Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids

Keys For Kids Ministries
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Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids

Keys For Kids Ministries is a children's ministry organization, offering Keys for Kids, Down Gilead Lane, and much more.

  1. 14 HR. AGO

    Christ Light

    Emily licked the icing off her fingers and carefully added another snowflake sprinkle to her Christmas cookie. Christmas parties were the best! She grinned as she looked around the table at her friends. Some of them were already devouring their cookies piled with sweet decorations. "All right, kids! While you finish decorating your cookies, I have a special story to tell you," said Emily's mom. One of the other moms started passing around oranges while Emily's mom answered a question. "No, they aren't to eat just yet. We have to do something with them first! I was looking up different Christmas traditions from other countries and found this really cool one from Germany in the 1700s." The children now each had a candle, four toothpicks, dried fruit, and a red ribbon next to their oranges. "This is what they did," Emily's mom said, holding up an orange. "The orange stands for the world. God loved our world so much that He sent His Son to save us. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price of our sins and then rose from the dead so we could have eternal life. That's what the red ribbon stands for--the blood of Jesus. Take your ribbon and glue it around your orange." "What are the toothpicks for?" Emily asked curiously. "We put the four toothpicks in our orange pointing different directions for north, south, east, and west," her mom explained. "Jesus wants us to spread the good news that He saves all over the world! The dried fruit go on the ends to remind us that when Jesus is our Savior we have the fruit of the Spirit. What are they?" Some of the kids murmured, "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." "Is the candle for 'this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine'?" Wyatt sang with his eyes sparkling. "How did you know, Wyatt? Yes, we're all going to place our candle inside the top of our orange and the grown-ups will light them. This thing you created is called a Christingle, and it's a symbol of Christ's light in us. If you know Jesus as your Savior, you are the light of the world. Kids, let your light shine for Jesus this Christmas!" –Savannah Coleman

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Rest Is Best

    Jade squeezed her new teddy bear tight as she ran to the living room. She waded through piles of wrapping paper to find the family Bible on the coffee table. "Momma," she said as she walked into the kitchen and found her mother rolling out pie dough on the counter. "We almost forgot to read the Christmas story! We always read it on Christmas after we open our presents." "I didn't forget, Jade. We just don't have time this year," Mom said. "I need to finish making the pecan pie we're taking to Grandma's and shovel the driveway so we can get the car out of the garage, and we need to leave in forty-five minutes or we'll be late." Mom punctuated her list with a sigh. "Maybe we can read it tomorrow instead." Defeated, Jade walked back to the living room. She plopped down in the crumpled wrapping paper and looked at her teddy bear. "What should I name you?" Jade asked the stuffed animal as she touched the pink bow on the bear's head. "I know," she said, "Martha!" Jade furrowed her brow. She thought about the story of Mary and Martha she learned in Sunday school and realized Martha sounded a lot like her mom. Jade returned to the kitchen. "I think you're being Martha," she timidly told her mom as she sat down at the counter. "Martha?" Mom asked. "Who is Martha?" "In the Bible, Jesus visits two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha spent so much time cleaning and cooking that she didn't get to spend any time with Jesus. But Mary decided spending time with Jesus was more important than anything else." Jade looked down at the floor. "I think you're letting Christmas be more important than spending time with Jesus." Mom's face softened. "Thank you, Jade. You're absolutely right. I got caught up in all the work that goes along with the holiday. Even good things, like making a pie for family, can be bad when they keep us from taking time to rest with Jesus so He can refresh our souls and remind us of His love." Mom put down the rolling pin and smiled at Jade. "Come on, little Mary. Let's go read the Christmas story by the tree. Grandma won't mind if we're a little late." –Nicole Kraayenbrink

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    Trouble at the Airport

    "We're finally going to Seattle!" Mom exclaimed after checking in at the airport. "Attle?" Billy said. "Who's Attle?" Susan gave him a funny look. "We're going to see Grandma." Billy tried but failed to hide his smile. "Mom just said we're going to see Attle." Susan groaned. "Seattle. The city." Billy laughed. As they waited at the security gate, Mom asked, "Billy, are all your toy cars in your backpack?" Billy placed his backpack on the conveyor belt. "Sure are!" All except the Formula One race car in his pocket--his favorite. But nobody would see it. Mom and Susan emptied their pockets into the bin and walked through the metal detector first. When Billy entered, a buzzer blared. He froze. Busted. Immediately a security guard stopped him. "Empty your pockets." Billy handed over his race car. The officer inspected the toy and made Billy walk through the metal detector again, this time with empty pockets. Once he had cleared the checkpoint, Billy walked to where Mom and Susan were waiting for him. He held up both hands. "Sorry." Mom shook her head as they started for their gate. "Billy, you thought if I didn't see the race car, the metal detector would miss it too, is that it?" He shrugged. "I guess I thought I had everyone fooled." "Well, if you're ever tempted to fool me--or anyone else--again, remember you can't hide things from God. He knows what's in our pockets--and in our hearts too." Billy thought for a second. "He even knows what I'm thinking, right?" Mom nodded. "Every thought." Susan grinned. "He even knows when you're not thinking. You really thought you could slip a race car through security?" Billy sighed. "It wasn't my finest moment, I'll admit." "The good news is that even though God knows everything about us, He still loves us and forgives us for our wrongs," said Mom. "We don't ever have to hide anything from Him because Jesus paid the price for all our sins on the cross." Billy stuffed the race car deep in his pocket. Every time he saw that car, he'd remember that he could never hide anything from God. –Matt Shoemaker

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    Candy Canes at Christmas

    "Look! I had just the right amount of string to attach the candy cane message about Jesus to each candy cane!" Loralee declared. "Great! Now we're ready to deliver them," Loralee's mother replied. That afternoon, Loralee and her mother knocked on doors in their neighborhood. As they strolled from house to house in crisp, cool weather, Loralee looked forward to talking with people about how the red-and-white-striped candy told the message of Jesus and the sacrifice He made to forgive people for their sins. Standing on a broad porch, Loralee handed a candy cane to her neighbor Miss Zelda. "I like this candy, but I'm not sure I'll read the little story about Jesus." Miss Zelda smiled and shut the door. As Loralee and her mom turned back to the sidewalk, Loralee sighed. "Mama, I don't know if this is doing any good." "What do you mean?" asked Mama. "Most of our neighbors weren't home, so we just left the candy canes hanging on their doorknobs. And the ones who were home didn't seem to care about Jesus being the real reason for Christmas." "Loralee, you want others to know about Jesus, right?" Mama asked. "Of course! I gave my life to Jesus last year and trusted Him to forgive my sins, and now I want our neighbors to trust in Him too so they can be God's children." "When you began a relationship with God as His child, do you know what He poured into your heart, Loralee?" Loralee scuffed her shoe on some fallen leaves. "I don't know." "His love! The Bible tells us He pours His love into our hearts." Loralee smiled. "If God's love is in my heart, that means I have God's love to give to others." "Exactly!" said Mama. "People may not want to talk about their beliefs or hear about Jesus, but because you have God's love in you, you have something special to share. Just keep sharing God's love with others and trust Him with the rest." Loralee started walking faster. "Let's go, Mama! We have more of God's love to give to our neighbors today!" –Allison Wilson Lee

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Creative Carolers

    Brenda put down the birthday card she'd gotten from her relatives. "Bobby, when's the last time we saw Aunt Vicky and Uncle Al?" Her brother shrugged. "It's been a long time. They're always too sick." Just then Dad walked into the kitchen, wiping his hands on a rag. "Hey, Dad," Bobby said. "Did you fix the go-cart yet?" "Still working on it. But it's getting cold outside, so I wanted to get a warmer coat." "Dad," Brenda said, "how come we never see Aunt Vicky and Uncle Al anymore?" Dad grabbed a cookie and sat down. "Aunt Vicky has developed severe allergies to many foods, so it's hard to get together for dinner. And perfumes and other odors make her break out in a rash. And her immune system is really weak, so I'm afraid one of us might pass on a virus or something." Bobby frowned. "It seems like trying to visit them is more trouble than it's worth." Brenda gave her brother a surprised look. "I mean, I want to see them and everything," Bobby said. "But it seems like anything we do will just create problems." Dad thought for a moment. "You know how I've spent most of the day working on the go-cart?" Bobby and Brenda nodded. "This job should have taken an hour at the most, but things keep going wrong," said Dad. "I'm tempted to just throw the whole thing over the back fence into the field. I tell myself, 'It's not worth it! I could be playing golf or something.' Then I remember how much fun we had riding that old go-cart, and I figure it's worth all the trouble to fix it. It's kind of like that with visiting your aunt and uncle. It's getting harder and harder, but I know a visit would really encourage them. When we put in some creative effort to show someone we care, we're showing them the same kind of love Jesus shows us." "What about going over to their house and caroling outside?" asked Brenda. "We'd keep far enough away so we wouldn't give Aunt Vicky our germs, but we'd still be able to cheer them up." Dad liked that. "That's being creative, Brenda. I think they'd appreciate that a lot. Some things are worth the extra effort." –Mike Dize

  6. 5 DAYS AGO

    Living Christmas

    "I don't know what I'm going to do, Seth," Jaden told his big brother. They were playing one of their favorite video games while waiting for Mom's homemade pizza to finish cooking. "You could start by actually playing!" Seth paused a moment, then said, "No, really, what's up?" "Well, you know Brenden, that really awkward new kid in my grade I was telling you about?" asked Jaden. "Yeah, it reminds me of how I felt when we first moved here and I was just starting middle school. That was not fun!" "I know, that's why I've been trying to help him out and sit with him at lunch, but now I almost wish I hadn't. His birthday is coming up, and his mom told him he's only allowed to invite one person over for his party to stay overnight at his house. Guess who that lucky person is?" Jaden said sarcastically. "Me!" "That's not so bad," Seth said. Jaden looked back at him with a very unconvinced frown. "It just happens to be on Friday--the Friday we have our last kid's club at church before Christmas break, the Friday when everyone gets to take a big prize home instead of just hoping they win the prize drawing! If I ride the bus home with Brenden, I'll miss kid's club! I asked him if he could come, but his mom doesn't know anything about it, so he's not allowed to. I'd have to miss it, and miss my chance to get a prize!" When Mom called the boys to dinner, she told them she had overheard them talking about Jaden's problem. "It reminded me of what we read in the Bible this morning about Jesus giving up the glory of heaven to come into this world as a baby to save us," Mom said. "Remember how we talked about looking for ways to show that same kind of love to others this Christmas?" "Yeah." Jaden sighed. "Okay, I'll tell Brenden I'm in. Maybe I can tell his mom more about kid's club and she'll let him come with me. Then neither one of us will miss out on the fun--and Brenden can learn more about Jesus!" –Alicia Albert

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    Peace and Goodwill

    When she got home from school, Sybil collapsed into a chair so forcefully it scraped across the floor. "Sybil!" said Mom. "Be careful! You're going to leave marks!" She sighed as Sybil's little sister started crying in the other room. "This house is like a war zone," she muttered. Sybil crossed her arms. "Who do you think got the part of Mary in the Christmas play?" she asked sarcastically. "Haeun, of course! She's Mary, and I'm the narrator--again!" Dad looked up. "Isn't Haeun your best friend?" he asked. Sybil made a face. "Was my best friend," she corrected. As four-year-old Emmy helped Mom decorate cookies a little later, she practiced her part for the Christmas program. "Glory to God in…in the highest, and on earth peace, good…goodwill toward men." Then she asked, "Mommy, did Mary get baby clothes for Jesus at the Goodwill store?" Mom smiled. "No, honey. They didn't have Goodwill stores then. The word goodwill in that verse is talking about the love and favor God showed us by sending Jesus to save us from sin." "Mom," said Sybil, "when are Aunt Lynn and Uncle Ben coming?" Mom frowned. "They're not," she replied shortly. "Not coming!" cried Sybil. "Why not? It won't feel like Christmas without them!" Mom didn't reply, and Sybil looked at her suspiciously. "We haven't seen them since Grandma's funeral. Are you still mad at Aunt Lynn about that picture album?" Mom wiped a fleck of frosting off her cheek and sighed. "I'd rather not discuss it." "You're mad at Aunt Lynn," said Emmy, "and Sybil's mad at Haeun. I don't know who I'm mad at." She went back to practicing her lines. "On earth peace, goodwill toward men." "On earth peace, goodwill toward men," Mom repeated softly. "Jesus came into our world so we could have His peace and love in our lives. But we haven't been doing a great job of showing that peace and love, have we?" She picked up her phone. "I'm going to call Aunt Lynn. It's not too late to invite them to come for Christmas." Sybil smiled. "Really?" "Really," said Mom. "And maybe you should do the same with Haeun." Sybil hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. Maybe she can come over and help decorate these cookies." –Barbara J. Westberg

  8. DEC 14

    Candy Cane

    "Can we have a candy cane?" asked Josh as he looked at the striped candy canes hanging on the Christmas tree. "Yeah, can we? Please?" echoed his sisters, Adriane and Nicole. "All right," Mom said. "But as you eat them, I want you to think about how they remind us of the reason we celebrate Christmas." Each of the kids quickly selected a red-and-white-striped candy cane from the tree. Nicole held her candy at arm's length and stared at it. "I don't really see what candy canes have to do with Christmas, except that it's the time of year when you always see lots of them. Or maybe it's because there's red on them--Christmas colors are red and green." "Nah. That's not a good enough reason," said Josh. He stared at his candy cane too. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Part of our Sunday school verse last week said, 'By His stripes we are healed,' so the stripes can remind us of how they whipped Jesus." "That's part of the Easter story," said Adriane. "It doesn't have anything to do with Christmas." "Oh, but it does," said Mom. "It has to do with why Jesus came to earth. He came to suffer and die and take the punishment for our sins so those who trust in Him could be saved." "So maybe the red stripe on the candy cane can stand for the blood Jesus shed for us when He died on the cross," said Nicole. "And the white can stand for having our sins washed away when we trust in Jesus," added Adriane. Josh nodded. "And look," he said, holding his candy cane upside down. "When you hold it this way, it's a J--a J for Josh." He grinned as his sisters started to protest. "Just kidding," he said. "It's a J for Jesus." "Excellent thinking," said Mom. "Those are all great ways candy canes remind us of the real reason we celebrate Christmas--Jesus being born into the world so He could die for us on the cross. I hope these candy canes will help you remember that--not only at Christmas, but all year long." –Jean A. Burns

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Keys For Kids Ministries is a children's ministry organization, offering Keys for Kids, Down Gilead Lane, and much more.

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