Bible Reading: Psalm 103:8-13; Romans 3:21-26; 6:23

"It's not fair," said Kate as she stomped up to her teacher's desk. "I don't have any wrong answers on these word problems, but you still gave me a B instead of an A."

"You didn't show your work," Mrs. Castillo replied patiently. "That was part of the assignment. I said you needed to show me how you got your answers or you would not receive full credit."

"But on my last assignment I didn't show my work either, and you didn't lower that grade," Kate countered.

"That's true, but I can't continue to be that lenient," said Mrs. Castillo. "I warned you about that."

Kate huffed. "But I deserve--" The school bell interrupted her.

"You'd better hurry, or you'll be late for your next class," said Mrs. Castillo.

That night at dinner, Kate told her dad about her talk with Mrs. Castillo. "I deserved to get an A just like on my other assignment."

"I disagree," said Dad gently. "You knew the penalty for failing to show your work. What you really deserved was to lose points on both assignments. You should be grateful that Mrs. Castillo went easy on you the first time." Kate looked glum, but she had no answer to that.

During devotions, Dad read a few verses from Psalm 103. When he was finished, he said, "This reminds me of your problem with Mrs. Castillo, Kate."

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

"The Bible clearly says that we're all sinners, and we deserve death and eternal separation from God," said Dad. "But listen to verse ten again. 'He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.' Christians will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus--not because we deserve it, but because of God's mercy. Just like Mrs. Castillo didn't mark you down on your first test even though you didn't follow the instructions and show your work, God doesn't condemn those who trust in Jesus as their Savior. Instead, He shows us grace and forgives us for all our wrongs." Dad closed his Bible. "Let's pray and thank God for His gift of eternal life."

"And for not giving us what we deserve," added Kate.

-Philip J. Anderson

How About You?
Do you think you deserve to go to heaven? If so, you're wrong! The Bible says that all of us are sinners who deserve death for sinning against God. But because of His mercy and grace, Jesus took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross, and if you trust in Him, God won't give you what you deserve. Instead, He'll give you His gift of eternal life. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. (NLT) (Psalm 103:10)

Today's Key Thought:
God offers undeserved grace

Bible Reading: Psalm 37:3; Romans 8:28, 31-32

"No, Jena!" Kegan's words startled his little sister as he pulled her hand away from the lamp. Jena started to cry and squirmed out of her brother's grasp.

"What's going on?" asked Mom as she entered the living room.

"Jena was trying to reach the light bulb. I guess she didn't know the bulb was hot and would burn her."

Mom sighed. "Right now she's at the stage where she wants to touch everything she sees. I'm glad you stopped her before she hurt herself."

That evening, Mom noticed Kegan looking glum. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I have math class tomorrow, and Mrs. Phillips is so hard! I prayed that Miss Clayton would be my math teacher this semester--her class is always doing fun activities and they hardly get any homework. But God didn't answer my prayer, and now I'm stuck with Mrs. Phillips."

Mom sat down next to Kegan. "Remember when Jena tried to touch the lamp this afternoon?"

"Yeah, but what's that got to do with God not answering my prayer?"

"Jena thought touching that hot bulb would be a good idea, but you knew better," said Mom. "Maybe your situation is a little like that. Maybe God knows that being in Mrs. Phillips' class is better for you. Maybe He wants her to challenge you and help stretch your thinking so you'll grow as a student. Ever think of that?"

"Well…no," replied Kegan.

"As Jena gets older and realizes you know more than she does and that you want what's best for her, she'll learn to trust you more," said Mom. "We need to learn to trust God in everything, even when He doesn't answer prayer the way we wish He would. We need to remember that Jesus loves us so much He died for us and that He promises to be with us through life's difficulties and use them for good."

"I guess you're right," Kegan said. "I want to pray and ask God to…" He stopped. "I was going to say I wanted to pray that Mrs. Phillips' class wouldn't be so hard, but really I should pray that Jesus would help me remember He loves me and will be with me no matter what."

Mom smiled and gave Kegan a hug. Then they bowed their heads to pray.

-Elizabeth Adler

How About You?
Do you trust God to answer your prayers in the way He knows is best? It can be difficult when He doesn't answer your prayer the way you were hoping He would, but know that He loves you and hears you when you pray. Tell Him how you feel and ask Him to help you with your problems. Even if you don't get your way, trust Him to be with you in whatever happens and use it for good.

Today's Key Verse:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. (NIV) (Romans 8:28)

Today's Key Thought:
God can be trusted

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 16:6-12; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

"I can hardly wait to see the old mansion!" exclaimed Camilla. She and her family were on their way to visit Grandma and Grandpa Garcia, who had recently become caretakers of a large estate. As they drove, Camilla talked about her day at school. "There's a new girl in my class, Emma, and she dresses really weird! I was so embarrassed when our teacher asked me to show her around the school."

Camilla's brother Lucas rolled his eyes. "What does it matter what her clothes look like? What she's like is more important than what she wears."

"Lucas is right, Camilla," said Mom. "It sounds like you're focusing on Emma's appearance instead of who she is as a person."

Camilla scowled and changed the subject. "Look," she said, pointing ahead. "I think we're almost there!" As Dad turned down an overgrown lane which led to a large old house, Camilla frowned. "This can't be the right place. This looks more like a dump than a mansion!" But when her grandparents welcomed them and led them inside, Camilla gasped. The floors glistened, and carpeted steps curved from the hallway to the second floor. "Oh, wow! I can't believe how nice this is! The outside looks so run down."

"Yes," said Grandpa. "The old place is being restored, but the company that was hired for the outside work can't begin until next month. That's why there's such a difference between the inside and outside." He smiled. "This house is a good example of why we shouldn't judge by appearance."

"We talked a little about that on our way over here," said Mom, giving Camilla a nudge. "We sometimes forget that the heart of a person is much more important than how they look or dress. But God knows that. He looks at the heart, and Jesus died and rose again to save us from sin so our hearts could be made new like the inside of this house. That's how much He loves each one of us."

Camilla looked around at the beautiful house and then out the window to the overgrown front yard. Mom's right, she thought. I did judge Emma by the way she looks on the outside, and that was wrong. When I get back to school, I'll try to find out what she's really like.

-Linda Weddle

How About You?
Do you accept or reject people because of the way they look? God says it's the inside that counts. He looks at our hearts, and even when He sees the ugliness of sin there, He doesn't reject us. Instead, He offers us a new, clean heart through Jesus! That's how we should look at others too. Instead of judging people based on their appearance, remember how God sees them and show them the love He has put in your heart.

Today's Key Verse:
Do not judge according to appearance. (NKJV) (John 7:24)

Today's Key Thought:
Don't judge by appearance

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:22-26

Tina and Amy were lying on their backs on a big checkered tablecloth that Tina's mother had put on the grass for them. They had just finished their peanut butter sandwiches.

"Look at that cloud," said Amy, pointing up at the blue sky. "It looks just like a big bird flying backwards."

Tina laughed. "And look at that one," she said, pointing to another cloud. "It looks like a giant watermelon with a hat."

It was windy though, and the clouds quickly drifted across the sky and were gone.

"It sure is windy today," said Amy, brushing her shiny brown hair out of her eyes. "It's made me think of something we learned in Sunday school last week."

"What's that?" asked Tina.

"Mrs. Hirsh talked to us about the Holy Spirit. He is like the wind. We can't see Him, but He is here. When Jesus went back to heaven, God sent us the Holy Spirit so He would be with those who trust in Him."

"I know about Jesus," said Tina. "But tell me about the Holy Spirit."

"Well, it's not easy to understand," said Amy, "but God is a triune God. That means God is three Persons, but one God--God the Father, God the Son, who is Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. Three in one."

"Does the Holy Spirit help us like Jesus would?"

"Yes," said Amy. "Mrs. Hirsh said He guides us and teaches us. And He is a comforter too. He helps us when we go through hard things or when we're sad."

"That's nice to know," said Tina.

"And He helps us have fruit in our lives too," said Amy.

"Fruit?" Tina looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Not like the fruit we eat," said Amy. "Spiritual fruit. Mrs. Hirsh said the fruit He produces in our lives are things like faith and love and gentleness that show others we belong to Jesus."

"That's sounds like good fruit," said Tina. "Wow, I learned a lot today on our tablecloth!" She looked up again and pointed to the clouds. "Oh, look--a plump caterpillar with a balloon chasing it!" They both laughed.

-Sharon Roberts

How About You?
What kind of fruit is being produced in your life? Just like bananas and apples are good for your body, the fruit of the Spirit shows God's goodness in your heart and mind. The Holy Spirit helps produce things like kindness, gentleness, and love in you so others can see the good work He's doing in your life. Trust Him to grow His good fruit and make you more like Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (CSB) (Galatians 5:22-23)

Today's Key Thought:
The Holy Spirit grows good fruit in our lives

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 21:3-4

Cara heard the floor squeak under her tennis shoes as she followed her mom down the hospital corridor. Her dad was in the hospital again, and her mom had picked her up from school so they could visit him.

"Dad!" Cara cried as they entered his room. She ran to the bed and flung her arms around her father's frail shoulders. "Have the doctors figured out what's wrong with you yet?"

Dad hugged her close. "They're still running tests, but I'm afraid the news isn't good."

A lump formed in Cara's throat. "I'll pray for you, Dad. I'll pray you'll get better."

Dad smiled and squeezed her hand. Pretty soon it was time for Mom to take Cara to her aunt and uncle's house where she'd be staying so Mom could be close to Dad at the hospital.

A few weeks later, Cara woke up one morning to see Mom sitting on the edge of her bed. "Mom! You're here! How's Dad?"

"Oh, Cara," said Mom with a sob. "Dad is with Jesus now."

Hot tears flooded Cara's eyes. "What? No! I prayed that God would make him better, that he wouldn't be sick anymore!"

"And he's not sick anymore," Mom said as she pulled Cara into her arms.

"But…but I don't understand!" Tears streamed down Cara's face. "How could God let Dad die?"

"I don't know, honey," said Mom as she wiped her eyes. "Sometimes God allows things to happen that we can't understand here on earth." She brushed the hair out of Cara's eyes. "But Cara, think of how Dad must have felt when he opened his eyes and saw Jesus." Mom's words were very quiet. "There's a Bible verse that says, 'Joy comes in the morning,' and today that came true for Dad. He woke up to find himself in the presence of Jesus, free of sickness and pain. It must be a wonderful morning for him."

Cara nodded. "I'm glad he's not sick anymore, but I miss him so much already!"

"So do I," said Mom, her eyes brimming with tears. "But someday we'll also wake up to find ourselves in the presence of Jesus, and when we do, Dad will be there too."

-Phyllis I. Klomparens

How About You?
Have you experienced the death of a family member or friend? It's hard to lose someone you love, and it's natural to feel sad about it and even wonder how God could allow it to happen. But remember that for a Christian, death means passing from this life on earth into the presence of Jesus in heaven. Trust Him to give you comfort and peace in your time of loss, knowing that one day He will wipe away all your tears when you see Him face-to-face.

Today's Key Verse:
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (NKJV) (Psalm 30:5)

Today's Key Thought:
After death, joy awaits Christians