Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13; John 3:16-17; Colossians 4:2-6

"This sure is a good breakfast, Grandma," said Nathan, taking another bite of ham and eggs. "I love this ham you fixed!"

"Well, thank you," said Grandpa.

Nathan grinned. "Sounds like you're taking credit for Grandma's cooking."

"I'll take partial credit, and Grandma can have the rest." Grandpa grinned. "I cured this ham, and it's very good, if I do say so myself."

"You cured it?" Nathan's eyes twinkled. "Was it sick?"

Grandpa laughed. "I think you know that curing a ham refers to the process of preparing it so that it doesn't spoil and has a delicious flavor," he said as he took another slice of ham. "But did you know that you're supposed to be like this ham?"

"Be like the ham? Me?" Nathan looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"One main ingredient in the curing process is salt. It helps keep the ham from going bad and gives it flavor," Grandpa explained. "And in the Bible, Jesus calls believers the salt of the earth."

"Does that mean we're supposed to keep the world from going bad?" asked Nathan. "How are we supposed to do that? It seems pretty bad already."

"Yes, the world is full of pain and problems because people sin," said Grandpa. "When we look at all the hurt and hatred in the world, things can sometimes seem hopeless. But they're not hopeless, because Jesus died and rose again to save the world from sin. As Christians, we need to flavor the world with the hope of Jesus. We need to let others see His love in our lives and point them to Him. That's what it means to be the salt of the earth."

Nathan smirked. "So, we need to be salty Christians?"

Grandpa chuckled. "In a good way, yes. We need to trust and follow Jesus in everything we do and not follow the way of the world. Jesus said if salt loses its flavor, it's not good anymore. It's tasteless. That's why we need Him to fill our lives with the delicious flavor of His goodness and love."

Nathan nodded. "Grandma, can you please pass the milk? This ham is making me thirsty!"

"Why do you think that is?" asked Grandma, reaching for the milk.

"Because of the salt," answered Nathan. "Popcorn does that too." He paused. "Hey! I get it! If we're salty Christians, we make others thirsty for Jesus!"

– Mary Rose Pearson

How About You?
Are you a salty Christian? Are you flavoring the world with the hope of Jesus? Are you sharing His love with those around you? When others see His goodness in your life, it can make them want to know Jesus too. Trust Him to help you keep your salty flavor as you go out into the world so others will be thirsty for Him.

Today's Key Verse:
You are the salt of the earth. (NKJV) (Matthew 5:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Be a salty Christian

Bible Reading: Matthew 11:28-30

"Ainsley!" Mom's voice was stern. "I told you it's time to eat!"

Ainsley hurried to the table. She had noticed her mother wasn't as patient as she used to be before Dad left. And she always looked tired and sad. "I'm sorry," Ainsley said as she took her seat. "I'm not very hungry." Her voice trembled as she hurried on. "I'm worried about how we'll live until you find a job, and about doing better in school so you'll be happier. I've been trying to clean up after myself so you won't have to yell." Tears slipped down Ainsley's cheeks. "I worry that Dad won't come back after the separation."

Mom sighed. "I worry too. But that doesn't excuse the way I've been treating you." She got up and gave her daughter a hug. "I'm sorry, Ainsley--I didn't mean to put all that on you."

"Anybody home?" interrupted a loud, cheerful voice from the kitchen door.

"Uncle John!" Ainsley jumped up to greet her favorite uncle--then pointed to his wrists and ankles. "Why are you wearing those things?"

"You mean my weights?" Uncle John held up his arm for her to see better. "I'm getting in shape for the marathon, so I wear these when I run. It helps me build strength," he explained. "But you can be sure I won't wear them for the race!"

After a short visit, Uncle John left to continue his workout. "I can't imagine weighing myself down like that," Ainsley said as she watched her uncle disappear around the corner. "Running is hard enough without those weights."

"I agree," said Mom. She put her arm around Ainsley. "I think you and I are wearing weights too, but our weights aren't helpful like Uncle John's. I think our hearts are getting tired from all the worry we've been carrying around."

Ainsley sighed. "Too bad we can't take our weights off like Uncle John can."

"But ours can come off too," Mom said. "Jesus tells us to give our worries to Him, and I'm wondering why I've waited so long to do that. Let's pray right now and ask Him to carry these weights for us. He loves us and promises to take care of us, and we can trust Him to help us in this situation."

– Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Is your heart heavy with worries about family, school, or money? Does it seem like there's no solution to the problems you face? You need God's help. Go to Jesus whenever you feel burdened by something that's happening in your life. He cares. He took the weight of our sin upon Himself so He could offer us rest, and He will help you with whatever is troubling you. Give your burdens to Him--big or small--and He will carry them for you.

Today's Key Verse:
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (NLT) (1 Peter 5:7)

Today's Key Thought:
Give your problems to God

Bible Reading: Mark 3:7-12; Luke 5:17-26

Jenna hurried to get ready for the concert. Her dad had bought them good tickets, and she wanted to get to their seats as soon as possible.

As soon as she was finished putting her hair in a ponytail, she hurried down the stairs. "Let's go!"

Her dad chuckled from the couch. "It's early yet, honey."

"But I want to make sure we get there as soon as we can," Jenna said.

"Your mom and sisters are still getting ready." Dad patted the cushion beside him. "Sit for a minute."

"I don't want to sit. I want to go!" Jenna sighed as she slumped onto the couch.

Dad smiled. "You make me think of something."

Jenna's brows knit. "What?"

"When Jesus was living on earth, do you think people got excited like you are tonight? I know He drew large crowds and the people had to pack in to see Him," Dad said.

"They probably wanted to get a good seat," Jenna agreed.

"But they didn't have tickets," Dad said. "Think of those who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus. When they got there, the house was already full. But instead of turning around, they went on the roof and made a hole in it to let their friend in!"

"We'd probably get in trouble if we did that to see the band," Jenna said.

Dad laughed. "We would. But think about how special it was to see Jesus. He healed the paralyzed man and made him walk again. He saved him from his sins…"

"If I could see Jesus like that tonight, I would," Jenna said. "It would be so cool. I would even do it instead of the concert, and I'm really looking forward to that."

"Me too," Dad agreed. "Seeing Him would be awesome, and one day we will see Him because He's saved us from our sins too, but at least we don't have to see Him to know He is with us."

"He'll even be at the concert with us," Jenna said. She would love to see Jesus, but she was glad He was always there, whether she could see Him or not. "I hope He likes the music."

Dad grinned. "I think He will."

– Bethany Acker

How About You?
What do you think it would be like to see Jesus in person? What would you say to Him if you saw Him? Even though you can't see Him now, you can still talk to Him like He's right there with you, because He is! If you know Him as your Savior, He promises to always be with you, and one day you'll see Him face-to-face. He is with you no matter where you are.

Today's Key Verse:
Yet the news about [Jesus] spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. (NIV) (Luke 5:15 )

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus is special

Bible Reading: John 10:27-28; Romans 8:35-39

"I want to ask you something, Mom," Emma said hesitantly as her mother tucked her into bed one evening. "I trusted Jesus as my Savior last summer, but it seems like I'm still always doing something wrong--like being mean to Colson tonight.

When I do stuff like that, I ask God to forgive me, but what if I forget to ask Him--or what if I don't even realize I've done something wrong?" She paused. "Then am I still saved?"

Mom sat down on the bed. "Jesus's death paid for all your sins, Emma. Jesus will never disown you if you've put your trust in Him."

"You're sure?" asked Emma.

"I'm sure." Mom pointed to a small blue table in the corner of Emma's room. "Where did that come from?"

"That's the table Mrs. Morales found when she was cleaning out her basement last week. She said I could have it--it was old and dirty and she was just going to throw it away. I cleaned it up and then Dad showed me how to sand it and paint it." Emma grinned. "It looks great now, huh?"

Mom nodded. "It sure does. It's beautiful, so enjoy it while you can. Your room sometimes gets pretty dusty, you know. Soon that table will be covered with dust and you'll have to throw it out."

"Throw it out!" exclaimed Emma. "Are you kidding? It could never look any worse than when I got it! It was covered with dirt and bugs and spider webs, but I didn't throw it away then. I'm definitely not going to get rid of it now after all the work I did to make it look good! I'll just clean it whenever I need to. I love that table."

Mom smiled. "I thought you'd say that. Emma, don't you see that God loves you much more than you love that table? Your life was full of sin, but Jesus died to save you from it. When you put your trust in Him, He made you part of His family. He's not going to just throw you away now--not after all He's done for you. Just like how you'll dust that table whenever it gets dirty, Jesus will forgive you whenever you do something wrong. Confess your sin to Him, and He will make you clean."

– Sherry L. Kuyt

How About You?
Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? God says that if you've trusted Jesus to save you from sin, nothing can ever separate you from His love. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.) Once you trust in Jesus, you're a child of God, and nothing you do will ever change that. He offers you forgiveness whenever you need it. Confess your sins to Him, and He will clean them away.

Today's Key Verse:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV) (1 John 1:9)

Today's Key Thought:
You are God's child forever

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:103; Proverbs 12:18; Colossians 4:6

"My turn!" Junior shouted as he laid the next block. He and his brother were playing a tower-building game, and the tower was getting high. Carefully, he laid down the next piece and held his breath as the tower wobbled, wobbled--then, thankfully, stopped. "Okay. Your turn, Max."

Max concentrated hard as he gently placed the next wooden log on top of the tower. The tower teetered and wobbled, but this time it didn't stop. With a loud crash, all the pieces of the tower came tumbling down.

Junior threw up his hands. "No! C'mon, Max! I was trying to get a record. I should have just done this by myself. You're no help at all."

Max opened his mouth to respond, but then got up and went to his room with his head down.

Later that night, Mom knocked on Junior's door. "Do you have any idea why Max seems a little down tonight?" she asked.

Junior shrugged. "I don't know."

Mom raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Junior sighed. "I did get a little mad at him after he made our tower fall down. It was supposed to be a world record!"

Mom nodded. "I understand that you got frustrated, but Max told me you said he's no help at all. That's not a nice thing to say."

Junior looked down. "I guess not. I'm sorry."

Mom looked thoughtful. "You know, what happened to your tower reminds me of our words. The words we say can either build others up or knock them down. Just like you were doing with your tower, we need to be careful that the words we say build others up with love and encouragement, the way Jesus encourages us with His words to us in the Bible."

Junior nodded. "That makes sense. I think I need to tell Max something." He left his room and knocked on Max's door. "Max? Can I come in?"

Max shrugged. "Sure."

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Do you want to build a tower with me again?"

Max smiled. "Really?"

Junior grinned. "Yup." And this time, he would also be building with his words.

– Chukwuka Ugobi

How About You?
Do your words build up? Or do they tear down? Our words have an impact on others, so we have to be careful what we say. The Bible tells us to build each other up with words that encourage others and point them to Jesus. He builds us up with words of love, hope, and forgiveness in the Bible, and He will help you build others up with your words.

Today's Key Verse:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. (NIV) (Ephesians 4:29)

Today's Key Thought:
Build each other up