! I was going with Morgan and her family to an amusement park tomorrow, but Morgan's sick so they cancelled those plans, too!" 

Josie patted Missi's hand. "Well, if it storms, maybe the lights will go out, and we can use candles," said Josie. "That's fun!"

"I hate storms!" responded Missi with a shudder. "You're a strange kid. You love storms and rain and snow and cold weather-and hot weather, too."

"I heard that." Mom smiled as she came into the room. "To Josie, there's no such thing as bad weather-only different kinds of weather."

"Do you know all the seasons, Missi?" asked Josie. She counted on her fingers. "There's spring and fall and winter and . . ."

"Summer," interrupted Missi. "I know them, too, Josie."

Josie threw her arms open wide. "And I love them all!" she exclaimed.

"I'm glad you do." Mom nodded. "There are different seasons of the year, and there are different seasons in life, too," she said. "There's childhood and adolescence. Then before we know it, we're adults, parents, and even grandparents."

"And the teen years are the worst!" Missi exploded.

Mom shook her head. "Every age has its special blessings as well as its problems, honey," she said. "It's true that there are stormy times in teen years, but people of every age experience both storms and sunshine."

"Is it going to storm hard?" asked Josie. "I'll get the candles out." Missi gave a half-smile as Josie ran from the room.

"Even storms have a purpose," continued Mom. "For example, lightning puts nitrogen into the atmosphere to help plants grow. And life's storms also have a purpose, Missi. As we trust the Lord to teach us, He'll help us grow in all the kinds of weather we face in the seasons of life."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you going through some stormy times in your life? Remember-there are no bad days, just different days. Make a list of things that are happening to you. Then thank God for everything. Look for something God wants to teach you as you trust Him in all the experiences He allows to come your way. Rejoice in each day He gives you, whether it holds sunshine or storms.


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

[Soldier4Christ]

 Planting and Harvesting

Joe put five plump tomatoes, two cucumbers, and a large onion into a paper sack. "Thanks so much and come again," he said, handing his customer the bag of vegetables in exchange for some money. Joe had done a lot of work in the garden, and it was producing delicious vegetables. He was glad Mom and Dad had let him set up a roadside stand and sell the produce from the garden. He'd been at it all morning.

Just then Joe heard the hearty voice of his grandfather, who was visiting from Florida. "Well, well! Nearly out of corn, I see. How would you like me to watch the stand while you pick more corn?" Grandpa offered.

"That would be great, Grandpa," said Joe. "I'll hurry." And off he went.

When Joe came back with a wheelbarrow full of corn, he saw Grandpa putting a piece of paper into a sack, along with a customer's vegetables. "Been busy, Grandpa?" asked Joe.

Grandpa grinned and nodded. "I sure have, and while you've been out harvesting corn, I've been doing a little planting of seeds," he said.

"Planting seeds?" asked Joe. "What kind? Where?"

"Gospel seeds," said Grandpa with a smile. "I've been putting a tract into the bags, along with the produce. It's one that tells about Jesus and how to be saved."

"Really?" said Joe. "I never thought of doing anything like that."

As they talked, Grandpa helped Joe restock the pile of corn. "Your harvest display here is very nice," observed Grandpa, motioning toward the colorful array of vegetables, "but I'm looking forward to a harvest of people instead of produce. Jesus said the harvest is 'plentiful.' That means there are many people waiting to hear the good news of salvation. But more Christians need to get busy in the work of sowing the seed of the Gospel and doing the harvesting-bringing people to the Lord."

Joe grinned at his grandfather. "I guess it's time I do some planting and harvesting for God, too," he said. "Got any of those tracts left? I see some more people are stopping."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you willing to be a laborer-a worker-for the Lord? There are many different ways to plant and harvest for Him. You can do kind deeds in the Lord's name, invite those who don't know Jesus to come to church or Sunday school, explain how to accept Jesus, and give out tracts. Will you help? Do you know someone who needs Jesus? What can you do to point that person to Him?


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
(Jesus said) The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Matthew 9:37

[Soldier4Christ]

 Which Road?

"This was a fun trip, but now I'm getting tired of riding," declared Nicole as the Moore family was returning home from their vacation.

"Me, too," agreed Matt. "We've been driving for a long time today!"

"Well, this will be our last pit stop," said Dad as he pulled into a service station. He got out and filled the gas tank. Then they decided to stop at a restaurant and have a snack.

When everyone was in the car and ready to roll again, Dad drove back onto the interstate highway. It had been a cloudy day, but after they had gone a few miles, the sun finally broke out. "Honey," said Mom, "the sun is in our faces. That's not right, is it? Shouldn't we be going east instead of west?"

"You're right!" exclaimed Dad, slowing down. "I must have taken the wrong ramp to get onto the interstate! I can't believe I did that! We'll turn around at the next exit." But they didn't come to another exit very quickly. As they went farther and farther in the wrong direction, groans came from Nicole and Matt.

"Well," said Dad when they were finally able to turn around and head toward home, "we might just as well learn a lesson from this. Who can think of one?" More groans came from the back seat. Dad grinned. "Hey, come on!" he coaxed. "There's a good lesson here."

"All right," said Mom. "How about it, kids? Let's think."

"Knowing Dad, I'm sure it's a Bible lesson he's looking for," decided Nicole, "but I sure don't know what . . ." She interrupted herself. "I got it! We had a Sunday school lesson once about two roads people can travel. One road leads to heaven and the other to hell, but people who are on the road to hell don't usually know it. They think they're headed the right way-just like we drove for miles thinking we were heading the right way."

"Good for you," said Mom. "I think another lesson we can learn is that we need to warn those who are going the wrong way. We're on the road to heaven, but we have a responsibility to show others what is really at the end of the road they're traveling. We need to show them that Jesus is the only way to heaven."

"Then maybe they'll turn around like we did," suggested Matt.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you on the right road-spiritually, that is? That's the most important thing in life because the wrong road leads to hell. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again to become the way to heaven for you. Won't you trust Him today? (See the ABCs at the end of this book.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

[Soldier4Christ]

What's My Line?


"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Matthew 16:15 (NIV)

When I was a child, there was a television program called "What's My Line?" The idea was simple: there was a panel of four celebrities who asked yes-or-no questions of guests and tried to guess what they did for a living. If a guest had come on the show wearing a fire-fighter's hat, it would have been quite easy for the panel to guess what the guest did for a living, wouldn't it? But what if the guest was a school teacher? Could the panel guess that someone was a teacher by their appearance? Or what if a person was a lawyer? A lawyer looks pretty much the same as anyone else. Unless a person wears some kind of special hat or uniform in their job, it is almost impossible to know what they do just by looking at them.

Jesus didn't wear anything special to show who he was; so just looking at Jesus, he might have seemed to be like anyone else of his day. As you might imagine, there was a lot of confusion about who Jesus really was. One day, Jesus was with his disciples and he played a little game of "What's My Line?" with them, but this time it was Jesus who was asking the questions.

Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Who do men say that I am?"

One of the disciples answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist."

"Some say you are Elijah or one of the prophets," answered another.

Jesus questioned the disciples further, "But who do you say that I am?"

"You are the Christ," answered Peter, "the Son of the living God."

The Bible doesn't tell us, but I think that the other disciples might have cheered, "Yea Peter! Good answer! Good answer!"

Jesus looked at Peter and said, "Blessed are you Simon, son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. From now on, I will call you Peter (which means rock) and upon this rock I will build my church."

Did you know that there are still many people today who don't know who Jesus is? If you ask, they might say, "He was a great teacher." Or some might say, "He was a great religious leader." They don't know what Peter knew. They don't know what you and I know. They don't know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Dear Jesus, we know who you are. You are God's only Son, the Savior of the world. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Old Tree

The screen door creaked and pulled shut as Emma came out and hopped onto the porch swing next to her father. Dad yawned. "What a day!" he exclaimed. "Things at work are changing faster than I can keep up with them." Emma glanced up when her father mentioned change. "Anything interesting happen at school?" Dad asked.

"Actually . . ." Emma paused as she gazed at a big, gnarled, moss-covered tree in their yard. "Remember when I told you Mr. Conners doesn't seem to believe in God?" asked Emma. Dad nodded. "Well, today he said truth is always changing. He said what was true for my parents and grandparents might not be true for me. He said, 'As people change, so does truth.'" Emma sighed. "That kind of has me confused. It doesn't seem right to me."

For a moment, Dad didn't answer, and Emma wondered if he had heard her. He pushed the swing a little higher with his foot and watched the old tree. Then he pointed to it. "Look over there at the tree," he said. "Do you see what its doing?"

Emma frowned. "No. What's it doing?" she asked.

"Looks to me like it's moving!" replied Dad.

Emma wasn't sure what to think. "Dad, there's not a trace of wind," she said.

"No," agreed Dad, "but it looks like the whole tree is moving-all the way down to its roots!"

Emma squinted, trying to see what her father saw. Finally, she did. With each push of the swing, the tree seemed to move back and forth. Emma laughed. "I see it!" she said. "When I stare at the tree and don't think about what we're doing, it really does look like it's moving, but I know better. It isn't really moving at all."

"No, and truth is like that tree," said Dad. "To say that truth changes is like saying that tree is moving."

"But we're what's really moving," said Emma.

"Right," replied Dad. "People's beliefs may go back and forth. Opinions change. But truth never changes."

"In one of my memory verses, Jesus called Himself the Truth," remembered Emma. "He never changes, does He?"

"Never," agreed Dad. "Jesus-the Truth-is always the same."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you heard that everything changes, including the truth? Have you heard that it's impossible to know what is true? Don't be fooled. Truth is not something that changes from day to day. It doesn't change with the current popular view. God has made truth known to people through His Word, the Bible. Jesus, the Truth, never changes


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever Hebrews 13:8

[Soldier4Christ]

 Sweeter than Chocolate

Angela read Mom's grocery list as she pushed her cart down the familiar aisles at the store. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shelves filled with chocolate, cream-filled snack cakes. Yummy! she thought. I wish Mom had put Choco-Cakes on this list.

All the way home, Angela thought about those Choco-Cakes and how good they would have tasted. She walked into the kitchen and set the sack of groceries on the table just as Mom came in from the garden. "Why the frown?" asked Mom. "Are you upset about something?"

"No," answered Angela, "but I was just wishing I could have bought Choco-Cakes instead of all this stuff. I just love those things!" She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Sometimes when I walk past them in the store, I can almost hear them call out my name: 'Angela-I'm over here! Buy me! Eat me!' They're so good!" Mom and Angela giggled together.

"And what does the honey say when you walk past it?" asked Mom as she took a jar of honey from the bag and put it in the cupboard. "It's sweet. Does it call your name, too?"

Angela shrugged. "No," she replied. "Honey is all right, but I don't really like it a whole lot. Do you?"

Mom smiled. "No, but I think David, in the Bible, did," she said thoughtfully. "Some verses I read in the book of Psalms this morning included one that mentions honey. In fact, David said God's words were sweeter to him than honey."

"I remember that verse," said Angela. "We had to learn it for Sunday school or Bible club or something. Maybe it would make more sense to me if I liked honey better."

"Like I said, I guess David must have liked it a lot," replied Mom, "but he's saying that he likes God's Word even better. As for you . . ." Mom paused. "Why not think of it this way?" she suggested. "God wants you to be hungry for His Word-the Bible-more than you're hungry for any of the things of this world-even more than you crave Choco-Cakes."

Angela grinned. "That I can understand," she said. "That would mean I like His Word a whole lot!"


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you "hungry" for God? For His Word? Think of something-some treat-you really like, and compare your desire for it to your desire to know what God says. It's not wrong to enjoy the good things God provides for you-you should enjoy them. But you should also enjoy hearing from God through reading the Bible. "Taste" its sweetness every day by taking a few minutes to read some verses from it.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

[Soldier4Christ]

 Mount Trashmore

It was the day before trash pick-up, and Dad was helping Jake with his chores. "I hate this job," said Jake as he put aluminum cans in one container and plastic bottles in another.

"Oh, it's not so bad," replied Dad. "Of course, it would be easier if you didn't let things pile up so long."

"I suppose, but I liked it better when we just threw everything into one big plastic bag," grumbled Jake. "I wish we could do that again."

"Well, that may be easier," said Dad, "but by recycling what we can, we're saving materials-and space in landfills, too. Those are the places where the trash is dumped."

"I know," replied Jake. "Our school bus goes past one of them every day." He laughed. " There's a big mountain of rubbish there, and all the kids call it Mount Trashmore," he added.

When they finished sorting cans and bottles, Dad turned to go into the house. He picked up a brown paper bag standing near the door. "Looks like we missed this," he said.

"Oh, that's just some stuff I need to sort out," mumbled Jake, quickly reaching for the bag. But Dad was already opening it.

"Let's see . . . papers, magazines-whoa!" exclaimed Dad. He took out one of the magazines and looked at it. "These really are trash! Where did they come from?" he asked.

"Some of the guys at school gave them to me," murmured Jake.

"They've got some bad pictures in them, haven't they?" asked Dad.

Jake hesitated, feeling embarrassed. "Yeah, and the jokes are bad, too," he admitted. "You know, Dad, at first it seemed pretty cool and grown up to read this stuff, but I'm throwing them out, and I'm not taking any more."

"Good," said Dad. "Reading articles and seeing pictures like you'll find in these magazines will make a 'Mount Trashmore' of your heart and mind. The pictures and the stuff you read in them may keep running through your head, crowding out God. I'm glad you can understand that they're not good for you."


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you throw out the trash that comes your way? Do you make sure the television programs you watch, the books and magazines you read, and the CDs you hear don't create a "trash pile" in your mind? Ask God to help you get rid of anything that's dishonoring to Him. Ask Him to help you choose the right things to watch, read, and listen to.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness . . . perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Book Pass

Paul and his parents joined the long line of people standing side by side for the community "book pass." A new library had been built, and the community was joining together to move the books by passing them from one person to another all the way down the street from the old library to the new one. "This is going to be fun," said Paul, waving to some of his friends.

After the mayor gave a speech, the book pass began. The books were removed from shelves in the old building and handed to the first person in line. One by one, the people passed them down the line-right into the new library.

"I'm really getting tired of passing books," Paul complained after a while. "My arms ache." A little later, he spoke again. "Some of the kids are dropping out," he said. "Can I quit, too?"

"For a little while," agreed Dad, "but check back with us in fifteen minutes or so." So Paul stepped out of the line, leaving a gap where he had been standing between his parents. Mom made a long reach to pass books to Dad, and Dad moved back and forth to get them and pass them on.

After a while, Paul came back. "I'll help finish," he mumbled. "You're slowing things down with all that reaching." So he helped until the end of the first hour when a new group of people took over.

That evening, Paul was studying his Sunday school lesson. It was about witnessing. "It's hard to tell people about Jesus," he said. "I tried to talk to Pete the other day, but I'm no good at it."

Dad looked up from his newspaper. "It can be hard," he agreed, "but it's easier when we all do our part. The Gospel needs to be passed on from one person to the next-just like those books we passed today-and everyone is needed."

Mom nodded. "When you got tired and dropped out of the book line, the work was much more difficult," she said. "That principle is true when it comes to giving out the Gospel, too. When someone fails to do his part, it puts more work on other people and slows down the spreading of God's Word." She ruffled Paul's hair. "I hope you'll decide to stay in the line and do what you can to win your friends to Jesus," she encouraged him.


HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you tell others about Jesus, or do you think it's someone else's job? Don't forget that it's the responsibility of every Christian to help spread the Gospel. It's a command from Jesus, and everyone is needed. It's not always easy, but God will help you. Any little thing you do to help reach others with the Gospel will be blessed by God, so get in line and do your share.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
He (Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15