Bible Reading: Matthew 6:5-13; Hebrews 4:14-16 “I love chocolate!” Marylynn exclaimed as she watched her aunt put a piece of chocolate on top of a graham cracker. Aunt Kari smiled. “I love chocolate too. Why don’t you set your roasted marshmallow on top of this chocolate and I’ll use the other graham cracker to take… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Malachi 3:8-12; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:7 As church began, Ginny was thinking about how she had finally earned enough money for a whole week at summer camp. For weeks she had been putting every cent she earned into the bank. Ginny’s thoughts were interrupted by a nudge on her elbow. The offering… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Psalm 27:2-5; Romans 8:38-39 Waiting for the parade to begin, Evelyn watched as her sister buried her face in Mom’s shoulder. Evelyn used to do that too when she was little. There was a woman talking to Mom, and Elise was scared of the stranger. Mom motioned Evelyn over. Evelyn straightened up. It… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Romans 5:6-11 The somber black wall, engraved with rows and rows of names, filled Wylder with awe. He was visiting Washington, D.C. with his family, and he was standing in front of the monument honoring the men and women who had died while serving in the Vietnam War. All their names were listed… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:22-26 “I hate being cooped up with this dumb broken leg,” Jack complained to his uncle. “All my friends are out having fun without me. It’s not fair!” “Well, I brought something that might help.” Uncle George handed Jack a paper bag. Eagerly, Jack opened it. He found a jar containing a… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-3 “Did I really wear this?” asked Rylee as she and her mother were sorting through a box of memories. Rylee held up a tiny knitted bonnet. “It’s so small!” Mom smiled. “It’s amazing how much babies grow, isn’t it?” She picked up a pair of baby shoes. “You wore these… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: John 6:5-14 “I know we’re supposed to share the good news of Jesus with people wherever we are, like Pastor Bowers said today,” Braden told his mom. “But it’s too hard to do that in my class at school.” “Why do you say that?” asked Mom, scooping up some rice. “Well, there are… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:29-32 Kaylee and Jackson were best friends. Every day of summer vacation, they were in Kaylee’s backyard, where there was lots of space to play. They liked to pretend they were adventurers searching the woods for buried treasure and keeping records of their travels. One afternoon they were in the backyard as… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Romans 3:23-26; 8:19-25 “Caleb, could you hand me that wrench?” Dad was sprawled out under the kitchen sink, attempting to replace a seal that was broken. Caleb grabbed the wrench and handed it to his dad. “Okay, let’s see if this new seal works,” said Dad. “Turn on the dishwasher.” Caleb turned on… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Mark 1:40-45; Hebrews 6:10 “Hey, Laura, wait up!” Laura turned at the door of her classroom at church and saw Anissa hurrying down the hall toward her. “You have nursery duty with me today, don’t you?” asked Anissa. “Let’s go.” Laura dropped her gaze. “Um, actually, Jessie is going to take my place.”… Continue Reading…