Robbie: Hi everybody. I just got home from school and my mom had to run to the store. Hey what's this... a note? It says "Dear Robbie, leave the cookies where they are in the cookie jar. I will make dinner as soon as I get back. Don't eat any cookies. Love, Mom."

So, I'm not supposed to eat any cookies. That's OK. I don't even want a cookie. Besides, the cookies in that jar are probably just plain old chocolate chip cookies anyway... (hesitates) Plain old delicious choclately cookies with great big yummy chocolate chips. They would be delicious with a glass of milk. Just the thing for after a nice long day at school. Maybe I will just have one. ( jumps back)

What am I doing?! I almost took a cookie when my mom told me not to. Well why doesn't she want me to have a cookie anyway? I don't know why she wouldn't want me to have one. Maybe I misunderstood the note. Better read it again. (Clears throat.)

"Dear Robbie, leave the cookies where they are in the cookie jar. I will make dinner as soon as I get back. Don't eat any cookies. Love, Mom."

Hmm... Don't eat any cookies. Don't eat any cookies. That's it! She says don't eat any cookies. That's like saying don't eat just any old cookies. Eat the cookies in the cookie jar. That must have been what she meant. Alright! Hey wait a minute. What was the first part again? Oh yeah. She said "leave the cookies where they are in the cookie jar." I guess that means I can't eat them. How could I eat them if they have to stay in the jar. Hmmm...

I know! I could try to suck them through a straw. Yeah yeah! That's what I can ... no, that's not going to work. Oh boy... this is awful. I didn't even want a cookie until I found out I wasn't supposed to have one. Now I can't stop thinking about cookies. I need to pray about this. (Bows head.)

God, this is Robbie. I need help resisting temptation. I want a cookie, but I need to obey my mom. Please help me to do what's right. Help me to have self-control. In Jesus' name, Amen. Maybe there is something in the Bible about this. (Pages through the Bible.) Let's see... self control, self-control... Here it is!

Hey! Self-control is one of the fruits of the spirit! Self-control is when you are tempted to do something wrong but you don't do it instead. It says that God wants us to have self-control and there's more! It says in Hebrews 2:18 That Jesus suffered when he was tempted, so he is able to help those who are being tempted. Then it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that there is nothing that that we can't resist with God's help and that even when we are tempted He will always give us a way out.

Wow! That's an awesome promise. Now I just have to figure out my way out. Hey! I know! I can call my friend Duke on the phone and tell him what I just found out. The last fruit of the spirit is Self-Control! I'm going to go call him right now!

Robbie's Mom: (Calls in from the other room.) Robbie, I'm home!

Robbie: Hi Mom! Wow. I looked in the Bible just in time. Thanks God for helping me to have self-control!