Bible Reading: Ephesians 5:1-2; Philippians 2:1-5

"Mom! I don't want Sparky to leave!" exclaimed Sarah. "He's part of our family." Sparky was a service dog, and they had been fostering and training him until he was ready to leave and be rehomed. "Please let him stay," Sarah begged. "Why can't we keep him?"

Mom gently held her daughter's hand. Sparky's soft brown eyes looked up at them both. He sat down beside them, wagging his tail, sensing they were troubled.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but no, we can't keep him. Sparky is a very special dog with an important job to do. We've been blessed to have him with us, but it's time for him to move on and be a blessing to someone who needs his help.

Sarah stormed up to her bedroom. Sparky followed. Hugging him, she sobbed and said, "I'm going to miss you so much. I'll always love you." Then she whispered a prayer. "Dear Jesus, please help me do this."

When James, the dog handler in charge, came to collect Sparky the next morning, Sarah's eyes were stinging and red.

"It's okay to cry," said James. "I know you're heartbroken about losing Sparky. You and your mom have done a wonderful job looking after him. Now, by letting him go, you're helping a blind man who needs him. Sparky will change his life, and you'll be free to foster and train another dog for someone else who needs help."

Tears streaming down her face, Sarah waved goodbye to Sparky as he left.

Once inside, Mom hugged her. "I'm so proud of you. You've been brave and unselfish. I know how difficult this is for you, but your sacrifice has given a man hope." Mom smiled at her. "That's like what Jesus did for us. He made a much bigger sacrifice when He died on the cross so we could have the hope of eternal life with Him."

"I prayed and asked Him to help me do this, and He did," said Sarah. "But it still hurts." She dried her eyes. "Can we pray for Sparky and the blind man?"

Mom nodded, and as they prayed, Sarah's heart was at peace. Even though letting go of Sparky was difficult, she knew Jesus would use him to help someone in need.

-Cindy Lee

How About You?
Have you ever made a sacrifice for someone? Though it can be very hard, letting go of something so someone else can be blessed by it is one way to show people God's love. God loves us so deeply that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross so we could be saved and have eternal life. He can help you let go of something when it's hard so that you can bless others.

Today's Key Verse:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. (NIV) (Philippians 2:3)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God to help you bless others

Bible Reading: Romans 5:1-5, 8:28; James 1:2-4

A big nose blew a gust of air into the side of Torin's head, and he turned and patted his grandparents' horse Firefly on the head before continuing to brush her glossy brown coat. He was glad his parents had let him come to Wyoming to help with the chores on the ranch for a while, after everything that had happened. In late May, his grandmother got sick and had to go to the hospital. Then one day when Grandpa was going to see her, another car crashed into his. Grandpa wasn't hurt, but the car was totally wrecked. That same week, a pine tree behind the stables had been struck by lightning and burned down.

Torin finished brushing Firefly and sent her out to the pasture. He thought about asking Grandpa if he wanted to go horseback riding later that day, but Grandpa always seemed tired from taking care of Grandma, who was home now and in bed most of the time. Grandpa would probably want to go to bed early so he wouldn't be tired at church in the morning. I don't see how they can still trust God after everything that's happened to them, Torin thought.

"Care to take a walk?" asked Grandpa after church the next day.

"Sure," said Torin. As they passed the remains of the tree that had burned, Torin pointed to the ground. "Look! Some of the pine cones don't even look burned."

Grandpa picked one up. "That tree was a lodgepole pine," he told Torin. "This kind of cone only opens when it's exposed to a great deal of heat. A fire seems like a bad thing, but there will soon be new trees growing because of it." Grandpa smiled. "Through His marvelous handiwork, God ensures that even a fire will result in something good."

"I didn't know God made pine cones like that," said Torin.

"He sure did." Grandpa handed the pine cone to Torin. "It's been a rough summer for us. Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged, but when I look at these pine cones, I'm comforted. I know God can bring good out of the fiery trials we face. He cares for us, Torin, and He won't let anything we experience go to waste. He can use the hard things that happen in our lives to help us grow to be more like Jesus and remind us of the hope and joy we have in Him."

-Linda Weddle

How About You?
Have you experienced bad things in your life? Remember that Jesus is there for you. He cares about the forest enough to make sure new life comes from a fire, and He cares about you even more. Look to Him for comfort and peace when bad things happen, and trust Him to bring good out of the difficult experiences in your life.

Today's Key Verse:
When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. (NLT) (James 1:2)

Today's Key Thought:
God cares for you

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:6-9; Colossians 1:24-27; 2:2-3

Becca and her mom sat on the back porch, reading and drinking iced tea.

"I just finished my third mystery!" Becca closed her book with a smile. "I love reading mysteries and trying to guess the endings. I'm pretty good at it."

"I like mysteries too." Mom grinned at Becca. "My favorite mystery book is the Bible!"

Becca gave her a strange look. "The Bible isn't a mystery, Mom."

Mom laughed. "Sure it is! A mystery is something hidden being revealed, right?"

"Yeah, but you usually don't find out who did it until the end."

Mom took a sip of her tea. "In the Old Testament, God told His people He would send a Savior to save the world from sin and all the bad stuff that happens because of it. Though we get clues about Him all throughout the Old Testament, that Savior isn't revealed until the New Testament. Then we meet Jesus, God's Son."

"Well, maybe you're right. If someone reads the Bible from the very beginning, and they don't already know who the hero is, they'll probably be surprised!"

"Whoever wants to solve the mystery of life should read this book." Mom held up her Bible. "It reveals the answer to that mystery--Jesus. It tells us why the world is the way it is and what God is doing to fix it. But, for those who don't know about Jesus and how He died and rose again to save them, life won't make sense and will remain a mystery."

"Henry, a boy in my class, told everyone there's no such thing as life after death," said Becca. "He said people just turn back to dirt after they die. That might have made sense to me if I didn't already know about Jesus."

Mom nodded. "Unfortunately, many people don't know the answer to the mystery. They believe this world is all there is. It's up to us to give them a spoiler alert and point them to the answer God gives us in the Bible."

"I'll try to do that with Henry." Becca pointed to the Bible her mom held in her lap. "I love mysteries, but I'm glad I already know the ending to that book. Otherwise, life would be pretty scary!"

-Bonnie Carr

How About You?
Have you solved the mystery of life? The answer to that mystery is in the Bible, and--spoiler alert--it's Jesus! When we wonder what the future holds or what will happen to us after we die, we can look to Jesus, who came to fix our broken world and give us eternal life. This is one ending you can share with others even before they read it in the Bible for themselves!

Today's Key Verse:
My goal is that they…may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ. (NIV) (Colossians 2:2)

Today's Key Thought:
The Bible reveals God's mystery--Jesus

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:8-14

"Yummy!" Sophie squealed as she popped another blueberry into her mouth.

Amber giggled. "Sophie is having so much fun."

"When you were little like your sister, you used to do the same thing," Mimi said. "There's just something special about picking blueberries for the first time."

"And picking them off your blueberry bushes--well, that makes them taste even sweeter!" Amber added.

Amber continued picking blueberries with her sister and grandmother until their baskets were full. "Now," said Mimi, "let's go inside and make some blueberry pancakes!"

Once inside, everyone washed their hands, and Mimi got out all the ingredients to make the pancakes.

"I help! I help!" Sophie said as she knelt on a chair next to the counter.

Mimi smiled and said, "You can help stir the batter. Amber, would you start adding in some of the ingredients?"

Amber mixed in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt as Mimi read off the recipe. Then Mimi poured in the egg and milk. "Okay, Sophie, you can start stirring."

Sophie began to slowly stir all the ingredients. She was extra careful not to splash any out of the bowl.

Once the dry ingredients had been mixed in well, Amber dumped in the blueberries, and Mimi heated up the griddle.

"These pancakes are delicious, Mimi," Amber said as she ate one a few minutes later.

"The blueberries are really sweet this year, and that makes the pancakes extra yummy," Mimi said. "You know, that reminds me of a verse in the Bible. Psalm 34:8 says, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!'"

"What does that verse mean, Mimi?" Amber asked.

"Well, remember how excited Sophie got today when she tasted the sweet blueberries for the first time? That's what knowing God can be like for us. The more we get to know Jesus through the truth of His Word, the Bible, the more we discover His goodness and love for us and know we can always trust Him."

"More pancakes! More pancakes!" Sophie called out.

Mimi laughed. "I think I know a little someone who has tasted the goodness of blueberries!"

=Lisa Fuller

How About You?
Have you personally experienced God's goodness and love in your life? First you need to trust Jesus as your Savior. (See "Have You Heard the Good News?" on page 102.) Then dig deep into God's Word and let His words take root in your heart. In doing so, you will discover how good God is and how much He loves you. He wants you to taste the sweetness of knowing Him!

Today's Key Verse:
How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. (NLT) (Psalm 119:103)

Today's Key Thought:
Get to know Jesus

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 17:9-10; Matthew 23:23-28

"Half of these nuts aren't any good," complained Gracie, who had been cracking walnuts for the dessert her mother was making. "They're black and dried up on the inside." She picked up a nut and showed it to her mother.

"Don't bother cracking the bad ones," said her brother Calvin, who had just come into the kitchen. "Dump those and use the good ones."

Gracie scowled at him. "You can't tell which ones are good. They all look fine on the outside."

"I bet I can tell," Calvin said, shaking one. "This one's good." Gracie took it and cracked it open. Sure enough, it was good. "See," said Calvin, grinning. "I'll pick them out for you." He chose another one. "This one's good too." Gracie cracked it open, but it was dried up. Calvin frowned and handed her another nut. It wasn't good either.

"You can't tell any better than I can," declared Gracie, taking a nut Calvin had rejected. "I'll try this one." She was delighted to find that it was good.

"Let's split them up and see who can find the most good ones," said Calvin.

Gracie laughed. "Okay."

As they ate the dessert that evening, Gracie told Dad about the trouble with the walnuts. "Those nuts sound like people," said Dad.

Calvin's eyes twinkled. "Are you saying we're nuts?"

Dad laughed. "What I mean is that people can appear to be Christians. We may look good on the outside, but what would others see if they could look inside at our hearts and minds? The outside doesn't always match the inside. Jesus said the religious people in his day, the Pharisees, were like that. They appeared to be good, but they really were hypocrites."

Mom nodded. "You kids had trouble telling which nuts were good, and others can't really tell for sure if our hearts are in the right place. But God knows. He sees through the shell and knows what each of us is like on the inside. He knows whether we've truly trusted Jesus to save us from sin and give us a new, clean heart."

Gracie nodded. "We can't fool God."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Do you go to church, treat people well, and avoid bad things? That's good, and doing those things may make others think you're a Christian. But are you really? People only see what's on the outside, but God can see what's in your heart. Doing good things can't clean your heart of sin--only Jesus can do that. Trust Him as your Savior and He will make you clean. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
On the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (CSB) (Matthew 23:28)

Today's Key Thought:
Be clean inside