Bible Reading: Romans 3:22-26

Michael bolted out of the car and ran to the dock. His special day was finally here! Mom had secretly saved some money for a special treat: a water tour of the spectacular rock formations on the coast near their hometown.

When they were finally out on the water, Michael couldn't stop looking at all the colors of the cliffs, but the pilot couldn't stop watching the dark clouds on the horizon. "I know we haven't seen the full tour yet, but I don't like the look of the weather," he told the passengers. "We're heading back. Please make sure your life vests are on securely."

Shocked, Michael finally tore his eyes off the cliffs. The waves piled up bigger and bigger, and a fierce wind plucked at the edges of his jacket. They were still a long way from the dock when suddenly a huge wave tipped their boat over!

"Mom! Mom, where are you?" Michael spluttered frantically, trying to clear his eyes in the water. He suddenly felt a strong arm across his chest, and he was scooped up out of the ocean.

"Kid, are you okay? Can you breathe? Talk to me!" a woman's voice said urgently.

Michael blinked the seawater away and saw his mom and another woman in a blue uniform. They were rescued!

As she checked Michael for injuries, the woman said, "We saw a storm come up on radar, and the schedule showed that your tour would be too far away to get to safety before the storm arrived, so we were dispatched to come find you."

Michael couldn't believe how God had taken care of them. They had no idea they would even be in trouble, but He had worked to save them even then!

Later, Mom and Michael talked about their day. Michael asked, "That's what Jesus did for us, right? Long ago, before anyone knew we needed to be saved from our sins, He already had a plan to take care of us on the cross."

"You're right, and there was nothing we could do to save ourselves then, just like we couldn't save ourselves in the water. We needed Jesus to save us both of those times," Mom replied.

Despite the scary day, Michael smiled knowing that Jesus had saved him twice.

-Nicole Kraayenbrink

How About You?
Did you know you need to be saved from sin--the bad things you've done? God loves you, and so He came up with a plan to rescue you. Jesus took the punishment for your sins Himself by dying on the cross. When He rose again three days later, He showed He is more powerful than sin and death, and He's powerful enough to rescue you. Trust Him to save you. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (NIV) (Romans 3:23-24)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust Jesus to save you

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:24-27

"I don't want you to move out," Jenna said with a cry as she gave her big sister another hug. "This is my last year of elementary school. How can I face it without you here?"

Melanie eased back and knelt down on the driveway. She wiped a tear away from Jenna's eyes and took her sister's hands in hers. "Jenna, you knew this was coming. I can't stay at home forever."

"Why not? You don't have to move away to college, do you? Too much is changing." Jenna couldn't hold back another sob from slipping out.

Melanie thought a moment, and then she reached into the nearby grass, took a large stone, and dropped it into her little sister's hand. "Here. After I leave, I want you to display this on your dresser."

"What? Why?"

"Remember when that tornado came through here? It wasn't a big one, but it was still powerful enough to rip apart buildings that weren't strong enough to handle the winds. But buildings that were built on a strong foundation stood firm and didn't get swept away."

"What does this stone have to do with the tornado?" Jenna looked down curiously at the rock.

"I want it to serve as your reminder. Life will always bring new winds of change. But as long as we remain firm on the foundation of our faith in Jesus, those tornadoes of change may rattle us, but they don't have the power to sweep away our place of refuge in Him. He's our Rock."

Jenna's bottom lip quivered. "But I'm still going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too. But let Jesus be the source of your security, okay?"

Jenna nodded as a powerful breeze toyed with her ponytail. She clasped the stone in her hand. "Jesus isn't going to leave me too, is He?"

Melanie smoothed a hand over her sister's hair. "Of course not. He will never abandon those who trust in Him. He will always be with you and give you the rock-solid stability you need to stay steadfast during winds of change. I promise."

"In that case, I'm going to trust Him for as long as I live." Jenna grinned and gave her sister one last hug.

-Tessa Emily Hall

How About You?
What kind of changes have you experienced as you've grown older? Maybe you've started a new school or, like Jenna, have had a sibling move out. Life will always present new changes, but if you know Jesus as your Savior, He is your rock-solid foundation that will never change. Your eternal security is in Him, and you can trust Him to be with you through all of life's changes.

Today's Key Verse:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (NKJV) (Psalm 18:2)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus is our rock-solid foundation