Reboot Your Brain

www.zonderkidz.com Reboot Your Brain Copyright © 2004 by Tim Shoemaker Illustrations © 2004 by Marty Baumann Requests for information should be addressed to: Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 ISBN: 0-310-70719-6 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Zonderkidz is a trademark of Zondervan [Agent information] Editor: Amy De Vries Interior design: Tobias Design Art direction: Michelle Lenger Printed in the United States 04 05 06 07 /. RRD/ 5 4 3 2 1 DEDICATED TO Gabe and Brandan. In a world of choices, may you make the right ones. And to Madelyn and Megan. This may have been written for boys, but there's a whole lot here for you too. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks to Andy, Mark, and Luke Shoemaker along with Kevin, Karl, and Kristy Sorensen for their ideas that helped make this book even more fun. A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR Computers are great, but they aren't perfect. Sometimes they run into a "glitch." When that happens to my computer, I reboot. The computer restarts and usually runs fine because it got rid of the bad stuff. You and I can be a little like a computer. There are times when we're not operating or living the way God designed us to live. Sometimes we don't even notice that a glitch has developed in our life. This book will help you get rid of the bad stuff-"reboot" your brain. It will remind you that God designed you to live so you can grow in wisdom and in favor with God and man. Each chapter includes a new episode of "Code 2:52"-a comic about four guys who often make wrong choices and get themselves into real messes-and a great Bible story to guide you in knowing what is right. These comics and the stories from God's Word can help you get a better handle on how God wants you to live. When your life runs into a glitch, just "reboot" your brain! -Tim Shoemaker AND JESUS GREW IN WISDOM AND STATURE, AND IN FAVOR WITH GOD AND MEN. -LUKE 2:52 This verse tells us that as Jesus grew bigger, he was getting smarter too. God and people loved him. Doesn't it make you wonder what Jesus did that made others like him so much? It wasn't just that he was so wise and smart. He was wise about how he lived and treated people. LET LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS NEVER LEAVE YOU; BIND THEM AROUND YOUR NECK, WRITE THEM ON THE TABLET OF YOUR HEART. THEN YOU WILL WIN FAVOR AND A GOOD NAME IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND MAN. -PROVERBS 3:3-4 There they are . . . those same words about "favor" with "God and man." Love and faithfulness are the keys. Jesus was faithful to God and others. Jesus loved God and others. That means Jesus lived according to the love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient. Love is kind and honest. Love does not envy. It doesn't boast. And it's not proud. Love isn't easily angered. It's not selfish or rude. Love doesn't get a kick out of evil. Love forgives. Jesus put all of these principles into practice. People couldn't help but love him. He really was smart, wasn't he? We can be smarter too by showing more love to others. In this book we'll take a look at some ways we can do that. When you put these principles into practice, you'll find that most people will appreciate you more, even brothers and sisters! Hey, you don't always need a teacher to help you get smarter. Since you've read this far, you're already getting smarter. THEY DON'T GO LOOKING FOR TROUBLE, BUT SOMEHOW IT SEEMS TO FIND THEM Meet the regulars of the "Code 2:52" comic series.Shoemaker, Tim is the author of 'Reboot Your Brain', published 0012 under ISBN 9780310707196 and ISBN 0310707196.