Read: Romans 5:15-17

“Melanie says it doesn’t make sense that Christians give each other presents at Christmas,” Andrew told Mom on the way home from school. “She says we just use Jesus’s birthday as an excuse to be greedy like everybody else. Is she right? What makes us different from people who celebrate Christmas but don’t believe in Jesus?”

“Well, tell me this,” said Mom. “Who was Jesus?”

Andrew frowned. “Is this a trick question?” Mom shook her head. “Well, Jesus was God’s Son,” said Andrew. “God sent Jesus to save us from sin.”

“Absolutely right,” said Mom. “And did we pay anything to receive Jesus?”

“No,” said Andrew. “Jesus was a free gift.”

“A free what?”

“A free gif—aha! Jesus was God’s present,” said Andrew as Mom pulled into the church parking lot. “Hey, why are we at church?”

“I had an idea as we were passing by,” said Mom as she opened the car door.

Inside stood a giant tree covered with envelopes, each one labeled with a child’s first name and age. “Why don’t you pick three?” said Mom. “These are kids who could use some presents this Christmas.”

Andrew picked the envelopes of a boy named Andrew, a girl named Ruby Jane, and then—“Melanie—and she’s my age!” exclaimed Andrew.

On the way home, Andrew opened the envelopes and read the lists. “Melanie wants a new hat. When can we go shopping, Mom?”

“As soon as you answer your own question. What makes Christians different, Andrew? Now do you know why we give gifts?”

“I think so.” Andrew thought for a moment. “Christians give Christmas gifts because God gave us His gift. We give presents to remind each other of the best present—Jesus—and show others His love.”

Weeks later at school, Andrew noticed Melanie was wearing a new hat. “I like your hat, Melanie.”

“Thanks. It was a Christmas present.” Melanie smiled. “I was wrong, Andrew. I guess some Christians give presents because, well, Jesus was God’s present. At least that’s what the card that came with my hat said.”

Andrew smiled. “I want to be a Christian like that.”

–Kelly Carlson

How about you? Did you know that when you give a Christmas present, you are pointing to Jesus? When we give gifts with generous hearts, we point others to the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ. This Christmas, tell a friend or family member why you’re giving them a present. Tell others about Jesus, God’s greatest present to the world.

Today's Key Verse: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus is the best present

Read: Psalm 119:162-168

“What’s all that material for, Mom?” Serenity asked when she and Charis got home from school. “And what are these little frame things?”

“Your grandma needs some hot pads, so I thought maybe you and Charis could make some for her birthday,” Mom replied. “These ‘frame things’ are little hand looms. I’ll show you how to make hot pads with these strips of material.”

“Oh, I know how to do that!” said Serenity. “I learned at scout club.” And when they started making hot pads a little later, she insisted that she didn’t need any help, so Mom turned her attention to Charis.

Charis watched carefully as Mom showed her what to do. First, she fitted a neat row of red loops between two sides of the loom. Then she used a hook to start blue rows going the opposite way. Charis followed Mom’s directions, checking with her every now and then to make sure she was getting it right.

“How are you doing, Serenity?” Mom asked after a while.

Serenity sighed. “I thought I knew how to do this, but it isn’t turning out right. I’m going to take this apart and start over.” When Serenity was ready to start again, Mom showed her what she needed to do.

That night, Mom suggested they all read a Bible story together before bed.

“Oh, Mom,” Serenity said, “Can’t we read something else? I know all those stories already.”

“I’m sure you know a lot of them,” said Mom, “but it’s good to hear them over and over. God has new things to teach us every time we read His Word. The more we read it, the more we learn about who Jesus is, what He did to save us, and how to live in a way that shows we belong to Him.”

“I guess it’s like the hot pads,” Serenity said. “I learned how to make them before, but I’d forgotten a lot of the details, so I needed you to help me do it.”

“Right,” said Mom. “And when we read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit helps us understand what it says and put it into practice.” She picked up Serenity’s Bible. “Let’s read a Bible story together, and then we can read another one of your books before you turn out the lights.”

–Margaret M. Primrose

How about you? Do you think you know everything the Bible has to say? It tells us everything we need to know about who God is and what He’s done for us, and there’s always more for us to learn from it—even from verses and stories we’ve heard over and over. So keep reading it, and depend on the Holy Spirit to help you understand it and do what it says.

Today's Key Verse: I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalm 119:16 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Read and obey God’s Word

Read: Psalms 51:7-10; 103:8-14

“Miles, look! It snowed last night!” Talia called to her brother as she looked out the window. “It’s so gorgeous—all clean and white and sparkly! I just love it, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes! It’s sooo beee-yew-tiful!” Miles clasped his hands in mock delight. “I just adore the snow. I think it’s simply marvelous, and I—” Miles’ teasing was cut short by the napkin his sister tried to stuff into his mouth.

“All right, you two,” Mom said with a smile. “Get ready for school. I don’t want you to miss your bus.”

By dinnertime, the snow had begun to melt. “I hope it snows again tonight,” said Talia as they finished eating. “It was so pretty this morning, but now everything is starting to look dirty again. I think we should have a little snow every night—just enough to cover up the old stuff and keep things looking clean.”

“I agree with you,” said Mom. “I think that would be nice.”

“Indeed! Oh, absolutely!” said Miles. “The snow is just gorg—auwk!” Talia had clapped her hand over his mouth.

Dad smirked. “Okay, you two, that’s enough.” He looked toward the window. “What Talia said actually reminds me of a conversation I had with Mr. Carlson today. I was telling him that when I was growing up, I thought I could cover up the bad things I did by doing good things—much like how new snow covers up old, dirty snow.”

“But the dirty snow doesn’t go away. It’s still there and shows up again when the snow starts to melt,” said Miles. “And bad things we’ve done don’t just go away either, even when we do something good.”

“That’s right,” Dad said, “and I told Mr. Carlson that every time I thought I was making progress, I’d do something wrong and have to start over again. I finally realized that the good things I did didn’t do anything to get rid of the sin I was trying to cover up and hide. The only way to remove it was to trust in Jesus.”

“Right,” said Talia. “Because only Jesus can wash away our sin and make us clean and sparkly like snow!”

–Hazel W. Marett

How about you? Do you do good things to try to make up for the bad things you’ve done? Trying to cover up sin by your own efforts doesn’t work—the sin is always hiding underneath. You need Jesus. He’s the only one who can wash your sin away. Put your faith in Him and He will remove your sin and make you as clean and pure as fresh snow. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Let Jesus wash your sin away

Read: Matthew 6:5-13

“Let’s pray,” Mom said, closing the Bible she and Travis had been reading. They were having devotions together, just the two of them, because Dad was out of town.

“You pray,” said Travis. “Okay?”

“Okay,” said Mom, “but don’t you want to talk to God too?”

Travis shook his head. “Not today.” Then he squirmed while Mom prayed aloud, wishing she’d hurry up. God already knows everything, doesn’t He? Travis thought. Why do we have to tell Him all this stuff He already knows?

When Travis was playing in his room the next day, he heard Mom’s phone ring. He went on playing until it suddenly occurred to him the phone call might be from his dad. Travis rushed into the kitchen just in time to see Mom put down her phone. “Was that Dad?” he asked. “I want to talk to him. I want to tell him about our ball game and ask him if he’s gotten over his cold.”

“He wanted to talk with you too, but there was another call coming in and he had to answer it,” Mom said. “But his cold is much better, and I told him all about the ball game.”

“It isn’t the same as me telling him,” Travis said. “And besides, I haven’t talked to him in days. I want to talk to Dad.”

“Well, let’s call him back a little later so the two of you can talk,” said Mom.

They called Dad that evening, and Travis talked with his father for several minutes. After hanging up, Travis grinned at his mom. “Dad was glad we called back. He said he liked having me tell him about all the stuff I’ve been doing, even though he already knew about it.”

“Your father loves to have conversations with you,” said Mom. “And now, let’s have our devotions. After all, our heavenly Father loves to have conversations with us too.”

Travis nodded. “I guess He’d like me to tell Him the same stuff I told Dad. He’d like to hear it even though He already knows about it, right?”

“He definitely would,” said Mom. “He wants to hear it from you.”

–Katherine Adams

How about you? When you pray, do you feel like you’re repeating things God already knows? Yes, He does know everything, but He wants you to tell Him about what’s going on in your life. He loves you and wants to be included in your daily routine. You can talk with Him anytime and anywhere throughout your day, but it’s also good to have a special time set aside to pray and listen to what He has to say to you in His Word, the Bible.

Today's Key Verse: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God wants to hear from you

Read: Deuteronomy 29:2-6

“And I have led you forty years in the wilderness,” Charlotte read aloud from her dad’s Bible. “Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.” Charlotte looked up. “Those must have been some sandals! My favorite ones only lasted one summer.”

“You could have worn them longer,” said Everett. “You just wanted new ones.”

“The main point here is that God cares for His people,” Dad said. “He was reminding them to trust Him and be thankful for everything He provided for them—even things they didn’t always notice, like reliable clothing and sandals.”

After lunch, Everett took off on his new bike, heading for Liam’s house. Hours later, the two boys wandered into Everett’s kitchen. “Can we have popsicles?” Everett asked.

“Okay,” said Dad, “but then it will be time for Liam to get home and for you to put your bike in the garage. It’ll be dark soon.”

The boys looked at each other blankly. They’d been tearing around the neighborhood for a while—on foot. “Our bikes!” Everett exclaimed. “We left them at…at…”

“At Braden’s house?” asked Liam.

“No, I think it was at the park,” said Everett.

“Uh-oh,” said Charlotte. “If they’re not locked up, you might not see them again.”

“Let’s go!” said Liam, and the boys hurried out to find their bikes.

Soon Everett returned. “We found them! Liam rode his home.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” said Dad.

“Yeah,” said Everett. “It reminds me of the verse we read about God taking care of the Israelites. I think God did the same thing for me and Liam by making sure our bikes didn’t get stolen when we weren’t even thinking about them.”

“I think you’re right,” said Dad. “Of course, we need to remember that God taking care of us doesn’t mean difficult things won’t ever happen in our lives—it means that Jesus has saved us from sin and will be with us no matter what happens. But He does provide for us in ways we often don’t notice until later.”

“And He wants us to thank Him when we do,” said Everett. “So I’m going to thank Him right now for keeping my bike safe!”

–Donna Huisjin

How about you? Do you thank God for all He’s done for you? Even things you don’t always think about or notice right away? He provides you with things you need and protects you from things that could go wrong, even when you don’t notice. When you think of something He’s done for you—big or small—thank Him for it! It will help you see even more of His blessings in your life.

Today's Key Verse: I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. Deuteronomy 29:5 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Give thanks

Read: Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Titus 2:11-14

“It’s okay, just go ahead and grab them. No one’s looking!”

Maggie was at the arcade for Leah’s birthday party. Maggie and all Leah’s friends were running around playing games, winning tickets, and having a great time. That is, until Leah noticed the little door to one of the games was slightly open. One of the arcade employees had opened it to refill the tickets and forgot to close it, leaving the tickets unguarded!

Leah came up to her friends with a huge armful of tickets. “Heyyy, look what I got!” she sang happily.

“Whoa, no way! How’d you get all those?” one of her friends asked.

Leah led the way and pointed to the game with the open ticket door. One by one, her friends ran to grab tickets while the other girls stood guard to make sure no one saw what they were doing. When everyone had gotten tickets, they encouraged Maggie to do the same.

“That’s okay,” Maggie said. “I don’t need any. That’s stealing.”

“It’s not stealing,” they argued. “The employee should’ve shut the door if he didn’t want us grabbing tickets.”

Maggie knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but…everyone else had done it! And she did really want those tickets. So with her friends blocking her from the view of any onlookers, Maggie went and grabbed some tickets from the game.

Later, when Maggie’s mom came to pick her up from the party, Mom said, “Wow! You got a lot of prizes there.”

“Yeah…” Maggie mumbled as her guilty conscience set in. “But I didn’t really earn them, Mom.” And she told her mom what had happened.

“It can be hard to do the right thing, especially when everyone else is doing something you know is wrong,” Mom told her. “But we can trust God to help us do the right thing. I’m really thankful God forgives us for our mistakes when we confess our sins to Him, because we all mess up. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, God forgives all our sins.” Mom put an arm around Maggie. “Let’s go tell the arcade employees what happened. And let’s be thankful for God’s gift of forgiveness and trust Him to help us when we’re tempted to do the wrong thing.”

–Elizabeth Cooper

How about you? Do you struggle with peer pressure? When others are doing something wrong, are you tempted to do what they’re doing? When you feel tempted to do the wrong thing, pray to God and trust Him to give you strength to do what is right. If you mess up and do the wrong thing, confess your sin to God and know that He always forgives us when we make mistakes.

Today's Key Verse: God is faithful…When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: God helps us do the right thing

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

“What are you doing, Dad?” asked Elijah.

“Mom and I decided we’d like a window here in this wall, so I’m measuring and marking where I need to cut the hole for it.” Dad carefully drew lines where he planned to cut.

“Why do you want a window there?” asked Elijah as he helped Dad with the tape measure. “You want to see the garage next door while you eat?”

“The view may not be so great, but just wait and see what a difference a window makes,” Dad said as he put the tape measure back into his toolbox.

The next day, Dad carefully cut a hole in the wall and fit a new window into place.

“Wow!” Elijah said as he came into the room. “I think I like having a window there after all. The view is better than I thought it would be. We can see sky, trees, birds, some of the lawn—and as expected, we also have a really good view of the side of the Wilsons’ garage.” He smiled. “But you know the best thing of all about this new window?”

“What’s that?” asked Dad.

“It’s so much brighter in here! When it’s sunny outside, I could probably do my homework without turning a light on.”

“Quite different, isn’t it?” Dad stood back and admired the window. “Did you know that we should be like this window?”

“How do we do that?” asked Elijah.

“Well, the window lets light into our house, and we can bring Jesus’s light into the lives of others,” Dad explained.

“I can see the light that comes through the window,” said Elijah. “But you can’t really see the light Jesus gives, can you?”

“In a way, you can,” said Dad. “Like when you invited Sam over when he first moved here and didn’t know anyone, and he started coming to church with us. Or when you volunteered to walk Mr. Freeman’s dog when he was sick instead of playing with your friends after school.”

“You mean I was shining Jesus’s light when I did those things?” Elijah asked.

Dad nodded. “When you treat others with the love of Jesus by showing you care about them, that’s a bright light that helps people see who He is.”

–Diana M. Martin

How about you? How can you share the light of Jesus with others? You can shine His light in a dark and hurting world by telling others about Him and showing them His love. By sharing what He’s done for you and treating others with kindness and care, you can brighten people’s lives and show them who Jesus is and how much He loves them—and help them want to know Him the way you do.

Today's Key Verse: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Share Jesus’s light with others

Read: Acts 10:28, 34-35; Revelation 7:9-10

“What color should I use next in this afghan, Melanie?” Aunt Lizzy asked as she finished knitting with yellow yarn.

“Use the purple yarn!” said Melanie. “That’s going to be so pretty when it’s finished. It has so many different colors.”

Aunt Lizzy nodded. “Yes, and a lot of different kinds of stitches too.” She began adding the purple yarn. “How’s school going this year, Melanie?”

“Pretty good. There are a few new kids in our class this year. Miguel is from Honduras. He’s nice, but he doesn’t know English all that well yet, and some of the kids laugh at him when he says things in Spanish instead. There’s also a new girl from Vietnam—Anh. She brings really interesting food for lunch, but some of the kids make fun of it. And Zahid is new too. He moved here from the Middle East, and he’s been having a hard time making friends.”

“Hmm,” said Aunt Lizzy. “It sounds like some of the kids at your school think it’s okay to make fun of people for being different. I wonder if they’ve thought about how different they would seem if they went to the places Miguel, Anh, and Zahid are from.” She paused. “Melanie, if God were making an afghan, do you think He’d use just one color or a bunch of colors?”

Melanie looked at her aunt in surprise. “Well, I’m sure it’d be pretty either way, but…” She hesitated. “God used lots of colors in nature, so I think He’d do the same in an afghan. All the colors make it extra pretty and more interesting.”

Aunt Lizzy smiled. “I think so too. After all, He used many different colors and patterns when he made plants and animals—and people!”

“You mean like those kids at school who get teased?” Melanie asked.

“Yes,” said Aunt Lizzy. “God made every person in His image and loves them all—enough to send His Son to die on the cross for their sins. Instead of avoiding or making fun of people from other places or cultures, He wants us to embrace them and point them to Jesus, who gave His life so people from all over the world could worship Him together one day in heaven.”

–Teresa M. Beverly

How about you? Do you enjoy having friends who are different from you? Or do you avoid or make fun of anyone who doesn’t look, speak, or act like you? Each person in every part of the world is made in God’s image, and He loves them all. Together we display His creativity and point to the great love Jesus showed us all by dying for our sins. When you encounter people who are different from you, appreciate them and show them God’s love.

Today's Key Verse: God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. Acts 17:26 (ERV)

Today's Key Thought: Embrace differences in people