Bible Reading: Colossians 2:6-10

"Aaagh!" screamed Olivia when she looked into a cup on her grandmother's bathroom counter. "There are teeth in this cup!" She heard Grandma laugh and walked into her bedroom. "I forgot that you wear false teeth. They don't look false when they're in your mouth."

"Good," said Grandma. "Then maybe only my dentist and I know for sure." She gave Olivia a toothless grin. "And you."

At school the following week, Olivia became friends with Ginny, a new student who often talked about God. "We all have God in us, so we can all figure out what's right and wrong for ourselves," Ginny said one day. "You may think certain things are wrong, but I may think they're okay. And that's fine. We should each make our own decision."

Olivia didn't think that was true, but she was so glad to find a friend who wasn't afraid to talk about God. Maybe she's right, Olivia thought.

One day, Olivia got into trouble for hitting her brother. "He was teasing me, so I don't see anything wrong with hitting him!" Olivia said. "Ginny says we're all a part of God and should decide for ourselves what's right."

"And who is Ginny?" asked Mom.

"She's a new Christian friend at school. She talks about God a lot."

"Are you sure she's a Christian?" asked Mom. "Because what she's saying is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says God is holy and always does what is right, but we are sinners who have been separated from God because we do wrong things that go against who He is. That's why we need Jesus to save us from sin and give us the Holy Spirit." Mom shook her head. "People may talk about God, but if they don't think they need Jesus, they're like--well, like Grandma's teeth."

"Grandma's teeth!" exclaimed Olivia. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You told me her teeth look so real you don't think about the fact that they're false," said Mom. "Well, things people say about God may seem true, but if they don't agree with what the Bible says about God and our need for Jesus, they're false. God is perfect and holy, and He certainly does not say you can decide for yourself what is right or wrong." Mom looked at Olivia. "And hitting your brother is definitely wrong."

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Do you assume that anyone who talks about God is a Christian? Repeating words and phrases often used by Christians is not proof that someone belongs to Jesus. Don't be fooled by people who say they know God but teach things contrary to what God says. That's false teaching. Check anything you hear with what the Bible teaches, and ask Christian adults you trust for help too.

Today's Key Verse:
Jesus replied to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you." (CSB) (Matthew 24:4 )

Today's Key Thought:
Watch out for false teaching

Bible Reading: Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17

It was the day he had been waiting for, his eighth birthday! James couldn't wait to open his gifts. He had been asking for a Robo Dino for months and was certain he would not be disappointed. He couldn't wait to train it to sit, roll over, do his chores, and roar at his sister. With his family watching, he tore into a large wrapped box, and there it was--Robo Dino!

"Yessss!" James cried. "Thank you! Can I start training him now?"

"Sure," said Dad, laughing. "But don't you want to open your other gifts?"

After opening a block set from his sister and new art supplies from his grandparents, James began Robo Dino's training.

"Sit!" he commanded his new toy. The dino roared.

"Roll over!" James called out. The dino leapt into the air and wagged its tail--like he wanted to fetch.

"Roar!" James yelled, becoming frustrated. The robot lay down and began snoozing. "This is not going well," James said. He tried again and again to get the dino to obey his commands, but the robot did not want to cooperate. He seemed to do everything except what James wanted him to do!

"What's wrong with this thing?" said James. "Mom, my dinosaur is broken!"

"James," Mom replied, "did you try reading the instructions? They came with the dino to help you teach it to do the right things. If you read the instructions, I'm sure this training will be much easier."

"Yeah, guess I should have read the manual first," said James.

"You know, this makes me think of what we talked about in church this week," said Mom. "God gives us directions in the Bible for how we should live as Christians and show others His love. But unlike the booklet that came with your dino, the Bible is much more than an instruction manual. It's the living Word of God, and as we read it and learn about what it says, the Holy Spirit helps us understand its truth and reminds us of God's love. As He works in our hearts to make us more like Jesus, He uses God's Word to teach us to listen and obey--not the opposite, like your dino!"

James smiled. "I guess I have a lot of reading to do!" he said, then sat down and began to read Robo Dino's instructions.

–Christy Mazer

How About You?
Do you read your Bible to learn about God and find out how He wants you to live your life? As you read God's Word and learn more about it at church, the Holy Spirit will help you understand what it says and train you to put it into practice. He will use it to help you know how much Jesus loves you and teach you to trust and obey Him. Read your Bible and learn about it with other Christians, and trust God to help you listen to what it says.

Today's Key Verse:
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (Psalm 119:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Read and learn from God's Word

Bible Reading: John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Philippians 4:6-7

Lincoln watched the shadows flicker on his bedroom ceiling. He could hear his younger brothers snoring down the hall. But he lay wide awake, his heart as heavy and cold as a stone.

His parents usually turned off the news when he came into the room, but tonight they let him watch. Now he wished he hadn't. He couldn't forget the faces of the people called refugees who had fled their homes to avoid war. Some were kids his own age or even younger. Some had lost their families. They looked scared, and that made Lincoln scared. And sad. He wanted to help, but what could he do? He was just a kid on the other side of the world.

Lincoln was still awake when Dad came in to check on him. "Trouble sleeping?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I can't stop thinking about the refugees," Lincoln said, swallowing back tears. "Why would God let something like that happen? Why doesn't He do something?"

Dad's warm hand rested on Lincoln's shoulder. "Those are big questions, buddy. Part of the answer is that even though we can't see what God is doing, it doesn't mean He doesn't care or that He isn't at work. We can trust that God, who sent His own Son to die for us so we could be saved, loves us all very much."

"And what's the rest of the answer?" Lincoln asked, eager to hear how God was going to fix everything for the refugees right away.

Dad thought for a moment. "Let's pray together. Let's ask God to show us if there's a way we can help the refugees. And let's ask Him to act on their behalf, to protect them and use the situation to bring about something good in His Kingdom."

"That's it?" Lincoln asked, disappointed. It didn't seem like enough.

Dad nodded. "Prayer is powerful, Lincoln. God works through the prayers of His people to help those in need, heal the hurting, and bring people to Jesus."

As Dad prayed for the refugees, Lincoln listened. The anxiousness in his heart was slowly replaced with something calmer. He didn't want to forget about the refugees, but he knew that feeling afraid and worrying wouldn't help them. Instead, he thanked God for his family and his safe home, and he prayed that God would find the refugees safe homes too.

– Christa Hogan

How About You?
Do you feel overwhelmed by tragic events in the world? Do you wish you could help those who are suffering? You can pray. God loves all people and can use any situation for good in their lives. Ask Him to help those who are suffering and show them His love. Then ask an adult if there's anything else you can do to make a difference in their lives.

Today's Key Verse:
You observe trouble and grief…the helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. (NKJV) (Psalm 10:14)

Today's Key Thought:
Pray for those in need

Bible Reading: Psalm 71:1-5; 1 John 4:4

Nora and her dad sat outside, watching for birds. "Look, Dad! A cardinal," said Nora when a flash of crimson caught her eye. The little red bird landed on a nearby rock, then flew into a huge maple tree. Nora lifted her binoculars and tried to locate the bird. "I can't see him anymore," she told her father.

"I can't either," said Dad. "He's completely hidden by leaves." He pointed to another bird hovering near the maple tree. "That's a hawk circling up there."

"Oh no!" exclaimed Nora. "Do you think he noticed that cardinal because of its bright color?" Nora stared at the hawk's outstretched wings. "I hope he doesn't have the cardinal for lunch!"

"I think he'd rather have a nice, fat field mouse for lunch," said Dad. Nora nodded, but she was glad when the hawk finally glided out of sight. "The world is scary sometimes, and full of enemies," said Dad.

"Yeah," said Nora. "Male cardinals are so pretty, but their bright color makes it easy for predators to see them."

Dad nodded. "Christians are something like bright cardinals. Last Sunday Pastor Burns reminded us that we stand out in a dark and gloomy world, remember? Our brightness--the love and peace of Jesus that we have in our hearts--often catches Satan's attention, and he tries to destroy us by getting us to give in to temptation, doubt, or despair. But we can always escape the enemy's clutches."

"But not by hiding in a tree like the cardinal does," said Nora. "Pastor Burns said we can go to God for protection."

Dad smiled. "Right. When we trusted in Jesus, He freed us from the power of sin and Satan, and He hides us in the strong fortress of His presence. In Him, we always have a place of escape."

"Yeah, but how do we do that? Just pray?" Nora asked.

"Good question," said Dad. "Yes, I'd say we do that by prayer--by calling on Him for help when we're facing trouble or temptation. We also do it by remembering His promises and trusting Him. God is always watching over us and caring for us, and He will help us resist the devil."

– Suzanne Daly

How About You?
Are there things in your life that fill you with fear or doubt? Are there temptations that are hard to resist? Satan is a fierce enemy, but he's no match for Almighty God! If you trust Jesus as your Savior, Satan has no power over you because you've been freed from sin. When you think you're too weak to resist temptation or stand firm against the devil's lies, remind yourself that God is far more powerful than Satan. Run to Jesus when you're tempted or afraid and He'll help you escape.

Today's Key Verse:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (NKJV) (Psalm 46:1)

Today's Key Thought:
God takes care of you

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:9-15

"The bricks have arrived for that house I'll be working on, William," said Dad. "I'm going over there now. Want to come along?"

"Sure," said William, and soon they arrived at the building site. "Wow! That's a huge pile of bricks!" William exclaimed. "I guess that means you've got a whole lot of work to do, huh?"

Dad laughed. "Yes, I do." He smiled at his son. "We talked the other day about building a life-house. Did you know that you have bricks to work with too? Bricks to build your life-house with?"

"I do? I know you don't mean bricks like the ones piled up here, so what do you mean?"

"All your thoughts, words, and actions are the bricks you're building with day by day," Dad explained. "You'll keep building with them as long as you live." He motioned toward the pile of bricks. "There are always some cracked or broken bricks among the good ones. When I come to those, I throw them out. I want this to be a beautiful, sturdy house when I'm finished. And when you find bricks that are poor choices for your life-house--unloving thoughts or words or deeds--you need to throw them out too and just use the ones that are fit for the house you're building. Remember, since you trust in Jesus, He's the foundation of your life-house. He will help you choose good bricks so others can see you're building your life on Him."

"But what do I do with the broken bricks?" asked William. "How do I throw them out?"

"Whenever we think, say, or do things that don't fit who we are as God's children, we need to confess them to Jesus," said Dad. "He will forgive us and help us replace those broken bricks with good ones that reflect His love."

"Good bricks like being kind and helping others?" asked William.

"Right," Dad said as they started back toward the car. "And doing things that help us grow in our relationship with Jesus is also like laying sturdy bricks in our life-house--things like praying and getting to know Him better by reading the Bible."

"I really do want to build a good life-house," William said. "So I'm going to trust Jesus to help me do it wisely."

– Mary Rose Pearson

How About You?
What kind of life-house are you building? If you're building on Jesus as your foundation--if you trust Him as your Savior--you want your life-house to reflect that. Each thing you think, say, or do is like a brick that becomes part of your life-house. If an unkind thought comes to mind, or if you say or do something hurtful, confess it to Jesus and throw it out. Trust God to help you choose bricks that show others you're building your life-house on the Rock--Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
Everyone should be careful how they build. (ERV) (1 Corinthians 3:10 )

Today's Key Thought:
Build your life-house wisely