Bible Reading: Romans 5:6-11

The somber black wall, engraved with rows and rows of names, filled Wylder with awe. He was visiting Washington, D.C. with his family, and he was standing in front of the monument honoring the men and women who had died while serving in the Vietnam War. All their names were listed on the wall.

An older man wearing a veteran's hat stood nearby. He seemed to be looking for something as he read the names. Then he placed a finger on one of them and began tracing the letters. Over and over he traced the letters of that name. Curious, Wylder edged closer. He was surprised to see tears on the man's cheeks. The man noticed him, and feeling embarrassed, Wylder backed away.

"It's all right, son," said the man. "Let me explain the reason for these tears." He squatted down and looked Wylder in the eye. "The name I was tracing belongs to a good friend of mine--a man who fought with me in Vietnam. We were together when a grenade landed right beside us. Glenn threw himself on it and took all the fury of the explosion. He died for me. Because of him, I'm alive today." The man gave Wylder a trembling smile and turned to go.

Wylder later told his parents what the man had said. "It must be a strange feeling to know that somebody died to save your life," Wylder said.

"I'm sure it is," said Dad. He nodded thoughtfully. "Actually, that happened to you too, Wylder. Someone did die to save you."

Wylder was stunned. "Someone died to save my life? Who?"

"Jesus," replied Dad. "All that He suffered on the cross was for you, Wylder. It was to pay for your sins and mine and those of everyone else in the world. He sacrificed His life to save us."

"Wow!" said Wylder. "I knew that, but it seems more real now after talking to that soldier." He looked down the length of the wall. "If I see him around here again, maybe I'll get a chance to tell him that someone died to save me too."

-Carolyn E. Yost

How About You?
Did you know that Jesus sacrificed His life to save you? By dying on the cross, Jesus took the punishment for your sin--the wrong things you've done--so you could have eternal life. That's how much He loves you. Trust Him as your Savior so you can have eternal life with Him. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NKJV) (Romans 5:8)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus died for your sins

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:22-26

"I hate being cooped up with this dumb broken leg," Jack complained to his uncle. "All my friends are out having fun without me. It's not fair!"

"Well, I brought something that might help." Uncle George handed Jack a paper bag. Eagerly, Jack opened it. He found a jar containing a little green creature about three inches long. "It's a chameleon," said Uncle George. "Here--you can let him out of the jar. He'll enjoy running through your mother's houseplants on the windowsill."

Jack laughed. "Not if Mom sees him, he won't," he said as he carefully placed his new pet on the stem of a large plant. "Hey! He looks different, Uncle George! His color is changing."

Uncle George chuckled. "He must know he's in a new environment."

"Cool!" said Jack. "I knew they changed colors, but I never saw it happen before. My teacher says people sometimes think chameleons only change color to blend in with their surroundings, but they also change color based on what kind of mood they're in or on how they feel…like if they're too warm or too cold."

Uncle George nodded thoughtfully. "People can be like that too, can't they?"

"You mean like when someone's angry or embarrassed and their face turns red?" asked Jack.

Uncle George laughed. "Actually, I was thinking about changing colors in another way. As Christians, it can be easy to smile and praise God when everything is going our way, but when something bad happens, we sometimes change colors fast. You wouldn't always know by watching us that we believe in a loving Savior who cares about us."

Jack blushed. Ever since he'd broken his leg, he'd been pouting and feeling sorry for himself, and he hadn't been acting very nice toward his friends.

"Life is hard sometimes," Uncle George continued. "Jesus understands that--He experienced hard things too when He came to earth to save us. When bad things happen, we can share our feelings with Him. He'll remind us that He loves us, and the Holy Spirit will help us reflect that love in our attitude." Uncle George got up. "I'd better go. Enjoy your new pet. Watch and see what other colors he'll change to."

Jack smiled. "Thanks, Uncle George. And thanks for reminding me that I can change colors too."

-Matilda H. Nordtvedt

How About You?
Does your attitude consistently reflect your faith in Jesus? Or does it constantly change based on your mood or circumstances? When faced with a hard situation, you may feel sad or angry, and that's okay. But remember that Jesus understands what you're going through and promises to be with you. Share your feelings with Him, and let your attitude and the way you treat others show that you have faith in His promises.

Today's Key Verse:
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. (NLT) (Galatians 5:25)

Today's Key Thought:
Reflect Jesus in your attitude

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-3

"Did I really wear this?" asked Rylee as she and her mother were sorting through a

box of memories. Rylee held up a tiny knitted bonnet. "It's so small!"

Mom smiled. "It's amazing how much babies grow, isn't it?" She picked up a pair of baby shoes. "You wore these when you were just starting to walk." Mom rubbed the soft leather. "Before long, you were running everywhere and ready for a larger pair of shoes."

Rylee found a small scrapbook and opened it. "Look what you wrote here, Mom! It says, 'Rylee's drawings from ages three to six.'" She examined the pages. "I'm glad to see they got better each year! The more I grew, the better I drew." Rylee grinned at her mom. "I'm a poet and you didn't even know it!"

Mom laughed and turned to another page in the book. "Look. Here's a list of questions you asked when you were in kindergarten."

Rylee eagerly looked at the list. "Listen to these, Mom. 'Are clouds made out of cotton candy?' 'Is God everywhere all the time?' 'Why did Jesus have to die?'"

"All good questions," said Mom. "Do you know the answers now?"

"Sure," said Rylee. "I've learned a lot since kindergarten."

Mom nodded. "Good. You grew physically and mentally, and you grew spiritually too. That's how it should be."

Rylee thought for a moment. "I know I grew physically and mentally by eating food and going to school, but how did I grow spiritually? Just by going to church?"

"Church was a big part of it--the things you learned in Sunday school and from the pastor's sermons about Jesus and how much He loved you. Reading the Bible was also important, and so was prayer. God used all those things to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus and make you more like Him."

Rylee held up the scrapbook. "It's like these drawings. The more I grew, the better I drew. And the more I, uh…" She laughed. "Oops! Guess I'm not a poet after all. I can't think of a rhyme for how I grew spiritually."

Mom laughed too. "That's okay," she said. "You're still growing."

-Sandra L. Ardoin

How About You?
Do you wear the same clothes as you did a few years ago? They probably don't fit you now, do they? You're probably better at sports than you used to be, and you're able to solve harder problems too, right? That's because you're growing physically and mentally. Have you also grown spiritually? Do you know more about Jesus? As you get to know Him better, He will help you grow spiritually so others can see Him in your words and actions more and more.

Today's Key Verse:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NKJV) ( 2 Peter 3:18)

Today's Key Thought:
Grow spiritually

Bible Reading: John 6:5-14

"I know we're supposed to share the good news of Jesus with people wherever we are, like Pastor Bowers said today," Braden told his mom. "But it's too hard to do that in my class at school."

"Why do you say that?" asked Mom, scooping up some rice.

"Well, there are thirty kids in my class, and as far as I know, Flynn and I are the only Christians. What can just two of us do?" Braden broke off and sniffed appreciatively. "What's cooking?"

"Chicken curry," said Mom.

Braden frowned. "I don't remember having it before. Do I like it?"

"I think you'll like it," said Mom. "Aunt Alicia and Uncle Jeff are coming over for lunch. We're having chicken curry and rice." She put rice in a pan and added water.

Braden looked at the small grains that lay at the bottom of the pan. "That won't be enough rice to feed everybody!" he said. "Uncle Jeff eats lots, and I do too. I know I like rice." He was hungry and didn't want to run out of food.

"It will be plenty," Mom assured him. "You'll see."

When Mom called Braden to come in for lunch, he decided to check the rice. He lifted the lid of the pan and peeked inside. "Wow!" he said in surprise. "I knew rice swelled when it was cooked, but I didn't think it would make that much!" Braden eyed his mom suspiciously. "Did you add more rice after I went outside?"

Mom smiled. "Of course not. A small amount of rice can feed quite a few people."

"Yeah, I guess so!" said Braden. "It's like Jesus feeding all those people with five loaves of bread and two fish."

"Not quite!" Mom said, laughing. "But I think you and Flynn can be like rice."

"Like rice?" Braden repeated. "What do you mean?"

"A small amount of rice, after it's boiled, fills a whole pan," Mom explained. "Don't you think a couple of Christians, filled and boiling over with the Holy Spirit, can reach out to a whole classroom of kids who need to know Jesus loves them?"

"Oh," said Braden. He smiled. "Yeah, I guess they could."

-Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Do you sometimes think there's nothing you can do to help more people know about Jesus? Do you feel like you're too small, too young, too shy, or too badly outnumbered to make a difference? Remember, if Jesus could use one boy's lunch of five loaves and two small fish to feed more than five thousand people, He can also use kids today to reach people with the good news of the gospel. Trust Him to help you reach out and share His love with others.

Today's Key Verse:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (NKJV) (Philippians 4:13)

Today's Key Thought:
God can use you

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:29-32

Kaylee and Jackson were best friends. Every day of summer vacation, they were in Kaylee's backyard, where there was lots of space to play. They liked to pretend they were adventurers searching the woods for buried treasure and keeping records of their travels.

One afternoon they were in the backyard as usual, tracing leaves in the notebooks they called their "field journals." They sat in the grass, talking about their adventures.

Kaylee picked up Jackson's binoculars from the grass and looked through them. "There's a flock of birds flying toward us! What should we do, Jackson?" she exclaimed.

"Hey, those are my binoculars," Jackson said. "Can I please have them back? You didn't ask to play with them."

Kaylee frowned. "You weren't playing with them. I just wanted to try them for a minute. It's not a big deal."

"They were a gift, and I don't want them to break."

Kaylee dropped the binoculars. "Well, can I look at them now?"

Jackson shook his head and inspected his binoculars. "You just dropped them! That's not a nice way to treat other people's stuff, Kaylee."

"I wasn't going to break them!" Kaylee exclaimed. She glared at Jackson. "Maybe we should stop playing if you're so worried about me breaking your stuff."

"Yeah, I think we should." Jackson crossed his arms and walked toward his house next door.

Left alone in the grass, Kaylee started to replay her words in her head. What she had said to Jackson hadn't been very nice. She shouldn't have touched his binoculars without his permission. They didn't belong to her, and she didn't think she would like it if somebody did that with her things.

Kaylee walked to Jackson's backyard. He was sitting on the swing set looking sad. She sat down beside him. "Jackson, I'm sorry for messing with your binoculars. I should've asked your permission to use them and not argued when you said no. I wasn't speaking loving words like Jesus, but I want to do better now."

Jackson smiled at Kaylee. "Thank you. I accept your apology."

Kaylee nudged Jackson with her elbow. "Do you want to come over and keep playing? I promise I'll be nicer this time."

Jackson nodded. "You bet I do!"

-Reagan Motsinger

How About You?
How do you respond when someone says or does something that upsets you? Instead of saying something mean to them, God wants your words to be full of love and kindness so they can build others up. Jesus loves us and cares about our feelings, and He'll help you pay attention to what you say so your speech reflects His love, compassion, and forgiveness.

Today's Key Verse:
Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (NLT) (Ephesians 4:29)

Today's Key Thought:
Speak kindly to others