Bible Reading: Matthew 22:1-14; John 6:35-40; Revelation 19:6-9

Sofia sighed as she put down the last of the envelopes she was stuffing. "They're all done, Mom--the invitations for the neighborhood reunion are ready to go."

"Thanks, Sofia," said Mom. "You've been a big help! Our planning committee thought about just emailing invitations, but we decided paper invitations would help everyone know how much we want them to come."

Sofia grinned. "I think it's a great idea--throwing a party and inviting everyone who used to live in the neighborhood but moved away. I hope lots of people come. It's been a long time since I've seen some of the kids I used to play with."

When the reunion day arrived, Sofia and her family joined the crowd at the neighborhood park where the festivities were being held. "There's Mr. and Mrs. Wood!" exclaimed Sofia. "And Jill's with them!" They all hurried over to greet the Woods, who used to live next door to them.

Then Dad saw Mr. Yu, who used to be the school principal; Mom headed for Mrs. Burgos, who had been in her Bible study many years before; and Sofia spied a girl who'd been in her class at school before moving away.

That night, Sofia and her parents talked about seeing so many old friends. "I was hoping the Sanchez family would come," said Sofia. "I wanted to see the twins again." She frowned. "I wonder why they didn't come. Maybe they didn't get the invitation."

"I'm sure there are good reasons why some who got invitations couldn't come," said Mom.

"I guess so," Sofia said. "I can't see why they'd just ignore an invitation for such a fun event."

"It was fun, wasn't it?" said Dad. "It reminds me of another event we've been invited to--one we definitely don't want to miss!"

"What event is that?" asked Sofia. "I haven't seen any invitations come in the mail."

Dad took his Bible from the coffee table and held it up. "Our invitation is right here! Jesus invites everyone to come to Him to have their sins forgiven and receive eternal life, and those who do will take part in a much bigger reunion someday--a gathering of all God's children in heaven. It's an invitation we want to be sure to accept."

-L. Anne Siegrist

How About You?
Have you accepted Jesus's invitation to trust in Him as your Savior? All who do will be with Him--and with all other Christians--in heaven someday. What a celebration that will be! This invitation is not one you can afford to turn down. Accept it today and come to Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (NKJV) (John 6:37)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus invites you come to Him

Bible Reading: John 6:5-13

"Yessss, cinnamon rolls!" Anna bounced in her lunchroom seat, her braids swinging up and down. She carefully opened the plastic bag, releasing the delicious smell into the air.

"Anna, won't you share?" asked her friend Andrew. He sat across the table eyeing her treats.

Anna bit into a cinnamon roll and slowly chewed with her eyes closed. She licked the sticky icing off her fingers with a smack. "You had cookies." She pointed at the leftover crumbs in front of him. "You don't need my cinnamon rolls."

"Pleeeease?" Andrew begged. He folded his hands and pouted.

"No, these are mine." Anna was about to eat the second roll when she spotted Chris. "Is Chris eating alone again?"

Andrew turned around to see. "Looks like it. He always eats one PB and J sandwich. I know I'd be hungry if that's all I ate."

Anna frowned. "That reminds me of something. Do you remember how we learned about Jesus feeding five thousand people with a little boy's lunch? It wasn't much, but he shared it with Jesus. And Jesus did a miracle with it!"

"Yeah," said Andrew. "I bet that boy was surprised when the five loaves of bread and two fish he brought for lunch fed five thousand people!"

Anna looked at the roll, then back at Chris. "What good can this small cinnamon roll do?" she whispered to herself.

"Hey, you're not throwing that away, are you?" asked Andrew. He perked up when Anna stood.

"No," Anna said. "I'm sharing the little I have. It can't feed everyone, but maybe it can help somebody."

Anna walked to Chris's table. "Hey, Chris." She offered him the roll.

"What's that?" Chris asked shyly.

"It's a cinnamon roll," Anna replied. "My mom made it, but I want to share it with you."

Chris's eyes grew wide and welled up with tears. "My mom used to bake rolls before she got sick."

"Oh." Anna bit her lip. "Here, try it." She handed it to him and sat down across the table. "It's really yummy."

Chris took the roll from the plastic bag and carefully bit into it. As he chewed, he closed his eyes and smiled.

Anna smiled too.

-Kenzie McGregor

How About You?
What's something small you can share to help others and show them God's love? Maybe you have a toy car, a book, or a game you can share. Maybe you can sing or bake or write a thoughtful note to someone. No matter how small it is, Jesus can use whatever you're willing to share for His glory.

Today's Key Verse:
Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many? (NIV) (John 6:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Let Jesus use what you have

Bible Reading: Matthew 26:41; Ephesians 4:22-32; 5:1-2

"Look at Smoky." Nolan pointed to one of the family pets, a long-haired cat. "He likes the sun." A contented purr came from the gray form stretched out on the windowsill.

A few minutes later, Nolan's little sister Jada came into the room. "Hi, Chipper," she said. "Do you want out?" She dashed over to the bird cage and opened the wire door. Chipper, the parakeet, glided gracefully to the floor.

"No, Jada!" exclaimed Nolan. "Smoky's here!" He lunged for the cat, but not in time. A silent, gray shadow slid down from the windowsill, and a moment later Smoky had the bird in his mouth. But Mom was just as quick. She grabbed the cat, held him down, and pried his mouth open. Carefully, she removed the little bird.

"Is Chipper hurt, Mommy?" wailed Jada.

"I think he's just badly frightened," Mom said, gently stroking the trembling bird while Nolan shooed the cat out of the room.

"Smoky's naughty!" Jada declared. "Why can't he be friends with Chipper?"

"Yeah. He should know better," said Nolan.

"Perhaps, but it's a cat's nature to hunt," Mom said. "No matter how tame he is, when he sees a bird, his natural instincts take over."

"Well, I'm mad at him," Jada said, crossing her arms.

"I don't blame you," said Mom. "But he's actually a lot like us."

"Like us?" asked Nolan.

Mom nodded. "Christians have an old nature, and it likes to take over too. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us, but sometimes we're careless and let our old natures take over again."

"Like when you hit me," Jada said to her brother.

"Well, you called me names," Nolan retorted.

"I'm afraid those old natures are trying to take control again," said Mom. "We need to be on guard and remember who we are in Jesus. Because we know Him, we've received a new nature with the power to choose to do right and to love others. If we follow our old nature, we will sin. The Bible says to take off the old nature and put on the new. Jesus gives us the power to do that."

-Trula H. Bensinger

How About You?
Do you let the Holy Spirit guide your actions? Or do you often let your old nature take over and choose to sin? If you know Jesus, your old, sinful nature is no longer a part of who you are, because He has made you new! Let the new nature He's given you be seen in your life as you choose to love others and do what's right by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today's Key Verse:
Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy. (NLT) (Ephesians 4:24)

Today's Key Thought:
Don't give in to your old nature

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Luke 2:51-52

Elora watched her big sister leave the house. "Why can't I go to the library with Maya?" she asked. "I'll look at books while she studies."

"Elora," Mom said patiently, "it's almost your bedtime, and Maya will be gone a couple of hours."

"But it's not fair! I want to go with her!"

"But you're eight years old," said Mom. "Maya is in high school. When you're her age, you'll be able to do more things."

Elora frowned, but she turned back to her book. A short time later, Mom got up from the couch. "Bedtime," she said.

As Elora got up, she began complaining again. "Maya has her own phone and laptop, and she gets to go places whenever she wants."

Mom stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Elora, when you were a baby, you went up these stairs very carefully on your hands and knees. Later, you held onto my hand very tightly so I could help you. Do you remember that?"

Elora laughed and shook her head. "No, but the little kids at church do that. They're so cute."

"Now you're much bigger," Mom continued, "and you walk up the stairs. You're physically able to do so much more now than you could when you were a baby. That's the way God intends it to be. And that's the way He intends you to grow in other areas too. Gradually, you'll be able to do more and more things."

"Like Maya does, you mean?" asked Elora.

Mom nodded. "Yes--but look at all you do already! Last week, you stayed overnight at your friend Carmen's house. You ride your bike in the street now. You walk to the school bus with the neighborhood kids. You couldn't do those things when you were two, could you?" Elora shook her head. "God made us in a way that doesn't require us to learn everything at once," said Mom. "We just have to take one step at a time. Even Jesus had to do that when He became human! He had to grow up just like us. Trust Him to help you be patient as you wait to be able to do all the things Maya can do. Then focus on enjoying the things you can do now!

-Dean Kelley

How About You?
Do you wish you could be older than you are now? Remember that God has a time for everything. Even Jesus had to learn and grow as a baby and then a boy before He became a man. Trust Him to help you be patient and to teach you what He wants you to learn at this stage of your life. Instead of focusing on what you can't do yet, enjoy the things He has for you at the age you are now.

Today's Key Verse:
He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. (NKJV) (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Be content to be a kid

Bible Reading: Matthew 10:29-31; John 1:1-3, 14

Lucy wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Can we take a break? I'm so thirsty I could drink a giant cup of lemonade."

"We're just about done," Mom replied. "Did you finish pulling out all the weeds in your section of the flower garden?"

Lucy stood and stretched her back. "Just finished."

"Great job," Mom said. When she returned her gaze to the ground, she gasped in surprise. She waved at Lucy. "Hurry, come quick!"

Lucy scurried over and knelt down. She stared at the base of a rosebush where Mom was pointing. As soon as Lucy saw the toad, her eyes lit up with delight. "Oh, wow! He's so big. I'm going to call him Big Fred."

Mom smiled. "That's a great name."

Lucy leaned forward to take a closer look at the brown toad. She could see his sides heaving in and out as he breathed. After a moment, she turned to her mother. "Do you think God cares about Big Fred?"

"That's a great question," Mom replied. "The Bible tells us that God cares for sparrows. That means He cares about other animals as well."

"Plus, He made all the animals," Lucy added. "Since He made them, then they must be important to Him."

Mom slowly stood to her feet. "That's right. But do you know who else God cares about?"

"Who?" asked Lucy.

"You, of course!" Mom held out her hand and helped Lucy to her feet. "God made many spectacular things. Think of all the beautiful waterfalls, the majestic mountains, and the amazing animals. But God cares about people the most. He loves us so much that Jesus became one of us so we could be saved from sin and live with Him forever."

"That sure makes me feel important," Lucy said.

Mom nodded. "Well, you ready?"

Lucy looked at her mom with a curious expression. "Ready for what?"

"Lemonade! That sure does sound good."

As Lucy and her mom walked toward the house, Lucy waved goodbye to Big Fred. She smiled when she saw him hop away. "I'm so glad that God cares about Big Fred," Lucy said. "And that He also cares about me."

-Mark and Megan Wainwright

How About You?
Do you know that you're important to God? He cares for all of His creation, but you're more important to Him than any plant or animal. God created people in His own image, and when we rebelled and separated ourselves from Him, Jesus became human and died for us so we could have eternal life with Him. That's how much He loves you. Always remember how important you are to Him.

Today's Key Verse:
[Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (NKJV) (1 Peter 5:7 )

Today's Key Thought:
God cares for you