Bible Reading: Romans 1:14-17

Peter raced into the house after another day at his new school. “Mom! Guess what! I made some more friends today–Mateo and Rhett! They both live on the same block as us. Can they come over to play basketball?”

“Sure,” said Mom. “What about the boy you were talking to at the bus stop this morning? He lives nearby–maybe he’d want to come over too.”

“Oh, that’s Graham,” said Peter. “He’s also one of my friends, but some of the kids make fun of him, so a lot of the others avoid him too. It’s kind of sad.”

Mom nodded. “It’s a shame they’d miss out on a friend just because they’re concerned about what others think.” She started slicing some carrots. “By the way, don’t forget that our church program starts tonight. We’ll be having dinner a little early.”

“Um, maybe I should skip this week,” Peter said slowly. “Mateo and Rhett will be here, and I don’t want to send them home early and have to explain why.”

“Why not?” asked Mom. “Are you afraid they might laugh at you?” Peter shrugged and looked at the floor.

Mom sighed. “Okay,” she said, to Peter’s surprise–he wasn’t expecting her to say yes. “You can stay home, but then I don’t want to see you talking to Graham at the bus stop tomorrow morning. Just ignore him.”

Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Mom, that’s so mean! Graham’s my friend! Why would I do that?”

“Well, isn’t Jesus your friend too? A friend who sacrificed His own life on the cross to save you. Yet you don’t want your new friends to know about Him because they might make fun of you.”

Peter was quiet. “I guess you’re right,” he said after a moment. “I want the kids at school to know I’m friends with Graham, and I want them to know I’m friends with Jesus too.”

A little later, Mateo and Rhett arrived. “Let’s get a game going, Peter,” said Rhett. “We can’t stay very long–we have church tonight.”

“Yeah,” said Mateo. “And our friend Graham is on his way over too. You’ll like him, he’s a lot of fun.”

Peter and Mom looked at each other and smiled.

–Cynthia Y. Powell

How About You?
Do your friends know that you’re a Christian? Or do you keep your friendship with Jesus a secret so they won’t laugh? No earthly friend could ever be as important as Jesus. He gave His life for you and will always be with you, no matter what you go through. Never be ashamed to let others know He’s your friend.

Today’s Key Verse:
I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes. (NLT) (Romans 1:16 )

Today’s Key Thought:
Let others know Jesus is your friend