Read: Colossians 3:14-17

“What do you think of this one?” Sofie asked her older sister. Kara was helping her choose an outfit to wear for her school pictures the next day.

“Why don’t you pick something simpler?” Kara suggested. “Remember, Mom said you have to pick clothes without too bold of a pattern so they will look good in the picture.”

Sofie slid the shirt on the hanger and hung it back up in her closet. “Okay.”

“So, how was Sunday school this morning?” Kara asked as she searched through the clothes hanging in Sofie’s closet.

Sofie shrugged. “All right, I guess. I just wish it was more exciting.”

Kara frowned. “I thought you enjoyed Sunday school.”

“I do. I just wish there was more time for games and playing with my friends. Maybe then we would have more kids come to church!”

“I know it can be hard to sit,” Kara said. “And the teachers do their best to make the lessons fun. But sometimes you can get so focused on playing games and seeing your friends that you miss what God wants to teach you.”

“What do you mean?” Sofie asked.

“Well, it’s like your school pictures. If you wear a shirt with a busy pattern, the people who see the picture will focus on your clothes instead of being focused on your beautiful smile.”

“So is playing games with my friends bad?”

Kara pulled another shirt, a pale blue one, out of the closet. “No. It just shouldn’t distract you from the real reason we go to church—to worship Jesus with other Christians and learn about what He tells us in the Bible.” She held the shirt up against Sofie, studying it. “See? It’s like this shirt. It brings out the blue in your eyes without distracting people from what they’re supposed to be looking at.”

“My face!” Sofie smiled. “I get it. We go to church to worship and learn about Jesus, and I should be focusing on Him.” She took the blue shirt from Kara. “You know what? I think I like this one.”

Kara grinned. “Just remember, the most important thing is to wear a smile!”

–Jessica Kleeberger

How about you? What do you focus on when you go to church? It can be fun to play games, do crafts, and visit with friends, but we shouldn’t let that distract us from the real reason we go to church—to learn about Jesus and worship Him. Praying, singing songs, and reading the Bible are all ways we worship Jesus and learn more about Him together. When you go to church, focus on Him.

Today's Key Verse: Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Focus on Jesus at church

Read: Matthew 6:9-15

“Kayla, could you please pass the corn?” Nate asked.

As Kayla picked up the bowl of corn with one hand, she accidentally spilled it all over the table.

“Aw, man,” said Nate. “I was really looking forward to some corn!”

“I’m sorry, Nate!” Kayla said. “I didn’t mean to spill it—it was an accident!”

“I know, Kayla,” Nate replied as he helped her clean up the spilled corn. “I’ve spilled food before too. Next time use both hands. Can you pass the mashed potatoes instead?”

This time Kayla grabbed the bowl of mashed potatoes with both of her hands and passed it to her brother without spilling it.

“Thank you,” Nate said as he put a spoonful of potatoes on his plate.

“So, Nate, Mom tells me you’re working on memorizing the Lord’s Prayer for Sunday school,” Dad said.

“How’s that going?”

“Well, memorizing it is the easy part. My Sunday school teacher wants me to be able to tell her what it means, and that’s where I’m struggling,” Nate said as he took a bite of his potatoes.

“Well, maybe I can help,” said Dad. “Which part do you not understand?”

“The part that goes something like, ‘Forgive us our diets as we forgive our dieters.’”

Dad chuckled. “I think you mean debts and debtors, not diets and dieters. Our debts are our sins, and our debtors are those who sin against us. God wants us to forgive others just like He forgives us.”

“You mean like how Nate forgave me for spilling the corn?” asked Kayla.

“Well, spilling the corn wasn’t a sin, Kayla, so it’s not quite the same thing. But it was a mistake, and instead of getting upset about it, Nate remembered that he’s made mistakes like that before too. So yes, in a way, that’s what we need to do when others sin against us by doing something that’s wrong. We forgive them because we’ve been forgiven by Jesus, who died for our sins on the cross.”

“That makes a lot more sense now,” Nate said as he pushed his plate aside. “I wondered why God wanted us to forgive dieters!” The entire table began to laugh.

–Melissa Yeagle

How about you? Has anyone ever told you they were sorry for something they did to you that was wrong? Did you forgive them? We all sin and need to ask Jesus to forgive us, and He always does—and He wants us to do the same for others. The next time someone asks you for forgiveness, remember that Jesus has forgiven you for your sins and trust Him to help you forgive others.

Today's Key Verse: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Forgive others

Read: Romans 5:17; Ephesians 1:7-10

“Hurray, we’re getting burritos! We’re getting burritos!” Keira skipped gleefully as she and her mom and older sister, Addi, walked into their favorite Mexican restaurant and got in line. They’d been running errands all morning, and Keira had been in a bad mood and had started several arguments with her sister, so she was surprised when Mom offered to get them burritos instead of taking them straight home.

Moving through the bustling serving line from item to item, Keira nodded yes to chicken, then to rice. She added some veggies and gave an enthusiastic “Definitely!” to her favorite condiment, sour cream. With a twinkle in her eye, the server lifted a large serving spoon and dolloped a huge mound of sour cream onto Keira’s burrito bowl. Keira’s eyes lit up, and she beamed. There’s nothing better than sour cream, she thought as she uttered her thanks and found her way to their table.

“Mom, take a look at all this sour cream!” Keira said as she sat down. Mom’s eyes grew wide at the mountain-sized scoop in Keira’s bowl.

Addi piped up. “You know, I think God’s grace is a lot like Keira’s sour cream.”

“What do you mean?” asked Keira.

“Well, it reminds me of the verse in Ephesians we read the other day—the one that says God has forgiveness and grace that He lavishes on us. That’s what the server did—she lavished sour cream on Keira’s burrito bowl!”

“I think I see what you’re saying,” said Mom. “God has gobs and gobs of grace that He piles on us.”

“You mean He isn’t stingy with His forgiveness?” Keira asked.

“That’s right!” said Addi. “We don’t have to feel shy about asking for God’s grace and forgiveness. When I sin, God isn’t guarding the grace container like Mom has to guard the sour cream at supper sometimes.”

Mom laughed. “Right. Because Jesus died for our sins, He has plenty of grace to go around. He’ll always forgive us for the things we do wrong.”

“I’m glad,” said Keira, thinking of how she’d acted that morning. “Now whenever I see sour cream, I’m going to remember that God has gobs and gobs of grace for me.”

–Dominique E. Miller

How about you? Do you often do things that are wrong? Are you struggling with the same sins over and over? Each time we go to God, He has grace for us. Because Jesus paid for all our sin by dying on the cross, He doesn’t ever run out of grace or get tired of forgiving us. He has loads of grace for you every day, so talk to Him about the sins you’re struggling with and receive gobs and gobs of grace.

Today's Key Verse: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God’s grace never runs out

Read: Ephesians 6:10-18

Callie sat at the edge of her bed and put on a pair of white socks. Then she looked up and saw her brother Jackson standing in her doorway wearing one black sock and one white sock. Callie laughed. “Your socks don’t match,” she said.

Jackson looked down at his outfit. “They do too. The black one matches my black jeans and the white one matches my white t-shirt.” Jackson smiled a big toothy grin, and Callie rolled her eyes and smirked.

Just then Dad came out of his room holding a black sock and a white sock. “Have either of you seen the match to either of these socks?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Callie. “On Jackson’s feet!” Jackson was slightly big for his age, and sometimes he borrowed Dad’s socks. Dad shook his head as Jackson stood on one foot and yanked the black sock off. He handed it to his dad in exchange for the white sock.

After breakfast, they met in the living room for their morning devotions. “Time to get dressed for the day,” Dad said.

“But we’re already dressed,” said Jackson, looking down at his clothes. “We even have matching socks!”

“I’m talking about getting dressed spiritually,” said Dad. “Think of it this way. Why is it important to wear socks?”

“Well, socks help keep our feet warm and dry,” Callie said.

“And they protect them from getting hurt by rubbing against our shoes,” Jackson added.

Dad nodded. “The Bible talks about putting on spiritual clothes called the armor of God that help and protect us. They help us remember God’s promises and protect us from the devil’s attacks. And one of the things we need to put on like socks is the gospel of peace.”

“How do we do that?” Callie asked.

“By reminding ourselves that Jesus has saved us from sin and won the victory over Satan. That means we don’t have to give in to sin or listen to the devil’s lies. One good way to remember that is to read God’s Word. The Bible reminds us what Jesus has done for us so we can feel His peace in our lives.”

Jackson smiled. “Well, let’s get started. I want to make sure I’m wearing matching gospel socks!”

–Melissa Yeagle

How about you? Do you remember to put on socks every day? What about gospel socks—do you remember to put those on every day too? You do that by remembering what Jesus has done for you and that you belong to Him. Praying, reading the Bible, and spending time with Him are ways you can put on the spiritual clothes you need to stand up against evil and feel God’s peace in your life.

Today's Key Verse: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Put on God’s armor

Read: Matthew 7:7-11

Keaton watched a frog as it hopped around the yard. When it stopped, it blended in with the grass. If Keaton looked away, he had a hard time finding it until it started hopping again.

When Dad got home, he joined Keaton on the porch. “Hey, Keaton. How was your day?”

Keaton shrugged. “I just spent the last half-hour playing hide-and-go-seek with a frog.” He sighed. “Not that he ever tried to find me.”

Dad sat down on the step. “Sounds like an interesting game. How about a contest to see who can find the frog first?” Keaton nodded, and the two spent the next several minutes trying to spot the frog.

“Thanks for playing with me, Dad,” Keaton said after the frog hopped underneath the porch. “It’s a lot more fun than playing by myself.” He kicked at a stick in the grass. “I’m thankful you got a new job and we got this nice house, but I miss my friends from our old neighborhood.”

“I know,” Dad said, patting Keaton on the back. “Have you tried praying about it?”

Keaton frowned. “Doesn’t God already know what I’m going through? Why doesn’t He just give me what I need without me having to ask Him for it?”

Just then Keaton’s stomach let out a loud grumble, and he and Dad laughed.

“It sounds like you’re as hungry as I am,” Dad said. “I’m sure Mom has something for dinner, but she won’t bring it to us out here. We have to go to the table. Sometimes that’s the way Jesus does things too. He always knows what we need, but sometimes He waits for us to bring our worries and problems to Him first.”

“Why?” asked Keaton.

“To help us look to Him as our Savior and trust Him to provide us with everything we need—even when He doesn’t give us exactly what we ask for.”

Keaton’s stomach growled again. “Okay, Dad. I’m ready to go in for dinner. But first can we pray and ask God to help me make some friends?”

Dad nodded, and they bowed their heads and prayed together.

The next day when Dad got home from work, Keaton was sitting on the porch with two other boys his age, all of them trying to spot the frog.

–Melissa Yeagle

How about you? Do you bring your worries and problems to God? Do you ask Him to provide the things you need? He already knows exactly what you need—and sometimes it may be different from what you ask for. But He still wants you to bring your needs to Him so you can learn to trust Him in all of life’s situations. Jesus loves you and gave His life to save you. In Him, you have everything you need.

Today's Key Verse: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Bring your needs to God

Read: Psalm 51:7; Philippians 2:1-11

“I’m glad I’m not like Rachel,” Mackenna said as she gazed at the falling snow through the car window.

“What do you mean?” Mom asked with a slight frown.

“Well, Rachel is kinda—oh, I don’t know—stuck on herself a bit. Whenever we talk, she does most of the talking, and it’s usually about all the things she’s good at.” Mackenna rolled her eyes. “What an ego!”

“Rachel is good at a lot of things,” said Mom. “But so are you! You don’t think you have an ego?” She gave Mackenna a sideways glance.

“Of course not! Do you ever hear me bragging about what I can do?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean your heart is humble. And isn’t your heart what we really should be concerned about?” Mom pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. “Tell you what, why don’t you go get Bumpkin and let her run around outside for a while?”

Mackenna gave her mother a confused look, but she went and got her pet bunny.

“Before you set her down,” Mom said, “tell me what color Bumpkin is.”

Mackenna laughed as they both looked down at the fuzzy bunny. “White, of course!”

“Are you sure?” Mom asked. “Put her down in the snow.”

Mackenna set her rabbit down at the edge of the snowy yard and stood back. “Ew!” she said. “She looks so dirty!”

“Yep,” agreed Mom. “She doesn’t look so white anymore! Snow has a way of making other white objects look gray.” Mom turned to Mackenna. “It’s the same with us. We may think we’re pretty good when we compare ourselves to other people. But when we compare our hearts to Jesus, we see how dirty they really are.”

Mackenna nodded sheepishly. “I guess when I compare myself to Jesus, I’m a lot like Rachel after all.”

“We all are,” said Mom. “That’s why Jesus died on the cross for our sins. When we trust in Him and ask Him to forgive us for the wrong we do, He makes our hearts whiter than snow!”

“I guess I need to remember that when I’m around Rachel,” Mackenna said as she watched Bumpkin hop around in the snow. “And ask Jesus to forgive me for comparing myself to her instead of Him.”

–Rebecca Thomas

How about you? Do you ever compare yourself to others? It may make you feel better about yourself sometimes, but it doesn’t give an accurate picture of what your heart is really like. Jesus is the only perfect standard. When we compare ourselves to Him, it’s easy to see our hearts are dirty with sin—but He can make them whiter than snow. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: They are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant! 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Compare yourself to Jesus

Read: Matthew 5:23-24; Romans 12:18; 1 John 1:9

“Jia’s mad at me,” Lara told her mother as they drove down a country road toward town. “When she got an A on our spelling test and I got a C, I—well, I said she must have cheated. I know I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Why don’t you text her and apologize?” suggested Mom.

“Okay, I will, but not right now,” Lara said. “I’ll wait until she’s in a better mood.” As Mom turned down a side road, Lara looked at her in surprise. “Why are we turning here?”

“This is a shorter way to town,” said Mom. “I don’t know how good the road will be after all the rain we’ve had, but let’s give it a try.”

For a short distance the road was good, but then the pavement ended and the road became very muddy. “I think we should go back,” said Lara.

“I think you’re right,” said Mom. “We’ll have to find a place to turn around.”

“How about there?” Lara pointed to a narrow path leading into a field.

Mom slowed down, but then shook her head. “Those ditches at the side of that path are awfully deep. We need to find a better spot.”

A little later, Lara motioned toward a wider spot in the road. “How about here?”

But Mom passed by that one too. “That’s not exactly the perfect spot either,” she said.

“Mom!” Lara threw her head back against the seat. “If you ask me, the first possible spot is always the perfect spot!”

“I’m beginning to think you’re right,” Mom said as she stopped the car and began to back up.

After they turned around, Mom spoke. “Waiting for a perfect spot was pretty silly, huh? We made a mistake in coming this way, and the first chance to correct that mistake was the best chance. That’s also true when we make mistakes that hurt others. When we realize what we did was wrong, we need to confess our sin to Jesus so He can forgive us and help us make things right. That includes apologizing to those we’ve hurt right away.”

Lara sighed. “Okay, I get what you’re saying. Can I use your phone so I can text Jia?”

–Corrine Canavan-Fifield

How about you? Do you have a hard time saying you’re sorry when you’ve done something wrong? It’s not easy to admit our mistakes, but putting it off usually makes things worse. Jesus promises to forgive us the moment we confess our sins to Him, and He’ll help us restore our relationships with others. So don’t wait for a better time—apologize and ask for forgiveness right away.

Today's Key Verse: First go and be reconciled to them. Matthew 5:24 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Say you’re sorry right away

Read: Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 10:29–31; Hebrews 4:16

As soon as Carolina wiped away one tear, another lousy one slid down. She grew tired of crying over her sinus issues because it only made her throbbing head worse. She sniffled. “I don’t understand how Jesus promises to wipe away every tear. That sounds exhausting!”

G-ma kissed Carolina’s forehead. “Darling, crying is okay, especially when we cry out to Jesus. Have you prayed about it?”

“Yeah, sure,” Carolina huffed. “During prayer this morning, Jesus said there are bigger problems.”

G-ma lifted an eyebrow. “He said that to you, sweetie?”

There was silence as Carolina gathered her thoughts. “I mean…I think I just felt guilty praying about my sinus issues when Lily has leukemia.” Carolina pointed to her little sister Lily who was collecting red berries from the bushes. “My pain seems so small compared to hers.”

“Look, G-ma!” Lily tossed berries in the air and giggled.

“Don’t you eat those!” G-ma turned to look at Carolina as she ran to stop Lily. “Oh, honey, yes, Lily is hurting, but so are you. If Jesus knows how many hairs are on our heads and our every thought, then our small problems are a big deal to Him. That’s why He encourages us to pray about everything.”

“Sounds like Jesus really cares,” Carolina replied.

“He does. Do you remember earlier when Lily was sad that she couldn’t find any little red berries and you immediately helped her find some?” Carolina nodded. “You cared about her small request because you love her and knew it was important to her,” said G-ma. “How much more would the Lord help us with our problems, big or small? Because of His love for us, Jesus suffered and died for all our sins on the cross. He cares about all our pain because He experienced all kinds of pain too, and He wants to help us and comfort us.”

Carolina relaxed her shoulders. “Wow, Jesus really was listening…”

“CANNONBALL!” Lily jumped on top of Carolina and squeezed her tightly. They erupted in laughter.

G-ma smiled and leaned over to wipe another tear out of Carolina’s eye. “Remember to keep praying. Jesus is always with you, darling.”

–Toria Keyes

How about you? Are you afraid that the Lord won’t fight your battle because others are dealing with worse problems? We serve a God who knows what it feels like to bump a funny bone or get a paper cut. Whatever your situation is, He wants you to know you are not alone. What are the little red berries in your life—small things that are still really important? Jesus cares about those things and wants to help you with them.

Today's Key Verse: Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:30–31 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus cares about small things

Read: Psalm 150

“What’s all the racket about?” Mom came out of her office and stood in the doorway of the living room. “You two have done nothing but fight and complain all afternoon.”

Asher and Olivia glared at each other silently.

“Praise the Lord!” Mom suddenly shouted. Asher and Olivia jumped in surprise. Mom smiled as the kids looked at her curiously. “You were yelling and complaining in loud voices, so I thought I’d praise the Lord in an equally loud voice.” She raised her voice again. “I’m thankful for the rain, aren’t you? It’s been so dry lately!”

“But Mom, when it rains, there’s nothing to do,” Asher said.

“I have an idea.” Mom went into her office and came back with paper and pencils. “Why don’t you make a praise list by writing down all the wonderful things God has done for us? Let’s have a praise day instead of a complaining day. Now, I have some work to finish up, but you can show me your lists before dinner tonight.”

Asher sighed as Mom went back into her office and shut the door. After a moment, he wrote, God helped me not miss the bus after school.

Olivia took a sheet of paper and wrote, God gives us food every day.

After working a little while, Asher said, “Hey, let’s tape our pages together to make one long sheet. Let’s see how long a list we can make.” The list was still growing when Dad got home.

“How was your day?” Mom asked him as she pulled a chicken pot pie out of the oven.

“Terrible,” he said. “First, the rain got my clothes all wet, and then—”

“Praise the Lord!” Asher shouted. Dad looked startled, and Asher grinned. “Mom says this should be a praise day.” He held up the list for his father to see.

“Come on, Dad,” said Olivia. “Praise the Lord for something. We’ll add it to our list.”

Dad grinned. “I praise the Lord for creating your mom,” he said. “I love her, and she teaches us to count our blessings—and blesses us with good food for dinner!”

Mom smiled. “And I praise Jesus for the best thing of all—dying on the cross for our sins!”

–Carol A. DeCesare

How about you? Do you complain when things don’t go your way? Sometimes difficult things happen that you need to talk about with someone, but there’s a big difference between sharing struggles and complaining about every little thing you don’t like. Instead of complaining, think about all the good things God has blessed you with and the people He’s put in your life—and most importantly, how He’s given you eternal life through Jesus!

Today's Key Verse: Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God…giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Praise instead of complaining

Read: Galatians 5:22-25

The pocket of Octavia’s red sweater bulged. She didn’t want Miss Allen to notice, so she quickly slipped into her seat. She removed a big orange from her pocket and hid it behind the box of crayons in her desk.

The morning dragged by. Usually Octavia liked reading class, but not today. She couldn’t keep her mind on the story. A classmate—Ford—had agreed to give the signal for the special activity the kids had planned. He said they should wait until math time and be ready when Miss Allen turned to the whiteboard.

Excitement built up when Miss Allen told the class to take out their math books. Everyone kept looking at Ford. When he put his hand in his desk, Octavia covered her mouth. She didn’t want Miss Allen to see that she was giggling. She reached inside her desk and took hold of the orange.

At last Miss Allen turned her back to the class. Octavia drew a deep breath as Ford yelled, “Fruit roll!” In a flash, Octavia’s orange rolled down the aisle with lots of other fruit. The room became noisy, and Miss Allen looked puzzled. “It’s for you,” Ford said, pointing to the fruit. “For your birthday!”

“For me?” Miss Allen asked in surprise. “How thoughtful of you! Thanks, kids.”

That afternoon Octavia told her mom all about it. “Miss Allen said she’d never heard of a fruit roll, but she liked it! She got oranges, grapefruit, some tangerines, a few lemons, and even a lime.”

“I knew she’d enjoy it.” Mom smiled at Octavia. “What about you? Have you gotten any fruit rolled to you lately?”

Octavia gave her mom a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the fruit of the Spirit,” Mom said. “Once you trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit produces fruit in your life—the qualities of the new person He wants you to be. It’s quite a list. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—all these make you more like Jesus.”

Octavia thought about it. “I guess He is helping me be more patient—and helping me be kind to kids at school I don’t know well.” She smiled. “It’s like I’m getting a fruit roll from Jesus every day!”

–Margaret M. Primrose

How about you? Did you know that, if you’re a Christian, you’re getting a fruit roll from Jesus every day? He helps you develop the qualities that make you more like Him. As you grow as a Christian, others will start to see more and more of these qualities in your life. Trust Jesus to help you grow and fill you with the fruit of the Spirit so you become more like Him.

Today's Key Verse: May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:11 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: God fills your life with fruit