Keys for Kids

Read: Galatians 4:4-7 Morgan never got tired of hearing what happened when her parents took her home from the adoption agency. “You were only six weeks old,” her dad told her one evening when she begged to hear the story again. “I’ll never forget when the agency called to say they had a baby for us. I was at work, and I was so excited I forgot to ask if it was a boy or a girl.” Everyone laughed as they recalled the happy event. Mom continued the story. “The ride home was a long one, and they sent a bottle along with us so we could feed you on the way home. But you kept falling asleep when you were supposed to be drinking your bottle.” Morgan giggled. “So Dad kept blowing the horn to try to keep me awake, right?” “Yes, I did,” Dad said with a grin. “I guess that was kind of silly.” “And so you adopted me,” said Morgan. “What does the word adopt mean again?” “It means to take something as one’s own,” said Mom. “In the case of parents and children, it means to voluntarily take a child of other parents as one’s own child.” Mom gave Morgan a hug. “We gladly took you as our own. We’re so thankful the Lord brought us together.” “I am too,” said Morgan. “You know, Morgan,” Dad said, “the Bible talks about adoption. God wants to adopt us into His family. The Bible says that when we trust in God’s Son, Jesus, God accepts us as His own children.” “That’s right, and being adopted into God’s family is even more wonderful than being adopted into our family,” said Mom. “We become God’s children and heirs—we inherit the gift of eternal life that Jesus earned for us by dying for our sins.” “Then I’ve been adopted twice,” Morgan said. “I was adopted into your family when I was a baby, and I was adopted into God’s family when I trusted in Jesus. Now I belong to you, and I belong to God.” She grinned. “I love being adopted!” –Charles VanderMeer How about you? Have you been adopted into God’s family? Even if you have a wonderful family here on earth, God wants you to become part of His family too. You can only become a child and heir of God by trusting Jesus as your Savior. What could be more wonderful than that? Become God’s child today! (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Today’s key verse: To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 (NLT) Today’s key thought: God wants to adopt you

Read: Psalm 46:1-7 “I miss our old house,” said Tomás. He sighed as he thought about why they had moved into a trailer on Grandpa’s farm. First his little brother, Felix, was seriously injured in a car accident. Then the company Dad worked for went bankrupt, and it had taken him quite a while to find a new job. Tomás knew living in the trailer on the farm saved a lot of money. “But it’s kinda nice to be living near Grandpa,” he said. “I like that too,” replied Mom. “It’s one of the blessings that has come along with our troubles.” She glanced out the window. “It’s terribly windy today, and I think we’re in for quite a storm. Let’s get over to Grandpa’s house. We’ll be safer there.” Mom picked up Felix and they hurried over to the farmhouse. “I think we’d better get downstairs,” Grandpa said soon after they got there. “I don’t like this wind.” So they went down and huddled together in the basement. Even there, they could hear the storm raging outside. “Let’s pray,” Grandpa said. He prayed out loud, thanking God for the rain. I can’t believe Grandpa didn’t even ask God to stop the storm! Tomás thought. When the storm finally did stop, they hurried out to look things over. “It’s still raining a little,” said Mom, “but look at the beautiful rainbow the storm brought us!” “Grandpa, when you prayed, why didn’t you ask God to stop the storm?” Tomás asked. “Well, the storm was really a blessing. It brought the rain we needed so badly.” Grandpa smiled at Tomás. “You know, sometimes it takes storms in our lives to bring special blessings too. When everything goes the way we’d like, we often forget how much we need Jesus. But when we go through difficult times, we learn how much He loves us as He takes care of us and walks with us through our struggles.” Mom nodded. “I’ve learned that when God allows storms to come into my life, He can use them to help me know Him more deeply and trust Him to see me through them.” “Right!” said Grandpa. “Having faith in Jesus and trusting Him to give us strength will help us brave any storm that comes our way.” –Barbara J. Westberg How about you? Are there storms in your life right now? Is someone you love sick? Are you having trouble with friends or siblings? Is money tight at your house? You may never know the reason for the storms in your life, but you can trust Jesus to be with you and help you through them. Remember how much He loves you and be thankful for the blessings He brings through the storms. Today’s key verse: Count it all joy…knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3 (NKJV) Today’s key thought: Trust Jesus in life’s storms

Read: Job 12:7-10; Psalm 96:11-13; 2 Peter 1:16-21 “Why are we lying on the trampoline?” Penny asked her dad as she looked up at the sky. “All I see is a couple clouds. And it’s so creepy and quiet.” “There are clouds, you’ve got that part right. But I don’t think the silence is creepy. Let’s listen for a few moments and see what specific sounds you can hear.” Dad shifted on the trampoline as he spoke. Penny sighed, but did what her dad said. She watched as one of the clouds floated across the sky. She heard the soft tweeting of birds from somewhere in the yard and noticed the rustling sound the leaves made when the wind hit them. “I hear wind and birds,” she told her dad. “Great! I hear the little tip-tapping of a woodpecker on a tree, and the swish of the grass moving. Who gave us all those sounds?” Penny sat up, frowning. “Gave us sounds? I don’t know.” “God did,” Dad explained. “I know that life has been moving really fast and is probably pretty scary for you with your mom and me getting divorced. A lot is happening, and a lot is changing.” Dad looked around the yard. “Sometimes we just need to stop and listen for a little bit. God is right here with us. You can hear the wind He made in the trees. You can hear the birds He created singing to Him.” Penny frowned. “But mom’s apartment doesn’t have an outside. There’s no trampoline to listen on.” Dad smiled. “You don’t have to be in a certain place—you don’t even have to be outside. God is everywhere—there’s nowhere you can go where you won’t hear Him. Even when everything is crazy and confusing, God is always there. You can open a window and hear nature singing His praises.” Penny clapped her hands together. “And I can open my Bible too! That’s another way to hear God.” “That’s right!” said Dad. “The sounds of nature point us to God, but He speaks directly to us in His Word. The Bible tells us about the hope and promises we have in Jesus and reminds us that He is always with those who trust in Him.” Penny smiled. “I’m glad He’s always with me and I won’t ever be alone.” –Kimberly Brokish How about you? Do you ever feel like life is moving really fast? Sometimes we forget to take a break and listen to God. We can hear Him everywhere, like out in nature, where all of creation sings His praises. Most importantly, we can hear Him speak to us in the Bible, where He promises to always be with us and invites us to come to Him anytime. Where can you go to take a break and listen to God? Today’s key verse: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Today’s key thought: You can hear God everywhere

Read: Ephesians 5:1-2, 21-33 Hailey knew she should ask for help before trying out her new manicure set, but she couldn’t wait. She needed something to take her mind off the bad day she’d had. She spilled the glittery nails onto her desk, and without bothering to read the directions, she grabbed the glue and unscrewed it. “What’s wrong with this glue?” she muttered as the watery liquid squirted out of the tiny spout. She shook it, wondering why it wasn’t thick like school glue. Shrugging, she held it against her fingernail and squeezed out a generous amount. She pressed one of the nails onto the glue, which seeped out the edges and down her finger. Moments later, Mom walked in. “Oh! You’re already trying those out? Be careful with that glue!” Hailey smiled, then frowned as she tried to pull her hand away from the table. “Help! My hand is stuck!” Mom groaned and rushed over to inspect. “I wished you’d asked me for help! This glue sticks really tight.” Hailey gulped back a sob. “It does? I think I used a lot!” Soon Hailey’s hand was free, but some of her fingers had lost patches of skin. She held up her bandaged fingers. “Mom, you know what this reminds me of?” “What’s that?” Mom asked. “The bad news I heard from Megan today,” Hailey said sadly. “Her parents are getting a divorce, and that’s a lot like getting my fingers unstuck from that table, only worse. Ungluing hurts!” “I’m sorry to hear about Megan’s parents,” Mom said as she sat down. “You’re right, divorce hurts much worse than trying to get that strong glue off your fingers. God created marriage as a picture of Christ and His church—the unity and love between a husband and wife is meant to show how much Jesus loves us. But divorce is a result of living in a world full of sin and broken relationships, and it hurts.” Hailey nodded. “Megan’s really upset, and both her parents are too.” “Maybe you can help Megan by reminding her how much Jesus loves her,” Mom said. “When broken relationships hurt us, He promises to comfort us and never leave us. Show her what that looks like by sticking by her as a friend.” Hailey looked at her bandaged fingers and nodded. –Rebekah Love Dorris How about you? Do you know someone who’s gone through the pain of a divorce? Maybe you’ve experienced divorce in your own family. Divorce hurts because it’s not God’s plan for marriage. If you’re experiencing the pain of divorce, remember that Jesus loves you and promises to never leave you. If a friend is dealing with divorce, point them to the love and comfort they can find in Jesus as you walk by their side. Today's Key Verse: Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. Ephesians 5:2 (NIV) Today's Key Thought: Divorce hurts

Read: Luke 11:37-39 “Sean, the family shelter downtown needs donations. I’ve collected some items. How about donating some of your toys?” Sean knelt in front of his toy box. “I don’t have any toys I want to give away, Mom.” “What about this car?” Mom asked. “I haven’t seen you playing with it in a while, and I’m sure any little boy would love to have it.” Sean looked at the remote control race car his mom was holding. “It doesn’t work anymore.” “Let’s have dad take a look at it. Maybe he can get it running again. Then would you like to donate it?” “I guess. I do have a lot of toys.” After supper Sean handed his father the race car. “Can you fix this, Dad? It doesn’t work anymore. I’d like to give it to a kid at the shelter.” “Let’s take a look at it.” Dad examined the body of the race car. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t be working. This car looks as good as new.” Sean followed his dad to the garage. After taking the screw out of the lid holding the batteries, Dad held the car out for Sean to see. “I think we’ve found the problem.” “Eww!” Sean said. “What is that?” “It’s corrosion, and the build-up has caused the electrical connection to be broken.” “Can you fix it?” Sean asked. “I think so. But first we’ll need to clean the inside of the battery pack.” Sean’s dad handed him a cloth and a little brush and showed him how to clean the inside. “This is like the story Pastor Tim told on Sunday, isn’t it, Sean? About how Jesus told people they were making the outside of themselves clean but ignoring the nasty stuff on the inside. Do you remember?” Sean nodded. “He said it doesn’t matter how good you look to others. If your heart is dirty, you’re broken and disconnected from God.” “Right. That’s why we need Jesus.” Dad replaced the old batteries with new ones and reattached the lid. “When we trust in Him, He cleans our hearts and makes us run as good as new—just like this car.” “Wow,” Sean said, watching the car zoom across the floor. “It is as good as new!” –Sharon Mowery How about you? Do you try hard to make your life look clean when you’re really broken and dirty on the inside? No matter what good things you do, you can’t be clean until Jesus removes the sin from your heart. He makes you clean and new so your heart can work the way it’s supposed to. Trust Him to give you a clean heart today. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Today’s key verse: He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:14 (NLT) Today’s key thought: Jesus cleans our hearts

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 A delicious aroma drifted through the door as Audrey walked into the house. She inhaled deeply, wondering for a minute what it was. I know—apple pie! Maybe Mom will let me have a piece before supper. Her stomach growled as she went into the kitchen. No Mom. No apple pies either. Audrey found her mother in the living room. “I was just reading an email from your teacher,” Mom said, grinning. “I think you’ll be pleased to hear what she has to say.” Mom turned to her computer and read the email out loud. “It’s such a delight to have Audrey as one of my students. She often gives up her free time to help her classmates and has befriended the new girl from Indonesia. She is like a breath of fresh air in our class. By the way, she invited me to visit your church sometime, and I’d like to do that.” The email was from Mrs. Hollis, Audrey’s teacher at school. Mom beamed and gave Audrey a big hug. “I’m so proud of you, honey!” Audrey looked pleased. “Hey, where’s the apple pie?” she asked. “I know you made one—I can smell it. Can I have a piece?” Mom furrowed her brows. “Apple pie? I didn’t make any…oh, it’s the candle.” She pointed to the candle burning on the mantle. “It’s an apple pie spice candle.” “Oh.” Audrey was disappointed. “It made me hungry for apple pie.” Mom smiled. “You know what? I think your life is like that candle. It made you hungry for apple pie because it smells so good, and I believe your actions and attitude at school have made your teacher hungry for what you have—I think that’s why she wants to come to church.” “I made her hungry for church?” Audrey asked, confused. “Not church, exactly—Jesus,” said Mom. “Your teacher doesn’t realize she’s really hungry for a relationship with Jesus, but she sees something in your life that appeals to her. I think that seeing you display Jesus’s love in the way you treat others is making her want the real thing—Him.” Mom grabbed her keys. “Come on. That candle is making me hungry for apple pie too, so let’s run to the store and pick one up!” –Barbara J. Westberg How about you? Do your actions and attitude make people want to be around you? Does seeing how you treat others make them want to know more about Jesus? As you show others love, kindness, patience, and helpfulness, they get a taste of who Jesus is and what knowing Him is like. As people interact with you, they may become hungry for what you have—hungry to know Jesus. Today’s key verse: We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NIV) Today’s key thought: Make others hungry for Jesus