Bible Reading: Genesis 3:1-6, 17-19; John 1:29

"Thank you for helping with the pie, Lizzy!" said Grandma. The four-year-old beamed.

"What about me?" eight-year-old Henry asked, showing his grandmother the pie he'd made out of playdough.

"It's adorable." Grandma moved the apple pie to the back of the stove. "Lizzy, while the oven is heating up, why don't we go pick some green beans from the garden?"

"Okay!" Lizzy replied.

"Henry, are you going to come with us?" Grandma asked.

"I want to make pies," Henry replied, playdough in hand.

"Okay, we'll be outside for a bit then. Please don't touch the apple pie," Grandma said as she followed Lizzy outside.

After dinner and devotions that evening, Grandma served everyone a slice of apple pie. "Lizzy did wonderful today being my helper," she told Grandpa.

Lizzy beamed as she picked up her fork. "I like helping!" As she put a bite of pie in her mouth, the smile disappeared. "Yuck!" she exclaimed. "It's all full of salt!"

Grandpa tried a tiny bite. "You're right, Lizzy-girl, this does taste like a salt pie."

"Well!" Grandma looked at the pie. "How did that happen? I know I put the right amount of salt in."

"Henry, you're quiet," Grandpa noted as he looked at the boy.

Henry sighed. "I'm sorry, Grandma. I tried to put sugar on top of the pie so it would be extra yummy. But it wasn't sugar, it was salt. Now the pie is ruined."

Grandpa chuckled. "This reminds me of what we read in Genesis. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit, the curse of sin entered the world. And just like the salt in this pie, we can't fix it and get rid of the sin on our own. We need Jesus's help with that."

"He died on the cross so He could take all our sins far away." Lizzy frowned. "Is he going to fix the pie?"

Grandpa grinned. "One day He's going to fix the whole world! Then all sin will be gone forever."

"In the meantime, He gave us lots of apples on our tree so we can bake another pie." Grandma smiled. "This time, I think I'll have two helpers."

-Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Have you ever added too much salt to something? It takes over the food and makes the entire dish taste like salt. That's similar to how sin took over the world. The good news is that Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins and rose again so He could fix the world and we could spend eternity with Him. How awesome is that? Have you trusted Him to take your sins away? If not, do it today! (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV) (John 3:16)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus died for our sins

Bible Reading: Proverbs 11:25; Philippians 2:1-4

Juan noticed a boy sitting by himself in the school cafeteria. He's new here, and he must be lonely, Juan thought, remembering how he had felt when he was the new kid at school the year before.

When Juan finished eating his lunch and was ready to go outside for recess with his friends, he stopped at the door. I'm going back to talk to that kid, he decided.

Juan slid onto the bench across from the boy. "Hi," he said. "I'm Juan. What's your name?"

"My name is Haneul," replied the boy.

"Where are you from?" asked Juan.

"South Korea," Haneul answered.

"Want to play ball with us?" Juan asked. Haneul nodded enthusiastically.

Juan wasn't sure what made him do it, but as they left to go home after school, he invited Haneul to come over to his house. Haneul looked pleased, and they both checked to make sure it was okay with their parents.

Hanging out with Haneul turned out to be more fun than Juan expected. The boys played basketball and ping-pong and built a fort in the basement.

Soon Juan and Haneul became good friends. Their families also met each other, and the boys often visited each other's houses. At Haneul's house, Juan was served Korean food and learned to eat with chopsticks. He also learned some fascinating things about Korean culture.

"I'm so glad I decided to talk to Haneul when he first came to our school," Juan told his dad one day. "Every time I go to his house, I feel like I'm taking a trip to South Korea."

"Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed," Dad said with a smile.

"What does that mean?" asked Juan.

"It's from the Bible, and it means that generosity works like a boomerang--when we give to others out of what God has given to us, God blesses us for it," Dad explained. "You were willing to give your time and attention to Haneul when he was new and didn't know anyone, and you're receiving a special blessing in return--knowledge about another culture and a true friend." Dad smiled at Juan. "Through Jesus, we have God's love in our hearts, and when we share that love with others by showing them kindness, God often blesses those relationships and helps them grow stronger."

-Matilda H. Nordtvedt

How About You?
Have you found that treating others well helps you make friends and develop good relationships? Maybe it doesn't always seem that way. But when you treat others with the love and kindness God has shown you, most people will likely respond in a good way. Keep sharing God's love with others, and trust Him to bless those interactions and help them grow into beautiful friendships.

Today's Key Verse:
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (NIV) (Proverbs 11:25 )

Today's Key Thought:
Share God's love with others

Bible Reading: 1 John 3:1-3

Harper looked up when Mom closed her science textbook. "I think it's time for an experiment!" Mom said.

Harper followed Mom into the kitchen, where Mom pulled out one of the white carnations from the vase on the kitchen table. "What's the experiment?" Harper asked.

"What did we just learn about today in science?"

"We talked about how plants absorb water through a process called capillary action," Harper explained.

"Right! So now we're going to see that process in action." Mom handed Harper the flower.

Following Mom's direction, Harper cut the stem of the flower at an angle. Then she filled a glass jar with water and added ten drops of red food coloring. Harper placed the flower in the water. "Now what?"

"Now we wait," Mom said.

Harper watched the flower for a few minutes but left when nothing happened immediately. She forgot about the flower until she came down for breakfast the next morning. There, sitting on the table, was the carnation. But the carnation was no longer white. Instead, a rosy color tinged the edges of the petals. When Harper looked again at dinner, the color was even stronger. Harper checked on the flower each day for a week, watching as the red color became more defined.

"Well, what did you think?" Mom asked at the end of the week.

"It was cool to watch the flower change color! If I hadn't known the carnation started off white, I never would have guessed the original color wasn't red!" Harper exclaimed. "The plant absorbed the water, and it changed from the inside out as it became red. It reminds me of what I learned at Bible club this week."

"How so?" Mom asked.

"Well, Mrs. Dvorak told us that as Christians, Jesus lives in us. As His Spirit works in our hearts, we start changing from the inside out, just like the carnation. Eventually, others can see the difference more and more as we follow Jesus and show His love to others--like how I could see the red color becoming brighter with time."

"I'm glad you're paying attention in Bible club and to my science lessons!" Mom grinned. "Maybe next time you'll have to be my teacher."

- Olivia Summers

How About You?
Do others see Jesus in you? If you're a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives inside you, working in your heart to make you more like Jesus. Today, choose to let others see His love in your words, actions, and life. And if you're not a Christian, trust Jesus as your Savior and watch as He changes you from the inside out. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV) (Matthew 5:16)

Today's Key Thought:
Let Jesus show through you

Bible Reading: Hebrews 2:9, 17-18; 4:14-16

"Look at me! I'm a newsboy!" Rhett pranced around the room in an outfit that included a brown cap, a gray vest, and a shoulder bag with old newspapers inside.

"You certainly look like a newsboy," Dad said. "What's all this for? A costume party or something?"

Rhett nodded. "Yeah, our history class is having a costume party on Friday, and there's a prize for the best costume. I decided to dress up as a newsboy from the eighteen hundreds. Don't you think I look just like the real thing? I hope I win that prize!" He winced and kicked off his shoes. "Ouch! These shoes hurt!"

"Well, if you want to be realistic, that's good," said Dad. "Newsboys during that time were very poor, and many were homeless orphans, so their shoes probably didn't fit very well. They didn't always have a roof over their heads either, or three square meals a day. If they didn't make enough selling newspapers, they went hungry."

"Wow," said Rhett. "I didn't realize how hard life was for them. I don't want to be the real thing. I just want to pretend."

"That's what I thought." Dad grinned at Rhett. "But you know what? Jesus did become the real thing!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Rhett. "Jesus was never a newsboy."

"No, not a newsboy," said Dad. "But when He came to earth, Jesus became human--the real thing--just like one of us. He didn't wear some disguise and pretend to be a man. He was still God, but He also became a man, just like any other man except that He never sinned. It's hard for us to understand how that could be, but it's one of the wonderful things about Jesus. Because He really and truly became human, we know He understands and cares about all the situations we face."

"It would be tough not to have a home or enough food," said Rhett. "And I guess it must have been tough for Jesus to leave heaven and come to live on earth."

"I'm sure it was," said Dad. "I remember an old song that talks about the huge difference between earth and the glories of heaven, which Jesus left. One line says, 'Only His great, eternal love made my Savior go.' We have so much to thank Him for!"

- Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Do you feel like no one understands what you're going through? Jesus does. Although Jesus is fully God, He also became fully human. So when you're tempted to sin, or when kids make fun of you for being a Christian, or when you feel lonely and left out, know that Jesus understands exactly how you feel. Depend on Him to help you through every situation.

Today's Key Verse:
This High Priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (NLT) (Hebrews 4:15)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus understands

Bible Reading: Mark 6:30-32; Luke 10:38-42

"I hear you're having a pizza party at youth group tomorrow evening," Dad told Eliana as they waited for their food at a restaurant. "That sounds fun."

"Yeah, but I can't go to youth group tomorrow. I have play rehearsal at school."

"Last week you missed youth group because you had a band concert," said Dad. "Are you going to the retreat next weekend?"

"I can't. I have to work on the student council posters on Saturday."

Dad frowned. "Maybe you should cut down on--"

"What's wrong with that man over there?" asked Eliana.

Dad looked to where she was pointing, then jumped up and dashed across the room. "Are you choking, sir?" he asked. The man nodded frantically. Dad wrapped his arms around the man and, with a clenched fist, gave a couple of sharp, upward thrusts. The man coughed and gasped, and a moment later was breathing normally again. Everyone applauded.

"Thank you," said the man when he was able to talk. "I guess I tried to eat too much at once!"

On the way home, Eliana said, "It's a good thing you knew how to do the Heimlich maneuver, Dad! That man could have choked to death."

Dad nodded. "I'm glad I learned the Heimlich maneuver a long time ago so I'd know what to do if someone was choking." He sighed. "You know, Eliana, you may be in need of the Heimlich maneuver too, and I just didn't notice until now."

"Me?" said Eliana. "What do you mean? I'm not choking!"

"No?" asked Dad. "It seems like your spiritual life is getting choked by all the extracurricular activities you're involved in. You need room to breathe. You haven't been able to participate in church activities because of your busy schedule, and you also need down time so you can rest and renew your energy."

"I have been feeling overloaded lately," Eliana admitted. "And I haven't had much time to pray or read my Bible."

"Having that time with Jesus is important," said Dad. "We can rest in Him because He did everything needed to save us, and when we spend time with Him, He reminds us of that. He provides rest for our souls."

Eliana nodded. "Maybe when we get home we can go over my activities to see which ones I can quit."

- Barbara J. Westberg

How About You?
Does your life feel crowded with too many activities? Even when you devote your time to good things, doing too much can wear you out and make you miss out on the really important stuff. If your schedule is so packed that you don't have time for church activities or spending time alone with God, it's time to cut back. Make time for Jesus so He can refresh your soul.

Today's Key Verse:
Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (NLT) (Matthew 11:28)

Today's Key Thought:
Don't get too busy