Bible Reading: John 13:34-35

"Where are you headed today?" Mr. Mack asked his young neighbor.

"There's a dog adoption at the park!" said Jesse. "I want a dog, but Mom says she can't afford to feed another hungry mouth. So I just go play with them."

"I love dogs too," said Mr. Mack. "They're great company. I've got this nice fenced-in yard that's perfect for a dog, but my knees aren't strong enough to walk a dog anymore."

Jesse thought about that as he hurried to the park. Mr. Mack seemed lonely since his wife died, and a bit forgetful. Jesse smiled, thinking how lately Mr. Mack's hair stuck out in all directions, like he'd forgotten to comb it. Every week, Jesse's mom invited him to church to hear about Jesus, but Mr. Mack's answer was always, "Maybe someday."

"Mr. Mack may never go to church," Jesse's mom said. "But we can still show him God's love. The Bible tells us to bear one another's burdens--like loneliness. We can be there for him, just like Jesus is always there for us."

When Jesse got to the park, there were many dogs, but one medium-sized yellow dog named Mike followed him everywhere. "Are you lonely, Mike?" Jesse asked. "You should meet Mr. Mack. He's lonely too, and your hair sticks out in all directions, just like his…like someone forgot to comb it for you."

That gave Jesse an idea. He hurried home to tell his mom, and she liked the idea too. Together, they went to see Mr. Mack.

"I found a great dog named Mike at the park today," Jesse said. "He's a good dog, but he seems lonely. If you want to adopt him, I'll walk him every day and help you care for him."

As Mr. Mack considered the idea, Jesse's mom added, "It's your decision, of course, but if you'd like to meet Mike, I'll drive you to the park." And she did.

An hour later, Mike had a new home and a new name--Mike Mack. Mr. Mack had a new fuzzy friend that needed him. Neither of them seemed lonely anymore, but they both still had crazy hair. And Jesse was excited to be an official dog walker.

"Well done, Jesse," Mom said when they got home. "You demonstrated God's love to Mr. Mack through your kindness."

-Teresa Ambord

How About You?
Do you know someone who is reluctant to learn more about Jesus? Someone once said that we might be the only Bible some people ever read. But whatever age you are, if you know Jesus, you can show people His love by helping when you see a need. Through your kindness, they can get a glimpse of Jesus. How can you lift someone's burden today and show them God's love?

Today's Key Verse:
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (NKJV) (Galatians 6:2 )

Today's Key Thought:
Kindness can lift someone's burden

Bible Reading: 1 John 5:9-13

Ember sat in her science class, nibbling the end of her pencil, but her mind was still on the message she had heard in church the day before. Pastor Warner had stressed the fact that everyone has sinned and needs Jesus as their Savior. Ember sighed. I know I'm a sinner, and I have trusted Jesus to save me, she thought. I know the Bible says He will, but I really don't feel like I'm saved. I wonder if I should ask Him to save me again, just to make sure. Actually, Ember often didn't feel like she was saved, so she'd confessed she was a sinner and told Jesus she trusted Him to save her many times.

Suddenly Ember's thoughts were interrupted as she heard her teacher saying, "Did you know you're moving and spinning right now? The earth travels around the sun at about sixty-seven thousand miles an hour. It takes three hundred and sixty-five days to make the 584 million-mile circuit. The earth is also spinning. Like a top, it spins on its axis, making a complete rotation every twenty-four hours. The axis is an imaginary line that connects the North Pole and the South Pole. So even though we don't feel it, we're not only moving through space, we're spinning rapidly!"

Wow! thought Ember. Hey, wait a minute! Even though I don't feel like I'm spinning, I know that I am because I'm on earth and it's moving through space. And even though I don't feel like I'm saved, I know that I am because I trust in Jesus and the Bible says everyone who trusts in Him will live with Him forever!

That evening, Dad finished family devotions by asking Ember to read several verses from 1 John. After reading, Ember smiled and told her family what she had learned in science class. "I know what my teacher said about the earth moving and spinning is true, and I know what God says in the Bible is true," she told them. "The earth is spinning even though I can't feel it, and because I've trusted Jesus as my Savior, I'm a Christian even though I might not always feel like I am. It's true whether I feel it or not."

-Nancy A. Thompson

How About You?
Do you think you have eternal life? You can be sure of it. The Bible doesn't say you're a Christian if you feel like you are. It says you have eternal life if you've trusted Jesus Christ to be your Savior. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.) If you trust in Jesus, the Bible says He has saved you from sin and promises that you will live with Him forever. Rely on the truth of God's Word, not your feelings.

Today's Key Verse:
This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (ERV) (1 John 5:11 )

Today's Key Thought:
Believe God's Word, not feelings

Bible Reading: Genesis 1:1, 9-13, 26-27

"I found a pine cone!" Mariah picked it up and showed it to her mom.

"That's a big pine cone. I'm looking for little things, like this violet." Heidi smiled as she carefully set her violet in the cardboard box she was carrying.

"You're both finding some really cool treasures on our nature walk," Mom commented. "Remember that this is a science walk for our senses, so let's try to hear things."

"I hear the leaves blowing," Heidi whispered. "And the birds are singing."

"I hear the river making bubbles." Mariah giggled. "And I smell the mud by it."

"I can smell that too." Mom smiled. "I can also pick a flower like Heidi's violet and smell that."

"Yeah, and we touch all the stuff we pick up. This pine cone feels prickly. But we can't taste anything in the woods," Mariah pointed out.

"But we can taste the food we grow in our garden, and that's nature." Mom looked around. "What is one thing that all the things we've smelled, heard, touched, and looked at today have in common?" she asked the girls.

"They all grow?" Heidi offered.

"No, mud doesn't grow." Mariah laughed. "That would be funny."

"Growing is a good observation, Heidi," said Mom. "There are a lot of things that grow. But I was thinking about how they were all made."

"How they were made?" Heidi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that all the things we can observe in the woods, from the giant pine trees to the small violets, were created by God," Mom said. "Even the three people walking through these woods right now were created by Him!"

Mariah laughed. "I love God's creation."

Mom smiled. "So does He. God created everything, but humans are His special creation. He created us in His image--that means we're able to have a relationship with Him through Jesus. He loves us and created everything in nature for us to enjoy."

"I think I'm going to put my little treasures on a poster and write 'God's creation' on it," Heidi said. "I could even take it to church club and show my friends!"

-Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Have you ever taken a nature walk to explore God's creation? He created all the things you can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste in nature--big and small. He even created you! You are His special creation--He created you to have a relationship with Him, and He loves you and wants you to enjoy the good things He's made. What's your favorite thing that God created?

Today's Key Verse:
For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (NIV) (1 Timothy 4:4 )

Today's Key Thought:
God created everything

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:1-6, 17-19; John 1:29

"Thank you for helping with the pie, Lizzy!" said Grandma. The four-year-old beamed.

"What about me?" eight-year-old Henry asked, showing his grandmother the pie he'd made out of playdough.

"It's adorable." Grandma moved the apple pie to the back of the stove. "Lizzy, while the oven is heating up, why don't we go pick some green beans from the garden?"

"Okay!" Lizzy replied.

"Henry, are you going to come with us?" Grandma asked.

"I want to make pies," Henry replied, playdough in hand.

"Okay, we'll be outside for a bit then. Please don't touch the apple pie," Grandma said as she followed Lizzy outside.

After dinner and devotions that evening, Grandma served everyone a slice of apple pie. "Lizzy did wonderful today being my helper," she told Grandpa.

Lizzy beamed as she picked up her fork. "I like helping!" As she put a bite of pie in her mouth, the smile disappeared. "Yuck!" she exclaimed. "It's all full of salt!"

Grandpa tried a tiny bite. "You're right, Lizzy-girl, this does taste like a salt pie."

"Well!" Grandma looked at the pie. "How did that happen? I know I put the right amount of salt in."

"Henry, you're quiet," Grandpa noted as he looked at the boy.

Henry sighed. "I'm sorry, Grandma. I tried to put sugar on top of the pie so it would be extra yummy. But it wasn't sugar, it was salt. Now the pie is ruined."

Grandpa chuckled. "This reminds me of what we read in Genesis. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit, the curse of sin entered the world. And just like the salt in this pie, we can't fix it and get rid of the sin on our own. We need Jesus's help with that."

"He died on the cross so He could take all our sins far away." Lizzy frowned. "Is he going to fix the pie?"

Grandpa grinned. "One day He's going to fix the whole world! Then all sin will be gone forever."

"In the meantime, He gave us lots of apples on our tree so we can bake another pie." Grandma smiled. "This time, I think I'll have two helpers."

-Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Have you ever added too much salt to something? It takes over the food and makes the entire dish taste like salt. That's similar to how sin took over the world. The good news is that Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins and rose again so He could fix the world and we could spend eternity with Him. How awesome is that? Have you trusted Him to take your sins away? If not, do it today! (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV) (John 3:16)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus died for our sins

Bible Reading: Proverbs 11:25; Philippians 2:1-4

Juan noticed a boy sitting by himself in the school cafeteria. He's new here, and he must be lonely, Juan thought, remembering how he had felt when he was the new kid at school the year before.

When Juan finished eating his lunch and was ready to go outside for recess with his friends, he stopped at the door. I'm going back to talk to that kid, he decided.

Juan slid onto the bench across from the boy. "Hi," he said. "I'm Juan. What's your name?"

"My name is Haneul," replied the boy.

"Where are you from?" asked Juan.

"South Korea," Haneul answered.

"Want to play ball with us?" Juan asked. Haneul nodded enthusiastically.

Juan wasn't sure what made him do it, but as they left to go home after school, he invited Haneul to come over to his house. Haneul looked pleased, and they both checked to make sure it was okay with their parents.

Hanging out with Haneul turned out to be more fun than Juan expected. The boys played basketball and ping-pong and built a fort in the basement.

Soon Juan and Haneul became good friends. Their families also met each other, and the boys often visited each other's houses. At Haneul's house, Juan was served Korean food and learned to eat with chopsticks. He also learned some fascinating things about Korean culture.

"I'm so glad I decided to talk to Haneul when he first came to our school," Juan told his dad one day. "Every time I go to his house, I feel like I'm taking a trip to South Korea."

"Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed," Dad said with a smile.

"What does that mean?" asked Juan.

"It's from the Bible, and it means that generosity works like a boomerang--when we give to others out of what God has given to us, God blesses us for it," Dad explained. "You were willing to give your time and attention to Haneul when he was new and didn't know anyone, and you're receiving a special blessing in return--knowledge about another culture and a true friend." Dad smiled at Juan. "Through Jesus, we have God's love in our hearts, and when we share that love with others by showing them kindness, God often blesses those relationships and helps them grow stronger."

-Matilda H. Nordtvedt

How About You?
Have you found that treating others well helps you make friends and develop good relationships? Maybe it doesn't always seem that way. But when you treat others with the love and kindness God has shown you, most people will likely respond in a good way. Keep sharing God's love with others, and trust Him to bless those interactions and help them grow into beautiful friendships.

Today's Key Verse:
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (NIV) (Proverbs 11:25 )

Today's Key Thought:
Share God's love with others