Keys For Kids Ministries

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:17-25"Hi, Dad," Zander said as he entered his father's workshop. "Can you help me build a birdhouse now?"Dad looked up. "I'm ready if you are. Let's pick out some wood." He led the way to the bin of scrap wood. "I thought you were playing with Landon today.""He left," said Zander. "I wanted to do this, so I told him I had homework to do."Dad frowned as they carried several pieces of wood over to the workbench. "You mean you lied to Landon?" "Not really. I do have homework, but I'll do it after we finish the birdhouse.""But you purposely led Landon to believe that you were going to do the homework now. That's a form of lying, Zander."Zander shrugged. "Well, what was I supposed to say? 'Go home. I don't want to play with you anymore'?" He handed Dad a board. "Anyway, it was just a little lie. It won't hurt Landon's feelings or anything. He'll never know.""All lies hurt the people who tell them," said Dad. "You could have just explained that you wanted time to work with me before doing

Bible Reading: Philippians 1:3-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18Astrid plopped down on the porch swing. She looked up as her Uncle Tim came up the porch steps. "Hi, Astrid," he said. "Do I see a frown on this beautiful day? What's up?"Astrid sighed. "My friend Ella's rich grandpa paid for a vacation in Florida for her whole family. I heard all the details at least a hundred times! Why can't I have a rich grandpa too, instead of just paper ones?""Paper grandpas? What do you mean?" asked Uncle Tim."Well, Grandpa Jerry's picture has been standing on the desk for as long as I can remember, and that's all I know of him. And my other grandpa died so long ago that I can't remember him either. We just have pictures of them--paper grandpas."Uncle Tim frowned. "You have an awfully poor reason for wanting a grandpa," he said, and Astrid looked down at her feet. "Both of your grandpas are in heaven, Astrid. They might not be able to show you how much they love you in the same way Ella's grandpa can show her, but they gave you s

Bible Reading: Matthew 18:12-14Rain pelted against Jack's face as he tried to ride his bike. Three more blocks and he would be home. However, it seemed like he wasn't getting anywhere with the wind pressing against him. He peddled hard but wasn't moving fast.It's even hard to see, Jack thought and finally pulled to the side of the road. There was a big tree on the corner of the street, and he parked his bike under it so he'd be out of the rain.Jack shivered as he stood there, his T-shirt and jeans soaked. If only he had taken his friend's mom's offer of a ride home instead of biking back.Jack took a seat on the damp grass and leaned back against the tree. How long is the rain going to last? he thought. What if it keeps raining like this all night? "God, please help me," Jack whispered.He had been sitting there for a while when headlights came down the road. A vehicle pulled to the curb, and Jack's eyes filled with tears of relief when he saw his dad climb out."Jack!" His dad ran to him through the rain.Jack h

Bible Reading: Luke 12:16-21, 31"Hey, you want a monkey for a pet?" asked Anthony's friend Obi one day."Sure, but how would I catch one?" asked Anthony. He and his parents had recently arrived in Africa as missionaries."It's easy. You trap him," said Obi, handing Anthony a gourd. "First, make a hole in this gourd--make it just big enough for a monkey to put his paw through." He supervised while Anthony worked. "Okay," Obi said, "that's big enough. The gourd is hollow, so now we'll put some fruit in it. Then we'll fasten it to the branch of a tree at the edge of the village.""I don't get it," said Anthony. "How will this work? Even if a monkey reaches into the gourd to get the fruit, what will keep him from getting away with it? Doesn't the trap have to slam shut or something?"Obi shook his head. "When the monkey has the fruit in his fist, his paw won't go through the hole. If he'd just let it go, he could get away, but they usually don't do that. I guess they want the fruit so bad they hang on even though it

Bible Reading: Isaiah 25:4-5Gwen did a belly flop on her bed and began to sob uncontrollably. After a couple minutes, there was a light knocking on her door. "Come in," Gwen said into her pillow.Mom sat down on the side of Gwen's bed. "I take it you didn't have a good day at school today?" "It was the worst day ever!" Gwen said as she sat up in bed and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. "What happened? Does it have to do with the spelling bee?" Mom asked gently. Gwen sniffed and nodded. "I got so nervous when it was my turn, I misspelled the easiest word. I spelled house H-O-W-S-E, and everyone in my class burst out laughing." The tears began flowing down her cheeks again. Mom embraced Gwen in a hug and rubbed her back while she continued to cry. After a while, Gwen broke free and looked at her mom. "How am I ever going to show my face in school again? The kids are probably going to make fun of me for a long time. It was so embarrassing!""I know how hard it can be to face others when they might make fun

Bible Reading: Psalms 63:6-8; 73:23-28"How does she sleep like that?" Lennon asked, staring at her baby sister. Lennon had been having nightmares that just wouldn't stop. "How is she so peaceful?"Mom smiled. "I think Lyric feels safe. I think she's pretty comfortable here with us." She shifted the baby in her arms. "If I put her down, then we might have issues."Lennon wished she could sleep in her mom's arms. She would feel a lot safer then."Do you know who holds you when you sleep?" Mom asked, as if reading her thoughts. Lennon shook her head. "Jesus does," Mom said. "He holds each of those who trust in Him as we rest. He watches over us so we can feel peace, sort of like what I'm doing with little Lyric here."Lennon's face scrunched up. "But I'm not a baby. You really think God holds someone like me?""Someone like you, someone like me." Dad stepped into the room. "God watches over us as we sleep." He moved to Mom and sat beside her, stroking his finger along Lyric's cheek.Lennon looked between her parents.

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-44"It's a nice sunny day," said Mom. "Want to help me plant seeds in the garden? We can plant the flower seeds we found at Grandma's house.""Okay!" said Leo. "I'll get them." He ran to fetch the brightly colored packets, and soon he and Mom were burying tiny brown seeds in the rich, dark earth. "I wonder if there will be flowers in heaven," said Leo suddenly. His grandma had recently died, and Leo knew she was now in heaven.Mom smiled. "I hope so!""It's hard to understand what heaven is like, huh?" said Leo. "I know Grandma is there now, but…" He paused. "We'll still have bodies, right? I know Pastor Holmes said Grandma left her body and went to be with Jesus, but he said her body would be raised up again someday when Jesus comes back to make the whole world new again." Leo hesitated. "But Grandma was old and sick. I don't think she'd want her body back.""The Bible says that when our bodies are raised, they'll be changed," said Mom. "They'll be glorious, heavenly bodies.""Bu

Bible Reading: 1 John 5:10-13Bruno frowned and kicked at a stone as he walked home from school. As he approached Mr. Burk's house, he saw his Sunday school teacher working in the yard. "Hi there, Bruno," said Mr. Burk. "How are you today?""Not great," muttered Bruno. He shuffled his toe in the dirt. "I'm always getting into trouble at school." He sighed. "Since I've been coming to your Sunday school class, I've been trying to change and be good--but I just can't seem to do it. Today I had to stay in at recess because I talked back to a teacher."Mr. Burk leaned on his rake. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said.Bruno shrugged. "Like I said, I'm trying to do better, but I guess it's hopeless.""Oh, no, no, no!" said Mr. Burk. "It's not hopeless. I think you're just depending on the wrong things to help you." He picked up a small dead branch that had fallen from a tree. "I was going to plant some fruit trees out back. I'll water them and put fertilizer around them, and soon they'll bear juicy peaches and apples for m

Bible Reading: Exodus 4:10-12; Ephesians 6:18-20As the curtain dropped at the end of her school play, Hazel's dad and brother made their way backstage. "You remembered every line perfectly," Dad said, giving her a hug.Hazel smiled. "Before the curtain rose at the beginning, I was so scared! I didn't see how I was going to get through it without my script in front of me. But when I had to start talking, the words just came back.""What's a script?" asked Hazel's little brother, Tommy."It's a copy of the play," said Hazel. "On my copy, I marked the words I had to say." She smiled at a girl walking by. "Good job, Mia!""Thanks," murmured Mia. "You did good too, Hazel."As Hazel and her family drove home, Hazel spoke. "Remember Mia? She seems really unhappy lately. I feel like I should talk to her about it, but I'm afraid I might say the wrong thing." She looked at the script she held in her hand. "I wish there were a script for that sort of thing.""Well, you're in good company," Dad said. "I think the apostle Paul

Bible Reading: Psalm 130Where's Pippi? wondered Monica when she got home from school. She always meets me at the door. Then she saw it--a trail of tissue paper from the bathroom down the hall. "Oh, you naughty puppy! Come here, Pippi!" A brown ball of fur came slinking out from under Monica's bed, tail tucked between its legs. Monica laughed. "You know you're guilty, don't you?" she said, picking up the puppy and rubbing her fur. "But I love you anyway, and I forgive you. Let's get this mess cleaned up."That night, Monica had trouble sleeping. She couldn't forget something bad she had done that afternoon. She tossed and turned as it went over and over in her mind. Why did I do that? she kept asking herself. Jesus must be so mad at me. I wish I could hide! She pulled the blanket over her head, but it didn't help. Suddenly, Monica shivered. "Mom!" she called. "Mom!"The light came on, and Monica blinked as she lowered the blanket and saw Mom's concerned look. "Oh, Mom," said Monica, wide-eyed. "It seemed like Je

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; James 1:17"What a great day!" Colby told his dad as they said goodbye to their friends at the park. They'd joined other families to hang out and have fun. Colby's two best friends, Asher and Arlo, had been there too. As Colby and his father turned toward the sidewalk, they spotted an ice cream truck parked there."Please, Dad!" Colby cried. "Just this once!"Dad smiled. "Sure, just this once." He handed Colby some money.Colby rushed to the truck and requested his favorite sweet treat--the strawberry shortcake bar. He eagerly unwrapped it and took a bite as the ice cream truck drove away. Just then, Colby tripped on a curb. The delicious dessert fell from his grasp, landing in the dirt. "No!" Colby yelled. He knew it could not be rescued and began to cry."I'm sorry, buddy. I wish I could buy you another one, but the truck just left." Dad hugged Colby and then picked up the filthy shortcake bar and tossed it in the trash.Walking home, Colby said, "Dad, I had fun today until

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:23-24Plink! Plink! Plink! One by one, Abbie slowly picked out the notes of the music for her piano recital. This is so hard, she thought. I'm not sure I'll ever get it good enough to play in front of a bunch of people! Abbie struggled on for a few minutes, then tossed the music book on the floor and began to play a song from memory. This is much more fun, she told herself.Later that day, Abbie helped Mom plant seeds in the garden. "You always have such pretty flowers, Mom," said Abbie. "Grandma says you have a green thumb--whatever that means."Mom laughed. "She means I have a talent for growing plants. That may be true, but I have to do a lot of work too. Thomas Edison, the great inventor, once said, 'Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.' I think he's right.""You do work hard in the yard--and you make me work hard too!" Abbie teased. "I don't mind gardening, but I don't have a green thumb like you do.""What do you like to do?" asked Mom. "What are

Bible Reading: John 3:16-18"Hey, Dad!" Eleanor said as she bounced into the den. "What are you doing?"Dad looked up from the papers on his desk and smiled at Eleanor. "Just going through some paperwork. How was school?""All right," Eleanor replied. "I got a B on my science test today." She paused, and after a moment, frowned. "Is your paperwork for that insurance stuff you were talking about with Mom? I overheard you talking about it when I was studying yesterday, but I don't understand what it means."Dad shifted in his chair. "It's called life insurance," he began. "If something happened to me and I died, Mom would need money to pay for my funeral and to take care of you. She wouldn't be able to pay for all that herself. But with life insurance, the insurance company helps pay for everything.""Oh," Eleanor said, turning the idea over in her mind. Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Are you getting this insurance because you're sick?" she asked. "I don't want you to die--we'd never be together again!""It's all r

Bible Reading: Psalm 55:16-17, 22As Jeremiah looked out the window at the falling rain, he felt like his life was as dismal as the day. Dad left home, and we don't even know where he is, he thought. Now Mom is sick, and it's up to me to look after her and my two little sisters. But how can I do all that plus run my lawnmowing business and go to school? I sure can't do it all alone.Just then the city bus pulled up to the corner and an elderly woman got off. It was Granny Gresham, a nearby neighbor, and she had a big suitcase. The wind was so strong that Granny could scarcely take a step forward. Jeremiah hurried to pull on a raincoat and headed for the door. "I'm going to help Granny Gresham," he called to his mother. "She's out in the storm."Jeremiah ran over to their neighbor and took the suitcase for her. When they finally reached her home, she turned to him gratefully. "What would I have done without your help?" She smiled. "How about a cup of hot cocoa?""Thanks, but I have to hurry home," replied Jeremiah

Bible Reading: Psalm 36:7-9; John 14:26-28Stroking the hen's feathers, Rowan grinned as the chicks tugged at his pants, then scuttled under their mother. "Hi, girls." His sisters Opal and Sylvie joined him, peering under the hen at the chicks, but they knew better than to touch."They're so cute!" Five-year-old Rosalind tried to grab a chick, but the chick's mother puffed up and jumped at her defensively."Rosie, you have to be gentle, or else Luna will do that again," Mom said as she walked up and peeled off her gardening gloves. "She's a very protective mother, you know."The chicks at last were allowed to wander out, but when the dog, Arabella, came bounding up, the chicks--Stella, Sunshine, Nova, and Aurora--scurried to take cover under Luna's outspread wings.Rowan hopped up and grabbed Arabella's collar. "Whoa there, girl. You can't do that. See, you've frightened them." Arabella whined apologetically."You know," Sylvie said slowly, "this reminds me of a verse I read this morning.""What?" Opal cocked her he

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:9-13"Did you see my hit, Dad?" Caden asked as he climbed into the pick-up. "My first of the season!"Dad nodded. "You know, it could have been a double if you had stepped into the swing.""I know, but..." Caden quieted.Mom opened the front door as they drove up to the house. "How was the game, guys?""I got a hit," said Caden softly as Dad shuffled away to weed the flower beds."Great!" said Mom. "I'm sorry I couldn't be--" But Caden was already inside. He surveyed the kitchen for a snack as Mom followed him into the room."I tried a new cookie recipe today." Mom held out a plate and Caden took one. "A perfect way to celebrate your hit." Caden didn't respond. "Did something happen at the game, Caden? What's wrong?""Why can't Dad ever say 'good job'? It's just two words. Instead, he always points out what could be better.""Dad is proud of you, Caden. I'm sure of it. He just forgets how important it is to say it. Maybe you should talk to him about it and tell him how you feel.""I gue

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:31-32; Hebrews 12:1-2"Mom, look at this!" Sari pointed to the TV. "This woman has been hoarding junk for more than twenty years, and now her house is so full she can't even move around in it! It's a huge health hazard, and she's going to be forced to leave her home if she doesn't clean it out. The team of people who make this show came to help. Just look at all that stuff!"Mom shook her head sadly. "That poor woman. It's so hard to let go of things sometimes."Sari rolled her eyes. "It's her own fault for letting it get like that! Couldn't she see that her house was getting so full she could hardly walk around?""Not necessarily," answered Mom. "I'm sure it happened so gradually over a long period of time that she hardly noticed it. It probably wasn't until someone else came inside that she realized how bad it had gotten. That's how it happened with me.""What?" exclaimed Sari. "You used to be a hoarder?"Mom laughed. "I guess you could say that. I didn't hoard things in my house though

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 33:26-27; Isaiah 40:28-31Mario and his dad were on a fishing trip when Mario made a discovery--an eagle's nest way up near the top of a tall tree. And up in the sky, they saw a large bird soaring high over the river. Mario let out a long breath. "Wow! I wish I could fly like that!""Well, that eagle didn't always have such great flying skills," said Dad. "I've read that baby eagles are afraid of flying. In fact, it takes a great deal of their mother's prodding to get them out of their soft, warm nest.""I know. We talked about them in school. My teacher said the mother eagle pushes the babies right out over the side of the nest. That must be scary for them!"Dad nodded. "They probably think they'll fall to the ground.""Yeah, but then after the mother eagle lets one of the eaglets flutter and fall for a bit, she soars underneath it and lets it land on her wings. Then she takes it back to the nest. She does that over and over until they're brave and strong enough to fly on their own."A f

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:9-10Grace took her treasure box out from under the bed and opened it to look over the contents inside. She took a couple of items out and inspected them. A special note from Grandma. A ballet ticket stub. A birthstone ring. A picture book. She smiled as she returned them to her box. She often did this before going to bed. Seeing her treasures brought memories that gave her happy, warm feelings.One morning, Grace's little sister greeted her eagerly. "I had a dream last night," said Everly. "It was about a great big treasure box. It was way bigger than yours, and lots prettier too! It sparkled all over. And it was as tall as the sky!"Grace grinned at Everly. "What was in the box?""I don't know," said Everly. "I couldn't see inside it.""Well, who do you think would own such a big, fancy box?" Grace asked. "A king? Or the President?""I know who!" exclaimed Everly. "God could have a box like that."Grace grinned. "If God had a treasure box, what He would put in it? Rainbows, maybe? Or ocean

Bible Reading: Psalm 42; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Revelation 21:3-5"I'm going for a walk." Mel's attention shot up at Owen's announcement as he entered the kitchen. He still had his hoodie on, but he was actually wearing jeans, not sweatpants. "You want to join?" Mel nodded and jumped to her feet, and within a minute they were out the door.Mel loved walking in their neighborhood downtown. She liked the scrunched-up houses and how close they lived to their neighbors. As she and Owen walked in silence, Mom's words from a couple weeks ago telling her that Owen had depression echoed in her ears. She kept glancing over at her brother, and eventually he asked, "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Mel kicked a rock instead of responding. "Mel, what's wrong?"Finally, she looked up at her big brother. "I just don't understand," she began. "Can't Jesus heal people? Why doesn't He heal you? Will you be sick forever?"This time Owen kicked the rock before replying. "I believe Jesus can heal me and take away my depression. I'm