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. 23H AGO

    No Fooling

    Ava yawned as she came into the kitchen. Her brother Jayden glanced at her mischievously, then looked out the window. "Hey, Ava, how'd your bike end up on the roof of the garage?" he asked. "What?" Ava ran to the window to see for herself. "Where?" "April fool!" Jayden laughed in delight. "Gotcha!" Ava grinned and gave her brother a soft punch on the arm as they sat down to eat. At dinner, Ava and Jayden told their dad about the April Fools' jokes kids played on each other at school. "It's fun to have a day where everyone plays jokes like that," said Jayden. "As long as no one takes the jokes too far," Dad said. "Nobody did," Ava assured him, "and everyone was expecting it since it was April Fools' Day." She paused to take a bite of broccoli. "But then there's Louise. Today she was all smiles and sweetness to Mrs. Potter during math class but then said mean things about her at recess. Sometimes I don't know what to make of her. She says she's a Christian, but there are times when she doesn't act like one. Like she's just fooling people." Dad frowned. "I can think of three people right here who don't always act like Christians. Let's keep that in mind. It's possible for any one of us to fool others." "But I've seen Louise do that stuff too," said Jayden. "She acts one way around the teachers and another when they're not looking. It's hard to trust her." Ava nodded. "It seems like there's another side to her that only some of us see." "Well, if what you say is true, that doesn't mean she's not a Christian," said Dad. "We all struggle to do what's right in some areas of our lives. But if any one of us is trying to fool people into thinking we're Christians when we're not, there's someone who can never be fooled. God knows exactly what's in our hearts. We can't hide anything from Him, and we don't have to, because Jesus died for us so all our wrongs could be forgiven. Now, let's pray for Louise and think of ways we can show her love and support instead of talking about her." –Hazel W. Marett

  2. 1D AGO

    God Made Them All

    "Rose, look what I found in the woods!" Levi approached his sister carrying a cage. Something was moving inside. Rose shrieked. "Get that out of here!" Levi laughed. "It's only a garden snake," he said. "It can't hurt you." "Daddy!" Rose dashed behind her father, her eyes filled with fear. "Kill it, Daddy!" "Don't be afraid." Dad put an arm around Rose. "What Levi says is true; garden snakes aren't poisonous. We don't kill something for no good reason." "Why do people hate snakes?" asked Levi. "I guess because they can look scary, or they remind us of bad things," replied Dad. "It started long ago when Satan, in the form of a snake, tempted Eve in the garden of Eden and got her and Adam to sin. These days we sometimes hear about snakes killing other animals, like chickens. And some snakes are poisonous. Their bites can cause illness or even death." "If they'd quit biting people, maybe we'd like them better," said Rose. "God gives most animals a built-in mechanism for protection from enemies," Dad explained. "Porcupines have quills, skunks spray, and snakes have venom." "But most snakes aren't poisonous, are they?" asked Levi. "No," Dad said. "Actually, they can be very helpful to people. Snakes eat mice and rats that carry germs. Hundreds of years ago, the Bubonic Plague--caused by infected fleas that lived on rats--killed a fourth of Europe's population. If there had been more snakes, the epidemic might not have been nearly as bad. And today, scientists are learning how to use snake venom to make medicine!" "See, Rose," said Levi, "there are lots of good things about snakes." Dad nodded. "God created everything--even snakes--to be good. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world, it messed everything up, but God promises to make it right again one day. When Jesus returns and makes everything new, there will be no more pain, sickness, or death, and we'll never be afraid of any creature ever again." Levi and his sister studied their slithering captive in the cage. "Why don't we measure it," said Levi. Rose hesitated. "Okay," she finally said. "I'll get a tape measure. But I won't hold its tail!" –Janet E. Rhine

  3. 2D AGO

    Like an Oak Tree

    "This giant oak tree is what gave Oak Park its name," the tour guide told the kids on their field trip. Elijah listened attentively. He loved history and learning things like this. Back home later that day, Elijah told his mom about the tour. "That big oak tree survived the Civil War, a flood, and six fires," he said. "Wow!" said Mom. "That's amazing." "It kept on growing," said Elijah, "even though the odds were a hundred to one against it. The oak is one of the slowest-growing trees in the world, but it's also one of the strongest. It survives things that cause other trees to die." "Hmm," said Mom. "You know, Elijah, you're something like that tree." Elijah was surprised. "Me? I didn't survive a war or a flood or even one fire--let alone six!" Mom laughed. "No, but I still think you're like that tree." "How?" asked Elijah. "Well," said Mom, "for one thing, the oak grows slowly, and you--" Elijah interrupted her. "You always say I'm growing up too fast!" Mom smiled. "That's true--physically. But I was thinking of the way most of us grow spiritually. As Christians, it's often easy to wonder if we're making any progress in becoming more like Jesus." Elijah nodded as he recalled some trouble he'd gotten into recently. "You may grow slowly in Christ," said Mom, "but like that oak, you do grow steadily. And you survive worse things than war or floods. You survive attacks from Satan and struggles with temptation." "But I still do wrong things," Elijah pointed out. Mom nodded. "I know--I do too. All Christians give in to temptation and sin sometimes. But the fact that you feel bad when you sin--and that you don't want to do it again--shows that you're continuing to grow." "Really?" Elijah smiled. "That's pretty cool." "Have faith that God is working to make you grow to be more like Jesus," Mom told him. "Keep working with Him by admitting when you sin and trusting Him to help you change your habits--even when the growing gets tough!" –Nathan Runyon

  4. 3D AGO

    Martha, Martha

    Jude was doing his schoolwork at the kitchen table when Dad got home. They talked for a little while, and then Dad had a question for Mom. "Are you getting as much as I am out of that devotional we both decided to use?" he asked her. "Today's Bible reading helped me make a decision about a problem I had at work." "That's great!" said Mom. "What was today's reading about? I'm afraid I haven't gotten around to reading it the last couple of days," she admitted. "I've been so busy lately! The hours fly by so fast, and I never get everything done." "Oh, Martha, Martha," Dad said lovingly. "Um, Dad? Mom's name is Jennifer, not Martha," Jude reminded his father. Mom and Dad both laughed. "Martha is the name we use when one of us gets too busy and starts acting like Martha in the Bible," Dad explained. "Remember that story? Martha was so busy preparing and serving food when Jesus and His disciples came over that she didn't have time to sit and learn at Jesus's feet." "I have to admit, that's what's been happening to me lately," said Mom. "I've allowed things to keep me from what's really important--spending time with Jesus and letting Him remind me of the peace, hope, and joy I have in Him." She pointed to the floor. "I could have let this floor stay dirty a little longer instead of mopping it this morning, and I suppose it wouldn't have been the end of the world if I had bought cookies to bring to small group tonight instead of making them." Dad smiled. "Well, the day isn't over yet. Why don't I cook dinner so you can do your Bible reading?" Mom gave Dad a kiss. "That would be wonderful. I'll just go into the other room and sit at Jesus's feet for a few minutes." Just then Kylie came bursting into the kitchen. "Where's my Bible?" she demanded. "I'm in charge of devotions tonight at youth group and I haven't had a minute to prepare all week!" "Oh, Martha, Martha," said Mom. Jude and Dad laughed. "You explain," Mom told them as she left the kitchen. –Lyndel F. Walker

  5. 4D AGO

    Perfect Balance

    "That was a great circus show, wasn't it, Dad?" Brandon's eyes were wide with excitement as he and his father made their way to the car. "Especially the high-wire act! I really liked that." Dad grinned. "That was pretty exciting, but it was kinda scary when that one man was riding on the other's shoulders." "Yeah!" said Brandon. "I was surprised they didn't both get hurt when the one guy carrying the other lost his balance and they both fell. Good thing there was a net there to catch them!" "Yes," said Dad, starting the car. "Without the net, that could have been a real tragedy." Brandon nodded. "Those guys sure do have a lot of nerve. I wouldn't want to ride on anybody's shoulders way up high off the ground! In fact, I don't think I'd want to be up on a high wire at all." Dad laughed. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. But you know what? That high wire act is a little bit like life in general." "It is?" asked Brandon. "What do you mean?" "Well, the man on the other person's shoulders was putting all his trust in his partner's ability to safely walk the rope, right?" Brandon nodded. "Yeah, but that guy couldn't do it. If the net hadn't caught them, they might have been killed!" "Well, we're all something like the man who trusted his partner," said Dad. "We all put our trust in someone or something. Some people put their trust in money or in their jobs. Some put their trust in other people to help them through tough times. But when those things fail…well, tragedy often follows." "That's kinda like what my Sunday school teacher told us in church last week," Brandon said. "She said we should always trust Jesus to take care of us because He never fails." "Right," said Dad. "Everyone faces difficulties and even tragedies in life, but only Jesus can save us from sin and give us eternal life. That's why we can trust Him to carry us through life's troubles. When we place our hope and trust in the things of this world or even other people, they will let us down. But Jesus will never fail us." –Richard S. Maffeo

  6. 5D AGO

    Hungry Hearts

    "Why does Pastor Evans have to preach such long sermons?" grumbled Jasper on the way home from church. "It's always so boring!" "I actually wished Pastor Evans hadn't quit so soon," said Dad. "He helped me understand some verses that had been hard for me to grasp before." "Well, my Sunday school class is always really boring too," added Jasper. "My class isn't boring," said his sister Karis. "Today we talked about the Israelites in the wilderness and learned a new song. What was your class about?" Jasper shrugged. "I don't know--I wasn't really paying attention." After lunch, Jasper put some scraps in the cat's food dish. "Come here, Mac! Look what I've got for you." The cat walked to the dish, sniffed the food, and walked away with his tail held high. Jasper shook his head. "That cat has no idea what's good," he muttered. Karis was standing at the window, looking out. "Come see the baby birds in their nest! The mother bird brought food for them, and they all have their mouths wide open!" Jasper went to look. "Well, they're way smarter than Mac. He wouldn't even taste the food I offered him." "I guess he's not hungry," said Karis. "Grandma always says he's just finicky--choosy about his food. I'm sure he'd like what I gave him if he'd try it, but he won't." Mom walked up behind them. "That's probably why you were bored at church today while the rest of us got a lot out of it." "I was bored because Mac won't eat?" asked Jasper. "What do you mean?" "What I mean is that, like the baby birds, we were hungry--we had hungry hearts. They were open and eager to hear from Jesus as we listened to see what spiritual food He was offering through our pastor and Sunday school teachers. But like Mac, you wouldn't even try it. You expected to be bored, so you didn't even bother listening and thinking about what was being said." Mom placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder. "Next time, how about really listening? Think about the lessons and how they apply to your life. Ask God to give you a hungry heart with an appetite for spiritual food." –Mary Rose Pearson

  7. 6D AGO

    Sharing Grief

    *Editor's note: This story may not be suitable for young children. Madelyn buried her face in her hands. "I wish I'd been nicer to him." Callie's face was red from crying. "I'm mad that he died so young. It's not fair." Mrs. Nelson sat down at the empty desk beside them. She wiped her eyes with a crumpled tissue. "Jason's car accident was a terrible tragedy. He will be missed." Tommy plunked down in the seat next to Callie. "I wish everyone would stop crying already. Jason was a Christian, so he's in heaven now. Can we not talk about it anymore?" "Tommy, it's okay for us to be sad right now," Mrs. Nelson said softly. "It's okay to be upset about losing a classmate." "But there's nothing we can do about it. He's gone. Can't we just cheer up?" "We could," said Mrs. Nelson. "But we should grieve with those whose hearts are hurting." "Well, I don't want to." Tommy grabbed his book and walked to the reading corner. Mrs. Nelson followed and sat in the bean bag chair next to Tommy. "Are you cold, Tommy?" she asked, pointing to the blanket draped over his legs. "A little, I guess." He tucked the fleece blanket under his knees. "How would you feel if I took the blanket away?" asked Mrs. Nelson. Tommy glanced up sharply. "Why would you do that?" "I wouldn't, Tommy. That would be mean. That blanket is giving you warmth and comfort, right?" Tommy shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." "Well, right now, we're all sad about Jason passing away. In Proverbs it says that trying to cheer up a sad person is like taking a blanket away from someone who's cold." "I wouldn't do that to anyone," said Tommy. "I know you wouldn't. But right now your classmates are hurting, and they need a blanket of comfort. That's one of the ways we show others the love of Jesus--by comforting and supporting them when they're sad and sharing their grief, even when we know the person they're grieving is in heaven." Tommy thought for a moment, then loosened the blanket and laid it over Mrs. Nelson's knees. "I'm sorry you're sad right now." Mrs. Nelson smiled. "Thanks, Tommy." –Tannis Oliveri

  8. MAR 25

    Time with a Friend

    "It seems like so many of the guys just want to play basketball all the time," complained Mason one afternoon. "Clayton and I always did stuff together, but now he spends more time with other kids than with me!" As Mom started to speak, Mason reached into his backpack and changed the subject. "I got an A on my math test!" he announced with a grin. "Since I did so well, can I have an extra half-hour of TV tonight? There's a quiz show that's fun to watch." "All right," said Mom. "But first do your homework--and your Bible reading too. We all agreed to read and think about a few verses each day, remember?" "Okay, Mom," said Mason as he hurried off. Soon Mason returned to the family room and turned on the TV. "Is all your work done already?" asked Mom. "Bible reading too?" Mason frowned. "Well, um…I'll read it later," he said. Mom turned the TV off. "That wasn't the agreement." "But, Mom, reading the Bible is…" Mason hesitated. "It's kinda boring." Mom sat on the couch beside Mason. "Are you happy when Clayton goes off to play with other guys instead of spending time with you?" she asked. "No," said Mason. "Of course not." "Friends want to spend time together, doing things or just talking. We call that having fellowship with one another," Mom explained. "We should also have fellowship with Jesus. We should spend time with Him--talking with Him and listening to what He says to us." "I guess so," Mason replied. "But won't Jesus know I'm sort of bored?" Mom smiled. "If Jesus were standing here and wanted to tell you something, would you want to hear it?" Mason nodded. "Well, He has something to say to you, and He speaks through His Word," said Mom. "The Bible is His story, and reading it is one of the best ways to spend time with Jesus and learn more about Him. Try reading it with that in mind. You might discover it's not so boring after all." She glanced at the clock. "Let's look at our Bible verses together. Then I'll fix some popcorn for us to munch on while we watch the quiz show." –Jennifer Dorsey

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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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