Bible Reading: Romans 3:23-26; 8:19-25

"Caleb, could you hand me that wrench?" Dad was sprawled out under the kitchen sink, attempting to replace a seal that was broken. Caleb grabbed the wrench and handed it to his dad. "Okay, let's see if this new seal works," said Dad. "Turn on the dishwasher."

Caleb turned on the dishwasher, and they waited to see if it was going to leak. When it didn't, Caleb cheered. "Success!"

Dad nodded his approval. "Let's go ahead and change out the air conditioner filters too while we're at it."

Dad grabbed the tool bag, and Caleb grabbed the filters. He liked helping his dad fix things around the house.

"Hand me the screwdriver," Dad said.

"Can I do it?" Caleb asked.

Dad smiled and nodded. "Sure!"

Caleb took the screwdriver and removed both screws. After he helped Dad change out the filter, Caleb fastened the screws back in and they went on to the next filter.

By the end of the day, they had fixed the leak in the kitchen, changed out both air conditioner filters, and nailed down a couple new boards on the deck steps.

"Thanks for all your help today, Caleb," Dad said at dinner that night.

"I sure am glad I'm able to use the dishwasher again," Mom added.

Dad smiled. "Fixing all the things around the house today got me thinking about how God fixed our sin problem."

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

"Well, sin separates us from God, but God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our sins. He made a way for us to be able to have a relationship with Him and have eternal life. We fix things around the house with tools, and God fixes our sin problem through Jesus. When we trust Him as our Savior, He gets rid of our sin and fixes our hearts, and then He invites us to help Him in the work He's doing to fix our broken world. One day He will make everything new, and we'll live with Him forever in a world free from sin and death."

"Wow, I can't wait for that!" Caleb grinned. "But at least for now we can enjoy living with a dishwasher that doesn't leak!"

-Lisa Fuller

How About You?
Have you accepted God's free gift of eternal life? If you haven't trusted Jesus as your Savior, you have a sin problem that needs to be fixed. We can't fix our sin problem, but God loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins. Trust Jesus to be your Savior today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.) Then let Him use you to serve others and show them His love.

Today's Key Verse:
He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. (NLT) (1 John 2:2)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus fixes our sin problem

Bible Reading: Mark 1:40-45; Hebrews 6:10

"Hey, Laura, wait up!" Laura turned at the door of her classroom at church and saw Anissa hurrying down the hall toward her. "You have nursery duty with me today, don't you?" asked Anissa. "Let's go."

Laura dropped her gaze. "Um, actually, Jessie is going to take my place."

Anissa's forehead creased in a frown. "Why? You and I always work in the nursery together. Why aren't you helping today?"

"Well, I, uh…" Laura squirmed uncomfortably. "I just don't feel like helping in the nursery anymore."

Anissa eyed her suspiciously. "Laura, I've never met anyone in my whole life who likes babies more than you do. Something's going on. What is it?"

Laura sighed. She knew it was no use trying to hide the real reason she had decided to quit working in the nursery. "Well, it's just…kids have so many contagious illnesses, and I don't want to come down with them myself. There's always somebody with a cold or something. The day after I was in the nursery last month, the Jamisons' baby came down with chicken pox! And now…well, there's the Wilsons' adopted baby who is HIV positive."

"So that's it!" Anissa was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Laura, the nursery staff uses special safety precautions with little Peter. Mrs. Snyder can talk to you about it some more if you have any questions, but you don't have to be afraid to hold Peter or play with him. He needs our love and care just as much as any of the other babies. Maybe more." She paused, then added gently, "Remember the sermon we heard last week? What would have happened to the leper if Jesus hadn't been willing to help him?"

In her mind's eye, Laura could see the sick, hopeless man kneeling before Jesus, pleading for His help. And then she could see the Savior with His outstretched hand. There was love in His face and in His touch. Thinking about it, Laura made a decision.

She looked up and met Anissa's gaze with a smile. "I'll tell Jessie she can go to the worship service after all," she told her friend. "Meet you in the nursery in a few minutes!"

-Carolyn A. Penner

How About You?
Have you been avoiding someone God wants you to help? Maybe you've been too busy to get involved. Maybe you've been too proud. Or perhaps, like Laura, you're just plain scared. Jesus didn't hesitate to reach out to us when we were sick with sin and in need of His help, and He wants us to show His love to others. Let His love flow through you into the lives of those who need His touch today.

Today's Key Verse:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. (NKJV) (1 John 4:18)

Today's Key Thought:
Show God's love to everyone

Bible Reading: Luke 18:9-14

"Mom, how can you tell if someone's a Christian?" Ginny asked. "Because my friend Elle says she is, but she never prays before she eats, and I heard her tell Melanie a lie on the playground, and one time she asked if I wanted to come over on a Sunday morning, so I don't think she goes to church!" Ginny huffed out a breath.

Mom put down her whisk. "You and I can't really tell what's in someone's heart, Ginny. Only God can. Praying and going to church are important in helping us grow as Christians, but they don't make anyone a Christian, and Christians still do wrong things sometimes. Does that make sense?"

"Sort of…but we pray and go to church. Doesn't that show other people we're Christians?" Ginny asked.

Mom started to answer, then stopped. "Let me see if I can explain it a different way. Take these brownies I'm making. We can add things into our lives like praying…" Mom cracked in an egg. "Or going to church…" She poured in vanilla. "Or telling the truth…" She added the flour with a poof. "But without Jesus, we're like this." Mom walked out the door and put the brownie batter on the porch.

"Mom! You can't put the brownie batter outside. They'll never cook."

"Exactly, and without Jesus--no matter what ingredients we're adding--we can't ever become brownies, because we'll never make it to the oven! We just stay as uncooked batter." Mom grabbed the batter from off the porch and put it back on the counter. "The good things we do can't get rid of the sin in our hearts. We need Jesus to save us from sin. That's the only way we can become brownies."

"Oh," Ginny said, peeping over the counter. "So that's why God is the only one who can tell if we're Christians? Because He puts us in the oven?"

"Exactly! And though the love Jesus puts in our hearts helps us point others to Him, we can't judge whether people are Christians based on what they do or don't do. Only God knows each person's heart. And while praying and going to church are very important, they don't bake someone into a Christian." Mom laughed at her own pun and poured the brownie batter while Ginny rolled her eyes.

-Naomi Zylstra

How About You?
Do you wonder if the people around you are Christians? Praying and going to church are things Christians should do, but they don't make people Christians. God is the only one who truly knows what's in a person's heart. He knows who has trusted Jesus to save them from their sins and who has not. So rather than guessing who's saved and who's not, focus on helping everyone see and know the love and grace of Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (NKJV) (John 14:6)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus knows who's His

Bible Reading: Psalm 1; Ephesians 3:16-19

"Why do we have to go to church every Sunday?" Paige grumbled. Her glum face pressed against the car window, and her grouchy mood reflected the dismal, gray weather. "On a stormy day like this I'd rather be sleeping in."

"I like Sunday school! Don't you want to learn about God, Paige?" her younger brother Eric asked. A twinge of guilt pricked Paige's conscience, but she ignored her brother.

"Wow! Look at that tree!" Dad pointed to a large tree that lay uprooted along the roadside.

"That was a strong wind we had last night," Mom said. "It ripped that tree right out of the ground."

"It couldn't survive the wind because it had shallow roots," Dad added.

"Another good reason to stay home today," Paige muttered. "It's safer."

"But I want to go to Sunday school!" said Eric.

"Paige, did you know one of the psalms compares a person to a tree?" asked Dad. When Paige shook her head, Dad said, "Psalm 1 says a wise and righteous person is like a healthy, well-watered tree. Such people are like deeply rooted trees that are nourished by the soil and water. The truth of God's Word is a delight to them, and they're nourished by it day and night. A good tree produces fruit and doesn't wither. It prospers as God intended. I'm sure that kind of tree could withstand powerful winds."

"Life is full of storms," Mom mused. "Storms of temptations, storms of lies, grief, pain, and difficulties will blow against us. If our lives are rooted deeply in God's truth and the promise of eternal life we have in Jesus, we'll be able to stand firm against the storms. If not, we will fall, just like that tree."

"Is Paige a tree?" Eric asked.

Paige smiled a bit. "No, Eric, I'm not a tree. If I were, I would probably fall in the storms," she admitted. As Dad drove into the church parking lot, Paige said, "I'll get some watering today to help my roots go deeper in Jesus--and I'm sorry I was so grouchy."

Dad smiled. "I think I'm beginning to see some fruit already."

-Judith K. Boogaart

How About You?
Do you sometimes feel like skipping church? Do you neglect reading the Bible or memorizing verses? Your life needs to be watered with the truth of God's Word at church and in your own quiet time. Jesus wants to help you become deeply rooted in His love and promises, and He does that by helping you understand the truth of the Bible. Trust Him to help you grow deep roots so you can stand firm in the storms of life.

Today's Key Verse:
Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. (NLV) (Colossians 2:7)

Today's Key Thought:
Be rooted in Christ

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 54-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"Is Poppy wearing his shoes?" asked six-year-old Noelle. Mom patted Noelle's arm and went on talking. The funeral home was full of people talking quietly. The room was filled with the smell of flowers. Noelle stood beside her mother, who was greeting the people who had come to show their sympathy. Noelle's great-grandfather lay in the casket--a long box lined with satin--with his eyes closed and his hands folded. He looked like he was sleeping, but somehow he didn't quite look like the kind man Noelle knew. She felt strange and out of place.

Noelle felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, kiddo. I'll take you home now," said Dad.

Noelle tried to smile, but her lips trembled. "Does Poppy have his shoes on?" she asked again.

"No, sweetie, he doesn't need them anymore," Dad said.

"But, Daddy," Noelle protested, "how will he be able to walk around in heaven? He always put his shoes on first thing when he wanted to go for a walk."

Dad smiled but didn't answer her question right away. "Noelle, do you remember when you helped me plant carrots in the garden last spring?" he asked after a moment. Noelle nodded. "Each seed we planted had new life inside that couldn't grow until the seed died," said Dad. "The carrots grew, and the husk of the dead seed was left in the ground. That's a little like what has happened to Poppy. He was a Christian, and when he died, he left his body here with his shoes and clothes, just like the old seed husk. His spirit went to be with Jesus in heaven. And someday, something really special is going to happen. When Jesus comes again, God will raise Poppy's body and make it all new and perfect."

Noelle thought about it. "So Poppy doesn't need his cane in heaven either?"

Dad shook his head. "No, and he'll never need it again. When God raises Poppy from the dead, his body will be perfect, and he'll never get old or sick. Until then, Jesus will take good care of him."

Noelle felt better as she looked toward the casket where Poppy's body lay. "I'm glad he's with Jesus," she said simply.

-Carol J. Brookman

How About You?
Have you visited a funeral home when someone you love died? Did it give you a strange feeling? Did it make you sad? Death is hard to understand, but it helps to remember that death is not the end for those who know Jesus as their Savior. For a Christian, their soul goes to heaven to be with Jesus. And when He comes again, that person will be given a new and perfect body, and God will put an end to tears, sickness, and death for good.

Today's Key Verse:
He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. (NLT) ( Isaiah 25:8 )

Today's Key Thought:
Christians will have new bodies