Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids and families

Read: Ephesians 5:1-4

Brooke’s bag bounced against her back as she raced across the field. Her sister April stood on the sidewalk just outside the middle school.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Brooke squeezed her big sister. “How long will you be home before you have to go back to college?”

“Two weeks.” April smiled and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder.

Kids poured out of the school and whizzed by. One of Brooke’s friends waved as she zipped past. “See you on Monday, Brooke.”

“Bye,” Brooke called after her. Her cell phone vibrated against her leg, and she pulled it out.

You HAVE to text me after you see this. It was a message from her friend Mindy.

Brooke touched the screen and music blared from her phone.

“What are you watching?” April asked. She peered over Brooke’s shoulder at the screen.

An unflattering photo of the principal’s head was attached to the body of an ape. It danced around for a couple seconds, and then everything faded to black.

April frowned as Brooke slid the phone into her pocket. “I hope you don’t watch videos like that all the time.”

Brooke shrugged. “I’ve asked Mindy to stop sending them, but she doesn’t listen.”

“Well, it’s not your fault if she tries to get you to watch things that you shouldn’t. But you do have a choice. You can choose not to view the things she sends.”

Brooke nodded. Her sister was right. The videos Mindy sent her didn’t even make her laugh. They made her feel terrible.

April rested a hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “You know how Mom’s always talking about how we need to love others the way Jesus loves us and treat people the way He would? Well, that includes people online and on our phones too. We need to treat them with love and respect because Jesus loves them and died for them.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Brooke said.

“Why don’t you get out your phone so we can take some selfies?” April gave her cheesiest grin and made bunny ears behind Brooke’s head as Brooke took a picture. “Then maybe you can show me the most recent pics of you and your friends.”

Brooke nodded, then held up her phone for another selfie and smiled.

–Annika Klanderud

How about you? Have you ever watched something online that you knew you shouldn’t have? Sometimes it may feel like the things we do online are pretend and don’t really matter, but they can hurt both you and others. Show others God’s love by treating them with respect both online and in person, and use technology to enhance your relationships with others instead of hurting them.

Today's Key Verse: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Use technology in good ways

Read: Ephesians 5:1-4

Brooke’s bag bounced against her back as she raced across the field. Her sister April stood on the sidewalk just outside the middle school.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Brooke squeezed her big sister. “How long will you be home before you have to go back to college?”

“Two weeks.” April smiled and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder.

Kids poured out of the school and whizzed by. One of Brooke’s friends waved as she zipped past. “See you on Monday, Brooke.”

“Bye,” Brooke called after her. Her cell phone vibrated against her leg, and she pulled it out.

You HAVE to text me after you see this. It was a message from her friend Mindy.

Brooke touched the screen and music blared from her phone.

“What are you watching?” April asked. She peered over Brooke’s shoulder at the screen.

An unflattering photo of the principal’s head was attached to the body of an ape. It danced around for a couple seconds, and then everything faded to black.

April frowned as Brooke slid the phone into her pocket. “I hope you don’t watch videos like that all the time.”

Brooke shrugged. “I’ve asked Mindy to stop sending them, but she doesn’t listen.”

“Well, it’s not your fault if she tries to get you to watch things that you shouldn’t. But you do have a choice. You can choose not to view the things she sends.”

Brooke nodded. Her sister was right. The videos Mindy sent her didn’t even make her laugh. They made her feel terrible.

April rested a hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “You know how Mom’s always talking about how we need to love others the way Jesus loves us and treat people the way He would? Well, that includes people online and on our phones too. We need to treat them with love and respect because Jesus loves them and died for them.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Brooke said.

“Why don’t you get out your phone so we can take some selfies?” April gave her cheesiest grin and made bunny ears behind Brooke’s head as Brooke took a picture. “Then maybe you can show me the most recent pics of you and your friends.”

Brooke nodded, then held up her phone for another selfie and smiled.

–Annika Klanderud

How about you? Have you ever watched something online that you knew you shouldn’t have? Sometimes it may feel like the things we do online are pretend and don’t really matter, but they can hurt both you and others. Show others God’s love by treating them with respect both online and in person, and use technology to enhance your relationships with others instead of hurting them.

Today's Key Verse: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Use technology in good ways

Read: Psalm 119:97-105

After the church service was over, Cooper helped his mother straighten up the nursery. It was raining hard, so when they were almost finished Mom went to get the car while Cooper put the rest of the toys away. Just as he was about to leave, a crash of thunder shook the building and all the lights went out. “Oh, great!” Cooper said, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the blackness. They didn’t. The room was deep in the building and had no windows. I’ll just have to be careful, he thought.

Cooper walked cautiously toward the door. His knee bumped into something. He reached down and felt a table the toddlers used. He stepped to the right. “Ow!” he exclaimed as his head caught the corner of a shelf. It rattled, and books fell to the floor. This isn’t like when the power goes off at home, he thought. There you know where things are. Feeling his way along the wall, he walked straight into a box of building blocks. The box turned over and the blocks tumbled out as Cooper fell to his knees. This is ridiculous, he thought. He found the wall again and moved slowly to the door. Where is Mom, anyway? I need a light!

Just then a phone light flickered at the end of the hall, and he heard his mom’s voice. “Hang on, Cooper,” she called. “I’m coming.”

As they headed home, Cooper told his mother about the verse his class had learned that day. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” he recited. “But the Bible certainly didn’t give me any light in that dark nursery room!”

Mom laughed. “You know that verse isn’t talking about the kind of light that comes from the sun or from lamps, right? It’s talking about light the Bible shines on our lives by showing us our sin and what Jesus has done to save us. It also gives us wisdom and direction as we trust and follow Him. Does that make sense?”

Cooper nodded. “That’s pretty much what my teacher said too.”

“Stumbling through the building in the dark was bad enough,” said Mom. “I’m glad God gave us the Bible so we wouldn’t have to stumble through life without His light!”

–Debra W. Smith

How about you? Are you stumbling through life without the light God gives through His Word, the Bible? It tells us who God is and how we’ve been separated from Him because of our sin, and how Jesus died to save us so we could have eternal life. It also offers us wisdom and encouragement as we trust in Jesus and show His love to others. Shine light on your life by reading God’s Word!

Today's Key Verse: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: The Bible gives light

Read: 1 Timothy 6:6-10; Hebrews 13:5

When Rayna went into the kitchen, Mom was putting the finishing touches on her birthday cake. “It looks like the ants have decided to come to your party,” Mom told her.

“Aunt Joyce and Aunt Linda?” Rayna asked.

Mom laughed. “No, those ants!” she said, pointing to the floor where several ants were scurrying around. “Why don’t you get an ant trap from the closet.”

As Rayna crouched down to put the trap on the floor, she began to cry. Mom set the cake aside. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“Everything!” Rayna said between sobs. “I hate this old house. Melody has a nice house, and she got more stuff shopping yesterday than I’m going to get for my birthday.” Rayna tried to stop her tears. “And she has a dad, and her mom doesn’t have to work like you do. It’s just not fair! Sometimes I—” She hesitated. “Sometimes I almost hate Melody. I try not to feel that way because I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help it.”

Mom put an arm around Rayna. “It can hurt to see others with something we wish we had, but it’s important not to let those feelings turn to bitterness and jealousy.” She pointed to the plastic square on the floor. “Do you know how those traps kill ants?”

“They have poison inside that the ants think is food. They bring it home for all the ants to eat, and it kills them.” Rayna frowned. “But what does that have to do with bitterness and jealousy?”

“Well, they’re a lot like ants. Trying not to feel them is like trying to kill ants one by one—they just keep coming back! But a thankful spirit works like an ant trap—it kills bitterness at its source. After your dad left, I was very bitter. But when I looked to Jesus and remembered that He died to save me and saw all His blessings in my life—like you, my health, and my church family—that bitterness turned to thankfulness. Though I still feel sad, I remember that Jesus loves me—and that He loves your dad too.”

Rayna nodded and wiped her eyes. “I’ll put out a bitterness trap right now by thanking Jesus for all my friends coming to my party—especially Melody.”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Are you jealous of people who have more stuff than you? Do you feel bitter because your life doesn’t look like someone else’s? Bitterness and jealousy are poisonous and can eat you up inside. When you feel them creeping in, go to Jesus. Remember that He died and rose again so you could have eternal life with Him, and think of some other blessings He’s put in your life. Then trust Him to help you replace bitterness with thankfulness.

Today's Key Verse: Let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and be thankful. Colossians 3:15 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus frees you from bitterness

Read: Ephesians 1:3-6

“Leo, it’s your turn to help with the dishes tonight,” Mr. Phillips said as the kids finished scraping up the last smudges of tomato sauce with their garlic bread.

“Why do I have to do so much around here?” asked Leo.

“Because you’re part of the family, and family members help with the chores,” answered Mr. Phillips.

Leo looked down at his plate. “Even though you’re just my foster family?”

Mr. Phillips looked across the table at Mrs. Phillips, who smiled as the kids began carrying their dishes to the sink. “Leo, do you know why we agreed to be your foster parents?” she asked.

“Well, I’m guessing it wasn’t for my dishwashing skills!”

Mrs. Phillips laughed. “Not even close! We didn’t care what you looked like, sounded like, or how smart you were. We loved you even before you joined our family because God created you in His image and brought you to us.”

“Okay, but what does that have to do with me washing dishes?” Leo asked.

“Think of it this way,” said Mr. Phillips. “We become part of God’s family when we trust Jesus as our Savior. We can’t earn a place in His family, but He sent His Son to die for our sins because He loves us and wants to be our heavenly Father. When we become His children, our actions and words should show it. His love for us makes us want to serve Him and love others.”

Mrs. Phillips nodded. “You weren’t born into our family, but since you’re part of it now, I hope you’ll want to show it by helping with the dishes.”

Leo brought his dishes to the sink and turned the water on hot. As he began to scrub, he turned to Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. “So it’s okay that I’m not the smartest kid in class or the best on the basketball team? You guys love me no matter what and want me to be part of the family?”

“Absolutely,” said Mrs. Phillips. “It’s not about what you do, Leo. We aren’t going to send you away when you mess up or make a mistake. You’re part of our family now.”

Leo couldn’t hide his smile as he turned back to the sink and continued washing dishes for his family who loved him.

–Emily Saxe

How about you? What’s your family like? Maybe you’re adopted, in foster care, or you live with relatives. Whatever your situation, if you trust Jesus as your Savior, you’re in God’s family forever! He loves you and will help you love others, and He’ll never turn you away when you mess up. If you’re not part of His family, you can become one of His children today. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Be part of God’s family

Read: Luke 12:22-28

Nari sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at her math assignment.

“You’ve been looking at the same problem for ten minutes,” said Mom. “Is something the matter?”

“I’m worried about the game on Friday,” Nari replied. “What if we lose?”

Mom stopped chopping vegetables and put down her knife. “Follow me,” she said.

Mom led Nari to her bedroom and pointed to a cage on Nari’s dresser, where Mr. Whiskers, Nari’s pet hamster, was running on his little hamster wheel.

Nari arched an eyebrow at her mom. “Mr. Whiskers is supercute, but I don’t understand what he has to do with my game on Friday.”

“Mr. Whiskers runs on his wheel quite a bit, doesn’t he?” Mom said. “How much time do you think he spends running on his wheel every day?”

“He runs on it all the time,” Nari answered. “He probably spends four or five hours a day on it.”

Mom nodded. “And he uses a lot of his energy to run on the wheel too.”

“Yeah, he sure does!” Nari looked at her mom. “But I’m still confused.”

“With all the time and energy Mr. Whiskers devotes to running, how far has he run?”

Nari giggled. “Mom, that’s a silly question. He hasn’t run anywhere! He’s still right there in his cage.”

“Well, honey, it’s the same with worrying,” said Mom. “You can spend a lot of time and energy worrying about something, and you’ll still be in the same place you were when you started. That’s why the Bible tells us not to worry. Instead, we need to give our cares to Jesus.”

“How do I do that?” asked Nari.

“First, remember that He loves you so much He died to save you from sin and that He cares about every worry and problem you have. Pray about whatever it is you’re worried about and ask Him to give you peace and strength. Then trust Him do what’s best—even if it’s not what you were hoping for. Play your best at the game on Friday and leave the results to God.”

The wheel in the hamster cage grew quiet as Mr. Whiskers slowed down and then hopped off. Nari picked him up and held him in her hands. “Okay, Mom. I will.”

–Casey Comstock

How about you? Do you ever worry about things that are out of your control? It’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of worrying that doesn’t get you anywhere. That’s why Jesus wants you to give your cares to Him. Pray about your worries and look to Him to give you peace and strength. Then trust Him to do what’s best in any situation, knowing He’s in control.

Today's Key Verse: Give all your cares to the Lord and He will give you strength. Psalm 55:22 (NLV)

Today's Key Thought: Give worries to Jesus

Read: Psalm 19:7-11

THUD. “Oh no! A bird flew into the glass!” Torin turned to his dad. “I hope he’s okay!”

Dad and Torin went to the large glass window in the living room. “I don’t see him,” Dad said as they looked down at the ground. “I guess he must be okay—he probably flew away.”

“Well, I think we should put up a poster or something to warn the birds that there’s a window here,” said Torin. “They can’t see the clear glass.”

Dad smiled. “What should it say?”

“Dad! You know birds can’t read. It would just have to be something solid on the glass so they could see it was there.”

“Well, I don’t think Mom would like a sign like that on the front window,” Dad said.

Torin shrugged. “Probably not.”

“You know, Torin, we can be like that bird sometimes,” Dad said thoughtfully.

“We can?” asked Torin. “How?”

“There are dangerous things in life that we may not see either,” replied Dad. “There’s a difference though—while we’re unable to warn those birds about the window, God warns us about things that will hurt us. Do you know how He does that?”

“Well, my teacher once warned me not to run in the hallway, but I did anyway and ran into someone, and we both got hurt,” said Torin. “Is that how God warns us? Through our teachers?”

“That’s one way,” Dad replied. “He puts parents and teachers in our lives to teach us to be wise and do what’s right. But I was thinking of something bigger than running in the hallway.”

Torin thought about it. “Last week Pastor Grey talked about sin and gave a strong warning about that.”

“Right,” said Dad. “God warns us about sin in the Bible, and He puts people in our lives who help us understand those warnings. He warns us that if we don’t trust Jesus to save us from sin, we won’t have eternal life. The Bible also warns Christians about the consequences of sinful actions in our lives. He warns us because He loves us and doesn’t want us to get hurt.”

Torin nodded as a bird flew by the window. “Then we’d better pay attention!”

–Karen Locklear

How about you? Do you pay attention to God’s warnings? God warns us about the dangers of sin in the Bible, and He often uses people, such as parents, teachers, and pastors, to help us understand those warnings. Do you listen? Don’t ignore God’s warnings about sin. Trust Jesus to save you. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Then depend on Him to help you do what’s right.

Today's Key Verse: Key Verse: [God’s] teachings warn his servants, and good things come to those who obey them. Psalm 19:11 (ERV)

Today's Key Thought: Pay attention to God’s warnings

Read: Psalm 34:13-14; Hebrews 12:14-15

“I know, but that’s what Bianca said.” Kaylee switched the phone to her other ear. “She told me she was sick of hearing you whine all the time. I can’t help it if she says mean things about you.”

When the call ended, Kaylee went into the living room. “Who was that?” asked Dad. “Sounded like you were trying to stop World War III!”

Kaylee sighed. “It was Emmylou. She and Bianca are my best friends, but they hate each other! And I seem to always get caught in the middle of their arguments.”

“Why don’t they like each other?” asked Dad.

“I don’t know,” said Kaylee. “But they’re always saying mean things about each other.”

“Hmm,” said Dad. “Well, I don’t know what their problem is, but when you hear one of them say something unkind about the other, have you tried keeping it to yourself? Didn’t you just tell Emmylou that Bianca told you she was sick of her whining?”

Kaylee blushed. “Uh, yeah, I guess. But that’s what Bianca said.”

“Yes, but you’re contributing to the problem, Kaylee,” Dad told her. “Jesus tells us to be peacemakers. He brought us peace by making us right with God, and He wants us to help make peace between others. To do that, we need to act in a kind, loving way when others aren’t being kind to each other.”

“But I was just telling the truth!” said Kaylee. “Isn’t that what Jesus wants me to do?”

“While Jesus wants us to tell the truth, the way you’re doing it isn’t very kind or loving to either of your friends. When you tell one of the girls the mean things the other said about her, you’re making her feel bad about herself and angry at the other person. Instead, see if you can pick up on anything nice they say about each other and repeat those things.”

Kaylee thought it over. “I guess it’s worth a try.”

“At the very least, you can stop spreading the bad feelings around,” said Dad. “And as they see God’s love in you and your care in what you choose to tell them the other person has said—and in what you say yourself—they might start saying kind things more often!”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Do you repeat unkind things and stir up trouble? Today’s Bible reading says to seek and pursue peace. One way to do that is to keep any unkind words you hear someone say about another person to yourself. Instead, listen for kind things said about others and repeat those—and add some of your own! Let the peace and love you have in Jesus spread into your relationships through the words you choose to say.

Today's Key Verse: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Be a peacemaker

Read: Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:6-9

Zachary leaned back and sighed. He couldn’t concentrate on his homework. He’d been worrying about next week’s science test all day, and then he’d overheard someone tell a bad joke and couldn’t get it out of his head. When the worries and bad thoughts just wouldn’t stop, he finally decided to talk to Dad about it.

“I’m so sorry you’ve been going through that, buddy,” said Dad. “Sometimes bad things we see and hear or our own fears and worries can put bad thoughts in our minds that are hard to get rid of.”

Zachary sighed. “So what can I do about it?”

“Have you heard of the law of space?” asked Dad.

“Yeah,” said Zachary. “No two things can occupy the same space at the same time. We learned that in science class, but it’s also just common sense.” He pointed to a book. “Like that book. Nothing else can be in that space on the table unless the book is moved.”

“Right,” said Dad. “Well, it’s the same with your mind. When it’s filled with good things, there’s no space for heavy worries or bad thoughts.”

“But how do I fill it with good things?” Zachary asked.

“By staying focused on Jesus and remembering that His power is greater than the power of bad thoughts,” replied Dad. “As soon as you feel heavy with worry or a bad thought comes to your mind, ask Jesus to cleanse your mind and help you replace those thoughts with thoughts of things that are good and true—like how He freed you from sin and promises to take care of you in every situation. Give your thoughts over to Him.”

“Okay,” Zachary said. “But what if I still worry or can’t stop thinking about something bad?”

“Well, then it might be good to talk to me or another adult about it,” said Dad. “And you know what else can help? Looking for ways you can show God’s love to others. Focusing on others helps you think more about them and less about whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Zachary said. “I’m going to go pray and ask Jesus to help me rearrange the space in my mind.”

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Do you have trouble controlling your thoughts? Are you constantly worrying about problems or thinking about something you saw or heard that you know doesn’t please God? Give your thoughts over to Jesus. He saved you from sin and gives you the power to replace bad thoughts with good ones. When you’re struggling with your thoughts, focus your mind on Him.

Today's Key Verse: We take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (CSB)

Today's Key Thought: Focus your mind on Jesus

Read: Matthew 22:36-40; John 13:35; 14:21-24

“Bye! Have a great time! Take lots of pictures!” Everyone was waving to Leanne and Logan as they left their wedding reception to go on their honeymoon.

Charis noticed Leanne’s little sister Bryn sitting off by herself, looking unhappy. “What’s the matter?” Charis asked the little girl.

Bryn sniffed. “I don’t want Leanne to go. I’m gonna miss her.”

“But she’ll be back soon!” Charis said. “Maybe you can make a ‘Welcome Home’ poster to hang on the door of her and Logan’s new apartment before she gets back. Won’t that be fun?”

On the way home, Charis told her parents about her conversation with the little girl.

Mom smiled. “Bryn doesn’t understand that Leanne’s place is with Logan now. But imagine how hard it would have been for Leanne to convince people she loved Logan if she hadn’t wanted to go with him today.”

Charis laughed. “I guess it would have been awkward if everyone had heard Leanne say ‘I do’ to Logan during the wedding ceremony but then not want to go with him on their honeymoon. They’d think she didn’t really love him after all!”

“So we could tell that Leanne loves Logan by what she said and by what she did, couldn’t we?” Dad said as he turned onto the highway. “Speech and actions are both important in showing that we love others.”

“And also in showing that we love Jesus,” added Mom.

“Yes,” said Dad. “He loves us so much that He willingly died on the cross to save us. But do you think others will believe us when we say we love Him but don’t show it through our actions?”

“You mean if we say we love Jesus but don’t do what He says or treat people the way He wants us to? Then we’re not acting like we love Him very much?” Charis asked.

“It seems that way to me,” Dad said. “After all, real love is more than words. It’s showing your love through your actions.”

“Right,” said Mom. “And the best way to show that we truly love Jesus is to obey Him by trusting Him to help us show His love to others.”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Do your actions show that you love Jesus? Or do you just say you love Him but not do what He says? The Bible says that those who love Jesus obey Him, and His greatest commands to us are to love Him and love others. Trust Him to fill your heart with His love so you can treat others with kindness, even if other people don’t like it or make fun of you for it. Let your actions show others how much you love Jesus.

Today's Key Verse: [Jesus said,] “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Show your love for Jesus