Hey! Welcome back! I'm Zach, your host on the Countdown to Christmas with...well, me!

I'm glad to be in your family's podcast feed again, and I hope you'll join me for a great Christmas season of stories to help your kids get to know God and love Him more.

Grab the new printable discussion guide with the questions for each day's story here.

And that link ^ is also where your kids can go to send in their own voice messages, answering each day's question. On that page you'll also all the different Christmas activities and radio shows your family can listen to on Keys for Kids Radio!

I hope you listen to each day's story as we count down to Christmas Day, and take the time to talk with your kids about the key verse, key thought, and question. And we all pray here at Keys for Kids Radio that it will help your family stay focused on Jesus!

Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

"You take the sword, Leo, and be ready when I storm the castle,” Javier instructed as he slipped on his dragon mask.

His little brother nodded, put on his knight helmet, and paced back and forth in front of the tent.

Javier ran off and disappeared from Leo’s view, crouching behind a bush. Then he crawled back to the tent and quietly entered it from the back, unnoticed by Knight Leo.

“RAAAAAAWR!” Javier bellowed. “This is my castle now! Flames! Run for your life, knight!” He continued to yell as loud as he could as he ran at his brother.

Leo threw his helmet down and dropped his sword. “That’s not fair!” he exclaimed. “You came from behind. I wasn’t ready for you!”

Javier ripped off his mask. “Oh, come on, Leo! Knights don’t throw their helmets down and whine. I hate playing with you, you always wreck everything!”

“Whoa, you are a fiery dragon,” Mom said as she came over at the yelling. “Calm down, Javier. Don’t treat Leo that way.”

“But he does this every time! When we played astronauts and the aliens came, he threw a fit. When we played superheroes and the villain caught him, he started crying. Superheroes don’t cry, Mom!”

“I know, Javier,” Mom said. “Leo just has some trouble staying in character.” She turned to Leo. “Javier has a point, Leo. When you’re playing pretend, it’s more fun if everyone stays in character.” She turned back to Javier. “But you’re also acting out of character when you talk to Leo like that.”

“But he makes me so mad!” said Javier.

“All the more reason to stay in character,” said Mom. “It’s easy to be kind when everything goes smoothly. It’s when things don’t go our way that we need to remember who we are as followers of Jesus. He defines our true character. He has freed us from sin and given us the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and is helping us become more like Jesus. Remember that the next time you’re tempted to do something wrong—like lash out at Leo in anger. Jesus wants us to love others the way He loves us.”

Javier looked at his brother. “Sorry, Leo,” he said. “I didn’t mean to be such a dragon.”

Do you ever act out of character? Do you have moments when you treat others poorly or do things you know are wrong? If you’re a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit in you so that you can show other people the good, gentle, and gracious character of Jesus. That’s who you are—a forgiven chi ld of God who is becoming more like Jesus every day. Trust God to help you stay in character and show His love to others.

Galatians 5:25 "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (NIV)

Stay true to who you are in Jesus

Romans 5:3-5; Galatians 5:22-25

Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

"Well, if that’s the way you’re going to be, I’ll just find someone else to do my science project with!” Will turned and walked away from Torin and Carlos before they had a chance to respond.

At dinner, Will was still angry. “Torin and Carlos won’t listen to me,” he told his dad. “They want to change the whole science project. I don’t care what they say. I like the way I planned it.”

“Sounds like you’re having trouble flying in formation,” said Dad.

“Huh?” Will frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Remember when we saw the Navy’s flying team perform at the air show last week? How far apart were those six jets?”

“They were really close!” said Will. “I think the announcer said they sometimes were within three feet of each other.” He remembered the thrill of watching the shiny blue and yellow jets. “When the leader moved in a certain direction, they all moved that way. If they didn’t, they’d be in big trouble.”

“Right,” said Dad. “Flying in formation like that takes real teamwork! But doing a good job on any group project requires teamwork—and that includes your science project. You need to work together as a team.”

“But they won’t listen to me!” said Will.

“Well, they should listen to your ideas,” said Dad. “But you should also listen to theirs. Have you done that? Have you really thought about whose ideas would work the best?”

Will sighed. “I guess not. I’ll talk to Carlos and Torin and see if they’ll still let me work with them.”

“Good,” said Dad. “You know, this reminds me of how Christians need to fly in formation too. Since you know Jesus, you’re part of His team of believers—the church. As Christians, we need to work together to help more people know about Jesus. But we can’t do that if we’re only thinking of ourselves and what we want.”

“We need to be like Jesus, right?” asked Will.

“Right,” said Dad. “We need to show one another the kind of love He shows us, and that includes listening to each other’s ideas and being patient and understanding. When we do that, others will see God’s love in us and want to know more about Jesus.”

Do you have a hard time working as part of a team? Do you get upset when others don’t agree with your ideas? Remember that God wants Christians to work together in unity. Ephesians 4:2 says to be humble, gentle, and patient as we bear with one another in love. Share your ideas, but also listen to other people’s suggestions so you can work as a team in love and unity.

Psalm 133:1 "How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" (NIV)

Work in unity with others

Ephesians 4:1-6

Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

Malia jingled the coins in her pocket. She liked the sound they made. She called it her Sunday song because she often jingled coins before Sunday school started each week. Malia earned her own money for offerings, but lately she hadn’t been able to find many jobs, so the amount she could give had become smaller and smaller.

Antonio, the boy sitting next to her, saw her put the coins into the offering plate and snickered. “Is that all you have?” he asked loudly.

“Why even bother?” Malia felt her face grow hot. She put her head down and didn’t answer.

When Malia got home, she told her mother what Antonio had said. “I guess he was right,” she said with a sigh. “I think my offering was the smallest one anybody had today.”

Mom raised her eyebrows. “I think your first mistake was to compare your offering to what the other kids gave. We should never give just to impress others. Tell me—what does Jesus think about what you gave?”

Malia shrugged.

Mom was quiet for a moment. “Malia, at your birthday party last month, your friends gave you presents. Were the gifts all the same, or were some smaller than others?”

“The gifts? They were all different, of course,” said Malia. “Why?”

“Well, are the kids who gave you the nicest presents the ones you like best now?” asked Mom.

Malia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what they brought. Izzy’s dad had been sick a long time, so she couldn’t spend much on a present, but who cares? It wouldn’t have mattered if she hadn’t brought anything at all. She’s my best friend!”

“I know,” said Mom. “And you’re Jesus’s friend—He loves you so much that He died for your sins and rose from the dead to save you! And He’s pleased with any gift you give Him from your heart out of gratitude for what He’s done for you.”

“Just like I’m happy with Izzy’s present,” Malia said, smiling. “Before the party, Izzy said she didn’t know if she should even come. She was afraid of what the other kids would think of her gift. But I told her I would love any gift she brought me because she’s my friend.”

Are you afraid that your gifts to the Lord aren’t good enough? Do they seem small compared to what other people can give? Remember that Jesus sees your heart. Your desire to give to Him out of love and gratitude for what He’s done for you is what matters—whether it’s through giving money or serving in other ways. God knows your circumstances, and He loves any gift you’re able to give Him because you are His friend.

Ezra 2:69 "According to their ability, they gave." (NKJV)

God accepts your gifts

Mark 12:41-44

Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

"How about a break?” said Dad. He stopped pedaling, leaned his bike against a tree, and then plopped onto the park bench beside the bike trail.

“Good idea!” said James. “I’m tired and thirsty!” He and Dad took water bottles from their bikes. Dad also pulled two granola bars from his bike bag and handed one to James.

As James removed the wrapper, a piece of granola fell to the ground. A tiny ant appeared and tried to whisk it away. James watched as the ant tried again and again, but the piece was just too large for it to handle.

A moment later, a mass of scurrying ants appeared. They worked together, lifting and dropping the chunk several times until it fell apart. Then each ant seized a small piece, and they all ran off in the same direction.

“Did you see that?” asked James. “That ant needed help—and he got it!”

“He sure did,” said Dad. “That’s a good example of how we should act as Christians.”

James looked at Dad. “You mean we should help each other, right? Like when that big storm ripped shingles off our garage roof last summer and a bunch of guys from church helped repair it. With all their help, it didn’t take very long before it was fixed. A big job became a small one—just like with the ants.”

Dad nodded. “I’m sure the guys from church didn’t think about it at the time, but they were demonstrating to our neighbors the love Christians should have for each other.”

“But aren’t we supposed to show God’s love by helping people who don’t know Jesus too?” asked James.

“Yes,” said Dad. “Helping those who don’t know Jesus can be a powerful way to show them who He is and what He’s like, and helping other Christians can too.” Dad and James got up and put on their helmets.

“Mr. Locke next door was so impressed by what our church friends did to help with our roof that he wanted to know more about our church,” added Dad. “I explained that we love one another because Jesus loves us—so much that He died for our sins and rose again. I’m praying that Mr. Locke will soon know Jesus too.”

Can people see God’s love in your willingness to help others? By having a kind, helpful attitude, you can show others that you belong to Jesus. When people see you do things like help a neighbor rake their yard or show a new kid around school or church, they see the love that Jesus has put in your heart—and some of them might decide they want Jesus in their lives too.

Galatians 6:10 "As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." (NKJV)

Show God’s love

1 John 4:7-11

Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

Callie sat on her bed, so engrossed in her new library book that she didn’t even notice her mom enter the room. When Mom sat down next to her, Callie jumped and shoved the book under her, hoping her mom hadn’t seen the title.

Mom frowned. “You doing okay? I was just wondering why you were so quiet up here.” She peered around Callie. “What were you reading?”

Callie shot her a thin smile. “Oh, nothing. Just a book I got at the library.” She blinked, trying to clear her flustered brain. “So, did Dad finish working on the car?”

Mom folded her arms, studying her. “No, he’s still trying to figure it out. The check engine light keeps flashing.”

Callie nodded. “Wow. I hope the car’s okay!”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” said Mom. “Your Dad always takes the car’s warning lights very seriously, so I’m sure he’ll be able to fix the problem before it causes too much damage.” She cleared her throat and scooted closer to her daughter. “Callie, you’re twelve, and you’re getting to the age when you’ll be making some important decisions.”

Callie swallowed and nodded.

“I’m not going to make you show me the book you’re hiding. I don’t know what it has in it that makes you feel the need to hide it. All I’m going to say is that your conscience is telling you something without me having to say a word.”

Callie studied her fingernails, and Mom sighed. “The embarrassment I see on your face is a God-given warning light, Callie. It’s telling you that something in that book doesn’t line up with who you are as a follower of Jesus. Because He has freed you from sin, it doesn’t belong in your life anymore. When you’re tempted to focus on sinful things, the Holy Spirit uses your conscience to warn you. If you listen to His warning, it can prevent major problems down the road.”

Callie squirmed. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Mom was right. She pulled out the book. “I guess I’ll need a ride to the library so I can return this.” As the weight of the book lifted from her conscience, she smiled. “Let’s go see how Dad’s coming along on the car!”

Has a twinge of embarrassment or unease ever made you want to hide what you were doing? God has given each of us a conscience to warn us when we’re stepping into danger. When it tells you that what you’re doing isn’t right, stop immediately! Listen to God’s warning and trust Him to help you resist temptation.

Romans 14:23 "Whatever is not from faith is sin." (NKJV)

Listen to God’s warnings

Psalm 101:1-8

Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

Kahlil closed the book he was reading and sighed.

“You don’t look very happy,” said his sister, Anisa. “What are you thinking about?”

Kahlil hesitated. “God,” he admitted. “I’ve been wondering if God really hears us when we pray.”

“Of course He does!” said Anisa.

“And my teacher at church says God is everywhere,” said Kahlil. “How can that be? And how can He have no beginning?”

“I can’t believe you’re questioning God!” said Anisa. “Better not let Mom or Dad hear you do that.”

“Do what?” asked Dad as he walked in and sat down.

Kahlil nervously picked at the corner of his book. “Well, sometimes I don’t understand things about God and what the Bible says about Him. I have lots of questions, and Anisa thinks that’s wrong.”

“No, it’s not wrong,” said Dad. “It’s perfectly okay for you to have those kinds of questions.”

“It is?” asked Anisa. She and Kahlil looked at each other in surprise.

Dad nodded. “You learn by asking questions. For example, you made macaroni and cheese yesterday, right? How did you learn to do that?”

Anisa chimed in. “I heard him ask Mom a ton of questions. He asked how much water to use and how high to set the burner. And he asked how long it had to boil.” She turned to her brother. “You’ve seen Mom make it a million times, but you didn’t know anything when you tried to do it yourself.”

Kahlil made a face at his sister. “Well, I could do it now!”

Dad smiled. “I’m sure you could. Asking questions helped you learn what to do. That’s one reason God welcomes our honest questions—He knows they help us learn.”

“You mean God’s not mad?” Anisa asked.

Dad shook his head. “The book of Psalms is full of hard questions the writers asked God. Their questions helped them understand more about God and why they could trust Him. So don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Questions can strengthen your faith as you learn more about who God is and how Jesus came to save you and promises to be with you through life’s difficulties.”

Standing up, Dad said, “I’m hungry. Why don’t we ask God some questions together over a bowl of Kahlil’s mac and cheese?”

What are some things about God you don’t understand? It’s okay to ask hard questions—they can help you learn and grow in your relationship with Jesus. Ask your parents, teachers at church, or any Christian adult you feel you can talk to. Look to the Bible for answers too, and ask God to help you understand more about who He is and what He’s done for you.

Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know." (CSB)

Ask and learn

Psalm 73:13-28; Proverbs 2:1-9

Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

Malachi put down the wood for the campfire and hurried to see why Boomer, his puppy, was barking. The little dog stood at the edge of the stream, looking down into the clear water. “What is it, Boomer?” asked Malachi. He looked down to see what was in the water and began to laugh.

“What is Boomer barking at, Malachi?” asked Dad.

“Himself! He’s barking at his own reflection in the water.” Malachi shook his head. “Silly dog! Come on, Boomer. I’ll get you a treat.” The magic word was treat—Boomer immediately left the edge of the water and scurried over to the tent. Soon he had his treat and was stretched out near the stream.

Dad smiled as he watched Boomer happily chomp on his treat. “This reminds me of an old fable about a dog and a bone,” he said. “As the dog carried his bone across a bridge, he thought he saw another dog in the water below, and he bristled.”

“That sounds like Boomer, all right!” said Malachi.

“Yes, and this dog wasn’t going to let that other dog get his bone,” continued Dad. “So he began to bark to make the other dog go away. I’m sure you can figure out what happened when he opened his mouth to bark.”

Malachi laughed. “His bone fell into the water, right?”

“Right, and the greedy dog ended up with nothing.” Dad added another log to the campfire. “Greed makes us want to get things and hold on to them at all costs, but in the end we lose everything we had and more. True riches and fulfillment come from Jesus, not from anything we own. Money and possessions don’t last, but Jesus offers us a gift that lasts forever—forgiveness for our sins and eternal life with Him. To loosen the grip of greed on our hearts, we need to turn to Jesus and trust Him to provide us with everything we need, including joy and contentment.”

Just then Boomer ran up, looking for another treat. Malachi smiled and got one out. “Here you go, Boomer,” he said, holding it out for Boomer to take from his hand. “But it won’t last long, so don’t get greedy.”

Do you think having the right things will bring you happiness? Are you so focused on getting and keeping those things that you don’t care about anything or anyone else? Lasting joy doesn’t come from having lots of money or cool stuff—it comes from knowing Jesus. Having a relationship with Him brings us true riches that last forever. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Mark 8:36, "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (NIV)

Seek true riches

Luke 12:16-21

Hey, I’m Zach, host of the Countdown to Christmas podcast. If you liked this podcast series, you can catch me on the Keys for Kids daily devotions podcast too. It’s a lot like the Countdown to Christmas with a story and Bible reading every day.

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Thank you for joining Keys for Kids Radio's Countdown to Christmas Advent Activity! Read the story below, answer the questions on the cards, and send us a voice message with your answers! Then you could hear yourself on Keys for Kids Radio as we talk through each day's story!

Send In Your Answers

When Jack sat down for lunch, his mom noticed his glum mood. “What’s wrong, Jack?” she asked. Jack just shrugged.

Mom placed sandwiches and chips on the table. “It’s a beautiful day,” she said after they thanked God for their food. “You have several Christmas gifts to keep you busy, and school is out for a few more days. But you don’t look very happy.”

“It’s just that…Christmas vacation is almost over,” Jack replied. “School starts next week, and I haven’t gotten anything done.”

“What do you mean?” asked Mom. “What didn’t you get done?”

“I was going to read the book Tommy lent me and learn how to ski during vacation,” said Jack. “And I was going to surprise Dad by cleaning the garage and vacuuming the car. I was even planning to shovel Mrs. Patten’s walks and driveway for free, but I never got around to it. She ended up hiring someone.” He sighed loudly. “I wasted my whole vacation.”

“I understand how you feel,” Mom said. “I often feel that way myself when I don’t get to everything on my to-do list. But, Jack, you didn’t waste your vacation.”

Jack looked up from his sandwich. “I didn’t?”

Mom shook her head. “You spent time with friends and family, and you also got a much-needed break from a busy school year. Rest and relationships are important too. Instead of fretting over everything we want to get done, we need to trust Jesus to help us do the things He wants us to do. We can rest and enjoy time with others because Jesus did what we could never do ourselves—He died and rose again so we could have eternal life with Him!”

“So, it’s okay I didn’t do all that stuff?” asked Jack.

“Would it even be possible to do all that in two weeks?” Mom asked, grinning. Jack smiled. “I guess not.”

“But it’s good you want to use your time well and help others,” said Mom. “Maybe you can set aside time to work on things that are really important to you. And you still have a couple days of vacation left.”

Jack nodded and began wolfing down his sandwich. “I should have time to clean the garage before Dad gets home!”

How have you been spending your Christmas vacation? Did you have fun? It’s important to relax and enjoy spending time with others. Maybe you had things you hoped to accomplish too—did you do  them? It’s good to set goals and get things done, but remember that Jesus has already accomplished  the most important thing of all. Trust Him to help you use your time well as you balance work, fun, and  rest.

1 Peter 3:18 NLT "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God."

Use your time well.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14; John 19:28-30