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.

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"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

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

Christmas was over. Colorful wrapping paper and bright ribbons had been cleared away, and the opened presents were sitting under the tree.

Because Dad had been out of work for several months, most of the gifts were very practical—useful things like socks, sweaters, mittens, and boots. “God is good,” Dad said. “My best Christmas present is that He has provided a job for me. It’s an answer to prayer!”

Grandma noticed her grandson’s frown as he got up and walked to the kitchen. She followed him. “Is something bothering you, Marcus?” she asked.

“God may have answered Dad’s prayers, but He sure didn’t answer mine! I prayed and prayed for a scooter, but did I get it? No! I hardly got any fun stuff at all!”

“Could it be that you missed God’s answer?” Grandma asked.

“Is there another present somewhere?” Marcus asked in surprise. He started back to the living room to look, but Grandma stopped him.

“That’s not what I mean. What would you think if your dad had turned down his job offer and then declared God wasn’t providing for his family?”

“Why would he do that?” asked Marcus. “That would be silly.”

“Yes, it would,” agreed Grandma, “yet your mother told me Mrs. Brown offered you the job of shoveling her walkways this winter, but you weren’t willing to do it.” She paused for a moment. “You asked God for a scooter, and He gave you a chance to earn it. But now you’re blaming God because you don’t have it. Isn’t that silly too?”

Marcus sat down at the table. “I guess it is,” he admitted.

Grandma sat down next to him. “I know it’s been a tough year for your family, and you just wanted to get something fun for Christmas. God understands that too. He loves you and promises to do what’s best for you. Sometimes that means His answer to your prayers is no, but in this case, I think it may be a yes, but you need to take action. Perhaps He knows you’ll appreciate your scooter more if you work to pay for it yourself.”

Marcus nodded. “I’ll see if Mrs. Brown still needs help. Maybe it’s not too late to earn money for a scooter.”

When you pray for something, are you prepared to be part of God’s answer by taking action? For example, do you pray for good grades and then study hard? Sometimes God answers prayer by providing you with the next step to take. In today’s Bible reading, God answered Cornelius’s prayer by instructing him to ask Peter for help. So pray, and then be ready to follow God’s action plan.

Matthew 7:7 NIV "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Pray and be ready to act!

Acts 10:1-2, 30-33

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Gabe crossed his arms and scrunched his face in disgust. “Hunter’s parents let him do anything he wants,” he told his dad, “and it seems like everything always turns out right for him. He just got a brand-new skateboard for Christmas!” Gabe started to feel bitter as he thought of all the things Hunter had. “I thought God would treat people who love Him better than those who don’t. Hunter isn’t a Christian, but he’s got better things than me! How come?”

Dad smiled. “You sound a lot like Asaph.”

“Like who?” Gabe peered quizzically at his father.

“Asaph. He was a man who wrote some of the psalms in the Bible. Come over here—I’ll show you.”

Gabe and Dad sat down on the sofa, and Dad brought up Psalm 73 on his phone. “Look here, Gabe,” he said. “At the beginning of the psalm, Asaph is complaining to the Lord because evil people are prospering and having lots of success while terrible things are happening to him.” Dad read several verses.

“Wow! I know just what he means,” said Gabe.

“I thought you might,” said Dad. “Later verses show that Asaph changed his mind. He was reminded that people who don’t know the Lord can only look forward to destruction in the end. Those who are saved will have it good when life on earth ends.”

Gabe thought about that. “I guess I don’t have it so bad after all,” he said. “Hunter will get what’s coming to him someday.”

“Whoa!” said Dad. “Not so fast. We can be thankful that God has shown us mercy. It’s only because we trust in Jesus, who took the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross, that we won’t get what we deserve. It’s not up to us to judge Hunter. Instead, let’s pray for him. Ask God to use you to show Hunter His mercy and love so he will put his trust in Jesus and all will be well for him in the end. Okay?”

Gabe nodded. “Okay,” he said. “I know Jesus loves Hunter too, and I want both of us to spend eternity with Him.”

Do you know unsaved people who seem to have it better than you? Unless they trust Jesus as their Savior, they don’t have a future with Him in heaven. Thank Jesus for saving you from sin, and pray for those who don’t know Him. Tell others what He’s done for you so they might know they can be saved from sin and have eternal life with Him too.

Psalm 73:28 NLT "How good it is to be near God! I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do."

Jesus saves us from destruction.

Psalm 73:3-7, 12-18, 25-28

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!

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Christmas was over, and Henry and Nevaeh helped their parents remove the ornaments, lights, and strands of garland from the Christmas  tree branches. Soon the shimmering and festive tree looked bare except for the colorful tree skirt surrounding the tree stand.

“Hey,” Henry called out. “Look at that!” He pointed to a small box wrapped in green and red paper peeking out from under a fold in the tree skirt.

“Where did that come from?” Mom asked as she bent down to pick up the box. “We must have missed this when we opened our gifts.” She held the box in her hands and looked for a name. “It’s for me! From Aunt Martha,” she said in surprise. “I didn’t think she had sent anything this year, and here it was under the tree the whole time.”

Mom opened the gift and found a necklace and matching earrings. “They’re so pretty!” Nevaeh said as Mom held them up for everybody to see.

“Just think—Aunt Martha’s gift was here all this time, but Mom couldn’t receive it because she didn’t know it was there,” Dad said. “It reminds me of another gift—God’s gift of salvation. It’s available to everyone, but many people don’t even know it’s there. It stays hidden until someone shows it to them—like you showed the package to us, Henry.”

Nevaeh and Henry thought about that. “So we need to show people God’s gift by telling them about Jesus,” Nevaeh said.

“And tell them that if they accept it, Jesus will save them from sin and give them eternal life,” added Henry.

“That’s right,” said Dad. “It’s an amazing gift! But they can’t accept it if they don’t know it’s there. That’s why we need to share it with others.” Dad motioned to the boxes of decorations. “Let’s see if we can all come up with a person we can tell about God’s amazing gift by the time we finish putting
this stuff away.”

Have you received the gift of salvation? (See “Have You Heard the Good News?”) It’s wonderful to know you have eternal life through Jesus. But many people don’t know this amazing gift exists. Think of someone you know who may not know about Jesus and the eternal life He offers—then tell them about it! God may use you to help someone receive Jesus, the best gift of all.

Romans 5:18 NKJV "Through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men."

Tell others about God's gift.

Romans 5:8-15

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!

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“Visit our store and enjoy Christmas every day of the year!” Anissa read the billboard out loud as she and her family traveled home from a week-long vacation. “Cool! That’s in the town at the next exit, isn’t it? Can we stop at that store?”

Dad shrugged. “Why not? It will be a good break for us. Watch for signs so we’ll know where to turn.”

They found the store, and everyone smiled when they heard “Jingle Bells” playing over the loudspeaker as they walked in. The store was filled with all kinds of Christmas decorations–ornaments, trees, twinkling lights, and wreaths. In one corner, a woman was handing out fruit punch and decorated Christmas cookies.

“All these things are nice,” said Dad, “but while we eat our cookies, let’s go over there and think about the real meaning of Christmas.” He led the way to a manger scene that looked so real, Anissa could almost imagine she was in Bethlehem. As she thought about the events of that night long ago, she imagined Mary putting baby Jesus in a manger, and the angels singing and the shepherds and wise men arriving at the stable to worship Him.

“Come on, kids,” said Dad, interrupting Anissa’s daydreams. “Time to be on our way.”

Anissa continued thinking about the manger scene as they continued toward home. “I wish we could celebrate Christmas all year long like they do at that store,” she said.

“We can,” said Dad. “What is Christmas, Anissa?”

“It’s the time when we remember the night Jesus was born,” replied Anissa.

“Exactly!” said Dad. “The night God sent His Son to earth as one of us so He could save us from sin. Don’t you think that’s something we should celebrate all year long?

“Well, sure,” said Anissa. “We should thank God every day for sending Jesus, shouldn’t we?” She grinned. “So can we put the Christmas tree back up when we get home?”

Mom laughed and shook her head. “We’ll save that for next December,” she said. “We can remember the real meaning of Christmas without the tree.”

Are you thankful every day for God’s amazing gift? He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to take the punishment for your sin so you could have eternal life. There is no better gift than that! Don’t wait until next December to thank God for His great gift—Jesus is the reason to celebrate Christmas all year long!

2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Think of God’s gift all year long.

Luke 2:1-7