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 What God Has Joined Together Bible Reading: Mark 10:1-9 They are no longer two but one. Matthew 19:6 GOD PATIENTLY EXPLAINED his plan to the archangel Michael. "I will cause the man to fall into a deep sleep," he said, "and then I will take a rib from his side and make a companion for him ... a woman." "Uh-huh." Michael blinked as if he'd just been told a joke that he didn't get. "Don't you see, Michael?" God said. "The woman and the man will be husband and wife. They will become one." Michael's mouth slowly dropped open. "Oh," he said, drawing the word out into a long expression of realization. "You will make them one," the angel repeated. "A unity. The man. The woman." God smiled and nodded. "A unity. A reflection of my nature." "So," Michael said breathlessly, "although they are two, they will be one. Just as you are three in one." His eyes sparkled with exh...

 More Gladness Than Anyone Else Bible Reading: Psalm 45:1-7 You love what is good and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has given you more gladness than anyone else. Psalm 45:7, TLB WHAT WOULD IT take to make you happy? Check any of the following that apply: ____ A new bike or car ____ My own room ____ Popularity ____ A boyfriend/girlfriend ____ One or two good friends ____ A nice house ____ No more school ____ A million dollars ____ Fame as a rock star ____ A trip to Disney World ____ Good looks ____ A pet python To Read More Click Here

  “I Knew You’d Come” Bible Reading: Proverbs 17:17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17 AN OLD BOY Scout manual told the story of two brothers who were fighting side by side in France. The brothers struggled to rejoin their unit, but only one made it back safely. He approached his commanding officer and asked permission to retrace his steps in an effort to find his brother. The officer shook his head. "It's too dangerous," he said, not without pity. "Your brother is probably dead, and there's no use risking your life just to find him dead." The brother persisted, however, and begged the officer to let him try. Finally, the man agreed, and the soldier dashed back toward the enemy fire to hunt for his brother. Some time later, he returned-with his brother draped across his shoulders. But just as he reached the safety of the bunker, his brother gasped and died in his arms. "You see," said the officer...

 Role Reversal Bible Reading: Matthew 25:24-30 From those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away Matthew 25:29 PUT YOURSELF IN your parents' shoes for a minute. OK, they're too big, they're ugly, and they smell funny (the shoes, not your parents). But try it anyway. Suppose you're the parent. You decide to let your kid eat whatever he or she wants. A week later you realize that your child's diet has included a dozen Twinkies, twenty-three cans of Pepsi, two boxes of Fruit Roll-Ups, and a tub of ice cream the size of a foreign car-but not one bite of vegetable or protein. You decide (a) to stop buying meat and vegetables; (b) to start buying larger clothes for your kid; (c) to cancel the deal and plan a steady diet of brussels sprouts and asparagus. Or suppose your kid insists he or she is old enough to stay home alone, without a baby-sitter. You agree, and leave the child alone for a few hours while you and your spouse go shopping together...

 God Values Faithfulness Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:1-8 Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Proverbs 3:3, NIV YOU KNOW WHAT a slam book is, right? It's a notebook in which kids jot down messages to each other-usually messages that "slam" or insult someone else. They're passed around a lot in some schools. A kinder, gentler version of the slam book is a notebook in which friends and classmates are encouraged to answer questions about their favorite things. One page, for example, might be headed "Favorite Sport," and the entries below might include "Baseball-Joel Wannamaker" and "Synchronized swimming-Jan Tzen." Let's try our own version. Try listing your favorite . . . Song________________________________________________ Singer or group___________________________________ TV show____________________________________________ Season of the year________________________________ Book of the Bible__________________________________ Now le...

 Milk or More? Bible Reading: Hebrews 5:12-14 You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. Hebrews 5:12 MOST THINGS IN life go in a certain order. Babies crawl before they walk and drink milk before they eat solid food. Little kids ride a bike with training wheels before they take off on a two-wheeler. Teens get a temporary driver's permit that allows them to drive with an adult before they're allowed to drive on their own. The Christian life goes in a certain order, too. When we're newborn Christians, we need to master the basics: knowing our own sinfulness; needing God's forgiveness and love through the gift of his Son, Jesus; desiring to forgive others. As we grow in Christ, the lessons we learn go deeper as we face the day-to-day decisions between right and wrong...