Hey, Carpool Crew! Happy Monday. I'm Pastor Justin, and before we jump in, let me give a big shout-out to John Lawson, Jack and Jentry from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. So glad you are with us today. And this episode is about the day grades come back and your stomach ties up over a letter on a page. You know that feeling when a test comes back and, good or bad, it suddenly feels like that letter is who you are? Yeah. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: your worth was set when God made you in His image, long before any grade. Listen to this from Genesis 1:27. It says, "So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God." Before you ever took a test, before you could even hold a pencil, God made you in His image. That is where your worth comes from, and no report card can add to it or take it away. This was true on the very first day there were people. Your value was stamped in at creation, by God Himself. It is not a grade you earn. It is a gift you already have. A report card measures how a math test went on a Tuesday. It does not measure how valuable you are. Those are two totally different things, and mixing them up is what makes a grade feel like the end of the world. If Jesus were sitting next to you right now, He would lean over and say, "That grade tells Me how the test went. It tells Me nothing about how much you are worth. I settled that the day I made you, and making you was one of My favorite things I ever did." It is report card day. Maybe it is better than you hoped, maybe worse. Either way, you take a breath and remind yourself, this is information about my work, not a scoreboard of my worth. Then you do the next right thing, celebrate it or learn from it, without letting it decide who you are. Hey, this week, try these two things. First, when a grade comes back, say it before you even look: my worth is not on this paper. Second, tell a parent one thing you are proud of that no test could measure, like how you helped somebody or how you kept trying. Let them remind you who you actually are. Hey, let's go back to that one thing I wanted you to remember for the ride. Your worth was set when God made you in His image, long before any grade. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, quick heads up, our Gideon series starts today on Heroes of the Bible. Gideon felt way too small and unqualified, and God called him a mighty warrior. It pairs perfectly with today, so come follow us on Instagram and go check it out. Before you go, let's answer this question together. What is one thing about who you are that a report card could never measure? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
