Bible Reading: Psalm 139:23-24

"Honey, would you grab a cart and get started in the produce aisle? I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Sunny gave her mom a thumbs-up and got started on the week's grocery list. To her annoyance, she soon realized she'd picked the loudest cart. One of the wheels was stuck, and every time Sunny turned, the squeaky rubber sound made her cringe.

An older gentleman chuckled as he walked by. "Are you trying to start a drag race in here?" he asked. Sunny was hard-pressed to think of a time she'd felt more embarrassed.

"Well, there you are! I don't know how I was ever able to find you!" Mom said, trying not to laugh.

"Mom, I'm so embarrassed! I should've just gone back for another cart." Sunny's blushing cheeks rivaled the apples in the display behind her.

"Aw, honey. It happens to everyone. In fact, do you know what this reminds me of?"

Sunny shook her head, looking around to see if anyone was staring at her.

"Sure, squeaky wheels can be annoying, but they also alert us to problem areas--sort of like how the Lord alerts us to places in our lives where He wants us to grow. Did you know that in the Bible, King David asked God to highlight the places in his heart that didn't line up with who God was making him to be?" Mom knocked on a watermelon. "Just like I'm testing the integrity of this fruit, our good Father wants to make sure we're strong too. David knew this and wanted to know where in his life he needed to grow. We can also ask the Lord to show us where we're weak, but don't be surprised if you start noticing some squeaky areas needing attention."

"Really? Has this happened to you, Mom?"

"You bet! Many times. It's not always easy to get up close and personal with the squeaky places we're not so proud of, but as we turn them over to the Lord, He shapes those weakened areas and helps us become more like Jesus."

"That's pretty cool, Mom. I love that God cares so much about our growth. I think I'll ask Him where I can grow. In the meantime, can we ditch this squeaky cart?"

Laughing, Mom said, "Not before we alert the manager about this busted wheel!"

-Sara Woodard

How About You?
Are you too young to preach? To organize meetings? To prepare a dinner? That's okay. Someday the Lord may ask you to do those things. But right now, perhaps you--not your parent or your pastor--can be a friend to the new kid at school, or pray for your teacher, or invite your classmates to church. Whatever God asks you to do, be willing to do it. Be a light for Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much. (CSB) (Luke 16:10)

Today's Key Thought:
Your tasks are important

Bible Reading: Philippians 4:6-8

At the breakfast table, Everly plopped down across from her brother Anthony. "I had another nightmare last night," she said with a sigh.

Anthony looked up from his cereal. "The one about a giant, hairy bat with a gazillion bulging eyes--like the creature in that movie you saw?"

"Yep," Everly said wearily. "That's the one."

"What's the big deal, Everly?" asked Anthony. "Why don't you just forget that thing? You shouldn't think about it right before you go to sleep. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't think about it anymore at all!"

"Are you sure about that, Anthony? Let's try something," said Mom. "Right now, I want you to not think about a walrus wearing a red polka-dot swimsuit." She paused. Then she asked, "What are you thinking of?"

"Um, well…" Anthony sighed, figuring he'd might as well tell the truth. "In my mind, I see a walrus splashing around in the water wearing a really funny-looking swimsuit."

"Exactly! Just saying you won't think about something isn't enough," said Mom. "If you really want to stop thinking about it, try replacing those thoughts with something else."

"Like what?" Anthony asked.

"How about something that's beautiful?" Mom suggested.

"Like the woods around Grandma's cottage?" asked Everly.

"Or a humongous pepperoni pizza?" asked Anthony with a chuckle. "Now that's beautiful!"

Mom laughed. "Yes, both of those pictures are beautiful in their own way. Another idea is to think about a good story or song--maybe something you learned at church. Or try to think of a Bible verse that begins with the letter A, then B, and so on. That will help you remember the beautiful truth that you belong to Jesus, who is more powerful than anything bad you could ever think of."

"So it's kind of like crowding out the bad with the good, right?" asked Everly.

"You've got the idea," said Mom. "Crowd out those bad thoughts with good things."

Everly nodded. "Okay. Tonight when I go to bed, I'm going to try it." She grinned. "I know! Before I go to sleep, I'll try to think of Bible characters starting with all the letters of the alphabet--all the way from Andrew to Zacchaeus!"

-Mike Dize

How About You?
Do you struggle with unwanted thoughts that pop into your head? When you try not to think those thoughts, do you end up thinking about them even more? Replace them with better thoughts instead. Try counting your blessings, naming some from A to Z. See how many Bible stories you can remember. Share your scary thoughts with Jesus so He can remind you He is more powerful than they are. Let the beauty of His truth and love crowd out unwanted thoughts.

Today's Key Verse:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (NLT) (Psalm 139:23)

Today's Key Thought:
Replace unwanted thoughts

Bible Reading: Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 19:5-9

Olive and Elliot were excited about the costume party their youth group was going to have. There was going to be a prize for the best homemade character costume.

"I hope I win first prize," Olive said as she worked on her princess costume. She showed Elliot a little paper crown decorated with beads. "Do you like my jeweled tiara?"

"Nice!" said Elliot. "I just finished making a hat for my Robin Hood costume." He proudly displayed his handiwork.

Olive grinned. "Well, if I don't win, I hope you do!"

When they got dressed for the party later that week, Mom looked them over. "You both look great," she said. "I'd give each of you a prize."

After the party, Olive and Elliot rushed into the house. "Guess what?" Elliot exclaimed. "We both won! The judges couldn't decide which costume was best, so they said it was a tie."

"Yeah." Olive nodded. "I guess we kinda hogged the prizes. I almost feel guilty." She giggled. "Almost, but not quite!"

"Well, I'm glad you kids had fun," said Mom.

"We did," said Elliot. "And we even learned something too! Pastor Perry talked about all the work that went into costumes for this one evening of fun. Then he said we should make sure we have the right clothes for something even more important. He said the Bible talks about being clothed with salvation and righteousness."

Olive nodded. "When we trust Jesus to save us from sin, we're covered with His goodness, and that makes us acceptable in God's sight. In that sense, Jesus gives us the clothes we need to have eternal life with Him."

"That's right," said Mom. "Those are the clothes that really matter. We're so often concerned about what we wear to school or work or even a costume party, but it's much more important to make sure we have the right clothes for eternity. We need Jesus to cover us with His goodness and grace."

"Olive and I are both dressed for eternity," said Elliot.

"Yep. We both know Jesus!" Olive tugged at her princess dress. "But right now, I'm ready to change out of this costume and put on my pajamas."

Mom nodded. "Good night, Robin Hood and Princess Olive."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Do you put a lot of thought into what you wear to school or to a costume party? That's fine, but don't forget about the most important outfit of all. You need Jesus to clothe you in salvation and righteousness--you need Him to save you from sin and give you His goodness. Trust in Him so you'll have the right clothes for eternity. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. (NLT) (Isaiah 61:10)

Today's Key Thought:
Be dressed for eternity

Bible Reading: John 15:12-15; Romans 5:6-8

Ethan was so excited. He and his dad were at a basketball game, and Ethan hoped to get close enough to his hero--Jordan Williams--to speak with him. In Ethan's mind, Jordan was the greatest basketball player of all time. Ethan knew all the stats about Jordan. He hadn't missed a single televised game. He had sent Jordan scores of messages on his website, but he hadn't received a reply…yet. Jordan is a very busy guy, Ethan told himself. I'm sure he'll answer me after the season is over.

"Dad, can I go stand over there?" asked Ethan, pointing to a group of people standing close to the place where the players would enter. Dad nodded, and Ethan not only joined the group, but squeezed to the front of the crowd. Suddenly, they cheered as the team ran out. One by one the players ran by, waving.

Jordan is going to run right past here, Ethan realized. "Jordan!" he called. "Hey, Jordan! It's me, Ethan!" Ethan thrust his hand up for a high five, but Jordan ran past, not even noticing him. "He ran right by! He didn't even look at me!" exclaimed Ethan, feeling crushed.

A teenager standing behind him snorted. "What did you expect, kid? He's a celebrity. He doesn't know you." The teenager continued to chuckle as Ethan slowly walked back to his dad.

"Hey, buddy, what's wrong?" Dad asked. "You did see your hero run by, didn't you?"

"Yeah," said Ethan. "But even after all the messages I sent, he doesn't know who I am."

"Well, he's only human," said Dad. "He can't possibly know all his fans, even though they feel like they know him. But if he did know you, I'm sure he'd want to be your friend." He patted Ethan's shoulder. "That's the trouble with human heroes."

"What other kind is there?" Ethan asked, looking sad.

"There's Jesus!" replied Dad. "He's the greatest hero and the best friend anyone could ever have. And He knows you, buddy! He knows everything about you--and the best part of all is that He loves you. He loves you so much He became human and died on the cross to save you. He's the hero who will never let you down because He's not only human--He's also God."

-Beverly J. Porter

How About You?
Who do you admire? Do you think talent or lots of money or a big online following make a person great? The world is full of all sorts of heroes and celebrities, but there is only one person who is truly worthy of your praise--Jesus. He cares about you, and He died and rose again so you could live with Him forever! He is a true hero and a true friend.

Today's Key Verse:
No one can have greater love than to give his life for his friends. (NLV) (John 15:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Make Jesus your hero

Bible Reading: James 4:6-10

As Avi came into the kitchen, he spied a plate with an assortment of candies on the counter. Oh! That candy looks so good! He glanced at the clock. He wasn't allowed to have snacks this close to dinnertime, but Mom had gone upstairs. Avi walked closer and looked at the candy again. Then he reached out and picked up a piece. This one's green. I wonder if it's mint. He smelled it, then broke off a tiny corner and tasted it. It was as good as it looked. Soon the whole thing was gone.

I've gotta try a little piece of fudge too, Avi decided. It was delicious, and when that was gone, Avi tried some peanut brittle. Before he knew it, he had eaten a few more pieces of candy. He moved the remaining ones around a little so the plate wouldn't look quite so empty. Then he went to his room.

When Avi came to the dinner table a short time later, he glanced at the kitchen counter. The candy plate wasn't in sight, but after everyone had eaten, Mom said, "Wait till you see what our neighbors gave us." She went to the kitchen and brought back the plate of candies. "Mrs. Jeong made these," said Mom. "I thought this plate was fuller, but isn't it lovely? Let's have some for dessert."

Avi tried to ooh and aah with the rest of the family, but he felt so guilty--and full! When the plate came to him, tears filled Avi's eyes. "I can't eat any more," he said, and the story spilled out. "I'm sorry," Avi said when he finished. "I didn't mean to. I was only going to look at it."

Mom nodded. "Avi, do you see how you gave in to temptation little by little--how looking led to handling and smelling and tasting and eating? That's how Satan works. He gets you to give in just a little at a time so it doesn't seem so bad. He does that with other things that tempt us too--not just with candy. We need to resist Satan, and the best way to do that is to remember we belong to Jesus, who has freed us from sin and given us the power to say no to temptation, and refuse to take even one small peek."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Are there things you're tempted to do that don't seem all that bad? Like watch just the beginning of a movie your parents told you not to watch? Or take just a peek at suggestive pictures on the Internet? Be very careful! Satan wants you to try just a little. He knows you might try a little more the next time. But if you know Jesus, Satan has no power over you, and you can resist him. Say no to sin right from the start.

Today's Key Verse:
Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (NKJV) (James 4:7)

Today's Key Thought:
Resist temptation