By Keys For Kids Ministries
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Bible Reading: John 1:9-13; Acts 2:36-39; Romans 10:13
Damon leaned back in his chair and started whistling.
"Done with your math already?" Mom asked.
"Yep. I'm the fastest fourth grader in this school!"
Mom laughed. "You're the only fourth grader. I know it's time for your break, but could you play with Letty for a little bit while I make lunch?"
Damon nodded and sat down on the living room floor. Letty set her coloring book aside and sat down next to him. Damon took some fence from Letty's toy barn and made a fenced area. He had already built some block houses while playing with Letty that morning. He found a farmer and construction worker and put them inside the town's walls.
Damon took the construction worker and said in a deep voice, "This is the best town I've ever made. We need more people for my town."
Letty picked up the farmer and pushed the construction worker aside. "It's not your town. It's mine. And there's not enough room for you here."
Damon jumped his construction worker up on a wall. "What? I put the walls up and made the houses and I even put you here, Miss Farmer. What do you mean?"
Letty turned the farmer's back to Damon's construction worker and said, "I'm sorry, but you have to leave."
Mom stood in the doorway and said, "This reminds me of what we read in the Bible this morning."
Damon got up from the floor. "You mean the part about Jesus coming to His own people and they wouldn't receive Him, even though He made them and the whole world?"
"Yes," Mom answered. "They didn't believe Jesus was who He said He was. But after Jesus died on the cross and rose again, His disciples convinced them that Jesus was both Lord over everything and the one sent to save them. When they realized they'd rejected the Son of God, some of them asked for forgiveness and trusted Jesus to save them."
Letty's little farmer drove her tractor through a fence. "Can you help me, Damon?" she pleaded. "It's broken!"
As Damon put the fence back up, Mom said, "At least she knows who to call for help."
–Laura Roesler
How About You?Bible Reading: Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 4:20–5:2
"Isaac, I need you to go to Aunt Jane's house and give her this book. She needs it for her class tonight."
Isaac groaned. He used to like walking to Aunt Jane's house. But now mean Mr. Tindall spent a lot of time in his yard, and he always scowled at Isaac. And recently a new family moved into the neighborhood, and they had a gigantic, growly dog. Isaac usually liked dogs--but not this one.
Mom seemed to sense Isaac's thoughts and looked out the window. "No dogs in sight, Isaac. And give Mr. Tindall a chance."
Isaac took the book and started up the sidewalk, but sure enough, the growly dog bounded down the driveway. Isaac took off as quickly as he could.
"What's wrong, Isaac?" Aunt Jane asked when he shot through the door.
"That--that--dog!" Isaac could hardly breathe. "He's mean!"
"That's Riley," said Aunt Jane. "He just looks mean. Wait! I have an idea." She went to the kitchen and came back with a handful of dog biscuits. "Here, take some dog biscuits, and when Riley runs out, throw them to him!"
Isaac took the biscuits and headed home. Sure enough, the growly dog came running down the driveway. "Here, Riley," Isaac called and tossed him the biscuits. Riley happily chomped away and Isaac hurried the rest of the way home, not even noticing Mr. Tindall's scowl as he walked by.
"Everything go okay?" Mom asked Isaac when he got home.
"I guess," said Isaac. "I gave Riley some dog biscuits, so he wasn't growly."
"Hmm," said Mom. "Maybe you should try that with Mr. Tindall."
"Throw Mr. Tindall dog biscuits?" Isaac asked. "Oh, wait--you mean that maybe if I did something nice for Mr. Tindall, he wouldn't scowl at me anymore."
"Exactly," said Mom. "But even if it didn't stop him from scowling, you'd be showing him the love of Jesus. He tells us to be kind to others even when they're not kind to us because He showed us that kind of love by dying for our sins when we were His enemies."
The next day, Isaac went back to Aunt Jane's to get the book. But before he went, he grabbed another handful of dog biscuits--and in the other hand he carefully carried a plate of cookies for Mr. Tindall.
–Linda Weddle
How About You?Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-3
"What do you think, Lyle? Do you want to go shopping for a new shell? Looks like you're about to grow out of the one you're in," Bryce said to his hermit crab.
"Bryce, are you ready?" Mom called.
"Coming," Bryce answered as he grabbed his hermit crab cage. "Let's go, Lyle!"
In the car, Bryce said, "It sure is interesting how hermit crabs move out of their old shell into a new one as they grow. It's kind of like moving into a new house."
"I guess it is," said Mom.
When they got to the pet store, the owner greeted them. "What can I help you with today?" he asked.
Bryce placed the cage on the counter. "Lyle needs a bigger shell."
"Well, I think I can help you with that. Bring Lyle over here and let's see what size shell he needs."
There were lots of shells to choose from, and Bryce looked them over carefully. "I think Lyle would like this one," he said as he handed the owner a pretty gray and white one.
Once they were back in the car, Bryce put the new shell in Lyle's cage. "How long do you think it will take him to find his new shell and move in?"
"I bet he'll be moved in by the end of the day," Mom said.
Mom was right. It wasn't long before Lyle had moved into his new shell, and Bryce eagerly showed his dad that evening.
"Hermit crabs are cool that way, aren't they?" Dad said as he admired Lyle's new shell. "As they grow, they move from one shell to another. That reminds me of our Christian walk. We don't just grow physically--once we become Christians, we grow spiritually too. The Lord doesn't want us to stay like little babies. He wants us to grow and mature in our spiritual walk with Him."
Dad took a Bible and opened it to 1 Peter 2:2. "Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation," he read.
"What is pure spiritual milk?" asked Bryce.
"The truth and promises of God," Dad replied. "As we get to know Jesus better, we learn to trust Him more and more, and He will help us grow in our relationship with Him."
–Lisa Fuller
How About You?Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 6:9-12; 2 Timothy 2:22
Mason got off the bus and started walking home. He was joined by Zachary and Gavin, two high school students who lived on farms adjoining his. "Hey, Gavin," said Zachary as they walked along a field of watermelons, "let's get a couple of those."
"I don't know," Gavin said. "Last time we took one, Mr. Sloan caught us and said he'd report us if we did it again."
"Yeah, but these are those little ones they call personal melons," said Zachary. "They're small enough to hide in our backpacks." He grinned. "Mason can be our watchdog. How about it, Mason?"
Mason hesitated. "I--I can't do that. I'd be as guilty as you."
"Nah. We'll be the ones getting the melons," said Zachary. "We'll get you one too. I'll even put it in your backpack. You won't have to touch it--until you eat it, that is!"
Those watermelons sure look good, thought Mason. But he knew it would be wrong--it would be stealing--and suddenly he made up his mind. "No," he said, then he turned and ran.
Mason hadn't gone far down the road when a car stopped next to him. It was Dad! He quickly jumped into the car.
"You seem to be in a rush to get home," said Dad.
"No, not really," replied Mason. "I was just running from a watermelon."
"Interesting," said Dad. "I've never seen a watermelon chase anybody."
Mason told him the whole story. "For a few minutes, I was really tempted. But I knew it would be wrong, so I ran."
"Good for you!" said Dad. "If you hang around temptation, you just might give in to it. It's best to run. And you're in good company too. The apostle Paul told Timothy to run from something--twice! In one instance, he warned against the love of money. Another time he told Timothy to 'flee from youthful passions,' or wrong desires, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace--good desires that the Holy Spirit gives us. Because He lives in those who trust in Jesus, we can always resist temptation and choose what's good instead. So you did exactly the right thing." Dad motioned toward the back seat. "Now take a look at what I just picked up at the store."
Mason turned. "A watermelon!" he shouted with glee.
–Vera M. Hutchcroft
How About You?Bible Reading: Romans 14:1-13, 19-23
The sound of the lawn mower next door cut through the quiet of a lazy Sunday afternoon as Daphne and her mother worked on a fresh flower arrangement. "I'm glad the Bakers moved in next door," said Mom. "It's nice having Christian neighbors, isn't it?"
Daphne handed Mom two red roses, being careful not to prick herself on the thorns. "Yeah, but--" She hesitated. "I know they go to church, but they mow the lawn almost every Sunday. Dad always says we have to get it done on Saturday so we don't have to work on Sunday. He says we should keep the Lord's Day holy." She frowned. "Maybe the Bakers aren't really Christians at all."
Mom added the roses to the bouquet. "Let's think about that. What makes someone a Christian?"
"Trusting Jesus as their Savior," said Daphne. "But--" She paused.
"When the Bakers came to church with us, they told us the story of how they each came to know Jesus as their Savior, remember?" said Mom.
Daphne trimmed the stem of another flower. "Well, yeah…"
"Dad and I believe that the things we do on Sunday are what's right for our family, and there may be other things that we do but the Bakers wouldn't." Mom held up the bouquet. "Each flower is different. This yellow one is such a pretty color. This pink one next to it isn't quite as bright, but it makes the whole bouquet smell good." Mom took out a rose. "Then there's the rose. It has thorns, but that doesn't mean we throw it out. It's actually my favorite--it's so beautiful and fragrant!" She replaced the rose. "These flowers each bring something unique to the bouquet, and the same goes for believers who belong to Jesus. We may not agree on everything, but we still recognize that anyone who loves Jesus and trusts in Him is a Christian."
Daphne nodded slowly. "I guess the Bible doesn't say exactly what we should or shouldn't do on Sunday, does it?"
"No," said Mom. "When it comes to topics that the Bible is unclear about, we need to trust that the Holy Spirit is working uniquely in everybody. But one thing the Bible is very clear about is not judging Christians who do things differently than we do. We need to love them and let God be the judge."
–A.J. Schut
How About You?Bible Reading: Psalm 119:9-16
Four-year-old Lilia held her mom's hand as she walked home from school. "Look at all the squirrels!" she squealed.
"They're gathering food for winter," her brother Casen informed her. "We learned all about it in school today."
"Gathering food for winter?" Lilia repeated. "Why do they need to do that?"
"Because when winter comes, there's a lot of snow. You like to make snowmen with it, remember? It's hard for the squirrels to find food when the ground is covered with snow, so right now they're gathering lots of nuts and hiding them in certain spots." Casen shrugged. "Then hopefully they remember where the food is when they need it."
"That's cool," Lilia replied. "I like the black squirrels best."
"Casen, did you memorize your verse for church club tonight?" Mom asked.
Casen frowned and kicked a rock on the sidewalk. "Verses are hard to memorize. I don't see why I have to memorize them if they're in my Bible anyway."
Mom watched as Lilia cooed at a squirrel. "Casen, this reminds me of what you learned in school today."
"About squirrels?" Casen asked.
"Yes, about squirrels." Mom smiled. "The squirrels take the time to gather their food and hide it away for when they need it. There's a verse in the Bible that tells us to hide God's Word in our hearts."
"So we have verses when we need them?" Casen asked.
"Exactly," Mom replied. "You don't always have your Bible, and being able to remember verses is helpful--like how I remembered Psalm 119:11 just now. That one goes, 'Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.' God's Word is powerful because it tells us the truth of who God is and what Jesus did for us on the cross, and it guides us in living as God's children and showing others His love. When we memorize verses, we're storing God's Word in our hearts so it's there to remind us of His truth and love and give us encouragement whenever we need it."
Casen was quiet for a moment as he watched a squirrel dash across the neighbor's yard. "I'll work on my memory verse when we get home," he said. "I'll hide verses in my heart just like the squirrels are hiding their food."
–Kimberly Brokish
How About You?Bible Reading: Psalm 102:25-28; Revelation 1:8
Holden climbed into the back seat of the car, eager to talk about what he'd learned in math class that day. "Mom, did you know that a number line doesn't have a beginning or an end? It's a line with every number on it, both positive and negative. Mr. Starke told us that number lines go on forever and ever in both directions, but that's kind of hard for me to understand."
"One, two, three," Millie counted out.
Holden giggled. "That's right, Millie, good counting. But when you get as big as me, you'll learn about negative numbers too."
"Are you understanding negative numbers?" Mom asked.
"Well, it's kind of confusing, but Mr. Starke said that by the end of this chapter we'll all have a better understanding of them. He sent home a practice worksheet."
"After dinner I'll look over it with you," Mom said. Holden's little sister continued to count for the rest of the ride home.
After dinner, Dad helped Mom clean up the kitchen while Holden took Millie to her room to play. Then Dad took Millie to the living room so Mom could help Holden with his math.
"Did you finish?" Dad asked when Holden and Mom came in a little later.
Holden nodded. "All done, and I think I understand my math a little better now. Number lines don't have a beginning or end because you can always count higher in either direction from zero, with positive numbers going forward and negative numbers going back."
Dad nodded. "Did you know that God doesn't have a beginning or an end? Your number line made me think about that this evening." Dad took out his phone and looked up a verse. "In Revelation 1:8 God says, 'I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One.'"
"I think I get it," said Holden. "Since we were created by God, we have a beginning, but God doesn't have a starting point because He always existed."
"That's right," said Mom. "And the story doesn't stop there. God promises us eternal life if we accept His free gift of salvation, which means we will live forever with Him."
"That's so cool!" Holden exclaimed.
"One, two, three!" Millie shouted out.
"Good counting, Millie," Holden said, and everyone laughed.
–Lisa Fuller
How About You?Bible Reading: Luke 2:41-52
Josiah looked at the craft he'd made in Sunday school. It was a box covered in construction paper that said "Jesus loves you, and He'll always take care of you" on the top. Josiah sighed. Those words didn't make him feel especially happy. I already have too many people taking care of me, he thought. Between his parents and his two older sisters, it seemed like someone was always concerned about him or telling him what to do. And now Jesus was watching over him too.
"Hi, Josiah," his sister Miriam said when he came out of his class. "Abigail and I will walk you to the car." After Josiah put on his coat, Miriam made sure it was zipped all the way to his chin. "It's cold outside, and we don't want you getting sick!" she said.
"You'd better wear your gloves too," said Abigail. "Here, I'll help you."
She took one of Josiah's gloves and was about to put it on his hand when he grabbed it from her. "I got it," he said, hoping no one from his class was watching.
When they reached the car, Abigail opened the door so Josiah could climb into the back seat.
"All set?" asked Dad as he started the car. "Did you all enjoy Sunday school and youth group?"
"Yeah," said Josiah. "I made this." He handed the box to his mother.
"Jesus loves you, and He'll always take care of you," Mom read. "That's something I need to remember."
"Jesus is taking care of you too?" asked Josiah in surprise.
Mom nodded. "Jesus promises to take care of all those who trust in Him, no matter how old we are."
"Oh. Well, I have too many people taking care of me!" Josiah replied with a frown.
Dad smiled. "It must seem like a lot of people are always telling you what to do, but we all do that because we love you. One way Jesus takes care of us is by giving us a family so we can care for one another."
Josiah turned the idea over in his mind. So Jesus uses Mom and Dad and my sisters to take care of me, he thought. I guess having so many people watching out for me is a good thing after all!
–Agnes Kempton
How About You?Bible Reading: Matthew 14:22-25
"I'm done." Mom wiped her eyes and pushed back from the table. "I need a break."
Reagan didn't remember the last time she had seen her mom cry, and this time it was over a sewing machine? She looked at the fabric that was supposed to become a costume for her school play. "You're not going to finish that?"
"Not right now." Mom went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. "I'm going outside."
Reagan watched as her mom went out onto the deck. She stood at the railing, sipping her water and staring at their yard.
Reagan stepped over to the door. After a few moments, Mom set her water on the patio table and stretched her arms. Her lips were moving, as if she might be talking to herself.
Mom caught her gaze, and Reagan stepped back. She hadn't meant for her mom to know that she was watching her. Mom motioned for her to come outside.
"It's a beautiful day," she said as Reagan came out onto the deck. Her face looked much different than it had when she was at the sewing machine. She almost looked happy.
Reagan walked over to the porch rail. "Are you going to finish my costume?"
Mom smiled. "Yes. I just needed a break." She reached over and put a hand on Reagan's head. "The machine wasn't working right, and it was frustrating me. Remember how frustrated you got the other night when you couldn't solve your math problem?"
Reagan nodded, her face feeling suddenly warm. "I dumped my whole pencil case all over the floor."
"What could you have done instead?" Mom asked.
"Taken a break?" Reagan guessed.
"Right." Mom messed up Reagan's hair. "Even Jesus did that. There were times when He felt the need to get away. He took breaks to pray, and I think He would want us to take breaks to cool down rather than have us blow up."
"It does feel nice to be outside," said Reagan.
"Outside. In your room alone. Exercising somewhere." Mom nodded. "When we're frustrated, just taking a breather--and maybe saying a little prayer to God too--can help us feel better."
–Emily Acker
How About You?Bible Reading: Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
"We made cinnamon biscuits for tomorrow's bake sale at school today," announced Lexi, bounding up the steps and into the house. "Miss Summers took us to the kitchen and helped us. They were gooey and deeeelicious! We were each allowed to have one after all the other ones had been packaged."
"They sound great!" said Mom. "I'll have to buy some tomorrow. Maybe we can even make them at home sometime."
"Yeah!" said Lexi. "It would be even more fun making them here. At school we each only put in a couple of the ingredients. I got stuck with measuring the dry stuff--the flour and salt and baking powder. It was okay, but I would have liked to mix the gooey part."
"Well, you did have an important job," said Mom. "And it sounds like the biscuits turned out well--light and fluffy, right?"
"Oh, yes!" Lexi sighed as she thought about them. "They were light and fluffy and so yummy!"
"Without the baking powder, they would have been flat and hard," said Mom. "It was your baking powder that made the biscuits light and fluffy."
"Really?" Lexi looked surprised. "Well, then maybe I had the most important job of all, even if it wasn't as much fun to do as the gooey part."
"Not necessarily. All the ingredients were important, not just the baking powder," said Mom. "Every team member had an important job to do." She looked at Lexi. "We're something like recipe ingredients too."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Lexi, perplexed.
Mom laughed. "I mean that God has given unique gifts and abilities to each of us--all different, but all needed. As Christians work together and use our different gifts, we show the world God's love and point people to Jesus. It's easy to make judgments about how big or small someone's skills might be, including our own, but each gift is equally important. All of our abilities were given to us by God, and He wants us to use them to serve Him and show His love to other people."
"I think I get it," said Lexi. She grinned. "Okay. I'll be the very best ingredient I can be--even if I'm not the gooey part!"
–Della R. Oberholtzer
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