Bible Reading: John 6:37-40; Romans 6:23

"Mom, Sheba won't come when I call her!" said Adam. "Sometimes she comes toward me, but if I try to touch her, she runs away again. Watch!" Adam called to Sheba, his new puppy. Sure enough, Sheba looked at Adam, and when he kept calling, she ran in circles. Each time, she came close to Adam but always dodged away at the last moment. When she was finally exhausted, Sheba lay down, panting. Adam walked over to her. "You need to learn to obey," he said.

"You're right," said Mom. "I know! Try offering her a reward to encourage her to come to you. Try a dog biscuit--and when you call her, ignore her silly antics. When she comes, praise her, pet her, and give her the biscuit. Eventually, she'll get tired of wearing herself out for nothing. She'll learn that she needs to come to you so she can have her reward."

"Okay," said Adam. "It's worth a try."

Several days later, Adam called to Mom as she walked outside. "Look, Mom! Watch Sheba now!" Mom turned to watch as Adam called to his puppy. "Sheba, come!" The puppy stopped chewing on her dog toy, looked at Adam, and cocked her head. Adam repeated the command. "Come, Sheba!" He held up a dog biscuit. Sheba quickly trotted over to Adam. She stood silently beside him, stared at the biscuit, and remained still. "Good girl, Sheba!" Adam patted her and gave her the biscuit, which she ate eagerly.

Adam beamed. "Sheba's really smart!" He knelt down and hugged the happy puppy.

Mom smiled. "Yes. She is smart to come to her master." Mom came over and scratched behind Sheba's ears. "Sheba reminds me of the way we must come to our Master."

"Come to our Master?" asked Adam. "I guess you mean Jesus, right?"

"Right," Mom said, "and Jesus offers a reward too. He offers the greatest reward of all--eternal life with Him. Running in circles trying to make life work on our own doesn't get us anywhere--it just tires us out. But Jesus is patient with us, and He calls us to come to Him for forgiveness, peace, and eternal life. When we answer His call, the reward is ours."

–Susanna B. Chenoweth

How About You?
Have you come to Jesus? Do you hear Him calling? He's offering a great reward--the gift of eternal life with Him. It's wonderful and it's free--but you must come. He promises that when you do, He will accept you; He will never turn anyone away. Will you come to Jesus today? (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:
All that the Father gives Me [Jesus] will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (NKJV) (John 6:37)

Today's Key Thought:
Come to Jesus

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13

"I've tried to get into the habit of reading my Bible every day," Alanna said as she reached for a piece of pizza, "but I never seem to be able to." Several others in the room nodded in agreement. They were having a pizza party for their Bible study group, and their leader was encouraging them to set aside time for daily devotions.

"Bible reading is a bit like eating," said Mr. McRay. "First you take a bite, then you chew it, then you swallow it, and finally you digest it."

"How do you take a bite of the Bible?" asked Chloe.

"Well, look at this pizza," said Mr. McRay. "It's cut into sections, and the Bible is also divided into sections. You choose one section of pizza, and you can choose one section of the Bible--a book or chapter or even just a verse or two."

"So if that's like taking a bite, how do you chew?" asked Marc. "My grandma's always telling me not to bite off more than I can chew!"

Mr. McRay laughed. "She says that so you won't choke on your food, but don't worry, you won't choke from reading your Bible. Chewing your bite of Bible just means thinking and praying about the verses you've read."

"Okay, but then how do we swallow what we've read?" asked Alanna.

"Have you ever heard someone say, 'That story is hard to swallow'? That means it's hard to believe. So swallowing means believing God's Word is true."

"So we read a little, think about it, and believe it," said Chloe. "Then what?"

"We digest it, remember? And we just studied that in school," said Marc. "Food is changed into something the blood can take to the rest of the body."

Mr. McRay nodded. "When we digest food, its nutrients become part of our bodies. And when we digest what we've read in the Bible, its truth becomes part of our lives. We let it make a difference as we listen to what it teaches us about Jesus and who we are as God's children who have been saved from sin." Mr. McRay picked up a piece of pizza. "I think it would be a good idea to eat four meals a day--breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a slice of your Bible."

–Sheri Shaw

How About You?
Are you getting four meals a day? Just like eating is important for a healthy body, reading God's Word is important for a healthy life. If you find it hard to read the Bible, start with small bites. Try reading just a verse or two and think about what God is saying. Then let it make a difference in your life by believing it and doing what it says. Have a bite of Bible every day!

Today's Key Verse:
People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (NLT) (Matthew 4:4)

Today's Key Thought:
Feed on God's Word

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:13-16

Everyone in Daphne's family had blond hair except for her. Her hair was bright red. She stood out in every family picture and too often heard comments about being her parents' "red-headed girl." Some people told Daphne her hair was pretty, and others just looked at her strangely, like she didn't belong.

Daphne sat on a camp chair at her little brother's soccer game and tried to cover as much of her hair as possible with her bucket hat. She heard someone sit down beside her and glanced over at her grandpa. "How's my little redhead?" he asked.

Daphne sighed. "Do you have to call me that?"

Grandpa's gray brow lifted. "No, I don't have to. But what's wrong with it?"

"I'm tired of having red hair." Daphne frowned and sat forward, watching as her brother kicked the ball to his teammate. "I don't like being different from everyone in my family. I wish I had blond hair too."

"But then you wouldn't stand out," Grandpa said.

"Exactly!" Daphne turned to him. "I want to fit in. I want to have blond hair and look like them instead of being the redhead of the family."

Grandpa tapped his chin. "I think your grandma felt that way too sometimes."

"Grandma?" Daphne asked.

"She had red hair like yours before it went gray," Grandpa said. "She's where you get it from."

Daphne couldn't remember her grandma well because she had passed away when she was young, and she'd never realized she had red hair.

"I think it's a special thing that God passed on to you," Grandpa said. "I love seeing your red hair. And I know God makes no mistakes. If He wanted you to be just like the rest of your family, He would have made you that way." Grandpa smiled at her. "Sometimes it's hard to be different, but it's also good. God made each of us unique in many ways, not just in our looks. It's good to enjoy and embrace that rather than fight it, knowing God created each of us with care because He loves us."

"Okay, I'll try," Daphne said. It felt better knowing her grandma had been a redhead too and to be reminded that God had made her that way.

–Bethany Acker

How About You?
Do you embrace the unique qualities God has given you? Or do you feel frustrated because you don't look or act the same way as your family or friends? God made you just as you are, and He loves you so much that Jesus gave His life to save you. Instead of wishing you were different, let Him help you enjoy being the unique person He created you to be.

Today's Key Verse:
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (NIV) (Psalm 139:14 )

Today's Key Thought:
God made you just right

Bible Reading: John 10:27-30

Tyler walked into the kitchen where his mom was preparing supper. They were going to a special program at church that night, so they would be eating earlier than usual.

Mom looked up and smiled. "Hi, Tyler. What have you been doing?"

"I've been reading," Tyler replied. "I'm learning some pretty cool stuff about the United States."

"What kind of stuff?" Mom asked as she began mixing up a salad.

Tyler reached for the lettuce and started shredding it. "I found out that once a state approves an amendment to its constitution, it can't change it. I guess the state has to be pretty sure that it agrees with the amendment!"

"That's interesting," Mom said.

"But what's really interesting is that if a state rejects an amendment, it can change its mind later," Tyler added. He sighed. Even though he had been reading all afternoon, he'd been thinking about something else too.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked, glancing at him over the salad bowl.

Tyler sighed again. "I don't really want to go to church tonight. Speakers at programs like that sometimes make me feel like I'm not saved. I worry that when I sin, I've lost my salvation and have to trust Jesus to save me all over again."

"Tyler, it doesn't work that way," Mom said gently. "If you have truly placed your faith in Jesus and believe He died for your sins and rose again, then He has saved you, and you'll always be saved."

"Really?" asked Tyler.

"Yes. It's like what you were talking about with states amending their constitutions. Before a person is saved, they can reject the good news of Jesus over and over again, but God never gives up on them. That person can always change their mind. Once you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, there's nothing that can change it. You'll still sin, but Jesus promises to forgive you when you confess your sins to Him."

Tyler thought about that. "But how can I keep from sinning?"

"Once you're saved, the Holy Spirit lives in you and helps you follow Jesus," said Mom. "But you still have to choose to listen and obey what He says. It isn't always easy, but even when you mess up, God will never let you go."

- Julia Kicinski

How About You?
Are you ever afraid that you might lose your salvation? Do you ever think God will give up on you because you sin too much? God loves you and promises never to abandon you. He will always forgive you when you sin and help you obey Him. When you trust Jesus to be your Savior, He will hold you so tightly that you will never be lost again.

Today's Key Verse:
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (NKJV) (John 10:28)

Today's Key Thought:
Salvation is forever

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:1-3, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-2

Dinner was finished, and Liam was just thinking about teasing his sister when she interrupted his plan. "Why did you have to stay in during recess today?" Naomi asked him. "I heard you and a bunch of other kids got caught cheating on a test."

Liam swallowed hard, and it suddenly became very quiet in the kitchen. Only Nala, their dog, had anything to say as she yipped for a handout. "Nala, quiet." Dad said. Nala sat down immediately and waited.

"It wasn't a big deal," muttered Liam, but the look on Dad's face said otherwise. Liam sighed. "Chandler found the answer key and passed it around, and I kept thinking about honor roll, so…well, I snuck a look."

Dad cut a scrap of meat and showed it to Nala. The dog licked her lips hungrily. "Nala, stay," Dad said firmly, then placed the meat on the floor in front of the dog. Nala thumped her tail excitedly, but she stayed where she was. "Liam, do you have any idea why Nala is able to resist the temptation to take the meat?"

Liam grinned. "She probably knows Naomi helped make dinner tonight, and…ow!" His sister's elbow had made a direct hit to his ribs.

"Look at Nala's eyes," Dad said. "She's looking at me, right?" Liam nodded. "If Nala kept staring at the meat, she'd never be able to resist it," Dad explained. "Instead, she's focusing on her master." He turned toward Liam. "Whenever you're tempted, who should you focus on?"

"Jesus," Liam replied. "I know that, Dad. But it's so hard!"

"You're right. It's not easy," said Dad. "But God gives us the ability to do it. Because we trust in Jesus, He has set us free from sin and gives us power over temptation--and when we do sin, He offers us forgiveness. When we're tempted to do wrong things, it's important to direct our thoughts back toward Jesus and trust Him for the power to resist."

"I was definitely more focused on my grades than I was on Jesus," Liam admitted.

Dad picked up the scrap of meat and tossed it into the air. Nala caught and swallowed it, barely taking time to chew. She sat down and licked her lips again. It had been worth the wait.

- A. J. Schut

How About You?
What are some temptations that you've experienced? If you're a Christian, remember that even when you give in to temptation and sin, God has already forgiven all your sins through the death and resurrection of His Son. Because you trust in Jesus, He has freed you from sin and given you the power to resist it. The next time you're tempted to do something wrong, redirect your attention to Jesus and the power you have in Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (NIV) (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Today's Key Thought:
Focus on Jesus