Heart and Sole

Bible Reading: Matthew 23:1-12 Timothy beamed as he picked up a shoe from the display table. “This is the kind I want, Mom!” Mom looked doubtful. “They’re the best!” insisted Timothy. “All the guys are getting shoes like this. The ad on TV says the special soles reduce the pounding you get from the gym…

Dangerous Bait

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:10-12; 1 Peter 5:8-10 Braelyn dropped her fishline over the side of the boat and watched the bait sink into the water. “That worm squirming on my fish hook looks so gross!” she said. “How could a fish possibly want to eat it?” Dad chuckled. “You’re right, Braelyn. It doesn’t look very…

Just Kidding

Bible Reading: Proverbs 12:17-22 Gabe sauntered into the house, letting the back door slam behind him. Raindrops glistened on his hair. His brother Emmett met him at the door. “You borrowed my bike,” he said. “Did you put it away?” “Nah,” said Gabe with a wave of his hand. “A little rain won’t hurt it.”…

Sweet and Salty Similarities

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:15-25 Scurrying around the kitchen, Valentina gathered ingredients for sugar cookies. She opened the bag of flour and dipped a measuring cup into the fluffy whiteness. Mom came in to help. “I want to talk with you about that show you were watching,” she said as she cracked an egg into a…

No Secret Friends

Bible Reading: Romans 1:14-17 Peter raced into the house after another day at his new school. “Mom!” he called. “Guess what! I made some more friends today—Josh 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…

The Perfect Answer

Bible Reading: Psalm 66:16-20; Jeremiah 33:3 “I wish my grandpa lived nearby,” said Nikolas as he and his friend Mason Holt went to visit Mason’s grandfather. “I wanted Grandpa to move here when Grandma died, but he didn’t.” Nikolas had always wondered why God hadn’t answer his prayer. Mason’s grandpa was working outside when they…

Source of Power

Bible Reading: Romans 8:5-14 “Can I skip my Bible study group tonight?” asked Ethan as he cleared the table. “I didn’t have time to do my lesson this week, and Pastor Reynolds really doesn’t like it when that happens.” Ethan set a stack of plates in the sink. “I’ve been thinking about quitting anyway.” “Not…

True Home

Bible Reading: John 14:1-6 Adelyn looked around her empty room. She brushed her hand across the mural Dad had painted on the wall one last time, then picked up the last box and brought it out to the truck. When Mom pulled the truck door down with a loud rumble, Adelyn couldn’t help it. She…

Awesome Wisdom

Bible Reading: Psalm 66:1-5 The Reed family was seated around their picnic table playing a board game when Emma looked up. “Oh no!” she wailed. “Not again!” Jack groaned. Arthur, their collie, was almost totally covered with cockleburs. “I’m guessing you just had to go chase after a squirrel,” said Jack, “or was it a…

The Good Father

Bible Reading: Luke 11:9-13 “Matthew, when you’ve finished raking the leaves, come to the shed.” Matthew’s father pushed a wheelbarrow around the back of the house. Uh-oh, what did Dad want now? The last time he called him to the shed, he asked him to pick up sticks that had fallen from the windstorm. Maybe…