Sometimes it seems like we are surrounded by rules: “No diving,” “No running in the house,” “No jumping on your bed.” While we don’t always like the rules, we know that our parents make them to protect us.

On page 9 of this magazine, there is a story about two boys who didn’t quite do what they were told. Read the story, or ask a parent to read it to you. What happened to the boys when they didn’t obey? How do you feel when you do something you know is wrong?

In the same way that our parents make rules to protect us, God made rules to help protect His people from falling away from Him.