Two guys busy working. A young man passes by them. Strong words exchanged.

Lives change.

In fact, you likely know the story well. In Matthew 4, Jesus walks by Simon (Peter) and Andrew as they fish and says, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Without hesitation, they drop their nets; clearly they desire to obey.

Notice that Jesus said, "Follow me." He didn't say, "Meet me one day each week." Nor did he say, "Now that you've met me once, you're all set. Get back to the fish."

Following Jesus is a 24/7 plan—not just an agenda for Sundays. When people—adults or children—meet Jesus for the first time, they're not supposed to just ask for forgiveness and then live the way they always have. Rather, Jesus needs to be Lord of our lives, which means submitting our wills to him and seeking his direction and guidance—from both the Holy Spirit and the Bible. The key to all of this, though, is that we must want to do these things.

After her bedtime prayer, first-grader ...