Bible Reading: Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 4:8-10

"Daniel, Daniel!" Daniel's little brother and sister came zooming into the room. "Will you play store with us? Please?"

Daniel smiled. "Okay, sure." Eli and Alessia often begged Daniel to play store with them, but Daniel didn't mind. Their grandfather owned a hardware store, and the kids loved to visit and see people buy all sorts of interesting things. Customers asked a lot of questions, and Grandpa was always happy to help them.

Daniel followed his brother and sister to where they had a make-believe store set up. "Eli and I will be the customers," Alessia said. She put a toy phone to her ear. "Ring, ring!"

Daniel picked up the other end. "Hello, how may I help you?" That was how Grandpa answered the phone.

As Daniel was helping Eli and Alessia choose things to buy, Dad came in. "Okay, kids, time to go to the nursing home. Families from church are taking turns visiting, and tonight's our night."

Daniel frowned. "Couldn't just you and Mom go?"

Dad shook his head. "The people look forward to our visits, and they especially like seeing kids. It brightens their whole day."

"Well, it doesn't brighten my day," said Daniel.

He expected Dad to scold him, but instead, Dad changed the subject. "Daniel, how does Grandpa answer the phone at the store?"

"He says, 'How may I help you?'" Daniel replied.

Dad nodded. "Yes, and I've heard you answer the same way when you're playing store with Eli and Alessia. It's a good way to show that you're willing and eager to help someone. Now, is there a way you could ask God that same question that's used to answer the phone?"

"What do you mean?" asked Daniel.

"In the Bible we learn that God wants His followers to serve Him and others willingly," Dad explained. "Jesus eagerly served everyone He encountered--He even sacrificed His own life to save us. And He's given us the Holy Spirit to help us love others the way He does, which means we can serve others with a willing heart too."

Daniel thought for a minute. "I guess you're right," he said. "If I asked God how I could help Him today, He'd want me to go to the nursing home."

–Carolyn E. Yost

How About You?
What's your attitude when you serve the Lord? When you're asked to help out at home or visit someone who's sick, do you do it willingly? Jesus loves us so much that He became the greatest servant of all by sacrificing Himself for us. When we serve God by helping others, we show other people His love. Take a moment and ask God in prayer, "How may I help you?"

Today's Key Verse:
Serve [God] with a loyal heart and with a willing mind. (NKJV) (1 Chronicles 28:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Serve God willingly

Bible Reading: Mark 4:9-12; Romans 10:17

"We had a new girl in our class at church today," Josephine said as she set the table for lunch. "Her name is Lauren, and she's deaf. She reads lips."

Mom nodded. "I met her mother. Their family moved here recently." She set a plate of vegetables on the table. "Just last week I read an article that said several million people in our country are either totally deaf or can't hear as well as they should."

"Nolan doesn't hear as well as he should." Josephine smirked at her brother. "He only hears when he wants to. He hears just fine when somebody mentions dessert, but he doesn't seem to hear when someone mentions chores that need to be done."

Nolan smirked back. "You're one to talk!"

"I guess we're all guilty of that once in a while," Dad said. "It's called selective hearing--only hearing what you want to hear." He started pouring water into the glasses on the table. "Sadly, some of us who have perfectly good hearing are deaf in another way--we're spiritually deaf."

"Spiritually deaf?" asked Josephine. "What does that mean?"

"It means failing to hear and understand what God has to say," said Dad. "He invites everyone to trust in Jesus and be saved, but many people don't seem to hear Him. In the Bible, God speaks of His love for us, the dangers of sin, and how we can have the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through His Son, Jesus. Many of us might hear these words with our ears but not understand them with our hearts. It's as though we're deaf to what He's saying."

"Even Christians have trouble listening to God's words and obeying them," said Mom. "Though we trust in Jesus, we sometimes don't want to listen to what He has to say to us through prayer, reading the Bible, and meeting with other Christians. We seem to quit listening--especially if we're afraid we'll hear something from God that we don't like."

"I guess that would be like what Dad said we're guilty of," said Nolan. "Selective hearing."

"That's right," said Dad. "Thankfully, God is patient with us when we don't listen and gives each Christian the Holy Spirit to open our ears to His voice."

–Phyllis I. Klomparens

How About You?
Are you spiritually deaf or hard of hearing? Are you ignoring what God says in the Bible about how you can be saved from sin by trusting in Jesus? If you do trust in Jesus, are you neglecting spiritual habits like prayer and going to church that help you listen to what He wants to say to you about your life? Trust God to help you hear Him better so you can listen, understand, and obey.

Today's Key Verse:
I will hear what God the Lord will speak. (NKJV) (Psalm 85:8)

Today's Key Thought:
Always listen to God

Bible Reading: John 14:1-6

Adelyn looked around her empty room. She brushed her hand across the mural Dad had painted on the wall one last time, then picked up the last box and brought it out to the truck. When Mom pulled the truck door down with a loud rumble, Adelyn couldn't help it. She burst into tears.

Mom pulled her close. "It's going to be okay, Adelyn," she said in a hoarse voice as Adelyn sobbed into her shoulder. Mom was crying too.

"I don't get it," said Adelyn. "Why do we have to leave our house?"

"Because the bank lent us the money to buy the house, but after your dad died, paying back the loan on my own became too hard. So now they're taking back the house." She stroked Adelyn's hair. "I know it's hard to leave the house you grew up in, especially with all its memories of your dad, but we don't have a choice. We'll live with Grandma and Grandpa for a while, then you and I will find a nice apartment."

"But I don't want to live in an apartment!" said Adelyn, barely able to get the words out through her tears. "I want to live here! This is where you and Dad and I always lived. This is our true home!"

"Oh, Adelyn," said Mom. "This isn't our true home--it never was. It was a wonderful place to live, but it was never meant to last forever. As Christians, our true home is with Jesus. He is with us now, and when we finally see Him face-to-face in heaven, it will be better than anything we could possibly imagine! And you know what the best part is?"

"What?" asked Adelyn, wiping her eyes.

"Our eternal home has already been paid for! We could never afford it ourselves, but Jesus gave His life so we could live with Him forever."

Mom led Adelyn to the door of the truck. "I know how hard this is--it's hard for me too. Jesus said we'd have trouble in this world, and it's okay to feel sad about it. But don't lose sight of your true home. Jesus will be with you through all of life's troubles and promises you a home with Him forever."

–Courtney Lasater

How About You?
Have you experienced pain or sadness in your life? Maybe you lost someone close to you or had to move away from a place you loved. Whatever it is, you don't have to go through it alone. If you know Jesus, He promises to always be with you and to one day bring you to your eternal home, where you'll never feel pain or sadness again. Your true home is with Him.

Today's Key Verse:
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (NIV) (John 16:33 )

Today's Key Thought:
Christians have a home with Jesus

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13-16; Luke 8:16; John 5:24

"Help! It's not working! Troooooy!"

Troy stepped into the kitchen to see his little sister's hands covered in purple glue. "Crafting again, Emmy? What are you trying to do?"

Emma blew a curl off her forehead in frustration. "I'm trying to make slime! I have glue, water, and baking soda. Look at this, it's just a sticky mess! Not slimy at all."

"You forgot the activator." Troy pointed to step four of the recipe. "You need contact lens solution--I'll get you some of mine."

"What does an activator do?" Emma asked when Troy returned with the missing ingredient.

"An activator reacts with the rest of your ingredients and transforms them into something new--in this case, slime! Slime happens when you mix the liquid substance in your glue with the boric acid in an activator. This fun transformation is called cross-linking."

Troy added the activator to his sister's bowl and watched her stir it in. "It's so slimy!" Emma held her slime in front of Troy's face with a grin. "Thanks for helping me!"

"No problem, sis. Hey, did you know that you helped me?"

"I did?" Emma poked her slime. "How?"

"Before you called for help, I was thinking about some friends of mine. They don't know Jesus and have started doing some stuff that's not good for them. Instead of talking to them about it, I just stayed away from them. But God used your slime project to remind me that I should do something different."

"What's that?" Emma asked.

"Since I have God's Spirit in me, I can be an activator to those around me who are in darkness. I have His light, and I need to shine it to others. I don't have to participate in the wrong things my friends are doing, but I can choose to show them a better way. I can tell my friends about a different kind of cross-linking: Jesus died on the cross and rose again so we could cross over from death to life and be transformed!"

Emma raised her slime in the air. "Activators make everything better!"

–Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Are you allowing God to use you as an activator to those He has placed in your life? Jesus said that those who trust in Him are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If we hide the light of Jesus within us, how will those who are lost come to know Him? Trust God for courage to be an activator for Him and shine His light to those around you.

Today's Key Verse:
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV) (Matthew 5:16)

Today's Key Thought:
Be an activator in the world

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 105:42-45; Romans 8:32

"I'm getting mint chocolate chip!" Peyton said as he climbed into the van. "Two scoops!"

Ian was right behind him. "I'm getting orange sherbet with sprinkles!"

"And I," said Dad, "am getting the biggest fudge sundae you've ever seen."

"Hey!" said Peyton. "You didn't get a good report card."

"No, but I promised everybody ice cream after a good first half of the school year," said Dad. "And since I'm driving, that includes me. Now buckle in, we have a few stops to make first."

They watched longingly out the window as Dad drove past the ice cream shop. But after the grocery store, gas station, and library, Peyton and Ian grew worried. When Dad drove by the only other ice cream shop in town, Ian frowned and crossed his arms. "He broke his promise," he whispered to Peyton.

Peyton swallowed. "Um, Dad? Are you mad at us?"

Dad met his eyes in the rearview mirror. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, because you changed your mind about ice cream. There are no more ice cream shops." Peyton looked out his window. "Where are we, anyway?"

Dad was about to respond when Ian spoke up. "Look, a big sign with a cow on it! Ice cream!"

Dad pulled in and parked the car. "Best ice cream for miles. A bit of a drive, but I thought you two deserved something special."

"You didn't lie to us!" said Ian.

"Of course not," said Dad.

"It was just taking so long," said Peyton. "And we've never been this way before."

Dad smiled. "I understand. You know, God also takes us places we've never been. When it seems like it's taking a long time, it's easy to forget His promises too."

"I did wonder where you were taking us," said Ian, eyeing a big jar of sprinkles behind the counter.

"And we might wonder the same thing about God," said Dad. "But God never lies. He fulfilled His promise to save us by sending us His own Son, and He will always keep His promise to love and care for us, even when we struggle to trust Him." Dad led the boys up to the counter. "Now, pick what you want. I promise it'll be some of the best ice cream you've ever had!"

–Kelly Carlson

How About You?
Do you ever feel like God is breaking His promise to take care of you and do what's best for you? In the Bible, God proved He was faithful in His promise to send Jesus to save us from our sins and restore our relationship with Him. His promise for you today is that He will always be with you. No matter what you're going through, you can trust that He will never let you down.

Today's Key Verse:
He will remember his agreement forever. He will always keep the promises he made to his people. (ERV) (Psalm 105:8 )

Today's Key Thought:
God keeps His promises