Bible Reading: Revelation 21:1-4, 18-27

Just as Jaden was about to leave for school, he learned it had been canceled because of a furnace breakdown. "Why don't you come to work with me today," said Dad, who was a real estate agent. "I've got a couple house tours."

That morning, they met Mr. and Mrs. Pearson, who were moving from another town. "Since our boys couldn't come along to look at houses, it will be good to have you with us, Jaden," said Mrs. Pearson. "One of our sons is about your age."

Jaden didn't like the first house they toured. It was too big and fancy-looking for him. The second house seemed dark inside, and the rooms were small.

"Now this is my kind of house," Jaden said when they reached the third place. "That tree would be perfect for a treehouse!" The inside of the house was even better. "There are lots of hiding places in here," he said with shining eyes.

"I think you just made your first sale, Jaden," Mr. Pearson said after they looked around. "If you like this house, we're sure our boys will like it too."

On Sunday, Jaden pulled a piece of paper out of his Bible after church. "You're not going to believe this, Dad. We had to make a real estate ad for heaven in Sunday school today. Want to see what I wrote?"

"Sure do." Dad took the paper and read it aloud. "A mansion built just for you on a street of gold. No bedrooms, because there is no night. No hospitals nearby, because there is no sickness. The entire city is decorated with fabulous jewels. Cost: Nothing! It has already been paid for by Jesus and is a gift to anyone who trusts in Him. Best of all, Jesus is there!"

Dad smiled. "That's great! But don't forget that we advertise through our actions and attitude as well as our words. Just like Mr. and Mrs. Pearson saw how excited you were about that house, we can let others see the joy of having Jesus in our lives and the peace of knowing we will spend eternity with Him. And we can show them His love through our actions."

Jaden nodded. "Then hopefully they'll want to spend eternity in heaven with Him too."

–Linda Weddle

How About You?
How many advertisements do you see in a day? Ads can make things sound too good to be true. But the good news that Jesus paid for our sins so we could spend eternity with Him is true! The Bible gives us a glimpse of what heaven will be like when Jesus gets rid of sin, sickness, and death forever and makes everything new. Let others see His love, joy, and peace in your life and tell them how they can live with Him forever too.

Today's Key Verse:
[Jesus] told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." (NLT) (Mark 16:15)

Today's Key Thought:
Advertise your heavenly home

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 4:16-18

Skye sat on her front porch step. The sun shone from a clear blue sky, but deep inside, Skye felt as if a dark cloud hovered overhead. She looked down at Rags, her new brown puppy. She picked him up and hugged him.

Just then Dad, who served in the military, got home. "What's wrong, pumpkin?" he asked as he sat down beside her. "You look as if you don't have one friend in the whole wide world."

"I--I just wonder what's going to happen," said Skye. "What if…" She hesitated. "Sometimes I almost wish you weren't in the Army. What if you get transferred overseas? I'd be so lonely if you were so far away."

"I understand how you feel--I'd be lonely then too," said Dad. "But remember how we prayed and talked about how God cares for us, no matter where we are?" Skye nodded, and Dad gave her a hug. "No matter where I might be sent, Jesus is with me, and He's with you and Mom and the rest of the kids too. He died and rose again to give us eternal life, and we can trust Him to be with us and take care of us, no matter what happens."

Skye sighed. "I know."

Dad looked at the little dog resting peacefully in Skye's lap. "Think about Rags for a minute," he said. "Do you remember how lonely he was the first few days you had him?"

Skye nodded. "He cried for his mother a lot, especially at night when there was nobody to pay attention to him." She buried her face in the puppy's furry neck.

"But you gave him so much love that he learned to depend on you, and he's happy to be with us now." Dad reached out to pet the little dog. "If you care so much for your puppy, don't you think the Lord cares even more for us?" Sighing, Skye nodded. "And just like Rags trusts you to take care of him, we can trust God to do the same for us," added Dad. "We may not always like everything that happens, but we can trust Jesus to be with us and give us the strength we need to carry on."

–Marilyn J. Senterfitt

How About You?
Has something happened in your life that's made you feel lonely? Today's Bible reading was written by Paul, and it tells about a time when he was put in prison. He says no one stayed with him or helped him--everybody left him alone. But God didn't leave him! God stayed with him and gave him strength, and He'll do the same for you too. Jesus loves you so much He gave His life to save you, and He will never leave you alone.

Today's Key Verse:
The Lord stood with me and strengthened me. (NKJV) (2 Timothy 4:17)

Today's Key Thought:
God is always with you

Bible Reading: Romans 8:35-39

"I miss Buster!" wailed eight-year-old Xander when the family's loyal dog died. "He was a hero! Remember when Finn got lost and Buster found him playing in the woods? And the time I got really sick and Buster stayed in my room every day until I got better?" Xander wiped his eyes. "I wish he was still here with us."

"I wish we could have kept Buster longer too," Mom said sadly. "But he was very old, and his body just wore out. Let's try to be thankful for all the years we did have him."

"But--" Xander had just begun to ask another hard question when his four-year-old brother burst into the room.

"Vroooom!" shouted Finn as he zoomed in a circle and then stopped in front of Mom and Xander. He was wearing a yellow and blue shirt that had the name of his school on the front--except that where the school's emblem should have been, there was only a jumbled mass of colored threads.

Xander was not happy about the interruption. "Your shirt's inside out, Finn," he snapped.

"Yes, it is, but look closer, Xander," said Mom. "Maybe Finn's shirt can help answer your questions about Buster. These knots and loose threads here on the inside of the shirt are similar to how life's difficulties look to us. When someone we love dies, or when something bad happens, life can look like an ugly mess."

Mom helped Finn turn the shirt right side out so the school emblem was visible. "The same threads that looked so bad a moment ago make this side beautiful," she continued. "God does the same thing in our lives. None of the difficult things that happen can separate us from His love. Jesus came into our messy world and died and rose again to save us, and He promises to help us through each disappointment and hardship. He even uses them to form a beautiful design--He works them together for our good." She put an arm around Xander's shoulders. "When you miss Buster, remember that Jesus loves you and understands how you feel. Trust Him to be with you through the hard, painful things and use them for good."

–Joyce P. Jentes

How About You?
Are you going through hard times in your life? Maybe you're feeling sad and lonely because a family member died or your best friend moved away. Those things hurt, but remember that Jesus loves you and understands your pain. Nothing can separate you from Him. Trust Him to be with you through hard times and use them to make something beautiful out of your life.

Today's Key Verse:
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God. (CSB) (Romans 8:28 )

Today's Key Thought:
God works for your good

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:3-6

"Look at how bright the stars are tonight!" Dawson's little brother, Parker, gaped at the sky from his spot on the lawn.

"Yeah, and the moon is really bright too," said Dawson.

"Why is it so bright?" asked Parker. "Is it a great big ball of fire?"

Dawson laughed and shook his head. "The sun is more like a ball of fire. The moon doesn't actually have any light at all. It reflects the light of the sun--that's why it looks bright. I learned about that in my science class."

"Come on in, boys!" called Mom. "It's time to get to bed."

The boys got up from the grass and headed for the house. Once they were inside, Parker ran over to the window and pointed to the moon. "Guess what, Mom! Dawson told me that the moon isn't really a big fireball--it just reflects the sun's light. Did you know that?"

Mom smiled. "Yes, I did know that. Now scoot along to bed, or morning will come before you're ready for it."

After church the following day, Dawson asked his parents a question that had been puzzling him. "My teacher says people are supposed to see Jesus in us. But we aren't Jesus, so how can they see Him? I don't get it."

"Well," said Mom, "remember what you told Parker about the sun and the moon when you were outside last night?"

"Sure," said Dawson. "I said the moon reflects the light of the sun."

"Right," said Mom. "The moon isn't the sun, but it reflects it. When people look at the moon, the light they see is really the light of the sun. And we're not Jesus, but because we belong to Him and have His Spirit in us, we can reflect His light. When people see what we do and how we treat others, they should be seeing Jesus's character shining through us."

"That's right," said Dad. "When we trust the Holy Spirit to help us be kind, patient, truthful, and unselfish, we reflect Jesus and His great love for everyone. Just like the moon reflects the light of the sun, Christians are able to reflect the love of God's Son--Jesus."

–Anna E. Baumeister

How About You?
If you're a Christian, do others see the love of Jesus reflected in your life? When you show others the same kind of love Jesus showed us by dying for our sins, others will see Him in you. But you can't do it on your own--Jesus gave you the Holy Spirit so you can shine His light to others. Trust the Spirit to help you and guide you as you reflect Jesus's love to those around you.

Today's Key Verse:
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. (NKJV) (1 Peter 2:21)

Today's Key Thought:
Let Jesus be seen in you

Bible Reading: Genesis 22:11-18; Isaiah 7:14

"Mia? Why are you lying on the beach?" Mom asked as she came outside and sat down beside her daughter. "It's dark out."

Mia turned to look at her mom, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, honey." Mom hugged her. "Why are you crying?"

"D-d-dad promised he would come see me today. But he never came," Mia sobbed.

Mom hugged her again. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry your dad didn't keep his promise."

"Promises are stupid," Mia said as she pulled away from Mom and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

Mom sighed. "It's very hard for people to keep promises. We make mistakes. But there is someone who keeps every promise He makes."

"Who is that?" Mia asked.

"God. In fact, He made Abraham a promise that I'm reminded of being out here tonight." Mom picked up a handful of sand. "God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as many as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the beach."

"I think I remember that story," Mia said. "Didn't he and his wife have a baby when they were really old?"

"Yes, that was Abraham. He had to wait a long time for a baby. And after God gave him a son, He asked Abraham to sacrifice that son. Abraham was going to do that, but God stopped him and told him it had been a test to see how much Abraham trusted God."

Mia bit her lip. "God kept His promise?"

"Yes, Abraham had many, many descendants. King David was one of them, and the Bible says Jesus Himself is a son of Abraham." Mom smiled. "Through His promise to bless Abraham with many children, God also kept another promise. He promised to send a Savior to rescue His people."

"Jesus!" Mia exclaimed. "I know that one. Jesus came as a baby and grew up so He could die for our sins."

Mom nodded. "He sent Jesus to die for our sins and then raised Him from the dead. If we trust in Jesus, He promises that He will always be with us and that we will spend forever with Him. And God always keeps His promises."

–Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Has anyone ever broken a promise they made to you? Maybe it was a friend, a parent, or a teacher. It doesn't feel very nice when someone breaks a promise, does it? God will never break a promise. He promises to love us, help us, and always be with us, and He sent us a Savior so we can spend eternity with Him. How great is a promise like that?

Today's Key Verse:
All of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" (NLT) (2 Corinthians 1:20 )

Today's Key Thought:
God always keeps His promises