Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:13-18

Tate walked into the house, his arms loaded. "Mom, I'm all signed up for football," he said, dropping a big pile of football gear on the table.

"Great!" said Mom. She picked up a mouthpiece from the table. "What's this?"

Tate grinned. "It protects my teeth. We wear heavy padding, shin guards, helmets, mouthpieces--all kinds of protection."

"I'm glad to hear that!" Mom said. "Don't forget any of it."

"I won't," Tate assured her. "I've already learned how important it is. I forgot my mouthpiece when I went to practice the other day, and Coach Grimes wouldn't let me play without it, so I had to go get it. Good thing too. When I got back, I got a good knock on my chin in the very first play. I could have gotten hurt without it."

That evening, Tate showed his football gear to his dad. "I wore all that stuff back when I played football too," Dad told him. "In fact, I still wear special protective gear." Dad grinned at Tate's look of surprise. "It's called the armor of God. Do you know what the various pieces are?"

"Oh, that," said Tate. "One of them is a helmet--the helmet of salvation. We get it by trusting Jesus to save us from sin."

Mom nodded. "And one is called the breastplate of righteousness. We wear it by remembering that Jesus has made us right with God. Let's see…another says to buckle truth around our waists. That means we need to use God's truth to defend ourselves against Satan's lies."

"And our feet need to be ready to take us places where we can share the good news of Jesus with others," added Tate.

"I know one!" five-year-old Larson said enthusiastically. "We need swords. My teacher said the Bible is our sword."

"Good!" said Mom. "The Bible tells us the truth about God and who we are in Jesus. We also need the shield of faith so we can trust God no matter what."

"Why do we need all that equipment?" asked Dad.

"Because Satan wants us to take our eyes off Jesus and give in to sin and doubt," said Tate.

Dad nodded. "Right. The armor of God is even more important than your football gear, Tate. It protects us from Satan, our worst enemy."

-Doris Bantjes

How About You?
Are you wearing the armor of God? Have you put on the helmet of salvation by trusting Jesus as your Savior? When Satan whispers lies and tries to get you to sin or doubt, do you stand firm in the truth of Jesus? Do you remember that He has made you right with God and have faith that He is with you no matter what? Do you share that truth with others? Put on God's armor so you can stand strong against the devil.

Today's Key Verse:
Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. (CSB) (Ephesians 6:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Wear God's armor

Bible Reading: John 16:33; Revelation 21:1-5

Rowan walked out of his bedroom and rubbed his eyes. He was surprised to see Mom sitting at their small kitchen table. Usually she was in bed by the time he woke up for school, but this morning she sat, still in her uniform, looking weary.

"Hey, Mom," he greeted her. "What are you still doing awake? Aren't you tired?" Rowan's mom was a paramedic, and she worked the night shift driving an ambulance.

She gave him half a smile. "I wasn't ready to go to sleep," she said. "A lot of things happened while I was at work tonight, and I just needed a little time to…process all of them."

Rowan nodded. Ever since his family had moved into the city, Mom's job had gotten a lot more difficult. She saw scary things every day. Sometimes he'd overhear his parents talking about his mom's job. Her ambulance was called to help people who were hurt from drugs or gunshot wounds or car accidents. He knew his mom had to feel scared or sad a lot of the time.

He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Mom." He wasn't sure how to comfort her. He hated seeing his mom so discouraged.

When Rowan finally pulled away to grab himself some cereal, he thought about what might encourage him if he were in Mom's position, and then he smiled. "You know, Mom, Mr. Rob from church read us a cool passage from Revelation on Sunday. It was all about how when Jesus comes back there will be no more death or crying or pain. Mr. Rob told us that Jesus is going to make everything new."

He watched his mom's eyes get misty, like she was right on the edge of crying.

"He also told us," Rowan went on, "that even though the world can be dark and scary and unfair sometimes, we have hope that Jesus will make everything perfect again someday because we trust in Him."

Mom swiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform. "I think the Holy Spirit brought the perfect encouragement to me this morning," she said with a shaky voice. "Thank you."

Rowan smiled, and Mom hugged him again. "Maybe we can read that passage over breakfast, and then I think I'll get some rest."

-Emily Tenter

How About You?
Are you ever discouraged by the things that are happening in the world? Sometimes all the brokenness around us can feel like heavy burdens on our shoulders. Does it encourage you to know that Jesus is coming someday to make everything perfect and new again? If you trust Him as your Savior, you have hope because He defeated sin and death and promises that you will share in an eternity with Him that is perfect and complete.

Today's Key Verse:
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (NIV) (Revelation 21:4 )

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus is going to make all things new!

Bible Reading: Psalm 19:12-14; Ephesians 4:15-16

"There goes Jade, the new girl," Hadley said to her friends at recess. "I saw her dad pick her up at school yesterday. He has a big scar on his face and looks like a criminal."

"What do you think he did?" asked Grace.

Hadley shrugged. "Who knows? Robbed a bank maybe."

As Hadley slid into her seat after recess, she heard Grace whisper to Payton, "Don't play with Jade--her dad's a bank robber."

The rumor flew and grew until nearly everyone in the class was whispering about Jade and avoiding her. A little voice in Hadley's heart said, Hadley, what have you done? But she tried not to listen.

When Hadley got home, she sprawled out on the lawn to enjoy the sunshine. She saw a dandelion that had gone to seed, so she picked it and blew on it. The seeds floated off into the air like dozens of tiny parachutes. "Oh dear!" said Mom, who had come out with a glass of lemonade. "Those little seeds are going to take root and create more pesky dandelions!"

"Oops!" said Hadley. "Sorry, but it's impossible to pick them back up. They're gone for good!"

Mom sat down in a lawn chair. "Well, if you hadn't blown them, the wind would have." She took a sip of her lemonade. "Those little seeds always remind me of words. Once words come out of our mouths, they're gone for good too. The good ones build people up, but the bad ones tear them down." Hadley squirmed as she remembered what she had said about Jade's father. "Before we say anything," continued Mom, "we should ask ourselves, 'Is what I'm about to say true? Is it helpful to anybody? Does it sound like something Jesus would say?' He always speaks the truth to us in love, and He'll help us do the same."

The little nagging voice of Hadley's conscience seemed to be shouting now. Her words about Jade's dad were definitely not kind or loving. They weren't even true! And even though she couldn't take back her words, she knew she had to do her best to make it right.

Hadley sighed as she got up and headed for the house. "I'm going inside," she told her mom. "I've got some texting to do."

-Matilda H. Nordtvedt

How About You?
What kind of words do you speak? Are they true? Kind? Do they build people up, or tear them down? Do they communicate the love of Jesus? Before you say anything, think about whether your words would be helpful or hurtful to others. Don't thoughtlessly blurt out anything that pops into your head. Instead, trust God to help you speak the kind of words He does--words that are truthful and loving.

Today's Key Verse:
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. (NKJV) (Psalm 141:3)

Today's Key Thought:
Speak kind words

Bible Reading: Romans 11:5-6; Ephesians 2:1-10

Asher ran to the door when he heard boots on the stairs. "Dad!" he cried.

Dad scooped Asher up into a big hug. "I've missed you!" Dad said. "My work trip was only a few days, but it felt too long." Dad hugged Mom, then bent to unzip his suitcase. "I've got something for you." Dad handed Asher a bag.

Asher opened the bag. His face lit up when he saw his present. "Cool! Thanks, Dad!" Asher pulled out a small notebook with the Golden Gate Bridge on the cover.

"I thought you might like a new notebook for your drawings," Dad said.

Asher grinned. The first thing he would draw would be a thank-you card for Dad.

Before bedtime, Asher gave Dad the card.

"Asher, I love it! Thank you!" Dad said.

Asher smiled, then worked up the courage to ask the question he had been thinking about all day. "Dad, I've been wanting to ask you something." Asher took a deep breath. "How can I ever be good enough to go to heaven?"

Dad looked up from the card. "Why would you say that?"

"Because no matter how much good I do, I always do more bad things! Why would God let me into heaven if I can't do enough good things?" Asher asked.

"Asher, why did you give me this thank-you note? Why didn't you give me money instead to pay me back for the notebook?"

"But it was a gift!" Asher exclaimed.

"Exactly," Dad said. "Because it was a gift, you don't need to pay me for it. The same is true with our salvation. Jesus forgives our sins free of charge, just like a gift. All we need to do is receive His gift." Dad held up the thank-you card. "Our good works are just like this card. We can't use them to buy our way into heaven. Christians do good things because we are grateful to God for saving us and want to say thank you."

Asher thought about what Dad said. "I want to do that too. Can I ask Jesus to save me and then thank Him for His forgiveness?"

Dad smiled. "Let's pray."

-Olivia Summers

How About You?
Do you do good things because you want to get into heaven? The Bible says good works can't save us. The only way to be saved from sin and have eternal life is by trusting in Jesus, who died and rose again so our sins could be forgiven and we could have new life in Him. Trust Him to save you. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.) Then you can use your good works to show your gratitude and bless others.

Today's Key Verse:
And if by grace, then [salvation] cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (NIV) (Romans 11:6 )

Today's Key Thought:
Good works don't save

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:31-32

Brooklyn plopped into a chair at the kitchen table and wedged her cheeks between her fists. "I was just at Quinn's and asked if she wanted to go for a bike ride, but all she wants to do is sit on her porch and read," she told her mother. "She never wants to do anything I want to do. It's like she doesn't even want to be friends anymore!"

Mom wiped her hands on a dishtowel and took a seat next to Brooklyn. "Do you remember what happened when you and Quinn played your piano duet at the nursing home last month?"

"Yeah," Brooklyn grumbled. "Quinn lost her place in the music!"

Mom nodded. "And what did you do?"

Brooklyn thought for moment. "I kept playing. But what does that have to with riding bikes?"

"Well," said Mom, "sometimes, in the middle of a song--or even a friendship--our friends can forget how to play their music."

Brooklyn listened intently as her mom continued. "I'm sure Quinn didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Maybe she just doesn't feel like going biking or something happened that upset her. What you need to remember is that you can't control what Quinn thinks or what she does. All you can do is keep playing your music."

"I'm not sure I understand," Brooklyn said with a wrinkled brow.

"What I mean is, when things like this happen between you and your friends, all you can do is be sure you're making wise choices. You can choose to be patient and kind and have a good attitude even when things aren't going your way. You can choose to love your friend no matter what--the way Jesus loves us. Trust Him to help you take control of your thoughts and actions, and often the rest will fall into place."

"Just like our duet! When Quinn got lost, I kept playing, and it helped her find her way. It only took a few notes and then we played perfectly together for the rest of the song!"

"My point exactly," Mom said as she squeezed her tight. "Why don't you go back over to Quinn's? Maybe she's ready for that bike ride, or you could take a book along and read with her. Either way, I think you two have a duet to finish."

-Jennifer Allen

How About You?
Have you ever had a friend hurt your feelings? Do you get frustrated when things don't go your way? Sometimes our friends disappoint us and do things beyond our control. Though we can't control the actions of others, we can control how we respond. The next time a friend upsets you, remember to respond with love. Trust Jesus to help you be a patient, loving friend like He is.

Today's Key Verse:
How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity! (NIV) (Psalm 133:1)

Today's Key Thought:
Seek unity in friendship