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

Read: Romans 12:4-8; 1 Timothy 4:12

“Tobias, Gramps just called. He needs you to help him on his computer this afternoon,” Mom called from the kitchen.

Tobias giggled. “Always glad to help Gramps.”

After school Tobias walked to his grandpa’s house. “Thanks for coming over,” Gramps said. “I just get so confused when I’m trying to order anything online, and you always seem to know exactly what you’re doing.” Gramps sighed. “All this computer stuff is just too hard for an old guy like me to learn.”

“No, it’s not, Gramps. I’ll help you!”

Tobias showed Gramps how to order the item he needed. “Thanks for your help,” Gramps said as he clicked the order button. “Are you still free to go fishing this weekend?”

Tobias nodded eagerly. “I can’t wait!”

On Saturday morning, Tobias climbed into the johnboat with Gramps. “I’m going to show you how to use the trolling motor today,” Gramps told him.

“I don’t know, Gramps. Do you think I can do it?”

“Sure you can!” Gramps carefully explained how to start and maneuver the trolling motor, then turned it over to Tobias.

At first Tobias had a little trouble getting the motor started. Then it took a little time to get used to steering it. But by the end of the day, he could steer the boat with no trouble.

“Thanks for sticking it out with me today until I got the hang of it. It was a lot of fun!”

“Next time you can be the captain,” Gramps said as he grabbed the cooler out of the boat. “Now, let’s get these fish cleaned.”

As they cleaned the fish, Gramps said, “You know, you and I helped each other learn something new this week. It reminds me of how Christians are supposed to help each other.”

Tobias looked confused. “How?”

“Everyone who trusts in Jesus is part of His church, which the Bible calls the body of Christ. We’re all different—some people are old like me, some are young like you, but we can all learn from each other and encourage one another in our faith.” Gramps smiled at Tobias. “You’re never too young to help others know more about Jesus.”

Tobias smiled back. “Or too old to learn something new about Him!”

–Lisa Fuller

How about you? Do you ever think you’re too young to help someone older than you? You’re not. We all learn and experience different things in life, which means any of us can use what we’ve learned to help someone else, no matter how old we are. That’s especially true in the body of Christ. Never be afraid to share what you’ve learned in your walk with Jesus. Your words might be just the encouragement someone needs to hear!

Today’s key verse: In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Help others learn about Jesus

Read: Matthew 23:25-28

Thomas walked into the bathroom and was surprised to see his dad’s legs sticking out from under the sink. “Dad? Why are you hanging out in the cupboard?”

“Well, I saw a water stain on the ceiling downstairs,” his dad’s voice echoed from inside the cabinet. “Water can really damage the inside of a house, so I did a little detective work. Found out this sink is leaking water all the way downstairs.”

“But Dad, it’s Saturday. Don’t you just want to relax? You could just paint over the stain.”

Through the sink drain, Thomas heard a laugh. “Some people do. But that would just cover up the damage. The sink would keep leaking, and our house would rot from the inside out. I’d have to spend a lot more than a Saturday—and a lot more than a few bucks on new fittings—if I ignored this leak.” His head emerged from the cabinet. “You know, I had a situation like this with our pastor this week.”

Thomas’s eyebrows went up. “Pastor John has a leak?”

Now they both laughed. “No, I think he’s fine,” Dad said. “But at church this week, I wanted to look like a good guy. When I was talking to Pastor John, I wanted to tell him about the work we’ve been doing with refugees—not to honor Jesus, but to honor myself. Then I realized I was focusing on outward appearances, just like someone who paints over a water stain. I was more concerned about how others saw me than what Jesus was doing through me.”

“Isn’t that like those guys in the Bible?” asked Thomas. “The…pair-of-fleas, or something like that?”

Dad was tucked in the cabinet again, and his belly quivered with laughter. “You crack me up! Yep, like the Pharisees. Jesus said they were like a nice tombstone—painted on the outside, but inside, full of rotting bones.”

Thomas wrinkled his nose. “Gross!”

“Exactly. If we do things to make ourselves look good but they don’t come from our hearts, God can see the rottenness inside. That’s why we need Jesus to fix our hearts. When we admit our pride and selfishness to Him, He removes the rottenness of our sin so we can show His goodness and love to others from the inside out.”

–Janel Breitenstein

How about you? Is there a leak in your heart that needs to be fixed? Are you trying to cover the stain by looking good on the outside? Even if you can make yourself look good to other people, God sees what’s inside. Don’t try to cover up sin in your heart—you need Jesus to fix it. Confess your sin to Him, and He will remove it and help you be kind and loving inside and out.

Today’s key verse: God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 (ERV)

Today’s key thought: Do good from the inside out

Read: Psalms 27:1-6; 34:4; Isaiah 21:4; John 14:27

Madison giggled. She couldn’t help it. Her cousins Benjamin and Alex were visiting, and she was too excited to sleep.

“Shhh,” Benjamin whispered from his pallet of blankets on the living room floor.

Madison’s brother Andrew came bounding into the room wearing a blanket around his shoulders like a superhero cape. “What have I missed?” he asked loudly.

“Shhhhhhh!” said all the cousins.

Holding a flashlight up to his face, Benjamin began. “In a dark, dark galaxy, there was a dark, dark world. In the dark, dark world was a dark, dark mountain. On this dark, dark mountain was a dark, dark house. In this dark, dark house was a dark, dark closet. And in the dark, dark closet”—he paused dramatically—“was a pink jellybean!”

The cousins burst out laughing.

“See? That wasn’t scary,” Benjamin said as he turned off the flashlight.

Andrew lay down and stared at the ceiling. “I wonder if I wouldn’t have been so scared if I knew the ending was good.”

“Yeah,” said Madison. “I was fine once we got to the pink jellybean, but the not-knowing was a little freaky.”

Alex grinned. “Kind of like a Bible verse I read once that said something like, ‘My mind reels and horror overwhelms me.’”

Benjamin playfully punched Alex’s arm. “That is not a comforting thought.”

Madison sat up. “I’ll be right back.” She ran to the kitchen and returned with a magnet. “Look!”

“What does it say?” asked Andrew. “Shine your flashlight on it, Benjamin.”

Alex read, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

“Mom says she looks at it whenever she feels afraid of the unknown,” Madison told her cousins. “She says it reminds her that she has everything she needs because Jesus died to take the punishment for her sin. He saved her and is always with her, so why should she be scared?”

Andrew yawned. “I like that Bible verse much better than ‘My mind reels and horror overwhelms me’!”

“Me too,” said Benjamin, turning off the flashlight. “’Night, everyone.”

The cousins were almost asleep. Then, from across the room, Alex called out, “Is anybody else hungry for pink jellybeans?”

–Kelly Hope

How about you? Is there something you’re afraid of? Jesus promises that He will always be with those who trust in Him, so we don’t have to be afraid. Memorize Psalm 27:1. The next time you start to feel scared, say that Bible verse out loud. Remember that you don’t have to be afraid because Jesus saved you and will always help you.

Today’s key verse: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Don’t be afraid

Read: Matthew 16:24-27; Ephesians 2:8-10

“Look, Dad! Miss Eva gave me some money for helping with her trash and recycling bins this week!” Danner exclaimed, showing his father several crisp green bills as he walked through the back door.

“That’s great. I know you helped without expecting anything in return, but it’s kind of her to reward you,” Dad answered. “Why don’t you put these dishes away, and then you can join me at the grocery store. Our home group from church is coming over, and we need to buy some salad ingredients for dinner.”

“Okay. Maybe I can buy something with this money at the store.”

Danner placed the clean dishes in kitchen cabinets and then shouted, “Meet you in the car, Dad!” He considered buying his favorite candy bar with the cash from Miss Eva. He might have enough money for two.

Later, Danner and his dad waited in line to purchase their food. Danner had helped select carrots and cucumbers for that night’s salad. Then he found the chocolate candy he wanted.

But as they stood in line, Danner shifted from foot to foot. Did he really want to spend his money on the candy bar? He had enough for just one. And once he spent the money, he knew it would be gone.

Danner quickly returned the candy to its shelf as the cashier greeted them.

“Did you change your mind?” Dad asked as they loaded grocery bags into the van.

“I’m not sure I want to spend my money on candy, Dad,” Danner replied.

Dad nodded. “I understand. That money’s kind of like life.”

“How?” Danner asked.

“When we put our faith in Jesus and trust Him to forgive our sins, we start a new life as God’s children. Since God is our Father, we want to live those new lives for Him, making the most of every day we have,” Dad explained. “Instead of focusing on ourselves and the things in this world that won’t last, God helps us love others and point them to Jesus.”

“And we get just one life, right, Dad?” Danner patted his pocket where he’d stuffed the dollar bills from Miss Eva. “I’m going to make my life count for Jesus. And I’m going to think about how to make these dollars count too.”

–Allison Wilson Lee

How about you? Have you ever received money and wondered how to spend it? Having a limited amount of something important means we want to use it wisely and not waste it. God wants the same thing for our lives. To live wisely, we need to live for Jesus instead of ourselves. As we grow in our relationship with Him, He helps us make wise choices and share His love with others.

Today’s key verse: For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. Matthew 16:25 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Live your one life for Jesus

Read: Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:31-32

Kevin leaned against the garage doorframe and watched his dad tip the lawn mower onto its side. “What are you doing?” he asked.

Dad knelt beside the mower. “I need to sharpen the blade. But first, I’ve got to get it off.” He glanced up and noticed the frown on Kevin’s face. “What’s wrong? I thought you were playing at the neighbor’s house.”

Kevin kicked at the concrete. “Steven cheated at dodgeball. So, I left.”

Dad grabbed a screwdriver from his toolbox and scraped grass off the mower. “You know, getting along with people is a bit like using tools.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow. “How’s that?”

Dad rummaged through his toolbox and pulled out a utility knife. “Well, sometimes people’s words are sharp, like this knife.” He placed it back down and grabbed a file. “Other times, their actions rub us the wrong way.” He tapped the hammer. “And sometimes they pound away at our feelings.”

Kevin crossed his arms. “Tools can do a lot of damage.”

“They can,” Dad said, holding up a piece of sandpaper. “But they can also repair things—if we use the right ones. Take this sandpaper. It might seem rough, but it can smooth out a lot of rough edges. Same with forgiveness.” Dad glanced at the wrenches on top of his workbench. “Can you grab the 5/8 for me?”

Kevin walked over and handed him the wrench. Dad jiggled it onto the mower bolt, then gave it a hard twist. With a squeak, the bolt loosened, and the blade came off.

“See? The right tool makes all the difference.” Dad stood up and placed the mower blade on his workbench. “Fixing relationships is no different. There’s a verse in Proverbs that says a soft answer turns away wrath. If you talk to Steven about what he did and respond to him with kindness instead of holding a grudge, you might be able to smooth things over. Remember that Jesus always forgives us for the wrong things we do because He died for our sins so we could have a relationship with Him. And He gives us the tools we need to be kind and forgiving to others.”

Kevin thought for a moment, then turned to go.

“Hey, where are you going?” Dad asked.

Kevin gave a little shrug, then smiled. “I guess it’s time to put God’s tools to work.”

–Mark Wainwright

How about you? Have you ever tried to fix something without the right tool? It’s tough, isn’t it? The same goes for friendships. When someone hurts you, holding a grudge doesn’t help. Instead, trust God to help you forgive and show kindness. It’s not easy, but He’ll give you the tools you need to respond in a loving way and make your friendship strong again.

Today’s key verse: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Fix friendships with forgiveness