Read: Matthew 14:22-33; Hebrews 11:1-2

Callie turned down the final loop of the zoo. “Best day of school ever! I love animals!”

“And I love that we’re both homeschooled and can go on field trips more often!” Callie’s best friend, Katie, grinned. “Hey, look at that cool-looking antelope!” Katie and Callie marveled at the antelope’s twisted horns that spiraled close to thirty-five inches high.

“Mom, why are they enclosed with such a short fence? It can’t be more than four feet high!” Callie pointed out.

Katie frowned in concentration. “Yeah, it says right here that African impalas can jump up to ten feet in the air! I wonder why they aren’t just roaming all around the zoo?”

“Let’s consult my phone,” Mom joked. “You girls always have great questions. Interesting! This article says impalas won’t jump unless they see where they’ll land. Since they can’t see the ground on the other side of this wall, that must keep them in their habitat.”

“It’s kind of sad when you think about it,” Katie pondered. “Freedom is just a jump away, but fear keeps them trapped.”

Mom nodded. “We can learn a lesson from the impalas. Callie, remember when you felt like God wanted you to serve in the children’s ministry at church, but you were scared because you weren’t used to working with kids?”

“Yeah, I was nervous about it.”

“But then your best friend reminded you that faith is stepping out in confidence even when you can’t see the outcome,” Katie reminded her. “Just like it says in Hebrews chapter eleven.”

“That whole chapter is filled with people who trusted God to help them take great leaps of faith, even though they weren’t sure how things would turn out,” Mom mused. “We can do the same when we remember that Jesus is always with us. He died and rose again to give us eternal life, and that means we can always trust Him.”

Katie smiled. “Hey, maybe we can have a code word! The next time one of us wants to hold back because of fear, we can yell ‘Impala!’”

Callie jumped in the air dramatically. “That will remind us to take a leap of faith!”

–Savannah Coleman

How about you? Do you ever feel held back by fear? Maybe you sense God’s prompting to talk to a lonely kid. Perhaps you need to confront a friend for doing something they shouldn’t. God may even put it on your heart to speak about Him to someone who doesn’t know Him. If you know Jesus as your Savior, He is with you and will help you complete the work He wants you to do. Trust Him to help you take that leap of faith.

Today's Key Verse: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Trust Jesus and take the leap

Read: Matthew 7:7-8; 11:27-30

“Grandpa, I think Grandma needs hearing aids,” said Kelsey. “Someone knocked at the door this morning and Grandma didn’t hear it. By the time I got to the door, the person was gone.”

“That’s odd,” said Grandpa. “I haven’t noticed a problem, but I’ll try to pay more attention.”

Kelsey had been living with her grandparents for a few weeks while her mother was away on military duty. She loved her grandparents, but living with them was weird.

She refilled Grandpa’s coffee cup and asked, “Do I have to go to church today?”

“Of course! We always go as a family. Going to church is a privilege many people don’t have. It’s a way we worship God and connect with other believers.”

“That’s just it,” said Kelsey. “You and Grandma love all that God stuff and talking to your ‘believer’ friends. I believe in God, but I’d rather spend Sunday hanging out with my school friends.”

“Honey, you have the whole afternoon for that,” Grandpa said.

That day in Sunday school, the lesson was about Jericho, but Kelsey was thinking about her mom. Mom never took her to church. Sunday mornings with Mom were for sleeping in. Then they’d walk to the Waffle Barn. The waffles smelled like a cake baking. You could smell them from a block away. She’d smother her waffles with pecan syrup and butter.

Kelsey was still thinking about those waffles when suddenly, there was a firm knock on the Sunday school room door. To her shock, no one went to answer the door. No one else seemed to hear it.

Maybe I’m the one with bad hearing, thought Kelsey.

That evening as she got ready for bed, she noticed a small painting on her bedroom wall. It was Jesus standing outside a door. At the bottom it said, “I stand at the door and knock.”

Knock? thought Kelsey. What’s the deal with all this knocking that nobody seems to hear but me? Is it my imagination or…Jesus, is that You?

Kelsey took the picture and carried it to Grandpa. “I’ve heard this verse before, Grandpa. But what does it mean? Does Jesus knock for real?”

“Sit down here, honey,” he said. “I’ll tell you all about it.”

–Teresa Ambord

How about you? Is Jesus knocking at the door of your heart? It’s not a sound you hear with your ears but an invitation He offers to you in His Word, the Bible. If you’re not a believer, He wants you to trust Him to save you from sin and give you eternal life. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) And if you do know Him as your Savior, He invites you to spend time with Him in prayer, at church, and in His Word so He can fill your life with peace, hope, and joy.

Today's Key Verse: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus is knocking

Read: John 1:35-45

“This is the best pizza I’ve ever eaten!” Jonah pumped a fist in the air. “I can’t believe this place is here to stay. I’m going to tell my friends about it.”

Mom smiled. “I think our family will be eating here often.”

As soon as he got home, Jonah started a video conversation with a couple of his friends. He was quick to tell them about the pizza he’d just had and where they could get it.

When he went outside that afternoon to help his dad shovel snow from the sidewalk in front of their house, Jonah saw one of his neighbors also shoveling. “Hey, Mr. Fisher!” He waved as he walked over to the older man. Jonah couldn’t help but tell him about the pizza. “You’ll love it,” he said. “You should get it for dinner when you’re done shoveling.”

“I just might do that.” Mr. Fisher grinned.

Dad tapped Jonah’s shoulder as they headed into the house. “I think it’s really interesting how you’re spreading the word about that pizza.”

“It’s just so good!” Jonah’s mouth watered just thinking about it.

“It reminds me of something I was reading,” Dad said. “In the book of John.”

“They didn’t have pizza in the Bible, did they?” Jonah made his way to the kitchen. All that shoveling had made him thirsty.

“No,” Dad said. “But they had something even greater. Jesus.”

Jonah pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “Why did the pizza make you think of Jesus?”

“When the early disciples first started following Jesus, they told their friends and family,” Dad said. “They got others to follow Him too. Sort of like how you’re getting others to go out and get pizza.”

“Because the pizza was amazing,” Jonah said. “Following Jesus had to be pretty amazing too.”

“It was, and it is,” Dad said. “And you’ve got me thinking that maybe we should be telling others about that, sharing our faith a little more. I mean, if you can get people that excited about pizza…”

Jonah nodded. “We could get people excited about Jesus too!”

–Emily Acker

How about you? Have you ever experienced something great and wanted to tell everyone you knew all about it so they could experience it too? Have you told others about Jesus, letting them know how amazing He is? As you share your faith with others and let them know what Jesus has done for you, they might want to know Him themselves. Let others know how great Jesus is so they can get excited too!

Today's Key Verse: Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. Mark 5:19 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Tell others how great Jesus is

Read: Matthew 21:12-13; John 11:35; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Dad?” Madison opened the door to her dad’s workshop.

“My favorite girl! How was art class?” Dad asked.

Madison ran to hug him. “The art part was good.” She paused as she bit her lip.

“What part wasn’t?” Dad asked her, looking concerned. He took off his gloves and set them on the bench.

“Well, Mia told me that I’m too happy. She said I need to wipe the smile off my face sometimes.” Madison frowned. “But isn’t being happy good? I don’t like being sad.”

“Being happy is great. It reminds me of one of my favorite verses, First Thessalonians 5:16. It’s a really short verse, only two words—‘Rejoice always.’ God wants us to rejoice in Him. We can always be joyful because He loves us and sent Jesus to save us.”

Madison smiled. “I like that verse. But I know sad stuff happens, like when Mom died.” She frowned. “I guess that was sadder for you. Did you ever smile then?” Madison’s mom had died when she was three months old, and Dad often told Madison stories about her.

“I was sad, and I’m still sad that she’s gone. But yes, I still smiled.” Dad looked at Madison. “After all, I have you! You make me smile every day. I thank God that I was blessed with such a bundle of joy.”

Madison giggled. “I love you too, Dad. And if Mia asks, I’ll tell her about the verse. Being happy is good.” She twitched her nose. “Being sad isn’t bad, is it?”

Dad shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, there’s another short verse about that in the Bible—‘Jesus wept.’ He cried when He found out that Lazarus had died. None of our emotions are bad, and Jesus felt them all the same way we do. Whatever we feel, He wants us to share it with Him. That’s a great way to rejoice—by sharing everything with God.”

Madison gave her dad a hug. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll make sure Mia knows that it’s okay if she feels sad, but I’m gonna rejoice!”

–Kimberly Brokish

How about you? How do you feel right now? We all experience a lot of emotions, and none of them are bad. Remember Jesus was human just like us, and He felt all those emotions too—He knows what it’s like to be happy, sad, even angry. He knows exactly how we feel and loves us. Can you tell Him how you feel? He would love to help you rejoice in Him.

Today's Key Verse: Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: You can always rejoice

Read: Isaiah 1:16-20

The school bus was expected any minute, so Ethan shoveled his cereal into his mouth. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his baby sister, Addy, pick up his tablet. He dropped his spoon, darted across the kitchen, and snatched it from her hands.

“Don’t touch that!” he yelled. “I told you not to touch my stuff. You break everything!”

Addy burst into tears, and Mom came hurrying into the room and picked her up. “What happened?” she asked.

“Addy was messing with my stuff again,” Ethan said. “She’s so annoying!”

Mom sighed. “I’m sorry, Ethan, I wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing. But you also need to be more careful about not putting your things where she can reach them. And you know yelling at her like that scares her and is not the way we solve problems.”

Ethan bit his lip, feeling guilty. “I didn’t mean to make her cry. I’m sorry, Addy.” He gave Addy a hug, and she calmed down.

Ethan frowned as he put his cereal bowl in the sink. “I shouldn’t have yelled at her. Is God disappointed in me?”

Mom ruffled his hair. “God knows we all mess up. That’s why He sent Jesus to die for us—so we could be forgiven for the wrong things we do. You can tell Him you’re sorry.”

“But how do we know that God’s forgiven us?” Ethan asked.

Mom smiled. “Do you think your school bus is coming? Even though you can’t see it yet?” She pointed out the window.

“Of course,” Ethan said.

“Why?”

“Because it comes every school day,” Ethan replied.

“God is like that,” Mom said. “He never changes. You can always count on Him to forgive you because Jesus died for you—and He’ll help you be more patient with Addy too.”

Ethan smiled. “I’m going to ask God to help me be nicer to her and set a better example.”

The school bus pulled up, and Ethan looked at the clock. Eight-fifteen a.m. Just like every morning. He grabbed his backpack and ran out the door. It was nice to have things he could count on.

–Abigail Singrey

How about you? What are some things in your life that you can count on? Maybe you eat the same thing for breakfast every day, or your parents say the same thing to you every night before you go to bed. Like the sun rising every morning, we can count on God to forgive us when we make mistakes. Jesus died for our sins so our wrongs wouldn’t be counted against us. Confess your sins to Him and trust Him to forgive you.

Today's Key Verse: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: We can count on God’s forgiveness

Editor’s note: This story’s subject matter may not be suitable for young children.

Read: Ephesians 6:1-3

It’s not fair, Ruth typed into her phone. Mom lets Jubilee go out with her friends after school all the time.

Three little dots floated in a pale blue bubble as Ben typed back. She just doesn’t want to admit you’re old enough to start making your own decisions.

Ruth stared at Ben’s profile picture. His big blue eyes smiled back at her. They hadn’t met in real life yet, but it seemed like he understood her better than anyone in the world. So what if he was as old as her big sister? He was nice and funny. And he liked her. He’d told her so more than once.

So, have you decided? Ruth’s heart skipped a beat at Ben’s next message. It’s just the park. You’ll be home before your mom even misses you.

He’s right, Ruth thought. Mom’s treating me like a baby. She started typing OK when a verse she’d memorized barged its way into her brain: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Ruth stopped. It was like someone spoke the words out loud. Just last week her youth group leader had reminded her that her mom was a blessing from God. He’d put her in Ruth’s life because He loved her. God was helping Ruth grow in her faith in Jesus and become more like Him. That’s why He wanted her to obey Mom’s rules—not to spoil her fun. But was meeting a friend so bad?

Another thought came to mind. Her friends didn’t know Ben either. He’d sent her a friend request one day, and she’d let him into her life without question. She’d been talking to a stranger for two months and lying to everyone about it because he’d asked her to keep their friendship a secret. At first it was exciting. Now she was scared.

Ruth’s hands shook as she typed: I can’t.

Ben said, I thought we were friends.

Ruth’s heart sank. She answered, Friends don’t ask friends to lie to their parents.

Ben’s next words weren’t very friendly at all. Ruth made her choice. It didn’t matter if she got in trouble or not, it was time to talk to her mom.

“Mom?” Ruth took a deep breath and started down the hall. “I need to tell you something.”

–Jennifer Lindsay

How about you? Have you ever been tempted to break the rules because they seemed unfair? Sometimes it may feel like your parents are trying to make your life hard or stop you from having fun, but God placed them in your life because He loves you. Trust that He’s protecting you and making you more like Jesus as He teaches you to obey your parents. When you obey them, you obey Him.

If someone is trying to talk to you and have you keep it a secret, tell a trusted adult right away.

Today's Key Verse: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Obey your parents

Read: 1 John 3:1-3

Elsa was eager to find Maggie at school. “Remember how much fun it was to pretend we were princesses?” she asked her friend. “Well, guess what? My dad says I really am one! I’m a child of God, so I’m a child of the King because God is King of everything!”

“I’ve never heard that before,” Maggie said doubtfully.

“It’s what the Bible says,” Elsa replied. “Anyone who trusts in Jesus is a child of God. You can be His child too! Don’t you want to be?” Maggie just shrugged.

After school the girls went over to Maggie’s house, but Elsa didn’t stay very long. “I’m not playing with Maggie anymore!” she said as she burst into the kitchen. “We pretended to be princesses again, and she kept all the prettiest dresses for herself. She wouldn’t let me wear any of them. Then when I got off my throne for just a second, she took it!”

Mom frowned. “Are you sure you weren’t trying to get all the best things for yourself?”

“But I was her guest—and I really am a child of the King, and she’s not,” Elsa replied. “I told Maggie that, but she wouldn’t even give me back my throne.” Elsa scowled. “But I showed her!”

Mom raised her eyebrows. “What did you do?”

“I threw her stuff at her and told her she looked ugly in those dresses anyway, and then I ran home.”

“Elsa,” Mom said quietly, “do you think you acted like a princess today? The Bible says that when we trust Jesus to save us from our sin and become God’s children, He makes us new people. The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts so we can live pure lives that show others we belong to the King. Do you think your actions today were pure? Do you think your attitude showed Maggie what Jesus was like and made her want to become God’s child?”

“I guess not,” Elsa admitted. “Can I go back and apologize?”

“Sure,” said Mom. “That will help Maggie see what it’s like to be a real princess—a daughter of the King of kings!”

–Victoria Johnson

How about you? Do you act the way a prince or princess—a child of God—should act? Do you show others who Jesus is by treating them with love and kindness? If you belong to the King of kings, your life should show it. The Holy Spirit is making you more and more like Jesus each day. Show His love to others so they can see who He is and want to become His children too.

Today's Key Verse: All who have this hope in [Jesus] purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:3 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Live a pure life