Read Time: 4 min 32 sec | Reading Level: 7th Grade

Tesla has launched (literally) its first flying car.

The new Tesla Roadster drove upside down and “kickflipped” over five other Teslas at its Texas launch party last week (watch it fly). The event was held with a live audience to prove the stunts weren’t fake (here’s another cool one). For safety, it was only a mannequin in a SpaceX spacesuit behind the wheel.

Cold-gas thrusters are the secret sauce that makes the Roadster fly. SpaceX, the space-travel company led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, uses similar thrusters to steer its rockets.

The sci-fi sports car comes in three tiers: Performance, Thrust, and Rocket. Performance is the everyday version of the Roadster. It doesn’t come with thrusters… but it does go from 0 to 60 mph in under 1.6 seconds.

Thrust has all the Performance specs, plus racing features. It can’t fly, but it can use its thrusters like Rocket League boost. Want one? That’ll be at least $250,000, please, and Tesla plans to start building them sometime in 2028.

Rocket, the top-tier model, comes with all the flying bells and whistles. Right now, it isn’t street legal, meaning you can’t drive it on public roads. You’ll only be able to buy one if Tesla invites you to, and Musk said owners will be able to go for test drives on a special Tesla track that’ll be “crazier even than Hot Wheels.”

Some government officials, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), have said they want to make it legal to fly cars around town. Others are mostly asking questions. They wonder if flying cars would be overseen by the government’s car department, plane department, or both.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Whether you’re thrilled by innovation or intimidated by new tech, live with joy and pursue holiness because believers already know how this story ends. Technology will never outsmart God or thwart His plan to renew and glorify all who are in Christ.

“But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.”
2 Peter 3:13-14 (CSB) (read full passage)

What do I want to make sure my kids know in light of this story?
You can turn your “whoa” into worship.

A car flipping over a semi-truck is meant to wow us. While this kind of wonder comes naturally when we’re young, growing up often means taming it for realism at best and cynicism at worst.

But the Bible invites us to keep marveling at God’s good world: “The LORD’s works are great, studied by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2 CSB).

Wonder isn’t naive; it’s worshipful. It spots the fingerprints of a good, beautiful, and powerful God on a sunrise, a clever invention, or a breathtaking piece of art, and responds with awestruck gratitude.

What might my kids misunderstand about this story?
Spiritual growth is more like a vineyard than a flying car.

Technology promises more power with less time and effort… and often delivers. A four-hour cross-country flight today would make our pre-Wright brothers ancestors think we’re magicians.

But when the Bible talks about growing in faith, it shows a different pace. Jesus says we’re like branches connected to a vine, continuously drawing life from Him (John 15:5). And the evidence of the Spirit in our lives is called fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), which ripens over time. There’s no boost button for bearing fruit: stay connected to the vine and let God do His slow, deliberate work.

Gen Z Word of the Week: When I saw Tesla’s car fly, I was shook.

Family Fun: Explore what’s in the sky together with this online planetarium.

Whipped Cream on Top: You’re telling me I’ve been hydrating wrong my entire life?!

How We’re Staying Organized and Christ-focused
With the Abiding in Jesus Planner*

Your calendar sees you at your most overwhelmed. What if it pointed you back to Jesus instead of just your to-do list?

That’s the idea behind the Abiding in Jesus Day Planner. The monthly overview and your detailed weekly page sit side-by-side, no flipping or writing the same entry twice. There’s built-in prayer journaling, sermon notes, and Bible study sections… so one notebook can go everywhere with you. Plus, pages lift out (for easy rearranging), and you can customize your start month or whether your week begins Sunday or Monday!

See its beauty for yourself! Use code DECAF to save 15% on your entire order!

How Our Kids Are Reading the Whole Bible
With excitement and understanding, thanks to The Bible Recap for Kids*

A daily rhythm in God’s Word isn’t just for grown-ups; your kids can be Bible Readers, too, even when the day’s reading is in Leviticus.

The Bible Recap for Kids helps 8-to-12-year-olds follow the same 365-day plan as the grown-up version, with kid-friendly, three-minute recaps, weekly summaries, and daily God Shots pointing out who God is. And you can go at your pace—no pressure.

Make 2027 the year your kids fall in love with the Bible and the God who wrote it with ECPA's 2026 Christian Book of the Year, The Bible Recap for Kids. Get 35% off your copy through November with code DECAF.

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