Bible Reading: Colossians 1:9-12

"What are these clothes for?" asked Violet. She was at her friend Olivia Johnson's house, and Mrs. Johnson had the dining room covered with dresses, pants, and some items of clothing Addy didn't even recognize.

Olivia laughed. "Mom helps the high school drama department with costumes for their plays. She's going through old costumes to see which ones can be used again." Olivia picked up a red dress. "You want to try some on? Mom will let us, won't you, Mom?"

"If you girls are careful," said Mrs. Johnson.

For the next hour or so, the girls went from being ladies from the 1700s to aliens from outer space. Their favorites were the animal costumes. Violet was a zebra, and Olivia was a lion. The costumes completely covered them except for air holes and a slit for their eyes. "Mrs. Johnson, my dad is out mowing the lawn. Can we walk past my house in our costumes? He won't know who we are, and I can't wait to see the look on his face!"

Mrs. Johnson laughed. "Sure."

The girls giggled as they quietly went out the back door and then behind some trees to the sidewalk. They didn't want Violet's dad to see them coming from the Johnson house. They waited until he turned the mower toward the sidewalk, then they hurriedly walked past him.

Violet's dad turned off the mower. "Oh no! My daughter has turned into a zebra and her friend is a lion! What shall I do?"

Violet removed the zebra head. "Daaad! How did you know it was us?"

He laughed. "Your walk, Violet. I knew who you were by the way you were walking."

The family had a good laugh about Violet's costume over supper that night. Then Violet had a thought. "This is kind of like what we were talking about last week, Dad, when I was having problems with some friends at school. You said people should know I'm a Christian by the way I live my life--that I needed to walk the Christian walk."

"Exactly right," said Dad. "The Bible tells us that others should know we belong to Jesus by the way we walk. Every step we take should point to Him and His love for us."

- Linda Weddle

How About You?
Do others know you're a Christian by the way you walk? That doesn't mean whether you tiptoe or march, but how you live your life. Could someone tell you know Jesus and have His love in your heart by your kindness, patience, and joy? Or do you walk the same as everyone else? Walk in a way that shows others the love of Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
The one who says he remains in him [Jesus] should walk just as he walked. (CSB) (1 John 2:6)

Today's Key Thought:
Walk like a Christian

Bible Reading: Matthew 20:1-16; Ephesians 2:8-9

"How was the pizza party?" Mom asked as Addy climbed into the car and buckled her seatbelt.

Addy wasn't sure how to answer. She had chosen to give up her lunch recess five days in a row to help pick up litter, pull weeds from the cracked pavement, and spread new wood chips under the monkey bars. Being on the clean-up crew was hard work, but she didn't mind. The playground was looking so much better, and Ms. Chambers, the custodian, had promised the crew a pizza party as a reward.

"It was good and bad, I guess," Addy said. "Good because I got my favorite--pepperoni with extra cheese. Bad because Henry was there."

"Henry was on the clean-up crew?" Mom's face looked surprised in the rearview mirror.

Addy nodded. "But he was late every day and mostly just goofed around. Henry didn't work nearly as hard as the rest of us. I don't understand why he got to come to the party."

"That reminds me of a story Jesus told about some workers who were hired to clear a field," Mom said. "Some of them started at nine in the morning, some at noon, some at three, and some at five. When the workday was over, the owner of the field paid everyone a full day's wage."

"That's not fair!" Addy burst out. "The people who started later shouldn't have gotten the same pay as the ones who worked all day."

"It might not seem fair, but instead of comparing the workers, maybe we can think about how generous the owner of the field was to all of them."

Addy was quiet for a minute. She thought about how Ms. Chambers was always patient and kind to everyone--even the kids who made the biggest messes in the lunchroom. "Ms. Chambers is kind of like the owner of the field, isn't she? She kept her promise to all of us--even Henry, who did the least work of all."

"Yes, Addy, and the owner of the field is like Jesus, who gives grace and keeps His promises to all of us who trust in Him. The way He works is sometimes hard for us to understand, but we can be grateful that He is always good."

–Susie Crosby

How About You?
Do you sometimes feel frustrated when someone who didn't work as hard as you gets the same prize or payment? Sometimes things don't seem fair, but the good news is that God is generous and kind to everyone. None of us could earn the reward of eternal life with Him, but because Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again, we are all invited to the party in heaven forever.

Today's Key Verse:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (NIV) (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Today's Key Thought:
God offers grace to everyone

Bible Reading: Psalm 66:16-20; Jeremiah 33:3

"I wish my grandpa lived nearby," said Tariq as he and his friend Mason went to visit Mason's grandfather. "I wanted Grandpa to move here when Grandma died, but he didn't." Tariq had always wondered why God hadn't answered his prayer.

Mason's grandpa was working outside when they arrived. He greeted them, then showed them where he was planting watermelon seeds. "You'll have to come back in the summer to eat some watermelon," he said.

Just then they heard a door slam. An elderly man who lived next door had come outside. "Get out of here, you nasty critters!" the man hollered at some squirrels in his yard.

"He doesn't sound very happy," said Tariq.

Mason's grandpa shook his head. "That's Hank Stone. He lives alone and doesn't have any family nearby. His only grandchild used to visit him, but he died in a car accident last year. I think the only people Hank sees now are a few old timers like me. He misses his relatives--especially his grandson."

As they walked over to the edge of the lawn, Mr. Stone glared at them. Then his face softened, and he came over and stood in front of Tariq. "I don't know you," he said, "but you sure remind me of my grandson." Tears filled his eyes, and Tariq looked at him uncertainly, not knowing what to say. "My grandson, he--I don't see him anymore," the old man said.

Tariq gave him a hesitant smile. "I live a couple blocks away--maybe I could come visit you sometimes. I could bring some of my mom's cookies." A smile spread across Mr. Stone's face.

When Tariq arrived home, he told his mom about Mr. Stone. "Maybe I could adopt him as an extra grandpa since my own grandpa lives so far away."

Mom smiled at him. "You know, Tariq, I think God may have answered your prayer to have your grandpa live nearby in a special way. Even when He doesn't give us exactly what we ask for, He still cares for us and provides for us. He cares about Mr. Stone too and knows how hard it is for him not have anybody going to see him."

Tariq grinned. "But now he has me!"

–Matilda H. Nordtvedt

How About You?
Have you been frustrated when you prayed for something but God didn't answer the way you wanted? God answers prayer, but He answers the way He knows is best--which may not always be the way you want. Keep praying, knowing that He loves you and listens to your prayers. Trust Him to give you the perfect answer, even if it's not what you expected.

Today's Key Verse:
As for God, His way is perfect. (NKJV) (Psalm 18:30)

Today's Key Thought:
God's answers to prayer are perfect

Bible Reading: Psalm 9:7-10; Jude 1:20-22

"Want to come check on a house with me?" Braxton's dad asked. Braxton didn't really want to, but he climbed into his dad's truck. His dad was a building contractor, and Braxton used to love seeing the houses he was building. But after his mom died, he didn't find it exciting anymore.

They made their way to a messy yard. The ground was muddy with a big hole in it. "This doesn't look like a house," Braxton said.

Dad smiled. "Not yet, but it will. Trust me."

Braxton went with his dad again the next day and there was concrete in the hole. "Is that a basement?" Braxton asked.

"Sure is," Dad said as he walked around the edge of it to inspect the work.

A few days later, Braxton was surprised to see the wooden outline of a house set up over the basement. After a while, he started to look forward to his visits.

On the day they arrived to see men putting on siding, Braxton grinned. "Every day something new is done, and soon it will be ready to be lived in."

"Pretty cool, right?" Dad said. "As builders, we get to add to a house a little each day. As Christians, we can see our faith be built up like that."

Braxton turned from the house and stared at his dad. "Huh?"

"It's been hard to trust God since your mom passed away, hasn't it?" Dad asked. "Our lives were messy like this lot before the house was built."

Braxton hugged himself. "Everything changed."

"Little by little, though, we have learned to trust Him again," Dad said. "God has been taking care of us and building up our faith. That basement was like the first sign of us trusting God again when we remembered that Jesus, who died and rose again to save us, is still here with us and promises to make everything right one day. Each time the house had something added to it was similar to how God continued to show His love to us--like when He sent Grandma to help us and when He showed us it's okay to be happy again."

"I miss Mom," Braxton said.

"Me too." Dad hugged him. "But I still want my faith and trust in God to be built up."

–Emily Acker

How About You?
Have you ever had to trust God through an especially hard time, such as the loss of a parent, grandparent, or friend? It can be hard to trust Him at times like that and can even feel like you're falling away from Him. But God still loves you, and His promises are still true. If Jesus has saved you, nothing can separate you from Him. He will continue to care for you and build your faith in Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Build each other up in your most holy faith…and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. (NLT) (Jude 1:20-21)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God to build your faith

Bible Reading: Matthew 8:5-13

Ezra and Louie took their remote control truck out to the driveway while Mom sat on the porch. Their little sister, Ophelia, was hopping around on a pogo stick. "Mom," Ophelia said, "I wish I had a remote control pogo stick. I could ride it, and you could make it to go up and down, up and down, all by itself. That would be fun!"

"Yeah, that would be cool!" Ezra said as he watched his sister.

Mom laughed. "I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe you can invent one when you grow up."

"But I want one now!" said Ophelia.

"I have an idea," said Mom. "When I give a command, do whatever I say. If I say to go left, you go left. If I say to go right, you go right. It's kind of like I'm moving you by remote control! How about that?" Ophelia grinned and nodded. "Ready?" asked Mom. "Okay, go straight ahead…turn left…turn left again…now go right…back up…go forward…stop!" Ophelia bounced around, laughing as she followed her mother's instructions. The boys joined in too, and soon they were taking turns giving and receiving commands.

That night, Mom read a Bible story about a Roman leader who asked Jesus to heal his servant. "The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.'"

"Jesus was pleased with that man's faith," Mom explained after she finished reading. "The servant was healed the moment Jesus said, 'So let it be done for you.'"

"Just like a remote control!" said Louie.

"That's an interesting way to look at it," Mom said. "God made this world, and He controls everything in it--but not always like a remote control. He wants us to trust Him and follow His commands--just like Ophelia let me direct where her pogo stick went by following my directions. The man in the story believed Jesus was God and submitted to His authority by asking Jesus to do what he could not, knowing Jesus could do anything. That's the kind of faith we need to have too."

–Tait E. Powell

How About You?
Have you put your faith in Jesus? Are you listening to Him and following His commands? Or are you living the way you want? We can fool ourselves into thinking we're in control of our lives, but God is in control of everything. You can't save yourself or live a good life on your own--you need Jesus. Trust and follow Him. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today's Key Verse:
You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth. (NKJV) (Psalm 83:18)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust and obey Jesus