Read Time: 4 min 35 sec | Reading Level: 7th Grade
─────── October 15, 2026 ───────
Happy Thursday!
Speaking of prizes, we’re awarding TPO’s MVR (Most Valuable Reader), and the winner is 🥁… you! Have a cookie 🍪. We’re so grateful for you!
This week’s Decaf is brought to you by this free graphic novel about the book of Acts and this devo that connects God’s story to your family’s story.
Today’s story was taken from The Pour Over’s October 9, October 12, and October 14 emails and rewritten at a 7th-grade reading level.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“What we need is not an explanation of the Word and the world that puts more information in our heads; we need an experience with the Word in the world that penetrates the recesses of our hearts.”
David Platt
READ | REFLECT | RESPOND
WORLD NEWS
Notable Nobels
The 2026 Nobel Prizes are in the books.
This year marked 125 years since the first prizes. They’re named after Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and over 300 other things… literally. Before he died, Nobel left his fortune (worth $232M in today’s dollars) to award people who made “the greatest benefit to mankind.”
Here’s who won:
Physics: Francis Halzen won for using Antarctic ice to spot flashes of light from “the shyest particle in the universe.”
Chemistry: Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai made discoveries that help other chemists make medicines.
Medicine: Professors Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel figured out how to use a protein from algae and light to switch brain cells on and off. (Watch Deisseroth tell his daughters he won.)
Literature: Canadian poet Anne Carson wrote books that blend poetry, essays, and ancient Greek stories in brand-new ways. She’s excited to “get a sticker on the front” of her books.
Economics: Professors Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford built models that will help leaders keep the economy more stable when it’s doing really well or really poorly.
Peace: Navanethem “Navi” Pillay is a jurist (a law expert) who worked with human-rights activists and is currently an International Court of Justice judge.
Each winner (called a laureate) gets a gold medal, a diploma, and a card full of money. This year, the prize is 12M Swedish kronor. That’s $1.2M in American money. For prizes with multiple winners, they share the money. (See what else we learned about Nobel Prizes here.)
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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Nobel Prizes celebrate the brightest minds and most impactful peacemakers among us. As we honor these laureates, may we also celebrate the God who created their minds and hearts, and the fields in which they labor.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him.”
Colossians 1:15-16 (CSB) (read full passage)
READ | REFLECT | RESPOND
What do I want to make sure my kids know in light of this story?
God is the only one who creates out of nothing.
Science, the arts, peace, and economics were not invented by human geniuses—these disciplines’ inner workings were designed by a majestic Maker who invites His creatures to discover, delight in, and rule over the world He made (Genesis 1:26-28; Isaiah 28:23-29).
You may not be in the running for a Nobel Prize, but you have an opportunity every day to discover and delight in God’s world. As you do, remember to worship your good Creator and to manage His creation for the good of your neighbors.
What might my kids misunderstand about this story?
Every human act of goodness and beauty is a gift from God.
James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (CSB). Even when doctors, scientists, poets, and diplomats don’t worship the Lord, He is still using their work to bless and reveal His truth to the world. Theologians call that “common grace”: God’s undeserved kindness to all of humanity, not just believers.
This generous goodness is one more reason to worship Him.
READ | REFLECT | RESPOND
Share a specific example of how God has used a scientific advancement or work of art or literature to bless you or teach you about Himself. In other words, how have you experienced His common grace?
Memorize James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (CSB)
Praise God for His common grace: God our Creator, we celebrate the good in humanity that’s exemplified by these awards: discipline, hard work, curiosity, creativity, selfless service, bravery, tenacity. We praise You for using these individuals’ talents for the common good, for the benefit of others. Yet as we pioneer groundbreaking science, discover ingenious medical treatment possibilities, captivate the world with breathtaking beauty, and labor toward peace where hatred runs deep, we confess we’re only peeking into secret places You created and inhabited from long ago. Your creativity is unmatched. Your genius is unsearchable. Your knowledge is eternal. Amen.
CREAM AND SUGAR
Gen Z Word of the Week: If I’m going to win a Nobel Prize one day, I need to lock in on my studies.
Family Fun: Take this quiz together and see if your Nobel knowledge is laureate level. (This was adapted from Monday’s edition of The Pour Over with kiddos in mind… so if you’ve already aced the quiz, no cheating!)
Whipped Cream on Top: When I say I want a sweet treat, this is what I mean...
RECOMMENDED
How Our Kids Are Learning What Courage Looks Like
With this free copy of The Messengers*
What if the story of the early church in the book of Acts was told in a way anyone could pick up, read, and understand? The Messengers is a graphic novel with over 100 pages pairing words and engaging full-color pictures that follow the apostles after Jesus’s resurrection.
It’s church history you want your kids to grasp!
Christ’s followers faced a tough decision after His resurrection: stop sharing the gospel or face prison, persecution, and death.
They kept preaching.
This free graphic novel brings their stories to life, from miraculous prison escapes to life-changing encounters with the Savior. Request your free copy of The Messengers today!
How We’re Talking About God Over Breakfast
With God’s Story, Our Story*
We’ve been reading God’s Story, Our Story over breakfast, turning it into a sweet, purposeful time. One morning, our action step was to talk about the amazing world God created, and that followed my five-year-old and me on our whole walk to school…
That’s why I love this devotional’s design. It’s nine weeks of 15-minute devotions tracing how the whole Bible fits together: God’s story, a Bible character’s story, then our family’s. There’s audio for chaotic mornings, and companion Journey Cards to help us visualize and remember what we’ve learned.
Join the story! Use code POUROVER for 30% off the book or book-and-cards bundle.
Kathleen Wadkins | Managing Editor
*sponsored
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