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We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever heard of something called minimalism? That’s when people try to live with only the things they really need, not a bunch of extra stuff. For example, a minimalist might have just a few outfits in their closet, not tons of clothes. Their garage or room might look really clean and simple.

Some people are minimalists with their money—they only buy what they need. Some are minimalists with their time, they don’t sign up for everything, just what matters most. Some even live without furniture! (Can you imagine sitting on the floor all the time?) But no matter how they do it, the big idea is this: you don’t need a lot to be okay.

And guess what? Jesus talked about this too! In Luke 10:42, Jesus said, “Only one thing is needed.” Just one! So, what is it? Is it food? Water? Air? Those things are important . . . but Jesus says there’s something even more important. It’s the gospel.

The gospel means “good news.” It’s the simple and powerful message that Jesus is your Savior. That’s the one thing we need more than anything else in life!

Why is the gospel so important? Look at what it gives you (Colossians 1 tells us all this!):

That’s a lot of amazing stuff from one simple message!

But most of all, the gospel gives you Jesus. Jesus is the one thing you really need. He loves you so much that he died for your sins and promises to bring you to heaven. Jesus is everything. And that’s what the gospel gives you.

Dear Jesus, thank you for being the one thing I need most. Help me always trust the gospel about you. Amen.

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Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Abraham and his wife Sarah were waiting for God to keep a big promise. God had promised to give them a baby boy. He told Abraham this when Abraham was already 75 years old, and Sarah was 65! Now Abraham was 99, and Sarah was 89—and they still didn’t have a baby. That’s 24 years of waiting! Can you imagine waiting that long? Do you think they wondered, “Did God forget?”

Nope! God didn’t forget. But he knew Abraham and Sarah needed to be reminded. So God came and told them, “In one year, Sarah will have a baby boy.” He even said it again, just to make sure they knew he meant it.

And guess what? One year later, just like God said, they had a baby boy! Even though they were super old, God kept his promise. Because that’s what God does—he always keeps his promises.

God makes promises to you, too! He promises to forgive you when you sin. He promises to take care of you. He promises to be with you everywhere you go. And he promises to make everything turn out for your good. You can trust those promises. Because God keeps his promises. Always.

But sometimes it’s hard to trust, right? Like when you’re feeling really bad about something, or when you’re sick, or when life is just hard. That’s when God gives you a reminder, just like he did for Abraham and Sarah. He talks to you.

Now, God probably won’t show up at your house and talk out loud like he did back then. But God does talk to you through his Word—the Bible. When you hear God’s Word at church, at home, or at school, that’s God reminding you that his promises are still true. When your parents, pastors, or teachers talk about Jesus, that’s God saying, “I’m still here and I keep my promises. Always.”

Because that’s who God is. The ultimate promise keeper.

Heavenly Father, thank you for always keeping your promises. Help me trust them every day. Amen.

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Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever heard of Mr. Rogers? He was the kind man on a popular kids’ TV show called Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. At the beginning of every show, he sang a little song that said, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” That was his way of saying, “I want to be kind to you.”

In today’s Bible story, Jesus tells us to be like Mr. Rogers—kind, caring, and ready to help anyone who needs it. To help explain what that means, Jesus told a story called the Good Samaritan.

Here’s how it went:

That doesn’t sound very neighborly, does it?

Then someone else came down the road—a Samaritan. Now, Samaritans and Israelites didn’t get along at all. In fact, they usually didn’t even talk to each other. But this Samaritan stopped. He helped the hurt man. He put bandages on his wounds, put him on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and paid for him to stay there until he felt better.

Was the Samaritan a good neighbor? Definitely! He helped someone who was very different from him. He showed kindness—even to someone who might not have done the same for him.

So what does Jesus want us to learn?

Being a neighbor doesn’t just mean living next door. It means seeing someone who needs help—and helping them. Even if they’re different from you. Even if you don’t know them. Even if it’s hard.

So the next time you’re out in your neighborhood, practice asking, “How can I be a neighbor today?”

Heavenly Father, help me notice people who need help. Help me be a kind and caring neighbor like the Good Samaritan. Amen.

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The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever seen a cartoon with a little angel and a little devil sitting on someone’s shoulders? The angel whispers good advice—like “Do the right thing!”—while the devil tries to get them to do something wrong—like lie or be mean.

They’re not real, of course. But that picture helps us understand what the Bible talks about in Galatians 5. There’s a battle going on in our hearts. One side is the Holy Spirit, helping us do what is good and right. The other side is our sinful nature, which tries to pull us into doing wrong.

When we listen to the Holy Spirit, we are kind, loving, patient, and full of peace. But when we listen to our sinful nature, we can become jealous, angry, selfish, or even mean to others.

That’s not the way God wants us to live. God wants us to “Live by the Spirit.” Why? Because God is loving and kind to us, and when we live by the Spirit, we show that same love and kindness to others.

God’s Word gives some great encouragement: “Live by the Spirit.” It means this: You’re not alone in the fight! God gave you the Holy Spirit to help you make good choices and to live the way Jesus did for us—full of love, patience, and peace. So even when you mess up, God forgives you—and helps you try again.

Heavenly Father, help us to live by the Holy Spirit each and every day. Amen.

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Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth 1:16-18

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Maybe a scientist? A pro athlete? A doctor? Those are great! But today’s Bible story shows us something else we can be—a mirror!

In our Bible story, a woman named Naomi was having a really hard time. She had moved far away from home. Then something very sad happened—her husband died. Then both of her sons died too. Naomi was heartbroken, lonely, and homesick.

But Naomi had someone who cared about her—a woman named Ruth, who was married to one of Naomi’s sons. Ruth didn’t leave Naomi. Instead, Ruth said, “I’ll stay with you. I’ll help you. You won’t be alone.”

Why did Ruth do that? Because she had learned about God’s love. Ruth didn’t always believe in God, but when she joined Naomi’s family, she got to know God. She learned that God is always with us. She learned that God takes care of us. She learned that God promised a Savior to take away our sins.

Now, Ruth was like a mirror. Not a real mirror you hang on the wall—but a mirror of God’s love. Ruth showed love to Naomi because God had first shown love to her.

And guess what? You can be a mirror too! God loves you. He sent Jesus to be your Savior. He gives you what you need and promises never to leave you. That love fills you up—and you get to reflect it out to others!

Be a mirror shining with God’s love!

Heavenly Father, help me reflect your love to the people around me. Amen.

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[Jesus] told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Luke 10:2

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“This is going to take forever!” Daniel felt overwhelmed when Mom told him that they had to get the house clean before all the family arrived for his sister’s graduation party that evening. Bedrooms were messy. Garbage needed to be taken out. Dishes needed to be washed. Bathrooms needed a good cleaning. Someone had to clean up after the dog. Of course, there was also lots of food and party preparation to be done. How would they ever get all that work done? Everyone in the family would have to work together, including his grandparents who were there to help. Even though there was a lot of work to do, everything would be ready in time.

For nearly three years, Jesus worked hard to share God’s message, heal the sick, and carry out his heavenly Father’s work. But as Jesus looked out at the people around him, there was still so much work to do. So many people still needed to know about their Savior. So many people were still hurting and feeling broken inside. So many people were still headed toward hell. How would all the work get done? Even as Jesus was walking to the cross to give his life for the sins of the world, he sent out 72 disciples to get to work preparing the way for his coming. The Savior was coming to bring forgiveness, peace, and life. With Jesus’ help, everything went far better than expected. Even the demons obeyed them!

Now, two thousand years later, Jesus looks at our world today. What does he see? There is still so much work to do. So many people still need to know about their Savior. So many people are still hurting and feeling broken. So many people are still headed toward hell. How will all the work get done? Jesus sends pastors and teachers today to do his work, but they can’t reach everyone on their own. Who will go and help?

Jesus sends each of us to share his good news with people in our lives. He sends us to our family members and friends, to our neighbors and classmates. What is our message? Jesus came into the world to save us, and he came to save them from sin and death too. As we get to work, we might feel nervous or scared, but Jesus goes with us and will bless our work of sharing his good news with the world.

Lord of the harvest, there are so many people who need to hear about you. Give us courage and help us to tell them about you, their Savior. Bless our work so that many more may come to know and love you. Amen.

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And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you own a crown? Maybe you have a plastic crown in your dress-up box. Maybe you’ve worn a paper crown from a birthday party or got one at a fast-food restaurant. But you probably don’t have a real royal crown made of gold and covered in sparkling jewels. Those are for kings and queens, right?

But in the Bible, God promises to give a crown—not just to royalty—but to everyone who follows Jesus and stays faithful to him. Is God talking about a real crown of gold? Not really. Instead, the “crown” means the amazing gift of heaven. It’s God’s way of saying, “Well done!” to everyone who trusted in Jesus.

God gives a special promise to people who take care of other Christians, especially pastors. In the Bible, Jesus is called the Chief Shepherd, and he gives special jobs to pastors—who are like under-shepherds—to take care of his people, who are like sheep. A pastor’s job is to help people hear about Jesus, trust in him, and grow in their faith.

Being a pastor isn’t always easy. It means teaching, praying, visiting, comforting, and helping people stay close to Jesus. But when pastors do this faithfully, Jesus promises to give them “the crown of glory that will never fade away.” That’s a forever reward in heaven!

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He loves us, rescues us from sin, gave up his life for us, and leads us safely home to heaven. Through our pastors, we get to see just a little picture of that love every day. Isn’t it great that even shepherds get a crown?

Dear Jesus, our Good Shepherd, thank you for loving us and guiding us. Thank you for giving us pastors who teach us your Word and care for our souls. Help us to be thankful for them and to show them love and respect. Amen.

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But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, because the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. Look, I have made your face just as hard as their faces and your forehead just as hard as their foreheads. I have made your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not fear them, and do not be intimidated by their looks, for they are a rebellious house.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you have a hard head? Now, don’t go knock your forehead into a wall to check! This isn’t about how tough your skull is. It’s about being “hardheaded”—a word God sometimes uses to describe people who don’t want to listen. Have you ever been stubborn? Refused to listen to someone who loves you? Ignored good advice? That’s what it means to be hardheaded.

No one really wants to be called that. It means we’re being stubborn, difficult, and maybe even a little rude.

But the truth is—we all act hardheaded sometimes. We don’t always want to listen to our parents or teachers. We might ignore our friends. And sadly, we sometimes don’t want to listen to what God says either.

A long time ago, God told a man named Ezekiel to be a prophet. His job? Go and speak God’s words to the people of Israel. But God warned him—it was going to be really tough. Why? Because the people were hardheaded. They didn’t want to listen to Ezekiel or to God. Some would roll their eyes. Others would argue. Some would even get angry. But Ezekiel still had to speak. Why? Because God loved those people—even when they were stubborn.

God still loves people who act hardheaded. That includes us. He could yell at us. He could say, “Fine! Don’t listen!” But he doesn’t. Instead, he sends loving people—like parents, teachers, pastors, and friends—to share his message. And he sends us the best message of all: Jesus loves us even when we mess up. Even when we’re hardheaded. Even when we ignore him.

He’s patient. He’s gentle. He forgives. That’s the kind of love that can soften even the hardest heart.

Dear Jesus, sometimes we don’t want to listen. We get stubborn and hardheaded. Thank you for loving us anyway. Help us to listen to your Word and to the people you send to help us. Amen.

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As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I wish this vacation would never end! Can we stay here forever?” Ryleigh and her family had such a great time on their trip. They saw the beauty of God’s world, visited their favorite theme park, and had so much fun together. But today was the last day of vacation. Tomorrow, they had to go back home. Ryleigh sighed. “I don’t want it to end.” Her dad smiled and said, “We’ve had a great time. But remember—this isn’t our home. We can’t stay here forever.”

Jesus had a moment like that, too. One day, he stood on a mountaintop with his disciples. His face and clothes shined with glory, it was amazing! Peter got so excited that he offered to build little houses so they could stay up there forever. But that wasn’t the plan. This world wasn’t Jesus’ home. He had something very important—and very hard—to do first.

Jesus left the mountain and headed toward Jerusalem. There, he would be arrested, hurt, and nailed to a cross. It was going to be painful. But Jesus was determined to go, because he knew this was how he would save us. Three days after he died, he came back to life! Then, later, he went back to his real home—heaven.

This world isn’t our forever home either. We have lots of fun here. We laugh with family, enjoy good food, and play with friends. But sometimes, following Jesus is hard. Some people don’t want to hear about him. Others might tease us or treat us badly. And sometimes, we have to give up things we really like so we can stay close to Jesus.

In moments like that, it helps to remember: This world is not our forever home. We’re just passing through. One day, Jesus will take us to live with him in heaven forever.

Dear Jesus, thank you for all the blessings we enjoy in this world. But help us remember that the best is still coming—our forever home with you. Keep our eyes on you and help us follow you every day. Amen.

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If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I’m better than you are! I’m faster! I’m stronger, and I’m smarter!”

“No, you’re not! I can do everything better than you!”

Things were getting tense on the playground. Andy and Jake were trying to prove who was better. Soon they were racing, lifting heavy things, and even trying to outdo each other on tests. “See? I’m better. I’m awesome!” So much bragging. So . . . much . . . showing off.

The apostle Paul worked really hard to tell people about Jesus in a big city called Corinth. It wasn’t easy. Lots of people didn’t want to listen. But God helped Paul, and new churches started growing all over the city. After Paul left, some other teachers came to those churches—and they started bragging. “We’re better than Paul! We speak better. We’re smarter. We’re more important!”

Sadly, the people believed those “super-apostles.”

So how did Paul respond? Did he say, “Well, I’ve started way more churches than you,” or “Jesus himself picked me to be an apostle—did he pick you?” Paul could have bragged. He had lots of reasons to. But instead, he said something surprising: “If I am going to brag, I’ll brag about how weak I am.”

Wait—what?

Yes! Paul knew that when he was weak or going through hard times, Jesus’ strength and love stood out the most. When Paul felt small, Jesus showed how big he is. When Paul suffered, people saw how much Jesus helped him. That’s what Paul wanted people to see—not how great he was, but how great Jesus is.

And that’s true for us too. We don’t need to show off or act like we’re better than others. Instead, we can thank Jesus for loving us every day. We can even tell others how Jesus helped us when we were scared, tired, sad, or made a mistake. Our weakness gives Jesus a chance to shine.

Dear Jesus, when we feel weak, show your strength. When we’re hurt, bring healing. When we mess up, show us your forgiveness. Help us tell others about your amazing love. Amen.

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