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

• Flying High

  Read: Romans 8:1-9 Jonah sifted through the model airplane parts covering his desk until he found the one he wanted. Almost done! I just have to get this propeller on. His fingers clutched the plane as he tried to attach the propeller. Then he heard a crunch. He had held the plane so tightly that it had cracked above one of the wings. Filled with anger, Jonah cursed and flung the plane against the wall. Then, feeling hot tears of shame fill his eyes, he laid his head on his arms and cried. That evening, Jonah showed the plane to his dad. “I totally ruined it,” he said sadly. “Why do I get so mad about things? Will I ever get over that?” Dad turned the mangled plane in his hands. “Are you familiar with the law of gravity?” Jonah nodded. “Then you know gravity holds everything—including airplanes—to the ground. So how can an airplane ever get up in the air?” “We talked about that in science,” said Jonah. “A greater law called aerodynamics overcomes the law of gravity.” “Right.” Dad moved the plane along the tabletop. “As the plane moves forward, air pressure under the wing pushes upward, creating lift. The faster the plane moves, the greater the lift. When the lift becomes greater than the force of gravity, you have…” “Takeoff,” said Jonah. “But what’s that got to do with me getting mad about stuff?” “Jonah, when you give in to your temper, you’re like an airplane stuck on the ground. The law of gravity can be compared to what the Bible calls the law of sin and death. When you’re controlled by the law of sin, you can’t gain victory over that temper of yours.” “So how can I stop being controlled by sin?” asked Jonah. “You need the power of a higher law—a force greater than the law of sin that pins you down. And because you trust in Jesus, that greater force is available to you! You have the Holy Spirit, who helps you live the new life Jesus gave you. When you feel your temper rising, remember that He gives you the power to fly above your anger and deal with it in a good way. You don’t have to give in to it and sin.” –Christi B. Kehn How about you? Do you have trouble controlling your temper—and hurt yourself and others in the process? Or maybe there’s another sin you often struggle with. Whatever it is, Jesus gives you the power through the Holy Spirit to overcome that sin. He freed you from the law of sin so you could have a new life with Him. Whenever you’re tempted to sin, depend on Him for the power to fly above it and not give in. Today's Key Verse: He [Jesus] who is in you is greater than he [Satan] who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NKJV) Today's Key Thought: You can overcome sin through Jesus

  --------  

  4:31

  --------

  4:31
• The Skit That Failed

  Read: John 1:14-18; 8:4-11 Tessie sighed. Time for performing the skit that she and her friends had prepared was running out. Still Candace did not show up. “Where is she?” Tessie whispered to Gus, another student in the group hoping to perform at the homeschool talent show that evening. Gus shrugged. “We worked on this for so long—I don’t think she would miss it without telling us. Something must be wrong.” The next morning, the homeschool group gathered to watch a play performance. Candace waved when she saw Gus and Tessie waiting in the lobby. “So exciting!” Candace cried. “We get to see real actors!” “Candace, we were supposed to be real actors last night. What happened? We couldn’t do the skit because you didn’t show up,” Gus replied. “Oh, I know. I thought about going but then decided I just didn’t want to do it. I told Mom I wasn’t part of the skit anymore.” Candace shrugged. “I’m always responsible. I just needed a chance to be irresponsible this one time.” Gus and Tessie shook their heads in disbelief. Later, the two friends joined Tessie’s mom during lunch. They described what happened with Candace’s decision to abandon them at the talent show. “Well, you could kick Candace out of your group of friends and never create another skit with her. Or act as if it’s no big deal and pretend nothing happened,” Tessie’s mom offered. Gus and Tessie frowned. “I don’t like either of those ideas, Mom,” Tessie said. “There’s another way which I hope you choose. I know you both have trusted Jesus to rescue you from your sins, so I know you also want to follow His ways. Here’s what Jesus did. He came with both grace and truth. That means He showed people love and mercy but still called out their sin.” “So, Jesus wants us to still love Candace but also be honest about how she disappointed us?” Gus asked. Mom nodded. “When friends tell us the truth in a loving way, it gives us a chance to look to Jesus to help us change.” “Let’s go talk to Candace, Tessie,” Gus said. “If Jesus shows us grace and truth, we can try to do the same with Candace.” –Allison Wilson Lee How about you? Have you ever been let down by a friend or loved one and wondered how to handle it? In His life on earth, Jesus showed us how to be honest when another person hurts us while still showing that person love. As we grow in knowing and following Jesus, we can learn to offer others grace and truth too. Trust Him to help you tell the truth in love. Today's Key Verse: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 (NIV) Today's Key Thought: Jesus gives grace and truth

  --------  

  4:31

  --------

  4:31
• Three Dimes and a Nickel

  Read: Luke 21:1-4; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “What’s wrong?” Dad asked Sylvie after junior youth group. “Did something happen at your meeting?” Sylvie sat down at the table where Dad was cutting vegetables. “It’s Melissa again.” The two girls had known each other for years, but they were not friends. “I got there five minutes late,” Sylvie said. “The only empty chair was in the front row by Melissa. It was fine until the youth leader handed me the red bucket.” “What’s the red bucket for?” Dad asked, rolling his wheelchair to the refrigerator. “That’s how we take the offering. We start a red bucket in the front row and pass it around. Our class also committed to giving extra this fall so that at Christmas we could buy gifts for needy families in the area.” “So what happened with the red bucket?” Dad asked. “Well, when I checked my pocket, all I had was thirty-five cents, so I popped it in the empty bucket and passed it on to Melissa. She saw my few coins and burst out laughing. Then she threw in five dollars and said loudly, ‘We should put Sylvie’s family on the needy list.’” Dad cringed. “Honey, I’m sorry I didn’t have cash to give you your allowance this morning.” “This isn’t your fault, Dad. I know things have been tight since your accident. I’ll give more when I can.” Dad smiled. “That sounds like a story from the Bible. Can you guess which one?” Sylvie shook her head. “It’s the story of the widow’s offering. The widow quietly gave all she had. It was only a few cents, but she gave it gladly. The wealthy Pharisees boasted loudly about their big offerings, though they could’ve given much more. The thing is, God cares about the heart of the giver, not the gift.” “So it’s okay that I only put a little in the offering?” asked Sylvie. Dad nodded. “When Jesus saw the widow give the little she had out of love for God, He said she gave more than anyone else. I’m sorry Melissa embarrassed you, but it’s your heart that matters to God, not how much you give. He loves us so much that He gave us His Son, Jesus, and He wants us to give to Him out of love too.” –Teresa Ambord How about you? Have you ever felt embarrassed because your offering seemed small compared to what others gave? It’s not the amount you give that God is concerned about—it’s your heart. When you give to God out of gratitude for the love He has shown you, you are giving the same way the widow did. So don’t give to impress others; give because God gave His Son out of the love He has for you. Today's Key Verse: Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) Today's Key Thought: God loves givers more than gifts

  --------  

  4:31

  --------

  4:31
• Just Ask

  Read: Matthew 7:7-11 “Hey, wait up!” Jordyn grabbed her foot and looked at the bottom of her shoe. “Look—the sole of my shoe almost ripped right off!” She glanced around with a red face. “How embarrassing. Right in the middle of the store!” “Let me look at it,” Mom said. “How did that even happen?” “Well, I knew they were starting to fall apart, but I didn’t know it was this bad.” Mom smiled. “You could have asked me for new shoes, you know. You didn’t have to wait until they split right open!” “I know,” Jordyn said. “But I didn’t want to bother you with it.” Mom put a hand on Jordyn’s shoulder. “You know it wouldn’t bother me. I’m your parent—it’s my job to provide for you! Next time just ask, okay?” “Okay, Mom. Well, at least we were in a store when my shoe fell apart!” Mom laughed. “Let’s head over to the shoe section right now.” As Jordyn sat down to try on a new pair of shoes, Mom asked, “How’s Emily?” Emily was Jordyn’s best friend from school. “I don’t know—she’s mad at me right now, and I don’t know how to fix it. She doesn’t even want to talk to me.” Jordyn’s shoulders slumped. “I just don’t know what to do.” “Well,” Mom said, “I think it’s a lot like your shoes.” Jordyn looked up, confused. “What is?” “The Bible says that if you need wisdom, you just have to ask God. You don’t need to worry about bothering Him, and He’s not going to get mad at you for asking. He’s your heavenly Father, and He loves you—just like I love you and want to provide for you.” “Really? That’s great!” said Jordyn. “I’m going to ask God for wisdom about how to fix things with Emily.” “Good,” said Mom. “Though keep in mind that God often provides wisdom through the people He’s put in your life. So after you pray, maybe you should tell me more about what happened with Emily and I’ll see if I can help.” “Okay.” Jordyn stuck out her feet. “What do you think of these shoes?” “Perfect,” said Mom. “Let’s go buy them so we can finish our shopping.” –Lucy Alessio How about you? Is there a situation in your life you don’t know what to do about? Are you unsure how you should deal with it? God wants to guide you through every difficulty you face. He is our loving heavenly Father who provided us with His Son, Jesus, when we needed to be saved, and He provides for our daily needs too. Pray and ask Him about anything, and He will gladly give you the wisdom you need. Today's Key Verse: Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. James 1:5 (ERV) Today's Key Thought: Ask God for wisdom

  --------  

  4:31

  --------

  4:31
• Blatt, Blatt, Blatt

  Read: Romans 12:4-8 BLATT! BLATT! BLATT! Brayden was sitting in front of the music stand with his trombone, moving the slide, when Dad walked in holding a baseball and glove. “Hey, Brayden,” Dad said. “How about taking a break to play catch?” In the backyard Dad threw easy tosses to Brayden, who then threw them back. “How’s the trombone going?” Dad asked. Brayden shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” “What does your teacher ‘guess’?” Dad asked as he threw a little to Brayden’s left, making him reach for it. “She guesses I’m not practicing. But I am practicing! It just doesn’t seem to help at all.” “Mom told me that when the furnace man was here yesterday, he thought one of the smoke detectors was malfunctioning.” Dad chuckled, then quickly stifled it and threw the ball way to Brayden’s left. Brayden sprinted and caught the ball in the webbing of his glove. “You’re not going to say I should give up, are you?” “Great catch!” Dad exclaimed. “I never give up! Never!” Brayden threw the ball back. “You taught me that.” “I taught you that so you wouldn’t be a quitter. Every skill takes time to develop, and you need patience to get through the difficult parts of learning. I know you’re not a quitter, Brayden, but that doesn’t mean you should keep doing something just because you don’t want people to think you’re giving up—that can actually be a form of pride.” “So you’re saying I shouldn’t play the trombone?” asked Brayden. “No, I’m not saying that,” said Dad. “I’m saying that God has gifted each of us in unique ways, and sometimes He’ll direct us away from one thing and toward another. We need to be open to His leading and trust Him to help us develop the gifts He wants us to use to help others and point them to Jesus. If we try something and sense Him leading us in a different direction, it’s okay to move on and try other things.” “So if the trombone isn’t one of my gifts, what should I work on instead?” Dad smiled and looked down at the baseball in his hand. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.” He threw the ball high above Brayden’s head, and Brayden jumped up and caught it. –William Grimm How about you? Have you been struggling to get better at something and it just doesn’t seem to be working? It’s important to give yourself time to develop your skills whenever you try something new, but you also need to be willing to move on if God leads you in a different direction. Trust Him to help you develop the gifts He’s given you and use them the way He wants you to. On that, never give up! Today's Key Verse: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. Romans 12:6 (NKJV) Today's Key Thought: Develop the gifts God’s given you

  --------  

  4:31

  --------

  4:31

Mais podcasts de Crianças e família

Podcasts em tendência em Crianças e família

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

Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids and families: Podcast do grupo