Who you choose as your friends matters!

This week on ARK, we're continuing our Standing Strong series by discovering how the people closest to us can influence the direction we're headed.

Ben Breezy tracks a major jealousy storm surrounding King Saul while Jonathan makes a courageous decision to stand beside his friend David. Then Skip McCrickey reports from the wilderness as the Israelites learn the hard way that bad influences can lead us away from God one small compromise at a time.

But the heart of today's adventure is one of the greatest friendships in the Bible: David and Jonathan.

Jonathan had plenty of reasons to be jealous of David. David had been chosen by God to become king, even though Jonathan was the king's son! But instead of treating David like competition, Jonathan loved him, protected him, encouraged him, and stood beside him even when doing so came at a personal cost.

That's what real friendship looks like.

A good friend doesn't just stand beside you. A good friend helps you stand for God.

Kids will also join Miss Sunshine and Cole as they talk about making new friends at school and discover that we shouldn't only be looking for good friends. We should ask God to help us be good friends too.

Psalm 27:4 (KJV)

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life..."

• Why the people we spend time with influence our choices
• How Jonathan demonstrated sacrificial friendship toward David
• Why good friends encourage us to grow closer to Jesus
• How bad influences can lead us away from God one small compromise at a time
• Why we shouldn't just look for good friends, but should work to be one
• How godly friends can help each other stand strong

Good friends pull you toward God, not away from Him.

Don't just look for a good friend this week.

Be one.

Encourage somebody.

Pray for somebody.

Include someone who's sitting alone.

Stand up for someone who's being picked on.

Tell the truth when a friend needs to hear it.

And most importantly, help your friends get closer to Jesus.

Find friends who make you braver. Be the friend who makes somebody else braver.

Together, we can stand strong.

Every choice matters. Even the ones that feel small in the moment.

It’s the first day of the new school year. New class, new hallway, and for the first time, Tanner and Micah aren’t in the same room. At lunch, a kid named Tyler asks Tanner about “that old guy from your church who hides wooden things.”

Tanner gets defensive. He wants Tyler to understand who Mr. Henry really is. So he tells him everything — the grandkids who left, the years of praying, the stars carved in a garage out of faithful obedience. Every private detail Mr. Henry shared in trust.

He says it out of loyalty. Not malice. And that’s what makes it devastating.

By the time he hears himself, it’s too late. The words are out. Tyler thinks it’s a great story. Tanner realizes it wasn’t his story to tell.

There’s no star this week. No Star Log entry. The episode ends with Tanner sitting on his bed, the Log closed on his desk, carrying the weight of a mistake he can’t take back.

Key Scripture

1 Samuel 3:19 (KJV)

“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.”

Family Discussion

• Have you ever said something you didn’t mean to share? What happened?

• What’s the difference between defending someone and sharing their private story?

• Why does it matter that Tanner’s intentions were good? Does that change the result?

Big Idea

Good intentions don’t undo careless words. And some mistakes can’t be fixed with an apology — they require change.

School is starting, and that means new classes, new friends, new experiences... and plenty of new choices!

This week on ARK, we're kicking off a brand-new series about standing strong when the people around you aren't making the right choices.

Travel with the Truth Traveler to the tabernacle at Shiloh, where young Samuel is surrounded by people who should have known better. Eli's sons have important positions, but they're making terrible choices and ignoring God's Word. Samuel sees it all, but instead of following their example, he chooses to remain faithful to God.

Then, in the quiet of the night, Samuel hears someone calling his name.

"Samuel."

At first, he thinks it's Eli. But eventually Samuel discovers that the voice he's hearing belongs to God. And when God calls again, Samuel is ready to listen.

Along the way, Ben Breezy tracks a major "peer pressure system," the Rubber Bandit learns an expensive lesson about constantly changing his mind, and Miss Sunshine helps Benny prepare for the choices he'll face as he heads back to school.

Through it all, kids will discover an important truth:

Your surroundings don't have to decide your direction.

Friends may make different choices. People you look up to may disappoint you. Everyone else may seem to be going one way.

But you can still choose Jesus.

Ephesians 4:23 (KJV)

"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;"

• Why we shouldn't follow the crowd just because "everyone else is doing it"
• How Samuel remained faithful while surrounded by bad examples
• Why it's important to learn to recognize God's voice through His Word
• How making the right decision ahead of time helps us when pressure comes
• That kids don't have to wait until they're adults for God to use them

Doing what's right doesn't become wrong just because everyone else is doing something different.

Before your feet hit the floor each morning, pray:

"Jesus, help me make choices that honor You today."

Before someone pressures you...

Before everyone else starts going the wrong direction...

Before you're standing there wondering what to do...

Make your decision now.

I'm going to belong to Jesus.

I'm going to obey His Word.

I'm going to listen for His voice.

I'm going to stand strong.

There comes a day when the armor isn’t practice anymore.

The park on Seventh Street — the one with the bench, the creek, and the turtle named Gerald — is being shut down for commercial development. Deshawn’s only place to go is about to disappear. Nobody asked the neighborhood. Nobody asked the kids.

So they decide to speak up.

At a community input meeting, Deshawn stands at a microphone for the first time in his life and tells a room full of adults what that park means. Micah talks about belonging. Ava brings the data: three parks for twelve thousand residents. The room listens.

Tanner doesn’t speak. He stands behind his friends. Every piece of armor he’s been building since January is on: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word, prayer. And he’s learned the hardest lesson of all — sometimes leading means letting someone else take the microphone.

The meeting doesn’t end with a victory. It ends with ‘further review.’ But the door is still open. Ava says she’s done visiting church — she’s in for real. Deshawn writes in the Star Log for the first time: “They came back for me. Every time. They always came back.”

Mr. Henry listens from his porch. His verdict: “The armor held.”

Key Scripture

Ephesians 6:13 (KJV)

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Family Discussion

• When have you had to stand for someone who couldn’t stand for themselves?

• The armor of God has eight pieces. Which one do you feel strongest in? Which one do you need to build?

• Deshawn said ‘they always came back.’ Who in your life keeps showing up for you? And who can you keep showing up for?

Big Idea

The armor of God isn’t decoration — it’s for standing when standing is all you can do. And having done all, stand.

The Armor of God series comes to an unforgettable conclusion!

After learning about the Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation, Sword of the Spirit, and the power of prayer, there's one final lesson left to learn:

God never asked us to fight alone.

Travel with the Truth Traveler to the towering walls of Jericho as Joshua and God's people obey an unusual battle plan. No battering rams. No ladders. No swords swinging.

Just obedience.

Just faith.

Just trust.

When the trumpets sound and God's people shout, the impossible happens—the walls come crashing down!

Along the way, Ben Breezy gives his final Armor of God weather report, Miss Sunshine reminds us that God fights our battles, the Rubber Bandit shares a campfire lesson about keeping our spiritual fire burning, and Dusty's ancestor discovers that cleaning up after a miracle is a much bigger job than sweeping a sidewalk!

Because the greatest victory doesn't come from our strength.

It comes from trusting God's.

Psalm 100:4 (KJV)

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

• Why the Armor of God prepares us for spiritual battles
• How Joshua trusted God at Jericho
• Why obedience is often more important than understanding
• That God fights battles we cannot win ourselves
• Why standing faithfully is sometimes the greatest act of faith

When you've done everything God asked you to do... stand.

This week, whenever you face something difficult:

• Pray first.
• Trust God's plan.
• Obey His Word.
• Stand strong.

Then watch what God can do.

Some people carry everyone else. And nobody thinks to ask who’s carrying them.

Lina has been the steady one all season — the anchor, the voice of wisdom, the one with the answer. But when her closest friend from church, Kayla, announces she’s moving to Atlanta by Friday, Lina’s steadiness runs out.

She goes quiet. She skips breakfast. She sits in her room and doesn’t come out.

Tanner does something he’s never done before: he prays for Lina. Out loud. On the porch. With Micah and Ava beside him. It’s simple and unpracticed and real.

And then Ava prays for the first time. One word: “Please.” It’s all she has. And Lina says it was everything.

Tanner carves a star — “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING” — and puts it in Kayla’s mailbox before Friday. Because the person who’s been placing stars in his life all year deserves one placed in hers.

Key Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)

“Pray without ceasing.”

Family Discussion

• Who in your life needs someone to pray for them right now?

• Have you ever been the strong one who needed someone to carry you? What did that feel like?

• Ava’s first prayer was one word. Do you think God heard it? Why?

Big Idea

Prayer isn’t the last resort — it’s the constant one. And sometimes the strongest thing you can do is let someone else pray for you.

July 20

A shield blocks. A helmet protects. But a sword fights back.

A kid named Jordan challenges Micah about baptism — not as a bully, but as someone whose dad taught him differently. Jordan asks why Micah’s church baptizes in Jesus’ name instead of ‘Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.’ Micah knows the answer is right. He felt it when he came up out of the water. But he can’t find the scripture in the moment.

The sword stays in the sheath.

Tanner and Lina help him find it: Acts 2:38. Acts 8:16. Acts 10:48. Acts 19:5. Every baptism in the Bible was in Jesus’ name. The name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost IS Jesus — not three names, one name. The apostles understood it. And now Micah does too.

Mr. Henry gives Micah his personal Bible — forty years of margin notes, coffee stains on Psalms, binding held together by prayer and stubbornness. “I’m giving you a sword. Learn to use it.”

Ava asks to join the Bible reading group. The sword is in their hands now.

Key Scripture

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.”

Family Discussion

• Do you know the scriptures behind what you believe? Could you explain your faith if someone asked?

• Why is it important to know God’s Word and not just feel it?

• Every baptism in the book of Acts was in Jesus’ name. Why do you think that matters?

Big Idea

The sword of the Spirit is God’s Word — and it only works when you know it well enough to use it.

What do you do when fear, temptation, or doubt tries to take over your thoughts?

This week on ARK, we discover the final piece of the Armor of God—the Sword of the Spirit. Unlike the other pieces of armor that protect us, this is the weapon God has placed in our hands: His Word.

When listener Hannah writes asking how to use the Bible when she's afraid, Papa shares one of the greatest lessons in Scripture. Together, the ARK crew travels to Nazareth as Jesus stands in the synagogue, opens the scroll of Isaiah, and boldly declares God's Word. Then they discover how Jesus defeated every temptation in the wilderness with three powerful words: "It is written."

Ben Breezy explains why God's Word is more powerful than any weapon, the Rubber Bandit learns that no cowboy handbook compares to the Bible, and Miss Sunshine reminds us that the more Scripture we hide in our hearts, the stronger our spiritual sword becomes.

Because when fear whispers...God's Word answers.

Romans 12:1 (KJV) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

• What the Sword of the Spirit represents
• Why God's Word is living and powerful
• How Jesus answered temptation with Scripture
• Why memorizing Bible verses prepares us for spiritual battles
• How to speak God's promises when fear and doubt come

Fear says, "What if?" Faith says, "God said."

Choose one Bible verse. Write it down. Memorize it.

Then the next time fear, worry, or temptation comes, don't just think about it— Speak God's Word out loud.

Freedom isn’t just a word on a calendar. It’s what happens when you stop letting the wrong voices tell you who you are.

The first week of summer should be easy. But someone recorded Tanner’s assembly speech, posted it online, and now strangers are making fun of the most honest thing he’s ever said. “Preacher boy.” Edited to look like he was crying. Comments he can’t unsee even though he doesn’t have social media.

Tanner’s stomach hurts. His brain is believing lies. He wonders if he should have just talked about homework and soccer like a normal kid.

Ava reports three posts and gets two taken down. Mr. Henry sits Tanner on the porch and delivers the truth: “Salvation doesn’t just save your soul. It saves your mind.” The helmet of salvation protects how you think. And right now, Tanner has to choose whose voice matters — a hundred strangers on a screen, or the God who called him.

That evening, while the neighborhood lights fireworks, Tanner carves a star that says “RENEW YOUR MIND.” This one’s for himself.

Key Scripture

Romans 12:2 (KJV)

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Family Discussion

• Whose voice matters most to you? What do you do when the wrong voices get loud?

• Have you ever been made fun of for doing the right thing? How did it feel?

• What does it mean that salvation protects your mind, not just your soul?

Big Idea

The helmet of salvation protects how you think — and your identity belongs to God, not to strangers on a screen.