Bible Reading: Luke 11:1-4

"What did you talk about in Sunday school today?" Sienna's dad asked as the family drove home from church.

"We learned that Jesus took time out of his busy day to pray," replied Sienna.

"Yes, He did, and that's a good thing for all of us to do," said Dad.

"Yeah, I know," said Sienna with a sigh. "I'm just so busy these days. I have basketball and gymnastics and Bible club, and I have a lot more homework this year too. I just don't have time to pray very much."

Mom smiled at her. "Sienna, what's the first thing you do when you get home from school?"

Sienna thought about it. "I call Mariana," she answered. "Unless she calls me first."

"And why do you call Mariana?" asked Mom.

"Because she's my friend," replied Sienna.

"If you're so busy, how do you find time to talk to her every day?" asked Mom.

Sienna shrugged. "I don't know--I just do. I make the time. I like talking with her--she's my friend."

"Well, Jesus is our friend too," said Dad. "He wants to be our very best friend. We should spend time talking with Jesus because we love Him--just like you spend time talking with Mariana because you care about her."

"But I never really know what to say when I pray," said Sienna. "It seems like the stuff I want to talk about wouldn't interest God."

"Oh, but it does," said Dad. "Jesus died and rose again so we could have a relationship with Him, and He cares about all our thoughts and feelings. And you can talk to Him anytime and anyplace."

Mom nodded. "Mariana doesn't go to your school, so you're not able to talk to her throughout the day, but Jesus is with you all the time. You can ask Him for help whenever you need it. And He wants to hear about all the ordinary things going on in your life too."

"Cool!" said Sienna. "I never really thought of prayer as talking with a friend."

"God is always available, but don't forget to also make a special time each day to talk with Him for a few minutes," said Dad. "He wants to hear all you have to say."

–Anna Somers

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

"We have to defeat the monsters!" Max shouted, swinging his imaginary sword. "Let's go get them!" Max and his dad started charging across their backyard toward the imaginary monster lair, swinging their swords and shouting their war cries as they played heroes.

"But wait!" Max's dad stopped short. "We have to put on armor first!"

"Oh yes, you're right. To protect us!"

"Yes! What armor do you think we'll need?"

"A helmet!" Max declared. "And a breastplate!"

"That's exactly right! And don't forget a shield."

Max and his dad started putting on their imaginary armor, making sure their breastplates fit them well and their helmets were securely fastened.

"Now we have our full armor on!" Max said when they were ready.

"You know," Dad said, "the Bible talks about putting on the full armor of God."

"What does that mean?" Max asked.

"It means we should protect ourselves against the devil. Satan wants to lead us away from God, but the Bible gives us ways to stand against him. It says to put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness."

"What about our shields and helmets?" asked Max.

"Great point. The Bible talks about taking up the shield of faith, which is faith in Jesus, and putting on the helmet of salvation. Our salvation comes from God when we place our faith in Jesus. Because of Jesus's death and resurrection, God forgives our sins and gives us eternal life when we trust Jesus as our Savior, and we receive Jesus's righteousness--His goodness. The Bible also talks about taking up the sword of the Spirit"--Max's dad held up his imaginary sword--"which is the Word of God."

"Is that the Bible?" asked Max.

"Yes!" said Dad. "Putting on our armor helps us remember the truth and power we have in Jesus so we can stand against the devil's lies."

"Well, I want to put on the armor of God!" Max said. "Let's finish defeating these monsters with our pretend swords and then we can go inside and take up the sword of the Spirit by reading the Bible!"

"That sounds like a great idea, Max!" Dad smiled as they started charging toward the imaginary monster lair again.

–Elizabeth Cooper

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:14-22, 27

Mason's uncle, who raised sled dogs, had harnessed his team, and they were ready for action. "Now, Mason, which dog do you think is most important in getting this sled to the finish line?" asked Uncle Sean.

"The one in front," answered Mason.

Uncle Sean smiled. "That's Silver. He's called the lead dog. Now, which one do you think is least needed?"

"Well, I guess the one way in the back. He probably can't even see where he's going."

Without a word, Uncle Sean unbuckled the harness of the last dog. "Now which is least needed?" When Mason pointed to one of the smaller dogs, Uncle Sean unharnessed that one and asked the question again.

"You're not going to unharness them all, are you?" asked Mason as he pointed to another dog.

Uncle Sean grinned as he went to unharness that one. "I'll certainly leave the lead dog. You already said Silver was important. Now, which is next?"

"But Silver needs the other dogs to help pull the sled!" said Mason. "He can't do it alone. The other dogs might not be as important as the leader, but he needs their help."

"Yes, he does," said Uncle Sean. "But if the others are needed, doesn't that make them just as important as the lead dog?"

"I…I guess so," said Mason thoughtfully. "It seemed like the one in front would be more important than the others, but I guess he really isn't."

"He seemed more important because he's in a more prominent position," Uncle Sean explained. "But always remember that the smallest or least noticed member of a team is just as important as the one who gets the most attention. They all work together." Uncle Sean began harnessing the dogs again. "People are a lot like that. Sometimes we think the leaders are the only ones needed, but that's not true."

"Our sermon last week was about that," said Mason. "Pastor Donovan said God's church is like a body and every part is needed."

"That's right," said Uncle Sean. "In God's sight, what you do for Him is just as important as what anyone else does. We all need to work together as a team to show the world how good it is to know Jesus."

–Deborah S. Marett

Bible Reading: John 3:16-17; Romans 6:23; Colossians 3:15

Kristy plopped down on the couch. The wintry sky was gray, and it matched her mood perfectly. She kicked away the plastic ball her baby brother had gotten for Christmas and sighed. If only she had gotten the game she'd been hoping for since her birthday in October. It was bad enough the whole world still seemed drenched in the cheerfulness of the season. Now she had to wait ten whole months before she had any chance of getting the one thing she'd wanted for so long.

She stared as little Jake balanced on his tiny belly, straining with all his might to reach the plug of the lamp that hung just out of reach. Drool dribbled from his toothless mouth as he concentrated. Kristy reached for the ball and rolled it toward him, but he ignored it, still determined to grasp the dangling cord.

"Come on, Jakey," Kristy said, wiggling the ball to distract him. "That cord's not good for you. That heavy lamp could fall." She tried pulling him out of sight of the cord, but he screamed in angry protest. "Shh." She rubbed his back, but it only made him angrier. "You don't understand. You have so many fun things over here in your basket. Why do you cry over the one thing you can't have?"

Suddenly a small voice pierced Kristy's heart, and she winced. She'd been acting no different than Baby Jake. Why do I mope over one thing I can't have? she thought.

Kristy looked around the room. The Bible Grandma had given her still sat in its box. She tugged it out of the packaging and let it fall open. Her eyes fell on a verse that said, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" Her eyes moistened as she pictured Jesus on the cross, arms open wide, loving her as He gave the gift of His life to pay for her unthankfulness and every other sin.

Across the room, Jakey sat watching her, his drooly thumb half sticking out of his mouth. She caught his eye, and he broke into a toothless grin.

Suddenly Kristy felt like the world's richest girl. "Thank you, God, for giving me the gift of all gifts--Your Son, Jesus!"

–Rebekah Love Dorris

Bible Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7; Matthew 1:18-25

"I can't believe it's almost Christmas and there's no snow!" Alaina looked out the car window as they drove to church and frowned. "It just doesn't feel like Christmas without snow," she grumbled. For weeks the weather had been just above freezing. Instead of snow, storms of rain and sleet left a wet, muddy mess behind.

When they pulled into the church parking lot, Alaina hopped out of the car and landed in a mud puddle. Her church shoes and tights were covered in mud.

"Ahhhh!" she cried. "It's freezing, and I'm a mess!"

"Come on, honey," said her mom. "Let's run to the bathroom and dry you off before church starts."

A few minutes later Alaina was dry and warm, but her legs were still speckled with mud and dirt. Before she could complain, her friend Hadley excitedly ran up to her. "Alaina! Have you seen outside? It just started snowing!"

The two ran to the window and saw a few flurries starting to fall. Alaina giggled with excitement and forgot her muddy clothes. "Finally! I've been waiting forever!"

After church Alaina ran to the window again. The ground was already covered with a sparkling blanket of fresh snow.

Her mom came up behind her. "It does look beautiful. Why do you think fresh snow is so exciting?"

"Well, it finally covers up all the gross mud!" Alaina exclaimed, looking at the spots on her legs.

Mom nodded. "I think that must have been what the first Christmas felt like."

"What do you mean?" Alaina asked.

Mom smiled. "Just like the muddy mess outside that covered your clothes today, without Jesus our hearts look like a muddy mess full of sin. But just like you were waiting for the snow to cover up the mess, the world waited and waited in anticipation of the Savior God had promised. Can you imagine how exciting it must have been to hear that Jesus was finally here to make our hearts as white as this snow?"

Alaina looked surprised. "Wow, I didn't realize the world had to wait so long for Jesus to come." She looked outside. "Now the snow will remind me just how special Christmas is."

–Bethany Den Boer

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

"Mom! Dad just drove in," said Millie. "He probably brought a Christmas tree!" But as she opened the door, Dad came in, and he didn't have a tree.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Dad said, giving Millie a hug. "I know how much you wanted a tree, but…"

Millie shrugged away and hurried to her room. She didn't feel like celebrating Christmas.

As she lay on her bed, the sound of voices drifted down the hall. Millie went to her door and listened. "I wish we could afford a Christmas tree this year," Dad said. He sounded very sad. "Since it's so close to Christmas, I thought they'd be marked down, but the prices were still pretty high. And with all the extra expenses we've had, I didn't think it was a good idea. But I know Millie's disappointed."

The hurt in Dad's voice brought tears to Millie's eyes. Then a plan began to form in her mind. Christmas is all about God's gift of Jesus and the joy He came to bring us, she thought. Maybe I can give Dad and Mom a gift of joy too.

Millie went out to join her parents. "Mom, can we bring out that little artificial tree we used in Grandma's hospital room last year?" she asked.

"Sure," said Mom, and she got the tree.

Millie pretended to be thrilled with it. "Help me decorate it!" As they worked, Millie continued her cheerful act. "I remember when you and I went shopping and bought this ornament, Dad," she said as she hung a wooden bird on the tree. "We had so much fun."

The angel they had used in years past seemed too big for the tiny tree, but they put it on the top anyway. "Mom and I bought this angel for your first Christmas," Dad reminded Millie--just like he did every year.

By the time they finished, Dad's spirits had lifted, and Millie was surprised to find that she no longer had to pretend to be happy. Her joy was real, and she looked forward to Christmas morning. She didn't expect to get many presents, but it didn't matter anymore. She had already received a wonderful gift--the joy of making another person happy.

–Esther M. Bailey

Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1:3-8

After breakfast, Thatcher sat quietly as his dad read a passage of Scripture. "Well," said Dad as he closed his Bible, "these verses tell us that God is working to help us develop the same character traits Jesus has and become more like Him." Dad looked at his family. "Has anyone noticed ways He's been helping you do that in your life?"

No one said anything for a moment. Then Thatcher spoke up. "I don't get in fights as much as I used to, and I don't cheat on spelling tests anymore. And I like church better now too." His brows furrowed. "But I haven't been changing much lately."

"Well, we never stop growing as Christians," said Dad. "But often it's hard to pinpoint where the changes are taking place." After they discussed the verses a little more, Dad led them in prayer. Then they all gathered their things for a trip to visit Grandma, who lived several hours away.

When they got there, Grandma greeted them eagerly. "You've grown!" she exclaimed as she hugged Isla. "I see you've lost some teeth too!"

"Thwee teeth," lisped Isla.

"And Thatcher, you must be six inches taller," said Grandma, hugging him. "My! You're a young man now!" Throughout the day, she frequently commented on how much they had changed.

As Mom tucked Thatcher into his sleeping bag that night, he said, "I didn't think I had changed much since the last time we saw Grandma, but she couldn't stop talking about how much I've grown."

Mom laughed. "I know. I often don't notice how you and Isla grow either--until you grow out of your clothes, that is! I guess I see you too much to notice the gradual changes." She gave Thatcher a hug. "That reminds me of what we were talking about this morning. Maybe we're too close to ourselves to notice gradual changes that make us more like Jesus. But Grandma saw them. She mentioned how you and Isla played together without fighting and were quick to help when asked."

"Really?" asked Thatcher.

"Really," said Mom. "Trust that God is working in you to make you more and more like Jesus every day."

–Hope L. Aderman

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:14-16; John 3:16-21

Emily licked the icing off her fingers and carefully added another snowflake sprinkle to her Christmas cookie. Christmas parties were the best! She grinned as she looked around the table at her friends. Some of them were already devouring their cookies piled with sweet decorations.

"All right, kids! While you finish decorating your cookies, I have a special story to tell you," said Emily's mom. One of the other moms started passing around oranges while Emily's mom answered a question. "No, they aren't to eat just yet. We have to do something with them first! I was looking up different Christmas traditions from other countries and found this really cool one from Germany in the 1700s."

The children now each had a candle, four toothpicks, dried fruit, and a red ribbon next to their oranges. "This is what they did," Emily's mom said, holding up an orange. "The orange stands for the world. God loved our world so much that He sent His Son to save us. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price of our sins and then rose from the dead so we could have eternal life. That's what the red ribbon stands for--the blood of Jesus. Take your ribbon and glue it around your orange."

"What are the toothpicks for?" Emily asked curiously.

"We put the four toothpicks in our orange pointing different directions for north, south, east, and west," her mom explained. "Jesus wants us to spread the good news that He saves all over the world! The dried fruit go on the ends to remind us that when Jesus is our Savior we have the fruit of the Spirit. What are they?"

Some of the kids murmured, "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

"Is the candle for 'this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine'?" Wyatt sang with his eyes sparkling.

"How did you know, Wyatt? Yes, we're all going to place our candle inside the top of our orange and the grown-ups will light them. This thing you created is called a Christingle, and it's a symbol of Christ's light in us. If you know Jesus as your Savior, you are the light of the world. Kids, let your light shine for Jesus this Christmas!"

–Savannah Coleman