New Again

Bible Reading: Psalm 103:8-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17 Cassian pointed to a row of cars on display at the automobile museum. “Don’t these old cars look funny, Grandpa?” Grandpa smiled. “Well, they look a bit funny to us now, but they were pretty fancy in their day, you know.” He pointed to one of the cars….

Window Shopping

Bible Reading: Read: Titus 2:7-8, 11-14 As Bryan and his dad walked through the mall, Bryan talked about how he and some kids from church had collected cans from people around the neighborhood for a fundraising project. “When I knocked on Mr. Martin’s door, he wouldn’t give me any cans to take back to church….

Dark Glasses

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:9-13 “We had so much fun!” Larissa said when she got home after spending the afternoon at the beach with a friend. She plopped down in a chair and looked around the room. “Why is it so dark in here?” she wanted to know. Her brother laughed. “Because you’re still wearing…

Already Beautiful

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:14-16 “I feel so ugly!” Kathryn muttered as her mother placed a pink geranium in the flowerbed. “I can’t stand my red hair, my nose is too round, and I don’t dress like other girls my age. Can I get some makeup and new clothes? I want to be pretty!” Mom dug…

Use the Entrance

Bible Reading: John 10:7-10 Tyler lay flat on his back in the cool green grass, watching the fluffy clouds floating across the sky above him. When he glanced over at the tall trellis covered with Grandma’s rambling roses, he noticed it almost reached the open window of his bedroom. Tyler scrambled to his feet and…

Words on Fire

Bible Reading: James 3:1-10 “Did you hear about Aria’s dad?” asked Tenley. “Do you know what Elise told me?” Dad put down the book he had been reading and smiled. Tenley loved to tell him everything that was going on with her friends at school—even when they were on vacation. “Elise says Aria’s dad was…

Today’s the Day

Bible Reading: James 2:1-4 Thomas laughed as he scrolled down a webpage. “There’s a picture here of a funny-looking toad,” he said. “It looks just like Ethan Webster! If that toad had messed-up hair, he could be Ethan!” “That’s enough, Thomas,” said Dad. “That’s not a nice thing to say about anyone. And didn’t Ethan…

Have No Fear!

Bible Reading: Psalm 23 Editor’s note: This story’s subject matter may not be appropriate for young children. Hazel anxiously glanced around her bedroom. The night was clear and quiet, and the glowing moonlight shone through her window. Yet something still bothered her. Her school had recently had a code red lockdown, which meant someone dangerous…

Nerve Medicine

Bible Reading: Philippians 4:4-9 More than an hour after Phoebe had gone to bed at her grandparents’ home, she still had not fallen asleep. She tried everything she could think of to relax her mind, but nothing worked. Finally, she slipped out of bed and went to find Grandma. “Grandma, I saw an ad on…

Becoming Friends

Bible Reading: Proverbs 18:24 Luke sat in the pew and stared off into space, wondering what was in the oven at home. His stomach growled loudly, and he hoped his family would leave soon. “What are you doing sitting here by yourself?” Luke looked up as Mr. Bryant sat down in the pew in front…