Be Good!

"Mom, can Julian and I go to Ethan's house?" asked Noah one day. "He invited us to come swim in his pool." Mom agreed, so the boys ran off to get their swimsuits. Soon they were ready to leave.

"Bye, boys," said Mom. "Be sure to thank Ethan for the invitation. And be good!"

"We will," they promised.

Their sister, Piper, laughed. "Easy to say, but impossible for the two of you. Being good is not included among your talents."

After the boys had ridden away on their bikes, Piper had a question for her mother. "I know that when you tell us to be good, you're telling us to behave ourselves wherever we are, but people really aren't good, are they? Nobody is good--except God, right? I read a verse in my Bible this morning that says, 'There is no one who does good, not even one.'"

"Well, let's think about that verse," said Mom. "It's pointing out that everyone is a sinner. Nobody is good enough to get to heaven based on their own actions. We all need to receive Jesus and His goodness--