Bible Reading: 1 Peter 4:8-11

Quinton liked to run, but he was never as fast as his big brothers. He enjoyed painting but never did as well as his older sister, so he didn't do it often. It seemed like everything Quinton did, they could do better than him.

One day, he expressed his feelings to his grandma as he helped her unload groceries from her car.

"There are a lot of things you're good at," Grandma said, handing him a bag to carry inside.

Quinton sighed. "But they're better than me."

Grandma shook her head as she led him into the house. "Not at everything. God has given you special talents too."

"Like what?" Quinton asked.

"You're pretty good when we play board games," Grandma said. "And I love to read the stories you write."

Quinton stuck a few cans into the pantry. "I wish I could be fast like my brothers though."

"Maybe you will be when you're a little older," Grandma said. "But even if you never are, that's okay too. God gives each of us unique talents. It would be boring if we were all the same."

Quinton thought about it. "Yeah, I guess it would be."

"When I was young, I wanted to be an actress like my sister. She was in plays at school and I thought she was so cool. But if I had tried out for the play and made it, then I wouldn't have done cheerleading, and that became something I loved doing that helped me make lasting friendships." Grandma put her arm around Quinton's shoulders. "God made us all unique and gives each of us different talents. But sometimes we get so caught up in comparing ourselves to others that we forget why God gave us our talents in the first place--so we could use them to help others see that we belong to Jesus and show them His love." She kissed his head. "God is happy with you just the way you are, Quinton, and so am I."

"Thanks, Grandma." Quinton hugged her. "If you really like my stories, I can write more of them for you instead of worrying about beating my brothers in a race."

His grandma smiled. "I do, and I would love that."

–Bethany Acker

How About You?
What are some of your special talents? Are you thankful for the way God made you--or are you too busy comparing yourself to your siblings, friends, and everybody else? God made each of us unique so that we could reflect His goodness and love in our own special way. Instead of wishing you could be like somebody else, focus on your own talents and trust God to help you use them to point others to Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (NIV) (Isaiah 64:8)

Today's Key Thought:
God made us all unique

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 4:8-11

Quinton liked to run, but he was never as fast as his big brothers. He enjoyed painting but never did as well as his older sister, so he didn't do it often. It seemed like everything Quinton did, they could do better than him.

One day, he expressed his feelings to his grandma as he helped her unload groceries from her car.

"There are a lot of things you're good at," Grandma said, handing him a bag to carry inside.

Quinton sighed. "But they're better than me."

Grandma shook her head as she led him into the house. "Not at everything. God has given you special talents too."

"Like what?" Quinton asked.

"You're pretty good when we play board games," Grandma said. "And I love to read the stories you write."

Quinton stuck a few cans into the pantry. "I wish I could be fast like my brothers though."

"Maybe you will be when you're a little older," Grandma said. "But even if you never are, that's okay too. God gives each of us unique talents. It would be boring if we were all the same."

Quinton thought about it. "Yeah, I guess it would be."

"When I was young, I wanted to be an actress like my sister. She was in plays at school and I thought she was so cool. But if I had tried out for the play and made it, then I wouldn't have done cheerleading, and that became something I loved doing that helped me make lasting friendships." Grandma put her arm around Quinton's shoulders. "God made us all unique and gives each of us different talents. But sometimes we get so caught up in comparing ourselves to others that we forget why God gave us our talents in the first place--so we could use them to help others see that we belong to Jesus and show them His love." She kissed his head. "God is happy with you just the way you are, Quinton, and so am I."

"Thanks, Grandma." Quinton hugged her. "If you really like my stories, I can write more of them for you instead of worrying about beating my brothers in a race."

His grandma smiled. "I do, and I would love that."

–Bethany Acker

How About You?
What are some of your special talents? Are you thankful for the way God made you--or are you too busy comparing yourself to your siblings, friends, and everybody else? God made each of us unique so that we could reflect His goodness and love in our own special way. Instead of wishing you could be like somebody else, focus on your own talents and trust God to help you use them to point others to Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (NIV) (Isaiah 64:8)

Today's Key Thought:
God made us all unique

Bible Reading: Hebrews 8:8-12; 10:16-18

"Aunt Kelly, take off your sandals!" Harriett exclaimed as she ran into the sand.

Her aunt smiled and removed her sandals before stepping into the sand. "It feels very nice on my feet."

"Let's go by the water," Harriett suggested, "I want to see how warm it is."

Aunt Kelly laughed and followed her niece. "Is it warm?" she asked as she sat down in the sand close to the water.

"Medium warm." Harriett shrugged. "I like it."

"I'm glad you could come visit and enjoy the water before it's too cold," Aunt Kelly said.

"Me too." Harriett bit her lip. "Aunt Kelly, do you remember last time I was here how you said God will forgive me when I sin?"

Aunt Kelly nodded. "I do remember that. I told you that Jesus died on the cross so you could be forgiven for the wrong things you've already done and the ones that will still happen, and you decided to trust Him as your Savior."

Harriett looked at the water for a moment. "Does He really forgive all my sins?"

Aunt Kelly smiled. "Yes, He really forgives them. Not only that, but He forgets about them."

Harriett frowned. "He does? I can't forget them--how does He forget them?"

Aunt Kelly stood up and walked over to the water's edge. "Come over here." She wrote the word sin in the sand. "See this? Let's pretend it's your sin, and the water is God." As she said that, the water washed over the word.

When the water went back, the word sin had vanished. "See?" said Aunt Kelly. "The word I wrote is gone. The water washed it away. That's how God forgives our sins. The Bible says that when we admit we've sinned and trust in Jesus for forgiveness, He will remember our sins no more--He doesn't think about them or ever hold them against us." Aunt Kelly looked at her niece. "We can look up verses that talk about God's forgiveness in your Bible if you'd like. Then we can write them down so you can go home and keep them in your room to remember that when God forgives sin, it's gone forever."

"Can we write them on pink paper?" Harriett asked.

Aunt Kelly smiled. "Pink paper sounds perfect."

–Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Have you ever sinned and not been able to stop thinking about it, even after asking God for forgiveness? Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions [or sins] from us." That's really far! How awesome is it to know that God loves us so much that He forgives and forgets our sins? Whenever a sin is bothering you, confess it to Him, knowing He will forgive you and not think of it again.

Today's Key Verse:
Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (NKJV) (Hebrews 10:17)

Today's Key Thought:
God forgives and forgets our sins

Bible Reading: Hebrews 8:8-12; 10:16-18

"Aunt Kelly, take off your sandals!" Harriett exclaimed as she ran into the sand.

Her aunt smiled and removed her sandals before stepping into the sand. "It feels very nice on my feet."

"Let's go by the water," Harriett suggested, "I want to see how warm it is."

Aunt Kelly laughed and followed her niece. "Is it warm?" she asked as she sat down in the sand close to the water.

"Medium warm." Harriett shrugged. "I like it."

"I'm glad you could come visit and enjoy the water before it's too cold," Aunt Kelly said.

"Me too." Harriett bit her lip. "Aunt Kelly, do you remember last time I was here how you said God will forgive me when I sin?"

Aunt Kelly nodded. "I do remember that. I told you that Jesus died on the cross so you could be forgiven for the wrong things you've already done and the ones that will still happen, and you decided to trust Him as your Savior."

Harriett looked at the water for a moment. "Does He really forgive all my sins?"

Aunt Kelly smiled. "Yes, He really forgives them. Not only that, but He forgets about them."

Harriett frowned. "He does? I can't forget them--how does He forget them?"

Aunt Kelly stood up and walked over to the water's edge. "Come over here." She wrote the word sin in the sand. "See this? Let's pretend it's your sin, and the water is God." As she said that, the water washed over the word.

When the water went back, the word sin had vanished. "See?" said Aunt Kelly. "The word I wrote is gone. The water washed it away. That's how God forgives our sins. The Bible says that when we admit we've sinned and trust in Jesus for forgiveness, He will remember our sins no more--He doesn't think about them or ever hold them against us." Aunt Kelly looked at her niece. "We can look up verses that talk about God's forgiveness in your Bible if you'd like. Then we can write them down so you can go home and keep them in your room to remember that when God forgives sin, it's gone forever."

"Can we write them on pink paper?" Harriett asked.

Aunt Kelly smiled. "Pink paper sounds perfect."

–Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Have you ever sinned and not been able to stop thinking about it, even after asking God for forgiveness? Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions [or sins] from us." That's really far! How awesome is it to know that God loves us so much that He forgives and forgets our sins? Whenever a sin is bothering you, confess it to Him, knowing He will forgive you and not think of it again.

Today's Key Verse:
Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (NKJV) (Hebrews 10:17)

Today's Key Thought:
God forgives and forgets our sins

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:22-25

"This has been quite a fruitful day, don't you think?" said Grandpa with a wink as they finished dinner at the close of James's first day in Arizona. James grinned. He and Grandpa had taken a trip to an orange grove, and they had come back with lots of delicious oranges.

"Since our minds are already on fruit, let's take a look at the fruit of the Spirit for devotions tonight--the spiritual qualities that come from knowing Jesus and having His Spirit in our hearts," said Grandpa. Opening his Bible, he leafed through the pages until he found the passage he was looking for. He handed the Bible to James and pointed to the verses he wanted read.

"The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control," James read. He looked at his grandparents. "That seems like a lot of fruit for one person!"

"Don't let the list scare you," said Grandpa. "All of us who trust in Jesus have this fruit in our lives, but sometimes we need to be reminded of that. Why don't we all think about the fruit listed in the passage and each pick out one we especially need to trust God to help us with?"

"Okay." James studied the list. "Mom is always telling me I need to be more patient," he said after a moment.

"And I need to depend on God to help me feel His peace in my life," said Grandma. "I tend to worry--like when you were a little late getting back from the orange grove today."

"And I need help with self-control," said Grandpa. "Now and then, I still get angry for silly reasons and need to remember that the Holy Spirit gives me the power to control my anger." He closed the Bible. "Let's pray for one another and trust God to display His fruit in our lives. And maybe before you go back home, we can talk about this again and see how God is working in us, okay?" James nodded.

"Okay then," said Grandma. "Now, who wants some oranges for dessert?"

"Me!" said James and Grandpa in unison.

–Esther M. Bailey

How About You?
Are you relying on the Holy Spirit to produce spiritual fruit in your life? When you struggle with things like worry, impatience, or anger, remember that He gives you peace and the power to show others the love of Jesus in any situation. You might also find it helpful to discuss it with a family member or a Christian friend. Help one another by praying for each other and discussing what God is doing in your lives.

Today's Key Verse:
The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (NLT) (Galatians 5:22-23)

Today's Key Thought:
God gives spiritual fruit