Don’t Scratch the Itch

Bible Reading: Romans 8:5-14 George set the soccer ball on the hash mark and readied himself to take the penalty shot. It was his favorite part of soccer practice. When Coach Johnson blew the whistle, George kicked a rocket into the top right corner of the net. “GOAAAAAL!” he yelled. He was about to high-five…

The Only Ticket

Bible Reading: John 3:16-18 Seeing the gigantic merry-go-round, Faith and Joy squealed in excitement and ran ahead of Mom and Dad to the entrance. They stood next to the height chart. They were both tall enough. “Whoo-hoo!” Faith clapped her hands in excitement. Just then, the merry-go-round came to a stop and the riders got…

Sowing and Reaping

Bible Reading: Galatians 6:7-10 With a pout on her face, Liliana walked out to the garden where her mother was picking beans. “Shana doesn’t want to come to my birthday party this year, Mom,” she said. “She made up a lame excuse about having to be someplace else, but I think she just doesn’t want…

Pass the Chips

Bible Reading: Psalm 42:1-2; Matthew 5:6 Mommy, can I have some juice? Everly made me thirsty! She gave me potato chips.” Everly grinned at her little brother. “You didn’t have to eat them, Kylan.” “Yes, I did,” said Kylan. “You made me want them! You said they were so good, and you kept eating them…

Same Old Thing

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:127-135 Beckett watched as his sister Avery put on her coat, ready to leave for the children’s program at their church. “It’s too bad you have a cold and can’t come,” said Avery. Beckett shrugged. “Pastor Walters said the speaker would be talking about Noah, and I’ve heard that story lots of…

Hannah’s Prayer

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 1:8-12 Hannah looked eagerly at the plates of food the waitress set down on the table. She could hardly wait to eat. “Hannah,” said Dad, “why don’t you lead us in giving thanks today?” Hannah glanced around the busy restaurant. “Right now?” she asked. “What if the waitress comes back with…

Boundaries

Bible Reading: Proverbs 4:1-9; Ephesians 6:1-3 Brendan and his friends drew a large chalk circle on the driveway. “What’s that for?” asked Dad as he came out of the garage. “We’re playing hide-and-seek,” said Brendan, “and this is the safety zone. If we’re found, we’re safe if we can reach the safety zone before getting…

Pleasing Gifts

Bible Reading: Mark 14:3-9 “Our youth group is helping out at a preschool program at church next week,” Charlotte told her mother as she helped weed the flower beds. “Bria has a great voice, so she’s going to teach the kids songs, and Eduardo’s a lot of fun, so he’s in charge of games.” Charlotte…

Tending William

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:32-5:2 Logan called to Mom as he raced down the stairs and toward the back door. “I’m heading out to my garden to do the weeding.” Logan had his own garden in the backyard and was looking forward to caring for his plants. Mom stuck her head out of the kitchen. “Can…

Christ or a Crutch

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 Nathan stood outside his brother’s room. He had meant to go in, but he didn’t really want to. The floor creaked a little under his weight, and he winced. “Nathan?” called Sam from inside. Nathan sighed and pushed the door open. “Mom says it’s time to eat.” His older brother…