Bible Reading: Matthew 2:1-2; Luke 2:1-16

"Visit our store and enjoy Christmas every day of the year!" Georgia read the billboard out loud as she and her family traveled home from a weeklong vacation. "Cool!" she said. "That's in the town at the next exit, isn't it? Can we stop at that store?"

Dad shrugged. "Why not? We could use a break from driving. Watch for signs so we'll know where to turn."

They found the store, and everyone smiled when they heard "Jingle Bells" playing over the loudspeaker as they walked in. The store was filled with all kinds of Christmas decorations--ornaments, trees, twinkling lights, and wreaths. In one corner, a woman was handing out decorated Christmas cookies.

As Georgia and her parents ate their cookies, they wandered over to a large manger scene. The animals looked so real, Georgia could almost imagine she was in Bethlehem. As she thought about the events of that night long ago, she imagined Mary putting baby Jesus in a manger with all the sounds and smells of animals around them. She thought about the angels singing, the shepherds running to the stable to see Jesus, and the wise men traveling from far away to worship the new King.

"Come on, Georgia," said Mom, interrupting her daydreams. "Time to be on our way."

Georgia continued thinking about the manger scene on the drive home. "I wish we could celebrate Christmas all year long like they do at that store," she said.

"We can!" said Dad. "What is Christmas, Georgia?"

"It's the time when we remember Jesus being born," Georgia replied.

"Exactly!" said Dad. "The night God sent His Son to earth as one of us so He could save us from sin. Don't you think that's something we should celebrate all year long?"

"Well, sure," said Georgia. "We should thank God every day for sending Jesus, shouldn't we?" She grinned. "So can we put up the Christmas tree when we get home?"

Mom laughed and shook her head. "We'll save that for December," she said. "We can remember God's gift of Jesus and the meaning of Christmas without the tree."

–Linda Weddle

How About You?
Are you thankful every day for God's amazing gift? He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth as a human being to take the punishment for your sin so you could have eternal life with Him. There's no better gift than that! Don't wait until December to thank God for His great gift. Jesus is the reason to celebrate Christmas all year long!

Today's Key Verse:
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (NKJV) (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Today's Key Thought:
Think of God's gift all year long

Bible Reading: Exodus 20:3-17; Galatians 3:19-22

Graham set a large birthday present on his knees and shut the car door. Mom fastened her seat belt and turned to Graham. "You don't have your seat belt on."

"I can't reach it while I'm holding this present," said Graham. "It's only two blocks to Cameron's house, so I don't need it anyway."

"Oh yes, you do! A lot of accidents happen close to home, and a seat belt could save your life. Here, let me help you." Mom reached over and buckled his seat belt. "There. Now we can go." She started the car. "Seat belts were put in cars to protect us. And don't forget--the law says we have to use them."

"The law," repeated Graham. "That sounds like something we talked about in church--God's law. God gave us rules like the Ten Commandments to protect us and help us live good lives, but no one could obey them, so that's why Jesus had to die for us. Or something like that--I didn't understand all of it."

Just then a ball bounced into the street in front of them. Mom hit the brakes and the car screeched to a stop--inches away from a little boy who had dashed after the ball. Graham lurched forward, but his seat belt tightened, holding him back. The little boy grabbed the ball and ran back into his yard.

"If you hadn't made me wear my seat belt, I would have smashed right into the dashboard!" said Graham.

Mom nodded and started driving again. "Good thing you obeyed the law and had your seat belt on. But were you able to buckle it yourself?"

"No," said Graham. "I was holding Cameron's present, so you had to buckle it for me."

"And that's what Jesus does for us," said Mom. "Sin is like that present you're holding--it makes us unable to obey God's law. None of us is good enough to have eternal life with God. That's why Jesus had to pay for our sin on the cross. When we trust in Him, He buckles His goodness around us like a seat belt and saves us!"

"Oh--I get it now!" Graham smiled. "Thanks for buckling my seat belt, Mom--you saved me! And I'm thankful Jesus saved me too."

–Eunice C. Matchett

How About You?
Do you always wear your seat belt? Seat belts save lives--that's why a lot of places have laws that require you to use them. Jesus saves lives too. Because of sin, none of us can obey God's law, so Jesus lived a perfect life and died to take our punishment. Trust Him to save you and give you His goodness so you can live with Him forever. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today's Key Verse:
Adam did not obey God, and many people become sinners through him. Christ obeyed God and makes many people right with Himself. (NLV) (Romans 5:19)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus saves lives

Bible Reading: Psalm 56:3-4, 8-11

Nico grinned as his sister lay back on her inflatable raft. "I'm going to pop your float," he told her. "You'll sink."

Maya smiled, unfazed. "My life jacket will hold me up."

"What if I take the life jacket?" Nico asked.

Maya shrugged. "It still won't matter. This is the shallow end, and the water only reaches up to my waist."

"Well then, maybe I'll just pick you up and dunk you under," said Nico.

Maya grinned and pointed to Mom sitting at the side of the pool. "With Mom there, I'll be just fine."

A while later, Mom's phone rang. "Time to go inside, kids," she said after she hung up. "I need to go pick Dad up from work. He just called to say he feels really sick, so I'm going to take him to the emergency room."

Maya and Nico gave each other worried looks. "Okay, Mom," Nico said.

Mom was gone quite a while, and when she returned home, Dad wasn't with her. "What's wrong with Dad?" asked Maya anxiously.

"We don't know for sure yet, but they admitted him as a patient at the hospital," replied Mom. "Hopefully it's nothing serious."

Nico felt nervous too. "What if it is really serious?" he asked. "Aren't you scared, Mom?"

"Of course I am," said Mom. "But I'm thankful to know that God is in control and no matter what happens, Dad--and each of us--will be okay because we're in God's hands. We'll pray for Dad, and we need to trust God to take care of him."

"But what if something's really wrong with Dad?" asked Nico. "How could that ever be okay?"

"Earlier today I heard you teasing your sister in the pool," Mom told him. "But Maya knew that no matter what you did, she'd be okay because I was there and would take care of her. Well, we can have absolute confidence that no matter what happens, we'll be okay because Jesus died and rose again to save us and give us eternal life. He will always be with us and take care of us--even if the worst were to happen. We're safe in His hands."

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Has something happened that makes you feel sad or scared? Is someone you love sick? Has a parent lost a job? Did your parents get divorced? Whatever your troubles are, Jesus knows all about them. He loves you so much that He gave His life to save you, and He's right there with you. Trust Him to watch over you, no matter what happens.

Today's Key Verse:
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. (NKJV) (Psalm 56:3)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust Jesus to care for you

Bible Reading: Psalm 32:1-5

"Ouch!" cried Wren as she climbed into the tree house her dad was building. Dad stopped hammering and raised his brow. "I hurt my finger," Wren said.

"Let me take a look." Dad put his hammer down and studied her finger. "You've got a sliver, but don't worry, I'm an expert sliver remover! Just as soon as I'm finished here, I'll take it out."

Wren squirmed. "It's okay. It's not that big. I'll just leave it."

"Not a good idea," said Dad, digging through his toolbox. He frowned. "That's strange. My tape measure isn't in here. Well, I can work without it for now."

"Tape measure?" Wren asked, suddenly feeling guilty. And as the afternoon wore on, she felt more and more guilty. She knew what had happened to the tape measure.

"Dad, this sliver really hurts," Wren said that evening. "I think I need help from an expert sliver remover after all."

"Oh, that's right--I forgot about your sliver!" Dad got out the tweezers. "Slivers don't go away on their own." Wren winced as he pricked her skin. "There," Dad said. "It's out."

Wren looked at the tiny fleck Dad was holding. "I can't believe something that small could hurt so bad," she said.

"This little sliver reminds me of what we call 'little' sins," said Dad. "We think they don't really amount to much and shouldn't hurt anybody. But if we're sensitive to how Jesus wants us to love others, they cause us grief until we confess them and get them removed. We could call them sin slivers."

Wren sighed. "Dad, I…" She hesitated. "I need another sliver removed--a sin sliver that's been bothering me all day. I took your tape measure. I know I'm not supposed to go in your toolbox, but I used it to take measurements for a treasure map, and then I lost it in the woods. I'm sorry. I should have told you right away."

"So that's where it went!" said Dad. "Well, I'll have to get another tape measure, but at least I won't be hunting for that one anymore. I'm glad you told me, and I forgive you. Even better--Jesus promises to forgive the sins we confess too."

–Jody Hedlund

How About You?
Is there a nagging sin you need to confess? Maybe you fibbed to your parents or bent the rules to win a game. It may not have seemed like a big deal at the time, but any sin, no matter how big or small it seems, hurts both you and others. Don't wait any longer. Confess your sin to Jesus and to anyone else you've sinned against and ask for forgiveness.

Today's Key Verse:
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. (NLT) (Proverbs 28:13)

Today's Key Thought:
All sin hurts you--confess it

Bible Reading: Ephesians 5:8-20

The girls in Cabin 9 were walking down the path to the campfire at Bible camp when Gabby pointed up at the sky. "Look at the moon tonight! Yesterday there was no moonlight at all in the sky, but today there is a bright sliver of light."

Her counselor, Jami, nodded. "It has started to reflect the sun's light, and tomorrow it will reflect more light and keep growing until it's a full moon."

They reached the campfire and found their seats. They sang silly songs and laughed as they roasted marshmallows, then listened as the camp director told them about Jesus.

A warm feeling filled Gabby as she listened to the director speak. She suddenly knew that she wanted to trust in Jesus. She moved a little closer to Jami and asked her to pray with her to ask Jesus to forgive her for her sins. Jami gave her a hug as they knelt down to pray.

Later that night, as they walked back to the cabin, Jami smiled and pointed up at the moon. "Gabby, now that you trust in Jesus, your faith is like that moon. Just as the moon reflects the sun's light, our lives reflect the love of Jesus. Yesterday, like the moon, you had no light, but today God's love and goodness have started to shine through you."

Gabby stared up at the moon. "I'm so excited to have Jesus in my life, but what do I do when I get home?" she asked.

"As you grow in your relationship with Jesus, His light will grow inside you," said Jami. "Just as a crescent moon grows into a bright full moon, you'll begin to reflect Him more and more. When you get home, keep getting to know Jesus better and learning more about Him. Go to church and spend time with other Christians, and read your Bible and pray every day. As your faith and understanding grow, you'll become more like Jesus and reflect more of His light, just like that moon."

Gabby pondered Jami's words. "Wow," she said. "I can't wait to get to know Jesus even better! And now that I know Him, I know He'll be with me and help me shine every day."

–Bethany Den Boer

How About You?
Have you recently decided to trust in Jesus? Do you wonder what you're supposed to do now? Now that your sins are forgiven and you belong to Jesus, He will make His light inside you grow. As you grow in your relationship with Him, He will help you follow Him in all you do, and others will be able to see His light shining in your life.

Today's Key Verse:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18 )

Today's Key Thought:
Keep growing in your faith