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

Keys for Kids Ministries
  • 4.6 (18)
  • Stories for Kids
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Keys for Kids is a daily storytelling show based on the daily Keys for Kids children's devotional. Hosted by Zach, this podcast combines Scripture readings with captivating stories that illustrate essential Biblical principles. With Zach's creative voices bringing characters to life, listeners embark on a faith-filled journey. Tune in to discover the keys to growing in faith and understanding God's love. Produced by Keys for Kids Ministries, this podcast is a treasure trove to help young hearts grow closer to God.

  1. 9 hrs ago

    Speaking Up for Alli

    Read: Romans 12:4-8 Dallon grinned when he saw the mascot of his favorite baseball team coming toward them near the stadium entrance. “Look, Alli!” he said. But Dallon’s excitement turned to anger when the mascot gave him a high five but didn’t even acknowledge Alli. “Hey,” he called after him, “you didn’t talk to my sister!” His aunt touched his arm. “Let’s go inside.” Dallon and his aunt walked toward the stadium, his mom pushing his sister’s chair in front of them. “That was so rude,” said Dallon. “Alli loves him. That’s why Mom brought us to the game today. How could he just go past her like that? It’s like he didn’t even see her.” “He doesn’t know your sister like you do,” his aunt said. “He didn’t realize she was interested in him.” “She was moving around like she does when she’s excited,” Dallon said. “If she could talk, she would have been yelling out to him.” “He didn’t know the way she was moving meant she was excited. You knew that because you know your sister; that makes you the perfect person to speak up for her.” Dallon’s mom turned toward them, holding out their tickets. “We can all use our voices to speak up for Alli and those like her,” she said. “We know things others don’t because we’ve spent a lot of time with her. God can use us to change how others see her.” “But we need to be patient,” Dallon’s aunt said. “We’ve had a lot of time to get to know Alli and all that makes her unique, but others haven’t. God has blessed us by putting her in our family, but others only spend a short amount of time with her.” They made their way into the crowded stadium. “It’s great that you’re willing to speak up for your sister.” Dallon’s aunt put an arm around his shoulders. “It shows the love you have for her, and it helps others see that God loves her too.” Dallon looked around. He didn’t see a single person in a chair like Alli’s or who seemed similar to her. He nodded slowly. In Sunday school he had learned about the unique gifts God gave to different people that reflected Jesus’s love, and maybe speaking up for his sister was part of his. –Emily Acker How about you? Has God given you a gift that allows you to look out for others in a special way? Perhaps it’s speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves, or encouraging others when they’re feeling down, or being a friend to those who need one. God gives spiritual gifts to everyone who trusts in Jesus so we can reflect His love to others in our own unique way. Trust Him to help you use your gift to show others His love. Today’s key verse: As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 (NKJV) Today’s key thought: Use your gift to help others

    5 min

  2. 1 day ago

    Wings

    Read: Isaiah 40:28-31 Liam looked out the window of his friend Michael’s house as they finished their lunch. “Look at those trees,” he said. “They’re bending over from the wind.” “So were we, a few minutes ago,” said Michael. “It’s too hard to play ball with this much wind. I’m tired. We’ll have to think of something to do inside.” Liam pulled a movie out of his backpack. Michael’s mom took their plates. “I’m sorry, Liam, but I promised your mother you’d play outside, not watch movies. I’m sure you boys can think of something to do.” “I know!” said Michael. “You brought your rollerblades, right? I have an idea.” The boys put on their skates, and Michael pulled four snow shovels from the shed and handed two to Liam. “Are you crazy?” Liam asked, giving his friend a fake punch. “It’s hot out, not snowing!” Michael smiled. “Just wait and see.” They stumped around the house to the driveway. “Hold up your shovels like this,” Michael said. He held his shovels high. A blast of wind whooshed, and Michael skimmed along the drive and onto the sidewalk. “Come on, Liam!” he shouted. Liam held his shovels up, but nothing happened. Grumbling, he bent and struggled against the wind to where Michael stood. Just as he got there, panting, another gust sent Michael soaring. He made a wide circle and swooped over to Liam. “Are there wings on your rollerblades or what?” Liam demanded. “You took off like a huge bird!” “That’s what gave me the idea! In church we talked about how even kids get tired and how God gives us wings like eagles. Wings made me think of using snow shovels to catch the wind. The trick is to hold them up in the right direction so the wind does the work.” Mom walked over carrying knee pads. “That’s what Jesus does for us,” she said. “He did all the work of saving us by dying for our sin, and He gives us strength when we grow tired. When we feel worn out from trying to do things on our own, we need to depend on Him for strength and trust Him to lead us in the right direction.” “Cool. Thanks, Mom. Let’s go!” The boys put on their knee pads and sailed off. –Robin Steinweg How about you? Do you feel tired and worn out? Are there problems in your life you’re trying to fix on your own? Life can be difficult sometimes, but remember that if you trust in Jesus, He’s always with you. He is strong enough to save you from sin, and He promises to give you strength when you face hard times. Trust Him to help you through difficulties and lead you in the right direction. Today’s key verse: Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (CSB) Today’s key thought: Jesus gives you strength

    5 min

  3. 2 days ago

    Dog Wash

    Read: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 John 1:8-9 Millee grunted as she helped her aunt lift the heavy dog into the tub. Titan was a giant, and it took both her and Aunt Jodie to pick him up. Millee turned on the handheld sprayer while her aunt mixed the soaps. Aunt Jodie was a dog groomer, and a few times a year Millee would bring her long-haired dog over to Aunt Jodie’s house for a good bath and a brush. “He’s extra gross today,” Millee warned her aunt. “He really loves rolling around in the dirt.” Her aunt smiled as she applied a generous amount of shampoo to the dog’s long coat. “I see we have a lot of mats to work out today too,” she said, running her fingers over the thick chunks of fur around Titan’s ears, neck, and belly. “We’ve got our work cut out for us today.” The two worked in silence for a while, scrubbing the dog’s fur and rinsing his thick coat. Then they wrapped him in a big towel, carried him to the grooming table, and kept working. Aunt Jodie ran the blow dryer while Millee struggled with the dog brush. By the time Aunt Jodie was finished, Titan’s fur looked extra fluffy. “I always love getting the big, hairy, matted dogs to work on,” she said. Millee looked at her in surprise. “You do? But aren’t they more work to groom?” Aunt Jodie nodded. “Oh yes, but they’re the most fun. They have the most remarkable transformations. And they’re always the ones that make me think about the Lord.” Millee’s eyebrows scrunched together. “What? How do shaggy dogs make you think about the Lord?” Aunt Jodie picked up another brush and helped Millee work out the tangles. “When I’m cleaning and grooming a particularly shaggy and dirty dog, I’m reminded of what Jesus does for me. Because He died for my sins on the cross, I’ve been made clean and declared righteous, which means I’m faultless in God’s eyes. And day by day He is also washing me, cleansing me, and transforming me more into His likeness.” Millee smiled. “And that’s an even bigger transformation than we’re giving to Titan.” Aunt Jodie nodded. “It sure is.” –Emily Tenter How about you? Have you been washed and cleansed by Jesus? If you’ve trusted Him as your Savior, He has washed your sin away and made you right with God. And day by day, as He forgives your wrongs and helps you love others and turn from sin, He is making you more like Him. It’s quite a transformation! If you haven’t yet trusted in Him, you can have a clean heart and new life today. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Today’s key verse: For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:14 (NIV) Today’s key thought: Jesus transforms us

    5 min

  4. 3 days ago

    Inspiring Others

    Read: 1 Timothy 4:8-12 Abby was happy with herself for coming up with a good morning routine. Each morning before she went down for breakfast, she picked up her Bible from her nightstand and read a bit from it, and then she prayed. It felt good to connect with God before she even talked to anyone in her family. Abby knew her aunt had been doing something like that for a long time, and she was the one who had inspired her. She felt a bit silly telling her about it, but when she saw her aunt one afternoon, she did just that. “Wow! I’m so proud of you.” Aunt Hannah hugged her. Abby blushed. “You inspired me. I know you read your Bible and talk to God every day.” Aunt Hannah’s brows lowered as she took a seat on the porch step. “Actually, I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been forgetting to do that.” Abby’s eyes widened. “Really?” Aunt Hannah nodded. “It’s too easy to become distracted by other things. But I want to get back into good habits and a good routine.” She smiled at Abby. “Thank you for telling me what you’ve been up to. Now you’ve inspired me!” “I have?” Abby hadn’t expected that. She had just wanted her aunt to know how she had encouraged her. Aunt Hannah got up and hugged her. “We all need to do that for each other sometimes. As Christians, we’re all part of God’s family, and the Holy Spirit uses the truth of God’s Word to work in our hearts and make us more like Jesus. That means we need to remind each other what Jesus did to save us and how He wants us to live. We need to encourage one another and set an example for others.” “Even a kid like me?” Abby asked. Aunt Hannah laughed. “Yes. The Bible says not to let anyone think less of you because you are young. You can do so much to inspire others, just like you did for me today.” Abby had never thought of that before. She knew she wanted to read her Bible and pray each day to grow in her relationship with Jesus, but maybe she could do more to encourage others in their relationship with Him too. –Bethany Acker How about you? Has someone inspired you to make changes in your life that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus? Maybe you’ve seen how their spiritual habits have helped them and you want to follow their example. God uses the encouragement and example of other Christians to work in our hearts, and He wants you to be an example for others, no matter how young you are. How can you encourage others in their walk with Jesus? Today’s key verse: Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV) Today’s key thought: You can inspire others

    5 min

  5. 4 days ago

    More Than Words

    Read: James 1:22-25 After a delicious lunch on Father’s Day, Ophelia joined the rest of her family to watch Dad open his presents. “Open mine first, Daddy,” Evelyn said eagerly. “I made you a picture.” “Don’t tell,” said Ophelia, but everyone laughed as Evelyn insisted on helping her father open the package containing the picture she had drawn for him. Then they watched while he opened the rest of his gifts. Every family member had bought or made something for Dad—everyone, that is, except for Ophelia. “These gifts are wonderful!” said Dad. “I can hardly wait to use them. Thank you all very much!” “You didn’t open Ophelia’s present,” Evelyn said. “Where is it, Ophelia?” Ophelia was embarrassed. Everyone was waiting to see what she had for Dad. “I—I love you, Dad, and I was going to buy or make you something, but I’ve been so busy,” she said, blushing. Dad was very gracious. “I know,” he assured her, “and I have enough presents. Come on, let’s have some of that great-looking cake!” That night Mom found Ophelia crying in her room. “I didn’t have a present for Dad,” she said, tears spilling onto her pillow. “It’s okay, Ophelia. You couldn’t help it if you didn’t have time or money to get something for Dad,” Mom told her. “I know, but…I could have taken time to make something for him,” Ophelia admitted. “You even offered to help me make him some cookies, but I just didn’t get around to it.” “It would have been nice to do something to show your love,” Mom said. “It’s so easy to say we love someone, but love is more than words. It’s action—like God showing how much He loved us by sending Jesus to save us.” Ophelia nodded. “I’m going to make tomorrow another Father’s Day for Dad!” she said. “I’ll, uh—oh, I know! I’ll show him I love him by cleaning out his car.” “I’m sure He’ll love that,” Mom said. “And let’s not forget to let our actions show our love for our heavenly Father too.” –Jan L. Hansen How about you? Do your actions show your love for your parents and others who are important to you? It’s important to tell people you love them, but those words need to be backed up with actions. God showed us His love by sending His Son, Jesus, to die to save us from sin. We can show our love for Him in return by obeying and serving Him. Today's key verse: Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT) Today's key thought: Put love into action

    5 min

  6. 5 days ago

    Training Baxter

    Read: Psalm 143:8-10; Titus 2:11-14 Austin’s black Labrador tilted his head to one side and lifted his front paw. “No, not shake! Lie down! Can’t you learn anything?” Austin sighed. “Let’s try something else. Fetch, Baxter! Fetch!” Austin hurled a ball across the yard, and Baxter raced after it. Before it dropped to the ground, Baxter leaped into the air and caught it in his mouth. “Wow! Good dog!” Austin called, clapping his hands. “Now bring it here, Baxter!” Baxter’s wagging tail stopped and pointed into the air. He perked his ears and stared at the other side of the yard. Then he dropped the ball and dashed after a squirrel. “This is hopeless,” Austin said, letting himself drop to the ground. “What’s hopeless?” asked Austin’s older sister, Makenna. She sat on the grass next to him. “I’m trying to train Baxter. I’ve been trying to teach him how to sit and shake and lie down and fetch, but I’m about ready to give up. Sometimes it seems like he’s getting the hang of it, then, out of the blue, he runs off and chases a squirrel or something.” “Baxter’s a hunting dog, so it’s in his nature to do that,” said Makenna. She glanced at her brother. “Kind of like it’s in our nature to do the wrong thing sometimes. That’s what Pastor Pham’s sermon was about, remember?” “Yeah, thanks for the reminder,” Austin said, thinking of something mean he’d said to Makenna the day before. He hoped God didn’t give up on him as easily as he gave up on Baxter. “Do you suppose God thinks we’re hopeless?” he asked. “Of course not,” said Makenna. “When we were hopelessly lost in sin, God sent Jesus to save us! He promises to train us and make us grow to be more like Jesus by helping us understand and obey what He says in the Bible. And though there will be many times when we wander away from Him and do something wrong—like Baxter going after those squirrels—He never gives up on us and will always forgive us.” Something pawed at Austin’s back. He turned to find Baxter holding the ball in his mouth. Austin smiled and patted Baxter’s head. “Want to try again?” He threw the ball, and Baxter bounced away after it. –Debra VanDyke How about you? Do you feel like a hopeless case—like you’ll never be able to stop doing things that are wrong? Struggling against sin is part of every Christian’s life, but don’t give up on yourself, because God never will! He sent Jesus to save you from sin and will always forgive you, no matter how many times you do something wrong. Trust Him to train you and make you more like Him—He is all the hope you need. Today's key verse: Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10 (CSB) Today's key thought: God trains Christians

    5 min

  7. 6 days ago

    Image

    Read: Genesis 1:26-31 Layna held her position as she landed a pirouette, the final move in the dance. She pushed her bellybutton as far back to her spine as she could, gazing at herself in the mirror. Her eyes then followed down the line of girls. She stood a head taller than any of them, and though she tried, she couldn’t get her stomach in far enough. “Nice job,” said Miss Susan, the instructor at her dance school, when class ended. Layna shook her head, disagreeing with her teacher. Miss Susan raised her eyebrows. “What’s wrong? You nailed that turn.” Layna’s eyes followed the other dancers as they filed out of the studio. She waited until the room had emptied to speak. “I’m the biggest person here, and I’m not even the oldest. I feel so weird, like everyone must be pointing at that big girl and laughing whenever I dance.” Layna studied her reflection some more. “Layna, you’re a beautiful dancer,” said Miss Susan. “Don’t let anyone speak lies and tell you any different. Besides, I wouldn’t want all my dancers to look the same.” Layna didn’t answer, but she stopped staring at herself in the mirror to look at Miss Susan. “Did you know humans are the only ones created in God’s image?” Miss Susan asked. “No animals or even the angels reflect God the way we do. And when God finished creating everything, He saw it was good. Imagine God patting Himself on the back and saying, ‘Wow, look at Layna. I did good!’” “God thought He had done good by creating me?” Layna asked. She tried to picture God forming Adam out of the dust. “When He made Adam, did He know He’d make me one day too?” Miss Susan nodded. “Yes, He did. And He loves you, Layna—so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you so you could be saved from sin. And He gave you a wonderful body that can do amazing things—like think and talk and do pirouettes!” Layna smiled as she picked up her dance bag. God created her, loved her, and sent His Son to die for her. She’d heard the words before, but she had never let them sink in until now. –Joanna Bair How about you? Do you ever find yourself staring in the mirror worrying about how you look? Remember that God made all people in His own image—including you! He made each one of us unique and loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. Instead of comparing yourself to others, remember that you’re created in God’s image and loved by Him, and that makes you truly special. Today's Key Verse: So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. Genesis 1:27 (ERV) Today's Key Thought: You are made in God’s image

    5 min

  8. 18 June

    Caden’s Gift

    Read: Acts 11:27-30 Caden tugged his mom’s sleeve in the church hallway. “I need some money for our offering.” “Okay,” Mom said, opening her purse. Caden took the money she held out and dashed off to class. “I’m guessing many of you get your offering money from your parents,” Mrs. Hallman said after the class had taken the offering. “I have a suggestion. For the next month, why don’t you only put your own money in the offering? Missionaries will be using it to set up a school. You’ll be giving your money to the Lord so those kids can hear about Jesus.” Caden didn’t like the idea of giving away his own money. “I don’t see what difference it makes whether we give the money ourselves or our parents help us,” he said on the way home from church. “The difference is you don’t get any real joy out of giving to the Lord when the gift doesn’t cost you anything,” Mom said. “Maybe not, but I don’t get much money, and I’ve got to save up for a new bike.” “God doesn’t expect us to give what we don’t have,” Mom said. “No matter how little we have to give, God can use it to bless others in big ways. But giving still requires sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His life for us, and we give to Him out of gratitude for all He’s given us. Maybe you can give some of the money you’ve already saved for a new bike—and if you want to give more, you could find ways to earn extra money. Pray about it and ask God what you should do.” Caden prayed about it and decided to give a portion of his bike money to the missionaries. Then, over the next few weeks, he was surprised at how many extra jobs he was able to pick up. He mowed lawns for neighbors and cleaned his grandma’s basement. He actually enjoyed earning money for the missionary offering. “When I’m working for extra money, I pretend I’m a missionary and that I’m doing the work so people can hear about Jesus,” Caden told his mom one day. “Pretend?” Mom smiled. “It isn’t pretend, Caden. Even though you’re not in a far-off place, God is using the work you’re doing to help more people come to Jesus!” –Bernard Palmer How about you? Do you truly give to God, or do you just pass along someone else’s gifts? Remember that giving always costs something. When God gave us His Son, it cost Jesus His life. Ask God to show you how you can give to Him. Maybe it’s by giving your own money or by donating your things or time to show others His love. Whatever it is, give out of gratitude for all He’s done for you. Today's Key Verse: I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. 2 Samuel 24:24 (NIV) Today's Key Thought: Give to God

    5 min
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About

Keys for Kids is a daily storytelling show based on the daily Keys for Kids children's devotional. Hosted by Zach, this podcast combines Scripture readings with captivating stories that illustrate essential Biblical principles. With Zach's creative voices bringing characters to life, listeners embark on a faith-filled journey. Tune in to discover the keys to growing in faith and understanding God's love. Produced by Keys for Kids Ministries, this podcast is a treasure trove to help young hearts grow closer to God.

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