Bible Reading: Isaiah 41:8-10

"Oh no! No, no, no! Get me off this thing! Mom, make them stop!" Carrie squirmed nervously as the seat she was strapped into began to rise higher and higher into the air.

Mom laughed and grabbed Carrie's hand. "Sorry, honey, but I think it's too late to get off now. Believe me, you're going to love it! It's just a little scary right now."

Carrie continued to whimper as the ride climbed higher, and she gave a little shriek as the seats bumped into place high up in the air.

"It's okay," Mom reassured her. "I'm right here with you. You're going to be fine."

"Okay," Carrie said, squeezing Mom's hand tight. She looked down at the park below them. "Hey, Mom, it's actually kind of cool to see everything from up here. I can see--aaaaahhhh!" Carrie screamed as the ride suddenly dropped.

Mom screamed too, and then they were both laughing as the ride bounced back up and down a few more times before finally settling back down on the ground.

"Mom, that was so much fun! Can we go on it again?"

Mom laughed. "Are you sure? I thought you wanted to get off before."

"Oh. Yeah, well, I did, but I just held on to your hand and tried not to be scared, and it was still pretty scary at first, but then it was really fun!" Carrie took a deep breath and grinned. "I want to go again."

As they waited in line, Mom said, "You know, Carrie, this ride made me think of you being nervous about starting a new school in a few weeks. It can help remind you that you don't have to be afraid when you're facing something scary in life. Jesus is right there with you, and it's like He's holding your hand. You don't have to be afraid--and you might even find out that whatever you're afraid of is really a great thing for you."

Carrie nodded thoughtfully. "I'll try to remember that, Mom." She started walking as the attendant motioned them forward. "I know Jesus is with me, but will you still hold my hand during the ride?"

"Sure, honey. No problem." Mom laughed and gave Carrie's hand a quick squeeze.

–Robyn Mulder

How About You?
Are you facing something scary in your life right now--something much bigger than a ride at an amusement park? No matter what it is you're facing, Jesus is right there with you. He loves you so much He gave His life for you, and He promises to always be with those who trust in Him. He'll be there to help you and comfort you, and He will never leave you.

Today's Key Verse:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…for the Lord your God goes with you. (NIV) (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus is always with you

Bible Reading: Romans 12:3-5

"I want to play first base this year, and Coach Nichols won't let me!" said Quincy. "He says I'll help the team more if I play right field." He frowned. "The guys have a saying about right field. They say, 'right field equals left out,' because the ball never gets hit to that side of the outfield."

"Now, hold on! That's just not true!" said Dad. "A good right fielder often makes important plays--and I know you'll be a good one." But nothing Dad said could convince Quincy that right field was a good position for him.

The next day, Quincy helped his father plant geraniums in the front yard. "Maybe we could get some of those bushes with white flowers we saw when we hiked up Mount Major," said Quincy. "They'd look nice here with the geraniums."

Dad shook his head. "Those plants grow well in higher elevations, but I don't think they'd do well down here. God didn't intend for all plants to thrive in the same location. Each species has its own spot in the plant kingdom. That principle applies to people too. God has blessed every one of us with the talents we need to do the best job in the special spot He's put us in."

Dad smiled at Quincy. "For example, God gave you one of the strongest throwing arms on your baseball team. That's important for a right fielder, so give it a chance. Perhaps God has a special lesson He wants you to learn by playing right field on your ball team."

"What lesson could there be in that?" asked Quincy.

"Maybe God wants you to see that every person on a team is important," said Dad. "That's true for baseball, and it's also true for another team you're on--Jesus's team of all those who trust in Him. God gave every Christian an important part to play in caring for other members of Christ's team and sharing His love with those who don't know Him. Without each person's important role, the whole team suffers--just like your baseball team won't do as well if you refuse to play right field."

Quincy sighed. "Okay," he said after a moment. "Right field, here I come!"

–Linda M. Magoon

How About You?
Do you get upset when you don't get the position you want--whether it's on a sports team or within Christ's team of believers? Jesus gave you the gifts and abilities He did so you could fill an important role and serve Him with other Christians. So no matter where He places you, be a team player and use your gifts to help the body of Christ share His love with the world.

Today's Key Verse:
Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. (NKJV) (1 Corinthians 12:22)

Today's Key Thought:
Each team member is important

Bible Reading: Luke 15:4-10; Acts 1:8

"Mom, have you seen my other tennis shoe?" Piper ran from room to room with only one shoe on, desperately looking for the other one. She was supposed to be leaving to spend the night at her friend Aryanna's house.

"No, but I can help you look. Do you remember where you saw it last?" Mom asked.

Piper shook her head, and the two frantically looked for the missing shoe. They looked under beds, in the closet, in the bathroom, and even in Piper's brother's room.

"Are you sure you didn't pack it with your overnight things?" Mom asked.

Piper was about to say she would never do anything silly like that, but she knew Mom would just make her look anyway, so she began pulling out everything from her bag. The last thing she pulled out was her missing shoe. "Oops--here it is!" Piper said, a little embarrassed. "Well, I'm glad it's been found."

"Remember I'm going to pick you up for church tomorrow," Mom said as they got in the car. "Did you invite Aryanna to come?" Piper shook her head. "Did you know that the Bible talks about Jesus wanting us to help Him find what's lost?" Mom asked.

Piper shot her mom a puzzled look. "What could Jesus have lost that He would need our help finding? He's God's Son. He knows everything!"

"The Bible says Jesus wants us to help bring lost sinners to Him. We can do that by praying for them and sharing how He's changed our lives--and even by inviting them to church." Mom turned to look at Piper. "Do you remember how happy and relieved you felt when you found your missing shoe?" Piper nodded. "Well," said Mom, "the Bible says all of heaven rejoices when one sinner is saved. That's how happy God is when one lost person is found. And even though God is the only one who can change a person's heart, He wants us to play a part by praying for others and pointing them to Him so we can rejoice with Him when they're found."

"Okay, Mom. I'll see if Aryanna wants to come to church with us tomorrow," Piper said as they pulled into Aryanna's driveway. "And I'll pray for her too."

–Melissa Yeagle

How About You?
Do you know people who don't know Jesus? We can't change people's hearts, but we can play a role in bringing others to Jesus by praying for them, telling them what He did for us on the cross, and inviting them to learn more about Him. Trust God to help you point others to Jesus, and when one of them is found, you can rejoice with all of heaven!

Today's Key Verse:
There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (NKJV) (Luke 15:10)

Today's Key Thought:
Point others to Jesus

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

"There goes Old Faithful!" Corbin said as they watched hot water burst from the ground and shoot high into the air. He and his sister Fiona were showing their aunt a video Corbin had made on their vacation to Yellowstone National Park. "The park ranger said the rock deep underground is so hot it heats the spring water," said Corbin.

"And then it reaches its boiling point and boils up and shoots out of the ground," added Fiona.

After their aunt had left, Fiona and Corbin got out a game. "You lose!" Corbin said after they played a little while. "You're not allowed to make that move!"

"I am too!" said Fiona. But Corbin wouldn't agree, and the two started arguing. Finally, Fiona pushed back her chair. "You make me so mad!"

"What did I do?" Corbin asked.

"Tons of things!" Fiona's voice grew louder. "You cheat, you used my bike without asking, you embarrassed me in front of my friends, and you spilled juice on my homework. I hate you!" She ran to her bedroom and slammed the door. Then she opened it and slammed it again.

Corbin followed Mom to Fiona's room. "You know we don't slam doors," Mom said. "And that angry outburst was not pretty."

"Yeah," said Corbin. "You erupted with more force than Old Faithful." He grinned. "Hey, I know! I'll call you Old Fiona."

"Corbin, go to your room," said Mom. "I'll talk to you later." When he had left, she turned back to Fiona. "Corbin does have a point."

"But he's mean!" said Fiona. "He'd make anybody mad!"

"We all have feelings of anger at times," said Mom. "We need to deal with them, not just let them build up and burst out. One way to deal with your anger is to talk to the person who made you angry and explain what's bothering you. Don't store up angry feelings and grudges. Make an effort to make peace and be friends."

"I don't think Corbin would listen, so why even bother?" asked Fiona.

"Give him a chance," said Mom. "And be willing to forgive. Remember that Jesus has forgiven you for all your wrongs and will help you forgive and love others. A loving relationship with anyone is always worth the effort."

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
What do you do with your anger? Do you keep it inside and let it build up into bitterness and resentment? Does it erupt in angry words and hurtful actions? Don't let it do that! Talk with the person who made you angry, and if necessary, tell an adult how you feel. Then trust God to help you deal with your anger and be willing to forgive.

Today's Key Verse:
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. (NIV) (Ephesians 4:26)

Today's Key Thought:
Don't store up angry feelings

Bible Reading: Psalm 23; John 10:1-12, 27-28

Evening descended swiftly on the French Alps. Chloe snuggled closer to her dad as the two of them and her dad's friend Jules huddled around a fire for warmth. "Another good thing about being a sheep is all that wool to keep you warm," Chloe said.

Jules nodded. "It's almost time to put them in their pen for the night. If I wait until it gets too dark, the wolves come out."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Have you ever had to fight a wolf, Uncle Jules?"

He nodded solemnly. "Fortunately, I was able to save the lamb. The sheep know they are safe when they stay close to me, just like we are safe with Jesus, our shepherd."

"That doesn't mean bad things won't happen to us," Dad interjected. "Everyone goes through darkness and tough times. But our Good Shepherd promises to be with us through every dark valley we encounter."

"So we don't need to fear, just like David wrote in Psalm Twenty-Three," Chloe said softly. "Uncle Jules, what about the verse where David talks about God anointing his head with oil? What does that have to do with sheep?"

Jules grinned. "Do you think Chloe can handle this, John?"

"It's kind of gross, Chloe," Dad warned.

"I can handle it!"

"We have different medicine now, but back in David's day, shepherds used to pour oil over the sheep's heads to protect them from bugs," said Jules.

"That's not so gross--kind of like giving pets flea medicine."

"But these kinds of bugs would eventually make their way into the sheep's brains and destroy them."

"Ewww!" Chloe shuddered. "Good thing they have a shepherd to protect every part of them--even their brains."

"God does the same thing for us," Jules noted. "When we listen to the truth of His Word, it transforms and renews our minds and helps keep us from fixating on what might harm us. Instead of worry, we can feel His peace. That's why reading and memorizing God's Word is important."

Chloe gazed at the sheep thoughtfully. "Uncle Jules, I've learned a lot this week. One thing's for sure--I'm going to listen to my Good Shepherd."

–Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Do you follow Jesus as your shepherd? Jesus says He is the gate for the sheep--trusting Him to save you through His sacrifice on the cross is the only way to have eternal, abundant life. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.) As His sheep, we need to listen to Him. He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. Listen to your Good Shepherd so He can fill your thoughts with His peace.

Today's Key Verse:
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. (NIV) (John 10:27)

Today's Key Thought:
Listen to your Good Shepherd