Bible Reading: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:13-18 “Banke, is there something on our faces?” Dad asked over dinner. “You’ve been staring at your mom and me since we left church!” Lanre, Banke’s younger brother, smirked. “I told you she was weird.” “Sorry,” Banke said with a smile. “I’ve been thinking about something Pastor Yemi said during our… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: TITUS 3:3-7 “Can we ride the escalator while you shop?” Declan asked as Mom looked at some merchandise on the first floor of a department store. Mom hesitated. “Well, okay—if you’re careful not to run or bother the other shoppers.” So Declan and his sister Kate rode the escalator all the way up… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: PSALM 77:10-15 “A scrapbook!” Ava exclaimed as she opened a birthday present her aunt had sent. “I can put all my favorite drawings and awards and stuff in it. This is so cool!” Soon Ava was eagerly at work, sorting through old school papers, report cards, and drawings. “These math problems look so… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:15-18 Lucas sighed as he sat down at the kitchen table and began his homework. What a lousy day, he thought. Nothing has gone right. As he opened a book, the lights went out—not just in the kitchen, but in the whole house. “Hey!” Lucas called. “What happened?” “It… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: PROVERBS 16:23-24; JAMES 3:9-12 “Better hurry or you’ll miss the school bus!” said Mom. Carmela quickly finished watering the hydrangeas and roses she had planted in her garden. How pretty they looked! Carmela loved to help things grow. She put down the watering can, ran inside for her bag, and hurried out the… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: MATTHEW 6:19-21 Ben fidgeted in the pew. His button-up shirt felt tight. “Funerals are so boring,” he whispered to his dad, who gave him a look that Ben knew meant Be quiet. Just then the pastor said, “Anyone who would like to share a story about Barney is welcome to come forward now.”… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: MATTHEW 5:43-44; LUKE 10:27-37 Olivia shifted uncomfortably in the pew. The pastor had just told the story of the Good Samaritan, reminding Olivia that Jesus wanted her to be a good neighbor too. She knew this, of course, but why was it so hard sometimes? “Jesus loves you,” the pastor continued. “He loves… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: 1 PETER 5:6-10 “What’s it like in Africa, Mr. Martin?” River asked. Mr. Martin, a missionary who had come back home for a few months, was a good friend of River’s family. “I’d sure like to see all the animals,” said River’s brother, Andrew. Their sister, Janae, shuddered. “Not me! It would be… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17; HEBREWS 4:12-13L IN ITS TIME. Bellamy hopped up into the dentist’s chair, leaned his head back, and opened his mouth wide so the dental assistant could clean, polish, and floss his teeth. When she was finished, Dr. Scott came and checked to see if there were any cavities. “I found… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: EPHESIANS 2:4-10 “Hi, Mom. What’s for supper?” asked Aubrey as she came into the kitchen. Mom grinned. Aubrey asked the same question every day when she got home from school. “I’m sooo hungry when I get off the bus,” Aubrey said. She went to the stove, lifted a lid off a pan, and… Continue Reading…