Hey, Carpool Crew! Happy Wednesday. I'm Pastor Justin, and before we jump in, let me give a big shout-out to Dominic, Brooks and Madden from Virginia. So glad you are riding with us today. And this episode is about how you pick your friends. It is easy to only notice the kids with the cool shoes or the loudest jokes and skip right past everybody else. You know how it goes, you decide who might be a good friend in about two seconds, just by looking? Yeah. We've all done it. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: people judge by the outside, but God looks at the heart, so pick your friends the same way. Listen to this from 1 Samuel 16:7. God says, "Humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart." There is a whole story here. God sent the prophet Samuel to pick a new king, and Samuel kept eyeing the big, strong, impressive-looking guys. God kept saying, nope, look closer. The one God actually picked was the youngest brother, the kid stuck outside watching the sheep, the one nobody thought to call in. His name was David, and his heart was the part that mattered. Here is the part that lands. Some of the best friends you will ever have do not look impressive from across the room. You only find them when you stop judging the cover and actually open the book. If Jesus were sitting next to you right now, He would lean over and say, "Do not skip the quiet kid, or the new kid, or the one who seems different. Some of the best hearts are the ones nobody bothered to look at." It is group project time. You get to pick a partner, and your eyes go straight to the popular kid. But over in the corner is the quiet kid everybody overlooks. You give them a real chance, and it turns out they are hilarious once they warm up, and unbelievably kind. You almost missed a great friend by only looking at the outside. Hey, this week, try these two things. First, give one kid you usually skip past a real chance, sit with them, ask them a question, find out what is actually inside. Second, when you catch yourself judging somebody by their shoes or their stuff, stop and ask, but what is their heart like? Hey, let's go back to that one thing I wanted you to remember for the ride. People judge by the outside, but God looks at the heart, so pick your friends the same way. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you want more encouragement like this through the week, come follow us on Instagram for clips and reminders you can share with your kids. Before you go, let's answer this question together. Who is one kid you have judged by the outside, and how could you get to know their heart this week? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
