Bible Reading: Matthew 26:41; Ephesians 4:22-32; 5:1-2

"Look at Smoky." Nolan pointed to one of the family pets, a long-haired cat. "He likes the sun." A contented purr came from the gray form stretched out on the windowsill.

A few minutes later, Nolan's little sister Jada came into the room. "Hi, Chipper," she said. "Do you want out?" She dashed over to the bird cage and opened the wire door. Chipper, the parakeet, glided gracefully to the floor.

"No, Jada!" exclaimed Nolan. "Smoky's here!" He lunged for the cat, but not in time. A silent, gray shadow slid down from the windowsill, and a moment later Smoky had the bird in his mouth. But Mom was just as quick. She grabbed the cat, held him down, and pried his mouth open. Carefully, she removed the little bird.

"Is Chipper hurt, Mommy?" wailed Jada.

"I think he's just badly frightened," Mom said, gently stroking the trembling bird while Nolan shooed the cat out of the room.

"Smoky's naughty!" Jada declared. "Why can't he be friends with Chipper?"

"Yeah. He should know better," said Nolan.

"Perhaps, but it's a cat's nature to hunt," Mom said. "No matter how tame he is, when he sees a bird, his natural instincts take over."

"Well, I'm mad at him," Jada said, crossing her arms.

"I don't blame you," said Mom. "But he's actually a lot like us."

"Like us?" asked Nolan.

Mom nodded. "Christians have an old nature, and it likes to take over too. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us, but sometimes we're careless and let our old natures take over again."

"Like when you hit me," Jada said to her brother.

"Well, you called me names," Nolan retorted.

"I'm afraid those old natures are trying to take control again," said Mom. "We need to be on guard and remember who we are in Jesus. Because we know Him, we've received a new nature with the power to choose to do right and to love others. If we follow our old nature, we will sin. The Bible says to take off the old nature and put on the new. Jesus gives us the power to do that."

-Trula H. Bensinger

How About You?
Do you let the Holy Spirit guide your actions? Or do you often let your old nature take over and choose to sin? If you know Jesus, your old, sinful nature is no longer a part of who you are, because He has made you new! Let the new nature He's given you be seen in your life as you choose to love others and do what's right by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today's Key Verse:
Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy. (NLT) (Ephesians 4:24)

Today's Key Thought:
Don't give in to your old nature

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Luke 2:51-52

Elora watched her big sister leave the house. "Why can't I go to the library with Maya?" she asked. "I'll look at books while she studies."

"Elora," Mom said patiently, "it's almost your bedtime, and Maya will be gone a couple of hours."

"But it's not fair! I want to go with her!"

"But you're eight years old," said Mom. "Maya is in high school. When you're her age, you'll be able to do more things."

Elora frowned, but she turned back to her book. A short time later, Mom got up from the couch. "Bedtime," she said.

As Elora got up, she began complaining again. "Maya has her own phone and laptop, and she gets to go places whenever she wants."

Mom stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Elora, when you were a baby, you went up these stairs very carefully on your hands and knees. Later, you held onto my hand very tightly so I could help you. Do you remember that?"

Elora laughed and shook her head. "No, but the little kids at church do that. They're so cute."

"Now you're much bigger," Mom continued, "and you walk up the stairs. You're physically able to do so much more now than you could when you were a baby. That's the way God intends it to be. And that's the way He intends you to grow in other areas too. Gradually, you'll be able to do more and more things."

"Like Maya does, you mean?" asked Elora.

Mom nodded. "Yes--but look at all you do already! Last week, you stayed overnight at your friend Carmen's house. You ride your bike in the street now. You walk to the school bus with the neighborhood kids. You couldn't do those things when you were two, could you?" Elora shook her head. "God made us in a way that doesn't require us to learn everything at once," said Mom. "We just have to take one step at a time. Even Jesus had to do that when He became human! He had to grow up just like us. Trust Him to help you be patient as you wait to be able to do all the things Maya can do. Then focus on enjoying the things you can do now!

-Dean Kelley

How About You?
Do you wish you could be older than you are now? Remember that God has a time for everything. Even Jesus had to learn and grow as a baby and then a boy before He became a man. Trust Him to help you be patient and to teach you what He wants you to learn at this stage of your life. Instead of focusing on what you can't do yet, enjoy the things He has for you at the age you are now.

Today's Key Verse:
He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. (NKJV) (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Be content to be a kid

Bible Reading: Matthew 10:29-31; John 1:1-3, 14

Lucy wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Can we take a break? I'm so thirsty I could drink a giant cup of lemonade."

"We're just about done," Mom replied. "Did you finish pulling out all the weeds in your section of the flower garden?"

Lucy stood and stretched her back. "Just finished."

"Great job," Mom said. When she returned her gaze to the ground, she gasped in surprise. She waved at Lucy. "Hurry, come quick!"

Lucy scurried over and knelt down. She stared at the base of a rosebush where Mom was pointing. As soon as Lucy saw the toad, her eyes lit up with delight. "Oh, wow! He's so big. I'm going to call him Big Fred."

Mom smiled. "That's a great name."

Lucy leaned forward to take a closer look at the brown toad. She could see his sides heaving in and out as he breathed. After a moment, she turned to her mother. "Do you think God cares about Big Fred?"

"That's a great question," Mom replied. "The Bible tells us that God cares for sparrows. That means He cares about other animals as well."

"Plus, He made all the animals," Lucy added. "Since He made them, then they must be important to Him."

Mom slowly stood to her feet. "That's right. But do you know who else God cares about?"

"Who?" asked Lucy.

"You, of course!" Mom held out her hand and helped Lucy to her feet. "God made many spectacular things. Think of all the beautiful waterfalls, the majestic mountains, and the amazing animals. But God cares about people the most. He loves us so much that Jesus became one of us so we could be saved from sin and live with Him forever."

"That sure makes me feel important," Lucy said.

Mom nodded. "Well, you ready?"

Lucy looked at her mom with a curious expression. "Ready for what?"

"Lemonade! That sure does sound good."

As Lucy and her mom walked toward the house, Lucy waved goodbye to Big Fred. She smiled when she saw him hop away. "I'm so glad that God cares about Big Fred," Lucy said. "And that He also cares about me."

-Mark and Megan Wainwright

How About You?
Do you know that you're important to God? He cares for all of His creation, but you're more important to Him than any plant or animal. God created people in His own image, and when we rebelled and separated ourselves from Him, Jesus became human and died for us so we could have eternal life with Him. That's how much He loves you. Always remember how important you are to Him.

Today's Key Verse:
[Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (NKJV) (1 Peter 5:7 )

Today's Key Thought:
God cares for you

Bible Reading: Acts 17:10-12; 1 John 4:1-3

Ariana hurried over to her dad in the church foyer before the church service began. "Dad, guess what my Sunday school teacher told us today? She said Noah took two of most kinds of animals on the ark, but he took seven pairs of some. Did you know that?"

Dad nodded. "I know it now, but I didn't know it when I was your age. I learned it the hard way when I was sixteen."

"What happened?" Ariana asked.

Dad smiled sheepishly. "Before I was a Christian, a couple of friends and I decided to see what went on at a small church in our town. We sat in the back row. The pastor said Noah took seven pairs of some kinds of animals. Well, everybody knew Noah took two of each kind, so I was sure he was wrong. I stood up and tried to correct him--right during the service!"

Ariana's eyes widened. "Oh no! What did the pastor say?"

"He was very gracious. He smiled and thanked me for pointing out what a lot of people were probably thinking. He asked everyone to turn to Genesis 7:2, and he read it out loud. Of course, I quickly saw I was wrong. I was embarrassed, but I learned a valuable lesson. I hope you can learn from it too, instead of embarrassing yourself like I did--or worse."

Ariana frowned. "What could be worse?"

"Believing a lie. Some preachers say things that the Bible really doesn't say, and they lead people away from the truth. That's why we need to check things with the Bible--even when a pastor is preaching."

"But our pastor would never mislead us!" said Ariana.

"I don't believe he would," said Dad. "I trust Pastor Hunt because he preaches that we can only be saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus. But if he did tell us something that was incorrect, how would we know?"

"By checking Scripture, right?" replied Ariana.

Dad nodded. "As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding God's Word. As we read it, pray about it, and talk to other Christians about what it says, He will help us know when something we're told isn't true."

-Heather Tekavec

How About You?
Do you use your Bible at church? Do you follow along when the pastor is reading or preaching? Most preachers know the Word of God well, but like all people, they can make mistakes, and some may lead people astray with false teaching. Check their teaching against Scripture, and ask your parents or other Christian adults about what they said. Pray about things that are hard to understand, and trust God to help you know the truth of His Word.

Today's Key Verse:
Do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. (NLT) (1 John 4:1)

Today's Key Thought:
Find out what the Bible says

Bible Reading: Psalm 103:8-13; Romans 3:21-26; 6:23

"It's not fair," said Kate as she stomped up to her teacher's desk. "I don't have any wrong answers on these word problems, but you still gave me a B instead of an A."

"You didn't show your work," Mrs. Castillo replied patiently. "That was part of the assignment. I said you needed to show me how you got your answers or you would not receive full credit."

"But on my last assignment I didn't show my work either, and you didn't lower that grade," Kate countered.

"That's true, but I can't continue to be that lenient," said Mrs. Castillo. "I warned you about that."

Kate huffed. "But I deserve--" The school bell interrupted her.

"You'd better hurry, or you'll be late for your next class," said Mrs. Castillo.

That night at dinner, Kate told her dad about her talk with Mrs. Castillo. "I deserved to get an A just like on my other assignment."

"I disagree," said Dad gently. "You knew the penalty for failing to show your work. What you really deserved was to lose points on both assignments. You should be grateful that Mrs. Castillo went easy on you the first time." Kate looked glum, but she had no answer to that.

During devotions, Dad read a few verses from Psalm 103. When he was finished, he said, "This reminds me of your problem with Mrs. Castillo, Kate."

"What do you mean, Dad?" Kate asked.

"The Bible clearly says that we're all sinners, and we deserve death and eternal separation from God," said Dad. "But listen to verse ten again. 'He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.' Christians will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus--not because we deserve it, but because of God's mercy. Just like Mrs. Castillo didn't mark you down on your first test even though you didn't follow the instructions and show your work, God doesn't condemn those who trust in Jesus as their Savior. Instead, He shows us grace and forgives us for all our wrongs." Dad closed his Bible. "Let's pray and thank God for His gift of eternal life."

"And for not giving us what we deserve," added Kate.

-Philip J. Anderson

How About You?
Do you think you deserve to go to heaven? If so, you're wrong! The Bible says that all of us are sinners who deserve death for sinning against God. But because of His mercy and grace, Jesus took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross, and if you trust in Him, God won't give you what you deserve. Instead, He'll give you His gift of eternal life. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. (NLT) (Psalm 103:10)

Today's Key Thought:
God offers undeserved grace