Author: Nathaniel Colt

Read about It

Read: Matthew 14:22–27

Imagine you were with the disciples in the boat. A giant storm came up while they were out on the lake. They had been with Jesus and seen the miracles He could do. But they were still afraid. Then when they saw Jesus coming toward them walking on the water, they didn’t even know it was Jesus. They were terrified! They thought He was a ghost.

Like the disciples, we’re going to face difficult times in our life that feel like scary storms. Jesus will be with us just like He was with the disciples. We don’t have to be afraid. Jesus told the disciples not to be afraid because He was there. We can trust that Jesus will be with us, too!

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Read: Ephesians 1:4–8

Even before He made the world, God loved us. He wants to make us His children and part of His family. God gives His grace to those who belong to Him. He shows them His kindness and love.

The words poured and showered in the Bible reading don’t mean just a little drop here and there. Think about when a rain shower comes down. There is water coming down all around. This is how God offers us His grace and kindness: generously!

Like the woman in our Bible story, we shouldn’t let our past sin and shame keep us from Jesus. He willingly gave His life for us on the Cross, so our sins could be forgiven! God chooses to forgive us when we ask, not because He has to, but because He wants to. It makes Him really happy to forgive us!

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Read: Romans 3:22–24

Think about a good thing you did for someone in order to earn something you wanted. Maybe you cleaned and washed the car to earn extra allowance. Or perhaps you cleared the table and did the dishes to earn extra screen time. Many times, this is how our brains are wired to think. In order to earn a reward, we have to do something good first.

But when it comes to salvation and being forgiven of our sins, this isn’t how it works at all! Everyone has sinned and needs forgiveness. But the Bible says that forgiveness isn’t something we can earn or work extra hard for. Instead, we receive it because of God’s loving grace. Grace is when you are given something you haven’t earned.

The woman who came to Jesus for forgiveness didn’t do anything special before she came to Him. She was known as a sinner. Yet, because of Jesus, she received forgiveness because of His grace. When we realize that we’ve made a mistake, we can go to God immediately! When we go to Him with a heart that is truly sorry for the things we’ve done, He is more than willing to give us the gift forgiveness because of grace.

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Read: Luke 7:40–50

With people staring at her, this woman humbly knelt behind Jesus’ feet. She didn’t let her pride or past get in the way. All she wanted was forgiveness from Jesus. He knew exactly what she had done. He could have turned her away, but He didn’t! In fact, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven … Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jesus changed this woman’s life. The people who saw this began to question who Jesus was, too!

One encounter with Jesus can change our life forever! Yes, Jesus is that good. Because of His death on the Cross, our sins can be forgiven. Our past mistakes can be completely wiped away. He can give us a fresh start no matter how much we’ve messed up. He just wants us to come to Him, sit at His feet, and give our life to Him. He freely gives forgiveness and grace. He is willing to change our life if we ask Him to!

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Read: Luke 7:36–39

The woman in this Bible story was known for being a sinner. It was a big deal for her to go uninvited to the Pharisee’s home. But she had heard Jesus would be having dinner there. So in spite of what other people thought of her, she made her way to Jesus as He sat at the table. She began to cry on His feet, drying them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet! The perfume she used to pour on Jesus’ feet was very expensive. It may have been worth as much as a year’s payment for work!

Can you imagine sitting at the table and watching this? The Pharisee was definitely surprised, and maybe even angry that she was there. What he didn’t understand was that this woman was pouring out all that she had at Jesus’s feet. She understood what Jesus could do. She was willing to take the risk to get to Jesus, so she could be forgiven.

Jesus wants us to come to Him just as we are. He wants us to pursue Him, to want to know and follow Him, no matter what the cost may be. Through Him, we can be forgiven!

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Read: Proverbs 2:1–6

If you knew that there was buried treasure nearby, what would you do? Would you ignore it and pretend that it wasn’t there? Would you say, “Maybe I’ll search for it tomorrow?” Of course not! You would go and dig for it right away. You would search for that treasure until you found it. Our Bible verses today talk about searching for understanding and wisdom like you would search for silver or hidden treasure.

Nicodemus had a heart to search for Jesus and to know truth. He did what he had to do to get to Jesus. He took the time to really listen to what Jesus was saying. It’s easy sometimes to get so caught up in the things that we have to do, that we miss what Jesus is trying to say to us. We don’t really listen carefully to Him. We hurry through our Bible reading time or just forget to do it all. But when we take time to get to know Jesus and listen to Him, we begin to hear His voice, the voice of truth, instead of all the other noises that fight for our attention.

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Read: John 3:16–21

Many times, when Jesus taught He talked about everyday things to help people understand. He did that when Nicodemus came to Him with questions.

Have you ever been afraid of the dark? When talking with Nicodemus, Jesus used dark and light to describe people. Darkness described people living in sin. Light described when people were willing to let the truth of Jesus change them. Then others could see Jesus in them.

When we listen to Jesus, He will show us the truth. He will give us a new spiritual life and change us. Then, when others look at us, they can see Jesus shine through us. When we search for Jesus, we can find things like light that can point us to the truths of Jesus too. These things can help us understand who He is!

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Read: Jeremiah 29:12–13; Matthew 7:7–11

Have you ever been in a room with the door shut because you wanted to be alone, and then someone knocked on the door wanting to come in? They may have knocked and knocked and wouldn’t give up until you finally opened the door. This is what today’s Bible verses say it’s like to seek God seriously! He isn’t hiding and can always be found. But we must keep on seeking Him sometimes in order to receive from Him. The Bible says when we knock, the door will be opened to us. That means when we seek God, we will find Him!

When Nicodemus talked with Jesus, he listened carefully so he could understand what Jesus was saying (John 3:4–10, 16). He continued to ask questions, and he didn’t give up! There is so much to know about Jesus that we will never fully understand while we are here on the earth. But when we seek Jesus—when we keep knocking on that door—we can know Jesus a little more each day!

Read about It

Read: John 3:1–10

Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader. They studied the Scriptures a lot. Many of them were waiting for the promised Messiah to come. But Jesus came to earth in a way that wasn’t expected. So many people didn’t understand who Jesus was. They didn’t know that Jesus was the promised Messiah. He was offering a way for us to be closer to God.

When Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, he asked questions. He called Jesus rabbi, which means teacher, because he wanted to learn from Jesus. He wanted to know the truth and understand who Jesus was. Jesus was patient with Nicodemus and took the time to explain many things and help him understand. Jesus does the same with us. When we take the time to talk to Jesus and study the Bible for ourself, Jesus comes close to us. He helps us understand who He is and how to live a godly life.