Read: Psalm 51:1-4, 7; Romans 3:23

“It’s still snowing, Grandpa,” said Evan. “We’ll have a white Christmas for sure!” Evan had not seen much snow when he lived in the valley, but now he was staying with his grandpa in the mountains.

Grandpa nodded. “It makes the whole world look so clean, doesn’t it? It reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses. Isaiah 1:18 says our sins can be made as white as snow. That happens when we trust Jesus as our Savior.”

Evan nodded, even though he wasn’t really sure what that meant. “I like the snow,” he said. “Can I go sledding for a while?”

“Sure,” said Grandpa, so Evan bundled up and went out.

That evening, Evan enjoyed a mug of hot chocolate while Grandpa read the Christmas story from the Bible. When Grandpa finished, Evan turned to him. “Grandpa, I was thinking about that verse you like—the one about snow. Didn’t you say my dad trusts Jesus as his Savior?” Grandpa nodded. “So does that mean his sins are as white as snow now?” Evan asked.

“It sure does,” Grandpa assured him.

“Then why is Dad still in jail?” asked Evan.

“Well, Evan, your father broke the law, so now he has to face the consequences for what he did—even though He decided to trust in Jesus while he was in jail and asked Him to forgive him for all the bad things he did. Jesus washed all his sin away and made his heart clean, and your dad is a new person and will spend eternity with God. Even though he’s still in jail, God won’t hold the wrong things he did against him. In God’s eyes, your dad’s heart is as clean and white as snow.”

Evan thought about that. “I want my heart to be as white as snow too.”

“It can be,” said Grandpa. “Shall I pray with you so you can ask Jesus to forgive your sins and make you clean? Then you can have a white Christmas—inside and out.”

–Esther M. Bailey

How about you? Did you know that you can have a white Christmas anywhere in the world? Even if you don’t get snow where you live, you can have a white Christmas on the inside by asking Jesus to wash away all the wrong you’ve ever done. He died to take the punishment for your sin, and when you trust in Him, He will make your heart as clean and white as snow. Trust in Him today! (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Trust Jesus as your Savior

Read: 1 John 4:7-12

Jessie and Grandma clapped as Chloe emerged from backstage long after the audience left. Chloe had spent weeks preparing to audition for the role of Mary in her church’s Christmas musical, but she was instead cast as Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth.

“Wonderful job, Chloe,” Grandma said. “You played an excellent Elizabeth.”

Chloe sighed. “Thanks, Grandma.”

“Do you get to keep the gray wig?” Jessie asked.

“Why would I want to keep that?” Chloe cried.

“You could pretend to be Grandma on her birthday and get all her presents.”

Grandma poked Jessie playfully on the shoulder. “How about instead of stealing presents, we go get frozen yogurt to celebrate Chloe’s performance?”

“Yay!” Jessie exclaimed. Chloe nodded reluctantly.

As they stood in line, Grandma went on and on about how wonderful the musical was. Finally, Chloe couldn’t take it anymore. “Can we stop talking about the musical already? It’s not fair that Shelley got to play Mary and I was stuck playing Elizabeth!” Chloe wailed. “When will I get to play the most important role?”

Jessie’s eyebrows furrowed. “Chloe, what does Ms. Hill say before every rehearsal?”

“There are no small parts, just small actors,” Chloe grumbled.

“Right—your attitude matters more than the part you play. Even though you didn’t get the role you wanted, you can encourage Shelley and be happy for her.”

“And don’t forget what the Christmas story is all about—Jesus’s birth!” Grandma added. “Jesus plays the most important role—in the Christmas story and in our lives. Without His love and sacrifice on the cross to save us from our sins, we wouldn’t get to look forward to eternity with Him or be able to share His love with others on earth. We all have an important role to play, but none of us are capable of filling Jesus’s lead role.”

“You’re right,” Chloe admitted. “Jesus’s role is too big for me.”

“Or any of us,” Jessie added.

They got their frozen yogurt and sat down. “Maybe we should thank Jesus before we eat,” Chloe said.

“Good idea,” Grandma said. “And not just for the yogurt, but for His love too.”

–Hannah Chung

How about you? Do you compare yourself to others? Maybe your friend connects faster with younger kids than you do, or you don’t have as much money to give at church as your older siblings. The good news is Jesus doesn’t love us based on our works. The best news is Jesus already completed the most important work—dying for our sins and coming back to life! Our job is to love Him and love others.

Today's Key Verse: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Only Jesus can save us

Read: James 2:1-4

On a bright winter day, Evelyn stopped by her Grandma’s house after school. She found her in the kitchen, pulling a batch of cookies out of the oven.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Grandma said. “Grab a cookie. How was school?”

“Pretty good,” Evelyn said. “But there’s a new girl in my class. She just moved here. I don’t like her.”

“Oh? That doesn’t sound like my kind granddaughter. Why don’t you like her? Is she mean to you?”

Evelyn blushed. “I’m sorry, Grandma, I didn’t mean to sound unkind. I haven’t talked to her, but she just looks so grumpy! She never smiles.”

Grandma put a hand on Evelyn’s shoulder. “Would you do me a favor, honey? Run upstairs to my bedroom and get the box underneath my bed.”

Soon Evelyn was back downstairs with the box. “What is it?” she asked.

Grandma opened the box and pulled out a very old violin. It was dirty and missing parts, and all the strings were broken.

“Oh, ew!” Evelyn exclaimed.

Grandma smiled. “Yes, this old thing has been through some rough times. I haven’t touched it in years. Tell you what—come back in a week and I’ll show it to you again.”

The next week, Evelyn was back. “I want to see that violin again,” she reminded her grandma. “Did you clean it up some?”

“Yes, I did,” Grandma said. “In fact…” She pulled the violin out of a case and handed it to Evelyn. “It looks like a different instrument.”

Evelyn gasped. “Grandma! This is beautiful! I had no idea.”

"It just needed some love,” Grandma said. “You know, Evelyn, I showed you this because I thought it might change your mind about the girl from your school. Sometimes people seem mean or grumpy because they’ve been through rough times or are having a bad day. They need love and care, just like my old violin. That’s one reason the Bible says we shouldn’t judge by what we see on the outside. Everyone, no matter what they act like, needs Jesus just like we do, and He wants us to show them His love by caring for them.” Grandma gave Evelyn a wink. “See if you can’t make that girl smile tomorrow.”

Evelyn smiled. “Thanks, Grandma. I will!”

–Lucy Alessio

How about you? Do you know someone who doesn’t seem very likable from a distance? Instead of holding it against them, maybe you need to get to know them. God commands us not to judge people by how they look or act but to treat people equally and show love to everyone. We all need Jesus, and He died for our sins when none of us were very likeable. Follow His example by showing everyone His love.

Today's Key Verse: Stop judging by the way things look. Be fair and judge by what is really right. John 7:24 (ERV)

Today's Key Thought: Love instead of judging

Read: John 1:14-17; 3:16-17

Caleb and Vanessa sat in the back seat of the car on the way home from Christmas shopping. They didn’t dare say a word. Mom’s face said it all. They were in big trouble. They had saved up money to buy gifts, but when they got to the store, they pushed and fought over every toy. After a couple warnings, Mom marched them out of the store empty-handed.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Caleb ventured. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Are we in big trouble?” Vanessa asked.

Mom took a deep breath. “We’ll see when we get home. I’ll talk to your dad.”

When they walked through the front door, Dad saw their glum faces. “Uh-oh. What’s going on?”

Mom looked at Caleb and Vanessa. “I want you both to go sit on the couch in the living room. We’ll be there in a minute.”

They slowly walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Soon their parents came in.

Dad looked stern. “I’m very disappointed to hear about your behavior today, but after talking it over, Mom and I decided we want you to open an early Christmas present.”

Caleb and Vanessa looked startled as Mom handed them a small wrapped box. “Is this for real?” Caleb asked.

Mom nodded, and they both tore off the wrapping paper. Caleb pulled out a glass ornament of baby Jesus. Vanessa squealed. “It’s beautiful!”

Caleb smiled but still looked a bit suspicious. “What’s the catch?”

“Do you think you deserved an early Christmas present today?” Dad asked.

Caleb frowned. “No, Dad. We deserve something else. We deserve to be punished.”

Mom smiled. “That’s exactly why we wanted to give this to you.”

Dad nodded. “We are all full of sin—we all act ugly and do bad things. Because of that sin, we all deserve punishment from God. But instead of punishing us, He sent us the most wonderful, undeserved gift. He sent us a baby to be our Savior.”

“I get it!” Vanessa said. “Our little undeserved ornament will remind us that God sent Jesus to save us from sin.”

Caleb smiled. “I understand too. Jesus was a gift we didn’t deserve.”

–Bethany Den Boer

How about you? Do you get lots of gifts at Christmas? Do you feel like you deserve your presents and get angry when you don’t get what you want? We receive gifts at Christmas not because we earned them, but because those who give them to us love us. These gifts remind us God gave us Jesus to be our Savior not because we deserved such a wonderful gift, but because He loves us.

Today's Key Verse: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus is the greatest gift

Read: Psalm 139:13-16; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Nate and Peter watched as Dad assembled a miniature model of the human body they had gotten for their homeschool biology class.

“I’m amazed at God’s creation,” Dad said, holding up the plastic heart piece. “Did you know that the human heart, which is only about as big as a clenched fist, can pump up to two thousand gallons of blood a day?”

“I heard that in our class videos,” said Peter. “We learned about eyes too. They’re set in holes, or sockets, and they’re protected by seven interlocking bones.”

“And our eyelashes and eyebrows keep out dust and sweat,” said Nate. “And each time we blink, a special fluid washes over our eyes.”

Dad grinned. “Right! And have you noticed that the palms of your hands are sort of skid-proof so you can get a grip on things? And think about your fingers and all they can do. You use them to write, paint, hammer a nail, play the piano—”

“Catch a football,” added Nate.

Dad nodded. “Just like the Bible says, we’re fearfully and wonderfully made. God created the human body to do amazing things. His great handiwork is nothing to laugh about, is it?”

“Laugh about?” asked Peter. “What do you mean?”

“Well, sometimes I hear people say things that aren’t respectful about the human body,” said Dad. “They make jokes about things God designed it to do, and sometimes they even mock others whose bodies look different from theirs.”

Peter nodded. “Sometimes my friends send me things that make fun of stuff like that—or even specific people.”

“That’s not how God wants us to treat the bodies—or people—He created,” said Dad. “He loves us so much He sent Jesus to die for us. When we trust in Him, He gives us new hearts—not a physical heart that pumps blood, but a desire to know and follow Him and share His love with others. And one day He’s going to give us new bodies too! Perfect bodies that will be free from sin, sickness, and death.”

“Wow,” said Nate. “That sounds amazing!”

Dad nodded. “It is amazing. That’s why we need to treat the bodies God gave us—and everyone else—with respect.”

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Are you ever tempted to make fun of the amazing bodies God created? Maybe you’ve made inappropriate jokes about them or looked at pictures or videos that are disrespectful. Perhaps you’ve even mocked someone for the way their body looks. Ask Jesus to forgive you for the times you didn’t treat people He loves and their bodies with respect. Remember that our bodies are meant to remind us of His amazing love.

Today's Key Verse: I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Respect the bodies God created

Read: Colossians 4:2-6

Johannah stared out her bedroom window as Mom came into the room and sat down on the bed. “How are you feeling?” Mom asked as she stroked Johannah’s forehead. “I think you still have a fever.”

“Why do I have to be sick today?” moaned Johannah. “I wanted to go sing at the hospital with my Sunday school class.” Her lower lip quivered a little.

“And it makes you feel bad that you can’t go, doesn’t it?” said Mom.

Johannah nodded. “I was really looking forward to going around and singing to people who were sick. Now I can’t.”

“I know, honey,” said Mom. “But you can pray and ask Jesus to use your class to bless the people at the hospital with their singing.”

Johannah shrugged. “It just doesn’t seem the same,” she said with a sigh.

“Maybe not, but…” Mom stood up. “I’ll be right back.” She left the room and returned a few minutes later with a strand of pearls. “See this necklace? Your great-grandmother gave it to me when I was a teenager.” She held it out so Johannah could look at it. “But there’s a very important part of it you can’t see.”

Johannah looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Well, what do you see when you look at it?” asked Mom.

Johannah took the necklace. “The pearls,” she said after examining it.

Mom nodded. “That’s what everyone notices, but look.” She carefully pulled two pearls apart to reveal the thin white thread holding them together. “No one notices this plain and simple thread, but without it, my necklace would fall apart.”

Still puzzled, Johannah looked at the pearl necklace and then at her mother. “Okay,” she said uncertainly.

“Prayer is like this thread,” Mom explained. “We often pray as an afterthought, but really, it’s what holds everything together—nothing we do would make any difference without God working behind the scenes and in people’s hearts. Even though you can’t go with the others to the hospital, you can have a very important part in what they’re doing. You can ask Jesus to use their singing to encourage the people at the hospital and show them how much He loves them and cares for them.”

–Richard S. Maffeo

How about you? Do you ever feel like you can’t do anything important for Jesus because you’re too young, too sick, or too shy? That’s not true! There’s at least one thing every Christian can do, and that’s pray. It’s not something everybody notices, but Jesus does. He hears each prayer. Pray and ask Him to work in people’s hearts as you and fellow Christians serve Him and show others His love.

Today's Key Verse: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Prayer is important

Read: Luke 2:4-18

“Mmm…I love candy canes! They’re my favorite Christmas treat,” Abbie said as she licked her sweet candy.

“They are yummy,” said Mom. “But what makes them my favorite Christmas candy is the story they tell.”

"Candy canes tell a story?” Abbie asked.

“Yes,” Mom said with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “Flip your candy cane upside down. What letter do you see?”

“It’s the letter J,” Abbie replied.

“That’s right,” Mom said. “And at Christmas we remember the birth of…?”

“Jesus!” said Abbie. “The J stands for Jesus!”

“You got it. The candy cane reminds us of Jesus at Christmas, and it also reminds us of two special groups of people who came to visit Jesus after He was born. If you turn your candy cane upright again, what does it look like?”

“A shepherd’s staff!” Abbie exclaimed.

Mom nodded. “The staff reminds us of the shepherds who came to visit Jesus—and also that Jesus Himself is our Good Shepherd. And as you taste your candy cane, the sweet peppermint flavor tickles your tongue, which can be a reminder of the spices the wise men gave to Jesus.”

“This part of the story tastes good,” said Abbie, giving her candy cane another lick. “What do the colors mean?”

“The red represents the blood Jesus poured out for us when He died on the cross for our sins, and the white reminds us that when we trust Jesus as our Savior, He washes our sin away and makes us clean.”

“I never knew the candy cane told a story before!” Abbie said as she munched on a hard piece of her candy cane.

“Every part of the candy cane tells a story. Even the fact that the candy cane is hard points to Jesus being our solid rock.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! Would it be okay if I give some candy canes to my friends at school? I want to tell them the story of the candy cane too!”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Mom replied. “Telling others the story of Jesus is one of the best gifts you can give your friends.”

“Yeah,” said Abbie. “And it tastes good too!”

–Rachel Vruggink

How about you? Do you have a friend you could tell the story of the candy cane? Telling others about Jesus’s birth and how He died on the cross for their sins and rose again is a wonderful story to share at Christmastime. The shepherds were so excited when they saw Jesus that they spread the good news! Who can you share the good news of Jesus with this Christmas?

Today's Key Verse: When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. Luke 2:17 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Share Jesus with others

Read: Isaiah 64:4-6

“Mom, guess what?” said James. “My school is having a snow sculpture contest, and there are prizes!”

“What are you going to make?” Mom asked.

“A polar bear.” James grinned. “That will be the perfect animal for this cold, snowy weather.”

Each day leading up to the contest, James practiced making bears. At the end of the week, a whole family of snow bears stood in front of the house.

“It’s a good thing the contest is tomorrow,” Mom said. “You’ve used up almost all the snow in the yard!”

The next day, the children started their sculptures. James worked hard, hoping to win the grand prize—a trip to Zehnder’s Snowfest in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

After he finished his bear, James and his mom walked around and looked at the other entries. When the judges announced James as the grand prize winner, he jumped up and down. “I knew my bear was best!” he told his mom.

A few weeks later, when James and Mom arrived in Frankenmuth, a snow sculpture contest was underway. James watched the contestants make huge, intricate sculptures. “After seeing these entries, my bear doesn’t seem so good.”

“These contestants are professional,” said Mom. “It’s easy to feel humbled after seeing their work.”

“That’s for sure.” James stopped to look at a sculpture of a huge polar bear. It was so lifelike, it almost looked real. “This looks nothing like my polar bear. There’s just no comparison!”

Mom smiled. “It reminds me of how I used to compare myself to others. Sometimes I thought I was pretty good, and sometimes I didn’t—it all depended on how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ I thought someone else was. Until I read the Bible, I thought God judged people the same way. But He has a higher standard, and none of us can live up to it, no matter how hard we try. There’s only one way to be good enough for him.”

“I know what it is!” said James. “We need to trust in Jesus.”

“Right,” said Mom. “Jesus is the only one who meets God’s perfect standard, and He died to pay for our sins. When we trust in Him, He makes us good in God’s eyes.”

–David J. Belleau

How about you? Do you compare yourself to other people to see how good you are? What about Jesus—have you ever compared yourself to Him? He’s God’s perfect standard, and compared to Him, we’re all sinners in need of forgiveness. The only way to be good in God’s eyes is for Jesus to remove your sin and give you His goodness. Trust Him as your Savior today. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus makes us good