Good Christian stories for boys. Christian stories children's prayer

Religious reading: Christian stories and children's prayer to help our readers.

children's christian stories

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One day, a boy of twelve or thirteen years old, on his way home from school, was attacked by fifteen evil and harmful boys and girls. The unfortunate child was completely helpless. How could he defend himself? He remembered how his mother often told him: “If you find yourself in a difficult situation or in danger, pray to God.” He prayed to God for a second or two, but there was no help and he was severely beaten.

He came home in tears. Mom consoled him, and he said:

You told me that if I pray to God, God will protect me, but God did not protect me. Look, I'm covered in bruises and abrasions.

My son,” my mother answered, “I told you to pray to God every day, but you didn’t do it.” You didn't pray every day morning and evening. You prayed to God maybe once a week, or even less. Sometimes you meditated for one day, and then for ten or fifteen days you didn’t meditate at all. You need to pray to God every day, at least ten minutes early in the morning. Meditation and prayer are the same muscles. If you train one day and then don't train for ten days, you won't be able to get strong. You can only become strong if you exercise every day. In the same way, if you pray to God every day, your inner muscles will become stronger and God will protect you. God will definitely protect you if you pray to Him every day early in the morning and in the evening.

From that day on, the boy began to pray to God. He listened to his mother. Early in the morning he prayed for ten minutes, and in the evening he prayed for five minutes. Six months passed and he said to his mother:

Yes, prayer helps. Now no one bothers me. I go home every day and no one bothers me.

Even if someone pesters you,” my mother answered, “you will be protected because you pray regularly every day and God is pleased with you.” God will protect you.

On the same day, an incident happened. When the boy was returning home from school, very tall, big and strong guy grabbed him roughly and wanted to hit him.

Oh God, the boy immediately thought, my mother said that if I pray to You every day, You will protect me.

And he began to repeat the Name of the Lord very loudly: “God, God, God, God, save me, save me”!

The guy who grabbed him was big and strong, he started laughing at the boy:

Do you think anything will happen if you repeat, “God, God, God”? Do you think you can get rid of me this way? Nothing of the kind!

The boy blurted out what his inner voice told him to do, and the guy immediately let him go and ran away.

Last night this guy had a dream about a ghost and he got really scared. Everyone is afraid of ghosts, even adults. The word "ghost" reminded him of the creature he had dreamed about last night. When the boy said, “Even ghosts disappear when we chant the Name of the Lord,” God made the bully see the boy as the ghost from his dream. God showed him a ghost in the form of this boy, so he ran away.

When the bully let him go, the boy rushed home and told his mother the story.

“This is exactly what I told you about,” my mother answered. - If you pray to God every day, God will definitely save you. He will definitely protect you.

As you can see, if you pray daily, God will protect you. This boy had never thought about ghosts, but God told him what to say. If you pray, God will help you in some divine way in case of danger. God will give you inner instruction, or He will give instruction to another person. If someone attacks you, you will immediately say something that you yourself do not understand. When you say this, the attacker will suddenly be scared to death and let you go. Pray to God every day, and then in a difficult situation, God will tell you what to do.

One Sunday morning little boy Misha was sitting on the bed and reading a big thick book “Jesus is yours” best friend“Suddenly, at the moment when the hand on the clock pointed to 12, the book fell from Misha’s hands. He picked up the Bible, but alas there was no hope of reading from that place.

With a book! I read it, but it fell and actually interesting place closed! - Mikhail explained.

Children's Christian stories

Children's Christian story about the Bible

And always give thanks for everything to God our Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 (St. Petersburg)

A mother and her 4-year-old daughter were walking through the market. When they passed by a tray with oranges, the seller took and gave the girl an orange.

What should I say? – the mother asked her daughter. The girl looked at the orange, and then thrust it back to the seller and said; What about cleaning?

A person needs to be taught gratitude. What is excusable to a four-year-old child for a fourteen- or forty-year-old child will definitely be rudeness or bad manners.

But how easy it is for us to be ungrateful towards God! We accept His gifts and think: It’s not bad, but it won’t be enough.

And without gratitude to God, there is no spiritual maturity. We are bitter children if we forget to say thank you to God. And Paul, turning, for example, to Christians in Ephesus, calls them to fidelity to Christ, drawing their attention to the fact that they give thanks. I wrote this verse at the beginning of the article. This is a Modern Bible translation. I love the Modern Bible translation... I love reading this translation! I always thank God for everything he does and gives me in life! If you can, but have never thanked God, I ask you, friends, let’s thank the Creator! Make this decision!

Let’s not complain that we don’t have something there, don’t be offended by our evil fate, don’t beg for more and more benefits, but I’ll just repeat once again thanking God for everything.

No need to talk; What about cleaning? You need to say: Thank you.

I like this verse

We will give glory to God for everything

Let us submit to the will of the Lord in everything

He saves us, and He will save us.

And there is such a wonderful quote!

Gratitude does not depend on what is in our pocket, but on what is in your heart!

Christian stories for children

Truthfulness is best

-Have you lost your place? How did this happen, son?

“I think, mom, that this happened solely due to my negligence.” I was wiping the dust in the store and wiping it very hastily. At the same time, he hit several glasses, they fell and broke. The owner became very angry and said that he could no longer tolerate my unbridled behavior. I packed my things and left.

Mother was very concerned about this.

– Don’t worry, mom, I’ll find another job. But what should I say when they ask why I left my previous relationship?

– Always tell the truth, Jacob. You're not thinking of saying anything different, are you?

- No, I don’t think so, but I thought about hiding it. I'm afraid that by telling the truth, I'll hurt myself.

– If a person does the right thing, then nothing can harm him, even if it seems so.

But Jacob found it more difficult to find a job than he thought. He searched for a long time and finally seemed to have found it. One young man in a beautiful new store was looking for a delivery boy. But everything in this store was so neat and clean that Jacob thought that he would not be hired with such a recommendation. And Satan began to tempt him to hide the truth.

After all, this store was in a different area, far from the store where he worked, and no one here knew him. Why tell the truth? But he defeated this temptation and directly told the store owner why he left the previous owner.

“I prefer to have decent young people around me,” said the store owner good-naturedly, “but I’ve heard that those who realize their mistakes leave them behind.” Maybe this misfortune will teach you to be more careful.

“Yes, of course, master, I will try my best to be careful,” Jacob said seriously.

“Well, I like a boy who tells the truth, especially when it can hurt him.” Good afternoon, uncle, come in! – he spoke the last words to the man who entered, and when Jacob turned around, he saw his former owner.

“Oh,” he said when he saw the boy, “do you want to take this boy as a messenger?”

– I haven’t accepted it yet.

- Take it completely calmly. Just be careful that he doesn’t spill the liquid goods, and that he doesn’t pile the dry goods all in one heap,” he added, laughing. “In all other respects you will find him quite reliable.” But if you don’t want to, then I’m ready to take him again with a trial period.

“No, I’ll take it,” said the young man.

- Oh, mom! - Jacob said when he came home. -You're always right. I got this place there because I told the whole truth. What would happen if my previous owner came in and I told a lie?

“Truthfulness is always best,” answered the mother.

“Truthful lips endure forever” (Prov. 12:19)

Boy student's prayer

Some years ago in a large factory there were many young workers, many of whom said they were converted. One of these latter included one fourteen-year-old boy, the son of a believing widow.

This teenager soon attracted the boss's attention with his obedience and eagerness to work. He always completed his work to the satisfaction of his boss. He had to bring and carry mail, sweep workroom and also carry out many small tasks. Cleaning the offices was his first duty every morning.

Since the boy was accustomed to precision, he could always be found at exactly six o'clock in the morning already working.

But he had another wonderful habit: he always began his working day with prayer. When one morning, at six o'clock, the owner entered his office, he found the boy on his knees praying.

He quietly went out and waited outside the door until the boy came out. He apologized and said that he woke up late today, and there was no time for prayer, so here, in the office, before the start of the working day, he knelt down and surrendered to the Lord for the whole day.

His mother taught him to always start the day with prayer, so as not to spend this day without God's blessing. He took advantage of the moment when no one else was there to spend some time alone with his Lord and ask for His blessings for the coming day.

Reading the Word of God is just as important. Don't miss it! Today you will be offered so many books, both good and bad!

Perhaps there are those among you who have a strong desire to read and know? But are all books good and useful? My dear friends! Be careful when choosing books!

Luther always praised those who read Christian books. Give preference to these books too. But above all, read dear God's Word. Read with prayer, for it is more valuable than gold and pure gold. It will strengthen you, preserve you and encourage you at all times. This is the Word of God, which endures forever.

The philosopher Kant said about the Bible: “The Bible is a book whose content speaks of the divine principle. It tells the history of the world, the history of Divine providence from the very beginning and even to eternity. The Bible was written for our salvation. It shows us in what relationship we stand with the righteous, merciful God, reveals to us the full magnitude of our guilt and the depth of our fall, and the height of divine salvation. The Bible is my most precious treasure, without it I would perish. Live according to the Bible, then you will become citizens of the heavenly Fatherland!

Brotherly love and compliance

Cold winds blew. Winter was approaching.

Two little sisters were getting ready to go to the store to buy bread. The eldest, Zoya, had an old shabby fur coat, the youngest, Gale, her parents bought a new, larger one for her growth.

The girls really liked the fur coat. They started getting dressed. Zoya put on her old fur coat, but the sleeves were short, the fur coat was too tight for her. Then Galya says to her sister: “Zoe, put on my new fur coat, it’s too big for me. You wear it for a year, and then I wear it, because you also want to wear a new fur coat.”

The girls exchanged fur coats and went to the store.

Little Galya fulfilled the commandment of Christ: “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34).

She really wanted to wear a new fur coat, but she gave it up to her sister. Which tender love and compliance!

Is this how you kids treat each other? Are you ready to give up something pleasant and dear to your brothers and sisters? Or maybe it's the other way around? It is often heard among you: “This is mine, I won’t give it back!”

Believe me, how many troubles arise when there is no compliance. How many disputes, quarrels, what bad character is then produced by you. Is this the character of Jesus Christ? It is written about Him that He grew up in love with God and men.

Is it possible to say about you that you are always compliant, gentle with your family, brothers and sisters, with friends and acquaintances?

Take the example of Jesus Christ and these two sisters - Zoya and Galya, who love each other with tenderness, for it is written:

“Be kind to one another with brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10)

All of you children have probably seen in the summer in the grass a small blue flower called forget-me-not. Many interesting stories are told about this little flower; They say that angels, flying over the earth, drop blue flowers on it so that people do not forget about heaven. That is why these flowers are called forget-me-nots.

There is another legend about the forget-me-not: it happened a long time ago, in the first days of creation. Paradise had just been created, and beautiful, fragrant flowers bloomed for the first time. The Lord Himself, walking through paradise, asked the flowers their name, but one little blue flower, directing its golden heart to God in admiration and not thinking about anything but Him, forgot its name and became embarrassed. The tips of its petals turned red from shame, and the Lord looked at him with a gentle gaze and said: “Because you have forgotten yourself for My sake, I will not forget you. From now on, call yourself forget-me-not and let people, looking at you, also learn to forget about themselves for My sake.”

Of course, this story is a human fiction, but the truth in it is that forgetting about yourself for the sake of love for God and your neighbors is great happiness. Christ taught us this, and in this He was our example. Many people forget this and seek happiness away from God, but there are people who spend their entire lives serving their neighbors with love.

All their talents, all their abilities, all their means - everything they have, they use to serve God and people, and, forgetting themselves, they live in the world of God for others. They bring into life not quarrels, anger, destruction, but peace, joy, order. Just as the sun warms the earth with its rays, so they warm the hearts of people with their affection and love.

Christ showed us on the cross how to love, forgetting ourselves. He is happy who gives his heart to Christ and follows His example.

Don’t you, children, want to not only remember the Risen Christ, His love for us, but, forgetting about ourselves, show Him love in the person of our neighbors, try to help with deed, word, prayer to everyone and everyone who needs help; try to think not about yourself, but about others, about how to be useful in your family. We will try to support each other in good deeds prayer. May God help us in this.

“Do not forget also to do good and to communicate for others, for such sacrifices are acceptable to God” (Heb. 13:16)

Little artists

One day the children were given the task: imagining themselves to be great artists, to draw a picture from the life of Jesus Christ.

The task was completed: each of them mentally drew one or another landscape from Holy Scripture. One of them painted a picture of a boy enthusiastically giving Jesus all he had—five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:9). Others talked about many other things.

But one boy said:

– I can’t paint one picture, but only two. Let me do this. He was allowed, and he began: “Raging sea. The boat in which Jesus is with the twelve disciples is filled with water. The students are in despair. They face imminent death. A huge shaft is approaching from the side, ready to turn over and drown the boat without fail. I would draw some students turning their faces to the advancing terrible wave of water. Others covered their faces with their hands in horror. But Peter's face is clearly visible. There is despair, horror, confusion. The hand is extended to Jesus.

Where is Jesus? At the stern of the boat, where the steering wheel is. Jesus sleeps peacefully. The face was serene.

There would be nothing calm in the picture: everything would be raging, foaming in the spray. The boat would either rise to the crest of the wave, or sink into the abyss of the waves.

Jesus alone would be calm. The students' excitement was inexpressible. Peter in despair shouts through the noise of the waves: “Teacher, we are perishing, but You have no need!”

This is one picture. Second picture: “Dungeon. The Apostle Peter is chained with two chains, sleeping between the soldiers. Sixteen guards guard Peter. Peter's face is clearly visible. He sleeps peacefully, although a sharpened sword is already prepared to cut off his head. He knew about it. His face resembles Someone.”

– Let’s hang the first picture next to it. Look at the face of Jesus. Peter's face is the same as His. There is a stamp of peace on them. A dungeon, a guard, a sentence for execution - the same raging sea. The sharpened sword is the same formidable shaft, ready to interrupt Peter’s life. But on the face of the Apostle Peter there is no former horror and despair. He learned from Jesus. It is imperative that these pictures be placed together,” the boy continued, “and make one inscription over them: “For you must have the same mind which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

One of the girls also talked about two paintings. The first picture is “Christ is being crucified: the disciples stand in the distance. There is grief, fear and horror on their faces. Why? - Christ is being crucified. He will die on the cross. They will never see Him again, never hear His gentle voice, never again will the kind eyes of Jesus look at them. never again will He be with them.”

That's what the disciples thought. But everyone reading the Gospel will say: “Didn’t Jesus say to them: “For a little while the world will not see Me, but you will see Me, for I live, and you will live” (John 14:19).

Did they remember at that moment what Jesus said about his resurrection after death? Yes, the disciples forgot this and therefore there was fear, grief and horror on their faces and in their hearts.

And here is the second picture.

Jesus with his disciples on the mountain called Olivet, after His Resurrection. Jesus ascends to His Father. Let's look at the faces of the students. What do we see on their faces? Peace, joy, hope. What happened to the students? Jesus leaves them, they will never see Him on earth! And the students are happy! All this because the disciples remembered the words of Jesus: “I go to prepare a place for you. And when I have prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself” (John 14:2-3).

Let's hang two pictures side by side and compare the faces of the students. In both paintings, Jesus is leaving the disciples. So why are the students' faces different? Only because in the second picture the disciples remember Jesus' words. The girl ended her story with the appeal: “Let us always remember the words of Jesus.”

Tanya's answer

One day at school, during a lesson, the teacher was having a conversation with second grade students. She told the children a lot and for a long time about the Earth and about distant stars; she also talked about flying spaceships with a person on board. At the same time, she said in conclusion: “Children! Our cosmonauts rose high above the earth, to a height of 300 km, and flew in space for a long, long time, but they did not see God, because He does not exist!”

Then she turned to her student, a little girl who believed in God, and asked:

– Tell me, Tanya, do you now believe that there is no God? The girl stood up and calmly answered:

– I don’t know how much 300 km is, but I know for sure that only “the pure in heart will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Waiting for an answer

The young mother lay dying. Having completed the procedures, the doctor and his assistant retired to the next room. Folding your medical instrument, he, as if talking to himself, said in a low voice:

- Well, we’re done, we did everything we could.

The eldest daughter, one might say, still a child, stood not far away and heard this statement. Crying, she turned to him:

- Mister Doctor, you said that you did everything you could. But mom didn’t get better, and now she’s dying! But we haven’t tried everything yet,” she continued. “We can turn to Almighty God.” Let's pray and ask God to heal mom.

The unbelieving doctor, of course, did not follow this proposal. The child fell to his knees in despair and cried out in prayer in his spiritual simplicity as best he could:

– Lord, I ask You, heal my mother; the doctor did everything he could, but You, Lord, are a great and good Doctor, You can heal her. We need her so much, we cannot do without her, dear Lord, heal her in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Some time passed. The girl remained on her knees as if in oblivion, not moving or getting up from her place. Noticing the child’s immobility, the doctor turned to the assistant:

- Take the child away, the girl is fainting.

“I’m not fainting, Mister Doctor,” the girl objected, “I’m waiting for an answer!”

She offered up her childhood prayer in full faith and trust in God, and now remained on her knees, awaiting an answer from the One who said: “Will not God protect His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night, although He is slow to protect them? I tell you that he will give them protection quickly” (Luke 18:7-8). And whoever trusts in God, God will not leave him ashamed, but will certainly send help from above at the right time and at the right time. right time. And in this difficult hour, God did not hesitate to answer - the mother’s face changed, the sick woman calmed down, looked around her with a look filled with peace and hope, and fell asleep.

After several hours of restorative sleep, she woke up. The loving daughter immediately clung to her and asked:

“Aren’t you feeling better now, Mommy?”

“Yes, my dear,” she answered, “I feel better now.”

“I knew that you would feel better, Mom, because I was waiting for an answer to my prayer.” And the Lord answered me that He will heal you.

The mother’s health was restored again, and today she is a living witness of God’s power overcoming illness and death, a witness of His love and faithfulness in hearing the prayers of believers.

Prayer is the breath of the soul,

Prayer is light in the darkness of the night,

Prayer is the hope of the heart,

Brings peace to the sick soul.

God listens to this prayer:

Heartfelt, sincere, simple;

He hears her, accepts her

And the holy world pours into the soul.

Baby's gift

“When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3).

– I want to give you something for pagan children! Having opened the package, I found ten coins there.

-Who gave you so much money? Dad?

“No,” the baby answered, “neither dad knows, nor my left hand.”

- Yes, you yourself preached this morning that you need to give in such a way that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. That's why I left hand I kept it in my pocket all the time.

- Where did you get the money from? – I asked, unable to hold back my laughter any longer.

– I sold Minko, my dog, whom I loved very much. – and at the memory of his friend, tears clouded the baby’s eyes.

When I spoke about this at the meeting, the Lord gave us a rich blessing.”

Modesty

In one harsh and hungry time there lived a kind, rich man. He was sympathetic to starving children.

One day he announced that every child who came to him at noon would receive a small loaf of bread.

About 100 children of all ages responded. They all arrived at the appointed time. The servants brought out a large basket filled with loaves of bread. The children greedily attacked the basket, pushing each other away and trying to grab the largest bun.

Some thanked, others forgot to thank.

Standing aside, this kind person watched what was happening. A little girl standing off to the side caught his attention. As the last one, she got the smallest bun.

The next day he tried to restore order, but this girl was again the last. He also noticed that many children immediately took a bite of their bun, while the little one took it home.

The rich man decided to find out what kind of girl she was and who her parents were. It turned out that she was the daughter of poor people. She also had a little brother with whom she shared her bun.

The rich man ordered his baker to put a thaler in the smallest loaf.

The next day the girl's mother came and brought the coin back. But the rich man said to her:

“Your daughter behaved so well that I decided to reward her for her modesty.” From now on, with every small loaf you will receive a coin. Let her be your support during this difficult time.

The woman thanked him from the bottom of her heart.

The children somehow found out about the rich man’s generosity towards the baby, and now some of the boys tried to get the smallest bun. One succeeded, and he immediately found the coin. But the rich man said to him:

“With this I rewarded the little girl for always being the most modest, and for the fact that she always shared a bun with her younger brother.” You are the most ill-mannered, and I have not yet heard words of gratitude from you. Now you will not receive bread for a whole week.

This lesson benefited not only this boy, but also everyone else. Now no one forgot to say thank you.

The baby stopped receiving a thaler in a bun, but the kind man continued to support her parents throughout the hungry time.

Sincerity

God gives good luck to the sincere. The famous George Washington, the first president of the North American free states, surprised everyone with his fairness and sincerity from childhood. When he was six years old, his father gave him a small hatchet for his birthday, which George was very happy about. But, as is often the case with many boys, now every wooden object in his path had to test his hatchet. One fine day he showed his art on a young cherry tree in his father’s garden. One blow was enough to forever render in vain all hopes of her recovery.

The next morning, the father noticed what had happened and determined from the tree that it had been destroyed maliciously. He imprisoned him himself, and therefore decided to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the attacker. He promised five gold coins to anyone who would help identify the tree’s destroyer. But it was all in vain: he couldn’t even find a trace, so he was forced to go home dissatisfied.

On the way he met little George with his hatchet in his hands. Instantly the thought occurred to the father that his son could also be a criminal.

- George, do you know who cut down our beautiful cherry tree in the garden yesterday? – full of dissatisfaction, he turned to him.

The boy thought for a moment - it seemed as if there was a struggle going on inside him - then he frankly admitted:

- Yes, dad, you know, I can’t lie, no, I can’t. I did this with my hatchet.

“Come into my arms,” exclaimed the father, “come to me.” Your frankness is more valuable to me than a cut down tree. You have already repaid me for it. It is commendable to confess frankly, even if you have done something shameful or wrong. The truth is more valuable to me than a thousand cherries with silver leaves and golden fruits.

Steal, deceive

Mom had to go away for a while. When leaving, she punished her children - Mashenka and Vanyusha:

– Be obedient, don’t go out, play well and don’t do anything. I'll be back soon.

Mashenka, who was already ten years old, began to play with her doll, while Vanyusha, an active six-year-old child, busied himself with his blocks. He soon got tired of it, and he began to think about what to do now. His sister did not let him go outside because his mother did not allow him. Then he decided to quietly take an apple from the pantry, to which the sister said:

- Vanyusha, the neighbor will see through the window that you are carrying an apple from the pantry and will tell your mother that you stole it.

Then Vanyusha went to the kitchen, where there was a jar of honey. Here the neighbor could not see him. With great pleasure he ate several spoons of honey. Then he closed the jar again so that no one would notice that someone was feasting on it. Soon the mother returned home, gave the children a sandwich, then all three went into the forest to collect brushwood. They did this almost every day to have a supply for the winter. The children loved these walks in the forest with their mother. On the way she used to tell them interesting stories. And this time she told them an instructive story, but Vanyusha was surprisingly silent and did not ask, as usual, many questions, so his mother even worriedly inquired about his health. Vanyusha lied, saying that his stomach hurt. However, his conscience condemned him, because now he not only stole, but also deceived.

When they came to the forest, mother showed them the place where they could collect brushwood, and the tree to which they were supposed to take it. She herself went deeper into the forest, where larger dry branches could be found. Suddenly a thunderstorm began. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, but mom was not around. The children hid from the rain under a wide, spreading tree. Vanyusha was very tormented by his conscience. With every clap of thunder it seemed to him that God was threatening him from heaven:

It was so terrible that he confessed to Mashenka what he had done, as well as his fear of God’s punishment. His sister advised him to ask God for forgiveness and confess everything to his mother. Then Vanyusha knelt down in the rain-wet grass, folded his hands and, looking at the sky, prayed:

- Dear Savior. I stole and deceived. You know this, for You know everything. I'm very sorry about this. I ask you to forgive me. I won't steal or cheat anymore. Amen.

He rose from his knees. His heart felt so light - he was sure that God had forgiven his sins. When the worried mother returned, Vanyusha joyfully ran out to meet her and shouted:

– My beloved Savior forgave me for stealing and deceiving. Please forgive me too.

Mom could not understand anything from what was said. Then Mashenka told her everything that happened. Of course, my mother also forgave him everything. For the first time, without her help, Vanyusha confessed everything to God and asked Him for forgiveness. Meanwhile, the storm subsided and the sun shone again. All three went home with bundles of brushwood. Mom again told them a story similar to Vanyushina’s, and memorized a short poem with the children: No matter what I was or did, God sees me from heaven.

Much later, when Vanyusha already had his own family, he told his children about this incident from his childhood, which made such an impression on him that he never stole or lied again.

Target: Tell the children the story of Noah. Convince them to always be obedient to God, teachers and adults

Bible story: Noah's Obedience (Gen. 6)

Golden Verse: “Children, be obedient... in everything...” Col. 3:20

Lesson progress

1. Greeting. Organizational moment

Smile friendly, remember, a friendly smile destroys fear. Ask the kids about their mood and health. Find out how your week went. Be welcoming and friendly. Invite the children to prayer.

2. Prayer.

God, we sincerely thank You for all the blessings. Thank you for everything you send us. Bless this activity too. Teach us obedience. Be here with us, we invite You. Amen.

3. Song

Sing a song that the kids loved.

4. Rhyme to attract attention:

Rhyme will help you switch the children's attention from games to the Bible story. This motivational rhyme can be repeated throughout academic year and she will help you gather the little ones for Bible study.

Big Bible book
So interesting
We will listen to her
She teaches us good things!

5. Motivation

One day, a small curious mouse crawled out of its hole. She wanted to see the world. The wise mother Mouse warned that a cat might waylay her there.

Cats are beautiful, but very dangerous. “They can eat you,” said Mother Mouse.

The little mouse thought that mom was just being cautious. And I decided to still see what was there outside their hole. The mouse stuck its curious nose out of the hole and sniffed the air. There was no smell of danger. Only next to their mink sat some beautiful animal: black skin, big green eyes, long white mustache, a beautiful tail. It looked attentively at the mouse.

Do you, children, know what kind of animal this is? That's right, it's a cat. Why can't a mouse date a cat? Yes, a cat can eat a mouse. What did the mouse do wrong?

He disobeyed his mother and ended up in danger.

Our story today is from the Bible and is about people who were also disobedient.

6. Bible story (the story should be accompanied by illustrations)

It was a long time ago. At that time, evil and disobedient people lived on earth. Even small children were disobedient and mischievous. God was very upset about this. After all, He created people for good deeds.

Couldn't anyone please God? Much to their chagrin, all the people were angry and disobedient, except for one man, whose name was Noah. Noah had big family: he, his wife, three sons with their wives.

Noah was a kind and obedient man. He obeyed God and never sinned.

One day God told Noah to build a big ship called an ark.

Tell me, why are ships built? Correct to swim along rivers or seas. (Show illustrations). But there was no sea in that land, and it never rained. It was unusual, but Noah got to work. His sons helped him.

People around were laughing.

Noah, what are you building? There is no sea or even a river here! - I think that's what people shouted.

But Noah was obedient. He did what God told him to do. And he didn’t pay attention to people’s cries.

It took a long time for the ark to be built. God commanded all animals and birds to enter the ark ship. The animals and birds also obeyed God and entered the ark. Noah, his wife and their 3 sons and their wives entered the ark.

God closed the door with His hand. Suddenly a strong wind blew and it began to rain heavily, but they were not afraid. After all, they were in a large ship that could float on water. It rained for many days and nights. Water flooded the entire earth. But Noah and his family were saved because he was obedient and did everything as God commanded him.

God wants His children to always be obedient in everything, like Noah. The Lord will listen to your requests, answer your prayers, and help you in difficult times if you are obedient.

You probably want to know what happened to the little mouse? She remained alive. The cat was full, the mouse interested her, but she was too lazy to run after him. The mouse quickly scurried back into the hole. Then she told her mother about her meeting with the cat. And mom said:

If you are obedient, you will never get into trouble.

Our Bible story of Noah also teaches us obedience. God wants His children to always be obedient in everything, like Noah.

7. Golden verse

“Children, be obedient... in everything...” Col. 3:20

Our verse talks about obedience. What do you think, in everything - how is it?

In everything: in class, after class, when we put away our things, when we get up in the morning, when we do assignments, when we do what the teacher, the teacher, the elders said, we may not always want to obey, but God wants us to be obedient. No one forced Noah, but he obeyed God and built the ark. God rewarded him, Noah and his family were saved from the flood.

8. Consolidation

1). Game-dramatization “Gathering for the Ark”

Make a model of the ark (you can use large cubes or boxes, you can also block off the area with tape or chairs). Be sure to make an opening - the entrance to the ark.

Give the children pictures of animals. Everyone must find a couple, hold hands. The teacher is the leader, he is Noah. The couples separate, but listen carefully to the brief biblical story about Noah and how the animals gathered into the ark. Then, naming the animals, invite the couples to enter the ark. Children should imitate the movements of animals and the sounds they make: for example, walk like bears, waddle, jump like bunnies, etc. When everyone has gathered, have the assistant close the door of the ark and say: God wants His children to always be obedient in everything, like Noah.

2). Educational game “What’s missing?”(to develop attention)

You place different toys on the table in front of the child: a turret, a nesting doll, a car, a spinning top, a ball, etc. He must look carefully and remember. Then the child closes his eyes, and at this time you hide two toys. Having opened his eyes, the child must determine which toys are missing. You ask questions:

Are there more toys or fewer?

What toys have disappeared?

Where were the missing toys?

What toys were they standing in front of?

How many toys were there between these two?

Repeat the game several times.

3). Game " What will happen if..."

Kids love to ask questions! Now it’s your turn - you will ask, and the baby will answer.

Ask:

What happens if I step into a puddle?

What happens if a ball falls into a bathtub of water?

What happens if you add paint to water?

What happens if I don't listen all the time?

Now let the kids ask you questions. They always have them ready!

9. Summary of the lesson

God really wants us to be obedient in everything and, above all, to Him. Disobedience is a sin. Sin cannot go unpunished. So, let's always obey our elders, do only good deeds and God will bless you. For the next lesson you will tell how you obeyed your elders. Fine?

10. Prayer

Let the children pray. Encourage them to pray. They try to repeat the path after you. Remind that obedience is always blessed by the Lord.

Have you lost your place? How did this happen, son?

I think, mom, that this happened solely due to my negligence. I was wiping the dust in the store and wiping it very hastily. At the same time, he hit several glasses, they fell and broke. The owner became very angry and said that he could no longer tolerate my unbridled behavior. I packed my things and left.

Mother was very concerned about this.

Don't worry mom, I'll find another job. But what should I say when they ask why I left my previous relationship?

Always tell the truth, Jacob. You're not thinking of saying anything different, are you?

No, I don't think so, but I thought about hiding it. I'm afraid that by telling the truth, I'll hurt myself.

If a person does the right thing, then nothing can harm him, even if it seems so.

“I prefer to have decent young people around me,” said the store owner good-naturedly, “but I’ve heard that those who recognize their mistakes leave them behind.” Maybe this misfortune will teach you to be more careful.

Yes, of course, master, I will try my best to be careful,” Jacob said seriously.

Well, I like a boy who tells the truth, especially when it can hurt him... Good afternoon, uncle, come in! - he spoke the last words to the man who entered, and when Jacob turned around, he saw his former owner.

“Oh,” he said when he saw the boy, “do you want to take this boy as a messenger?”

I haven't accepted it yet.

Take it completely calmly. Just be careful that he doesn’t spill the liquid goods, and that he doesn’t pile the dry goods all in one heap,” he added, laughing. - In all other respects you will find him quite reliable. But if you don’t want to, then I’m ready to take him again with a trial period.

No, I’ll take it,” said the young man.

Oh mom! - Jacob said when he came home. - You're always right. I got this place there because I told the whole truth. What would happen if my previous owner came in and I told a lie?

Truthfulness is always best,” answered the mother.

“Truthful lips endure forever” (Prov. 12:19)

Boy student's prayer

Some years ago in a large factory there were many young workers, many of whom said they were converted. One of these latter included one fourteen-year-old boy, the son of a believing widow.

This teenager soon attracted the boss's attention with his obedience and eagerness to work. He always completed his work to the satisfaction of his boss. He had to bring and deliver mail, sweep the workroom and perform many other small tasks. Cleaning the offices was his first duty every morning.

Since the boy was accustomed to precision, he could always be found at exactly six o'clock in the morning already working.

But he had another wonderful habit: he always began his working day with prayer. When one morning, at six o'clock, the owner entered his office, he found the boy on his knees praying.

Reading the Word of God is just as important. Don't miss it! Today you will be offered so many books, both good and bad!

Perhaps there are those among you who have a strong desire to read and know? But are all books good and useful? My dear friends! Be careful when choosing books!

Luther always praised those who read Christian books. Give preference to these books too. But above all, read God's dear Word. Read with prayer, for it is more valuable than gold and pure gold. It will strengthen you, preserve you and encourage you at all times. This is the Word of God, which endures forever.

The philosopher Kant said about the Bible: “The Bible is a book whose content speaks of the divine principle. It tells the history of the world, the history of Divine providence from the very beginning and even to eternity. The Bible was written for our salvation. It shows us in what relationship we stand with a righteous, merciful God, reveals to us the full magnitude of our guilt and the depth of our fall, and the height of divine salvation. The Bible is my dearest treasure, without it I would perish. Live according to the Bible, then you will become citizens of the heavenly Fatherland!

Brotherly love and compliance

Cold winds blew. Winter was approaching.

Two little sisters were getting ready to go to the store to buy bread. The eldest, Zoya, had an old shabby fur coat, the youngest, Gale, her parents bought a new, larger one for her growth.

The girls exchanged fur coats and went to the store.

Little Galya fulfilled the commandment of Christ: “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34).

She really wanted to wear a new fur coat, but she gave it up to her sister. What tender love and compliance!

Believe me, how many troubles arise when there is no compliance. How many arguments, quarrels, what a bad character you develop then. Is this the character of Jesus Christ? It is written about Him that He grew up in love with God and men.

Is it possible to say about you that you are always compliant, gentle with your family, brothers and sisters, with friends and acquaintances?

Take the example of Jesus Christ and these two sisters - Zoya and Galya, who love each other with tenderness, for it is written:

"Be kind to one another with brotherly affection" (Rom. 12:10)

Forget-me-not

There is another legend about the forget-me-not: it happened a long time ago, in the first days of creation. Paradise had just been created, and beautiful, fragrant flowers bloomed for the first time. The Lord Himself, walking through paradise, asked the flowers their name, but one little blue flower, directing its golden heart to God in admiration and not thinking about anything but Him, forgot its name and became embarrassed. The tips of its petals turned red from shame, and the Lord looked at him with a gentle gaze and said: “Because you forgot yourself for My sake, I will not forget you. From now on, call yourself forget-me-not and let people, looking at you, also learn to forget about themselves.” for my sake".

Christ showed us on the cross how to love, forgetting ourselves. He is happy who gives his heart to Christ and follows His example.

Don’t you, children, want to not only remember the Risen Christ, His love for us, but, forgetting about ourselves, show Him love in the person of our neighbors, try to help with deed, word, prayer to everyone and everyone who needs help; try to think not about yourself, but about others, about how to be useful in your family. Let us try to support each other in good deeds through prayer. May God help us in this.

“Do not forget also to do good and to communicate for others, for such sacrifices are acceptable to God” (Heb. 13:16)

Little artists

One day the children were given the task: imagining themselves to be great artists, to draw a picture from the life of Jesus Christ.

The task was completed: each of them mentally drew one or another landscape from the Holy Scriptures. One of them painted a picture of a boy enthusiastically giving Jesus all he had - five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:9). Others talked about many other things.

But one boy said:

I cannot paint one picture, but only two. Let me do this. He was allowed, and he began: “A raging sea. The boat in which Jesus is with the twelve disciples is flooded with water. The disciples are in despair. They are in danger of imminent death. A huge wave is approaching from the side, ready to overturn and flood the boat without fail. I would draw only the disciples , turning their faces to the advancing terrible wave of water. Others covered their faces with their hands. But Peter’s face is clearly visible: despair, horror, and confusion.

Where is Jesus? At the stern of the boat, where the steering wheel is. Jesus sleeps peacefully. The face was serene.

There would be nothing calm in the picture: everything would be raging, foaming in the spray. The boat would either rise to the crest of the wave, or sink into the abyss of the waves.

Jesus alone would be calm. The students' excitement was inexpressible. Peter in despair shouts through the noise of the waves: “Teacher, we are perishing, but You have no need!”

This is one picture. Second picture: “Dungeon. The Apostle Peter is chained with two chains, sleeping between the soldiers. Sixteen guards are guarding Peter. Peter’s face is clearly visible. He sleeps calmly, although a sharpened sword is already prepared to cut off his head. He knew about this. His face resembles Whom -That".

Let's hang the first picture next to it. Look at the face of Jesus. Peter's face is the same as His. There is a stamp of peace on them. A dungeon, a guard, a sentence for execution - the same raging sea. The sharpened sword is the same formidable shaft, ready to interrupt Peter’s life. But on the face of the Apostle Peter there is no former horror and despair. He learned from Jesus. It is necessary to put these pictures together,” the boy continued, “and make one inscription over them: “For you must have the same feelings that were in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

One of the girls also talked about two paintings. The first picture “Christ is being crucified: the disciples are standing in the distance. On their faces they have grief, fear and horror. Why? - Christ is being crucified. He will die on the cross. They will never see Him again, they will never hear His gentle voice, they will never look again the kind eyes of Jesus are upon them... never again will He be with them.”

That's what the disciples thought. But everyone who reads the Gospel will say: “Didn’t Jesus say to them: “For a little while the world will not see Me, but you will see Me, for I live, and you will live” (John 14:19).

Did they remember at that moment what Jesus said about his resurrection after death? Yes, the disciples forgot this and therefore there was fear, grief and horror on their faces and in their hearts.

And here is the second picture.

Tanya's answer

One day at school, during a lesson, the teacher was having a conversation with second grade students. She told the children a lot and for a long time about the Earth and about distant stars; she also talked about the flights of spaceships with a person on board. At the same time, she said in conclusion: “Children! Our cosmonauts rose high above the earth, to an altitude of 300 km and flew in space for a long, long time, but they did not see God, because He does not exist!”

Then she turned to her student, a little girl who believed in God, and asked:

Tell me, Tanya, do you now believe that there is no God? The girl stood up and calmly answered:

I don’t know how much 300 km is, but I know for sure that only “the pure in heart will see God” (Matt. 5:8).

Waiting for an answer

The young mother lay dying. Having completed the procedures, the doctor and his assistant retired to the next room. Putting away his medical instrument, he, as if talking to himself, said in a low voice:

Well, we’re done, we did everything we could.

The eldest daughter, one might say, still a child, stood not far away and heard this statement. Crying, she turned to him:

Mister Doctor, you said you did everything you could. But mom didn’t get better, and now she’s dying! But we haven’t tried everything yet,” she continued. - We can turn to Almighty God. Let's pray and ask God to heal mom.

The unbelieving doctor, of course, did not follow this proposal. The child fell to his knees in despair and cried out in prayer in his spiritual simplicity as best he could:

Lord, I ask You, heal my mother; the doctor did everything he could, but You, Lord, are a great and good Doctor, You can heal her. We need her so much, we cannot do without her, dear Lord, heal her in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Some time passed. The girl remained on her knees as if in oblivion, not moving or getting up from her place. Noticing the child’s immobility, the doctor turned to the assistant:

Take the child away, the girl is fainting.

“I’m not fainting, Mr. Doctor,” the girl objected, “I’m waiting for an answer!”

She offered up her childhood prayer in full faith and trust in God, and now remained on her knees, awaiting an answer from the One who said: “Will God not protect His chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, although He is slow to protect them? I tell you that He will give they will be protected soon" (Luke 18:7-8). And whoever trusts in God, God will not leave him ashamed, but will certainly send help from above at the right time and at the right time. And in this difficult hour, God did not hesitate to answer - the mother’s face changed, the patient calmed down, looked around her with a look filled with peace and hope, and fell asleep.

After several hours of restorative sleep, she woke up. The loving daughter immediately clung to her and asked:

Isn't it true, mommy, you feel better now?

Yes, my dear,” she answered, “I feel better now.”

I knew you would feel better, Mom, because I was waiting for an answer to my prayer. And the Lord answered me that He will heal you.

The mother's health was restored again, and today she is a living witness of God's power overcoming illness and death, a witness of His love and faithfulness in hearing the prayers of believers.

Prayer is the breath of the soul,

Prayer is light in the darkness of the night,

Prayer is the hope of the heart,

Brings peace to the sick soul.

God listens to this prayer:

Heartfelt, sincere, simple;

He hears her, accepts her

And the holy world pours into the soul.

Baby's gift

“When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3).

I want to give you something for pagan children! Having opened the package, I found ten coins there.

Who gave you so much money? Dad?

No,” the kid answered, “neither dad knows, nor my left hand...

How so?

Yes, you yourself preached this morning that you need to give in such a way that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing... That's why I kept my left hand in my pocket all the time.

Where did you get the money from? - I asked, unable to hold back my laughter any longer.

I sold Minko, my dog, whom I loved very much... - and at the memory of his friend, tears clouded the baby’s eyes.

When I spoke about this at the meeting, the Lord gave us a rich blessing."

Modesty

In one harsh and hungry time there lived a kind, rich man. He was sympathetic to starving children.

One day he announced that every child who came to him at noon would receive a small loaf of bread.

Some thanked, others forgot to thank.

Standing aside, this kind man watched what was happening. A little girl standing off to the side caught his attention. As the last one, she got the smallest bun.

The next day he tried to restore order, but this girl was again the last. He also noticed that many children immediately took a bite of their bun, while the little one took it home.

The rich man ordered his baker to put a thaler in the smallest loaf.

The next day the girl's mother came and brought the coin back. But the rich man said to her:

Your daughter behaved so well that I decided to reward her for her modesty. From now on, with every small loaf you will receive a coin. Let her be your support during this difficult time.

The woman thanked him from the bottom of her heart.

With this I rewarded the little girl for always being the most modest, and for the fact that she always shared a bun with her younger brother. You are the most ill-mannered, and I have not yet heard words of gratitude from you. Now you will not receive bread for a whole week.

This lesson benefited not only this boy, but also everyone else. Now no one forgot to say thank you.

The baby stopped receiving a thaler in a bun, but the kind man continued to support her parents throughout the hungry time.

Sincerity

On the way he met little George with his hatchet in his hands. Instantly the thought occurred to the father that his son could also be a criminal.

George, do you know who cut down our beautiful cherry tree in the garden yesterday? - full of dissatisfaction, he turned to him.

The boy thought for a moment - it seemed as if there was a struggle going on inside him - then he frankly admitted:

Yes, dad, you know, I can’t lie, no, I can’t. I did this with my hatchet.

“Come into my arms,” the father exclaimed, “come to me.” Your frankness is more valuable to me than a cut down tree. You have already repaid me for it. It is commendable to confess frankly, even if you have done something shameful or wrong. The truth is more valuable to me than a thousand cherries with silver leaves and golden fruits.

Steal, deceive

Mom had to go away for a while. When leaving, she punished her children - Mashenka and Vanyusha:

Be obedient, don't go out, play well and don't do anything wrong. I'll be back soon.

Vanyusha, the neighbor will see through the window that you are carrying an apple from the pantry and will tell your mother that you stole it.

Then Vanyusha went to the kitchen, where there was a jar of honey. Here the neighbor could not see him. With great pleasure he ate several spoons of honey. Then he closed the jar again so that no one would notice that someone was feasting on it. Soon the mother returned home, gave the children a sandwich, then all three went into the forest to collect brushwood. They did this almost every day to have a supply for the winter. The children loved these walks in the forest with their mother. On the way, she usually told them interesting stories. And this time she told them an instructive story, but Vanyusha was surprisingly silent and did not ask, as usual, many questions, so his mother even worriedly inquired about his health. Vanyusha lied, saying that his stomach hurt. However, his conscience condemned him, because now he not only stole, but also deceived.

He stole, he deceived!

Dear Savior. I stole and deceived. You know this, for You know everything. I'm very sorry about this. I ask you to forgive me. I won't steal or cheat anymore. Amen.

He rose from his knees. His heart felt so light - he was sure that God had forgiven his sins. When the worried mother returned, Vanyusha joyfully ran out to meet her and shouted:

My beloved Savior forgave me for stealing and deceiving. Please forgive me too.

Much later, when Vanyusha already had his own family, he told his children about this incident from his childhood, which made such an impression on him that he never stole or lied again.

My memory contains in full detail one incident that happened once in childhood. It was a difficult day. Egor, the older brother, seemed to be testing my patience. He followed me on my heels, and for some reason he urgently needed the same thing as me. I took a screwdriver to tighten the handles on the cabinet - he needed a screwdriver, I took it upon myself to glue the book - he needed glue. Yegor was already thirteen years old, and I was eleven, so almost always I had to give in to him, although not without a fight. I went out into the yard to ride bike - Egor is right there. He grabbed the trunk and began to swing the bike so that I fell into a flowerbed and broke several gladioli. Then we began to fight, as each wanted to get the better of the other.
Mom stopped us more than once, warned us that she would punish us, but we turned a deaf ear to all this. Noticing that she was watching us through the window, I felt that I deserved punishment, and decided not to contact Yegor anymore. I went into the house, took a large atlas and began to look at it. Carried away, I didn’t notice how Yegor crept up behind me. He pushed the back of my head so that my nose was buried in the book.
This was the limit of my patience. We grabbed each other and rolled head over heels. The blanket from the sofa slid onto the floor, the tracks went under the table, the overturned chair rattled, and I found myself on my shoulder blades. Egor solemnly sat on my stomach. At this time, my mother entered the room.
- What's going on here? - she asked sternly. “You just can’t calm down?” Stand in the corner and don’t come out until dad comes. You will be accountable to him for your behavior.
Our father was strict, we were afraid of his punishment. Therefore, after standing in the corner for a while, we decided to make peace with my mother before he arrived. But mom didn’t seem to hear us.
At first I blamed Yegor for everything. If he hadn't been bullying, mom wouldn't have punished us. And then I realized that I was good myself. You should have behaved differently, then everything would have been different. The consciousness of guilt filled my heart with fear of the impending punishment.
Evening was approaching. Dad is about to come. Mom began to set the table. The smell of fried potatoes pleasantly tickled our noses, arousing our appetite, and we again began to ask our mother for forgiveness, reminding us that we really wanted to eat.
Mom remained adamant. She said that she warned us many times, but we did not listen and now dad will deal with us.
I felt bad at heart. I understood that I deserved punishment, but how I wanted to avoid it! Until dad arrived, I had a glimmer of hope. But every time my mother, after listening to our plaintive request, refused us, the hope of getting rid of punishment became less and less. A bitter feeling of guilt and fear filled my thoughts and feelings.
For some reason, dad was late, and mom allowed us to have dinner. Hanging our heads, we sat down at the table. My favorite fried potatoes seemed bitter and completely tasteless. I didn't feel like eating anymore.
We were still sitting at the table when we heard dad’s steps outside the window. Mom told us to take our places in the corner.
My heart was beating fast. I realized that I was guilty, but I was very afraid of punishment. Unable to change anything, I held back so as not to cry. I felt very sorry for myself.
My father listened attentively to our painful story and looked thoughtfully, first at me, then at Yegor. It seemed to me that my guilt was incomparably greater than the confessions that I made, and dad this time should punish me more severely than usual.
- They have so much energy! - Mom sighed when we fell silent. “So they spend it anywhere.”
“Energy is a good thing,” dad sat down on the sofa. “Come here, boys!” I will tell you that you need to use your strength and energy wisely. Let's take fire for example. Powerful, isn't it?! Fire has many benefits: it will heat the house, make the car move, and help cook food. Without fire, life is unthinkable. But this energy is useful only when it is used correctly. What if the fire is uncontrollable? “Then he’s nothing but trouble.”
You too must be able to control your power. The Bible teaches that it should be spent on good deeds. This applies to both my mother and me, and you. Today you didn’t clean the barn or chop the wood, as I asked you to do. Or they could do this, and even go to grandma and help her. And then there would be no need to punish you.
Father was silent for a while, then looked intently into our eyes and said:
- To learn how to use your strength correctly, it pleases God, you need to make an effort. And when you don’t feel like it, when you are lazy and give yourself free rein, your mother and I must punish you to help you learn to manage yourself.
I understood well what dad was talking about and agreed with him. I didn’t want to fight with Yegor, but for some reason it always worked out that way, I always didn’t have the strength to stop in time. And now dad will help...
“Dad, forgive me for my bad behavior,” I asked. “I want to improve...
“I’m also to blame,” Yegor said hoarsely. “Forgive me...
Our guilt was obvious, and although I asked for forgiveness, I had no hope that my father would leave us without punishment. But the unexpected happened - dad forgave us!
We went out for dinner as a family. As soon as I realized that dad wouldn’t punish us, everything inside me instantly changed. My heart almost jumped out of joy, I wanted to kiss mom and dad!
The heavy burden that had been weighing me down all evening disappeared. Fried potatoes Now it was not bitter at all, I remember its extraordinary taste, it seems, to this day.
Five years have passed since that day. The time came when I clearly understood that I needed to repent before God and be reconciled with Him. Many times I made a decision to improve, but in vain. But my conscience gave me no rest. Every Sunday I went to the meeting with the hope of repenting, but time passed and everything remained the same. During the sermon, I was especially worried, several times I even tried to get up and repent, but my legs did not obey.
One day the Word of God particularly disturbed me, but I was still unable to pray. And I couldn’t calm down either.
At home, dad noticed my excitement and directly asked if I wanted to repent. And then I couldn’t stand it. Tears choked me, and I just nodded to my father in agreement. My parents and I went to the hall, and there, on bended knees, I repented of my sins and asked God for forgiveness.
It always seemed to me that after repentance I would immediately become a different person. But nothing of the kind happened. I didn’t notice any special changes in myself either the next day or even a week later. My mind was painfully searching for answers to the questions: did I repent correctly? Has God forgiven me? Have I become a new person? I prayed for a long time in private, suffered and tormented, asking God: “What happened to me? I don’t see any changes in myself. Am I saved? Lord, reveal to me what’s wrong with me, what should I do?”
A week later, on the day of my sixteenth birthday, my dad read me a verse from Ephesians as a wish: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
“God doesn’t owe us anything,” said dad. “Remember this, son.” We are sinners and, in all fairness, deserve to die. No human being deserves forgiveness, and God is under no obligation to pity us. And yet He is merciful. He forgives us solely according to His will. We cannot pay anything for redemption and receive salvation for nothing, although the Son of God paid very dearly for it. He died for our sins. Cherish this salvation, son!
Then dad handed me the Bible and said:
- This is our gift. Accept it and don’t part with it for the rest of your life!
And then it dawned on me. I suddenly understood, I found the answer to the questions that were tormenting me. After all, God gives me forgiveness as simply as loving parents give me the Bible! This is His grace, and I need to accept this gift simply and trustingly. I immediately remembered that evening when dad did not punish Yegor and me, although we deserved it.
The already experienced feeling of inexpressible joy and deep peace filled my soul. The most beautiful, the most valuable thing in the universe is salvation, this eternal life with God. And He gives this to us out of His mercy and wants us to accept this gift by faith.

The story “The Joke” was written in March 2008 and is based on true story which I heard about thirty years ago. But as far as my memory allows me to reconstruct the events of this story, with the girl who believed the joke, everything did not go as smoothly as in my story - she remained disabled. It's sad. So…

The theme of the story “To serve with your property” is relevant at all times. The story is written in a slightly ironic form and is intended for a more mature audience. The story itself was born after a chance conversation with a Christian who complained that he did not have a summer cottage and could not serve his neighbor with his property. Let's look into our hearts, are we ready to serve or lend a helping hand to someone who needs it?

The theme for the story “Two for Sisters” was recently suggested to me by my children. One evening at dinner, they began to remember how our youngest boy gave his older sisters a D in his diary. I never remembered this story as an event in our family, I listened to the children and wondered how such an incident escaped my memory. So, let's listen to this story from beginning to end...