Bible Reading: John 14:6; Acts 16:25-34

"Sure you don't want to come along to pick up Grandma from her appointment?" asked Riley's grandfather as he turned the car into the driveway. Riley shook his head. He planned to enjoy a glass of milk and some of Grandma's cookies while he waited. "Okay," said Grandpa. He held out a key chain. "The silver key with the round top is the house key. Grandma and I will be back soon."

Riley took the keys and went up the walk. None of these keys look like the one Grandpa described, he thought. He tried each one in the front door. None worked, so he walked around the house, checking every window and door. They were all locked securely. Riley groaned and tried to ignore his growling stomach as he sat down on the steps to wait.

After what seemed like forever, his grandparents arrived. "I couldn't get in!" Riley told them. "You didn't give me the right key, Grandpa."

"I didn't? It's the--oh no, wait! I took it off that ring to have a duplicate made. I must have forgotten to put it back. I'm sorry, Riley."

"Well, I have a key that will work," said Grandma. She handed it to Riley.

A moment later Riley had the door open. "Whew! I didn't think I'd ever make it in here. There's nothing worse than being locked out of the house when all you want is a glass of milk and one of Grandma's cookies!"

"Actually, I can think of something worse," said Grandpa.

"Really? What?" asked Riley.

"It'd be worse to expect to get into heaven but find out too late that you have the wrong key."

"What do you mean?" asked Riley. "You don't get into heaven with keys."

"No, not actual keys," said Grandpa. "But we may think being in a Christian family or living a good life is the key to getting into heaven. But it doesn't work that way. Jesus said, 'No one comes to the Father except through Me.' We can only have the right key by trusting in Him. He's the one who makes us right with God and gives us eternal life." Grandpa paused. "What key do you have, Riley?"

Riley smiled. "I believe in Jesus and trust Him to save me, so I know I have the right key!"

-Mary Rose Pearson

How About You?
Do you think you'll go to heaven someday? What key are you counting on to let you in? Doing good things? Going to church? Being part of a Christian family? These are useless in opening heaven's door. Jesus is the key to eternal life with God. You can only have your sins forgiven and be saved by trusting in Him. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. (CSB) (Acts 16:31)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust in Jesus

Bible Reading: Psalm 118:24-29; 122:1

"Roman! I told you to get up twenty minutes ago. Now hurry!" Roman's mom said from the doorway of his room. "We'll be leaving for church soon!"

Roman sleepily opened his eyes. It was so hard to get up in the morning! He put one foot on the floor, then the other. It was cold. He wrapped his blanket around him.

"Roman, are you hurrying?" Mom called from the hallway a few minutes later.

"Yep, I'm hurrying," Roman answered, and he quickly got dressed, but then he flopped down on the bed again. The next time Mom checked on him, he was fast asleep.

"You're going to have to get to bed earlier," Mom said when she woke him again. "Now get up and get ready, Roman."

The following day was Roman's birthday, and as soon as he heard his parents get up, he jumped out of bed too. He didn't mind that it was early and cold. He threw his clothes on as fast as he could and then ran downstairs.

"Well," Mom said. "I didn't expect to see you up this early!"

"Today's a special day, Mom!" said Roman, eyeing the big box on the table.

"Yesterday was a special day too," said Mom.

"It was?" Roman furrowed his brows in confusion. "It wasn't your birthday or Dad's."

Mom laughed. "No, but Sundays are special. God sets one day a week apart for us to rest from our work and meet with other believers at church. It's a gift that's meant to help us remember we can always rest in the peace and love of Jesus because He saved us and is always with us. But just like any gift, you need to open it."

Dad nodded. "It's not a gift that comes in a box. You can only get it by opening your heart to what God wants to teach you. Maybe you'll learn a lesson at church about someone in the Bible with a problem similar to one you have, or receive a word of encouragement from a teacher or pastor, or remember that God loves you as you rest and spend time with your family."

Roman smiled as Dad handed him his present. "I guess I'll have lots more gifts to look forward to after this one, huh?"

-Linda Weddle

How About You?
Do you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and starting your day? Every day is a gift from God, but each week He gives us a special day when we can take a break from school and work to meet with Him with other believers. This special day--which is on Sunday for most Christians--is a gift God wants you to enjoy every week. Open it by getting up and being ready to see what good things God has in store for you!

Today's Key Verse:
This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (NKJV) (Psalm 118:24)

Today's Key Thought:
Sunday is a special day

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24

"Church in a cave!" exclaimed Elias. He and his family were on vacation, and Dad had announced they'd be attending a church service inside a cave. "I've never been in a cave," Elias said. "I wonder what it will be like."

Early Sunday morning, they were on their way. When they were finally down in the cave and seated in the large room where the service was to be held, Elias shivered. It was very dark, except where electric lights lit the way. Huge stone formations hung down, while others rose up from the floor, casting gloomy shadows. The air was damp, and water dripped down the rocky walls. In his seat, Elias pulled his jacket close around him to keep out the cold, clammy air. This is interesting, but I don't really like this dark, scary place, he thought. I hope the sermon doesn't last long. He glanced at the dark shadows cast by the stones.

Shortly after the minister started speaking, it was suddenly pitch dark! Elias anxiously reached out toward where his father was sitting. "I'm right here beside you," Dad whispered.

The minister had paused in his message, and children began crying. Some of the adults nervously tried to calm the children. "Don't be afraid. I'm sure the lights will be back on in a few moments," said the minister. "Don't forget that God can see just as well in the dark as in bright sunlight. He's outside in the sunshine, and He's right here with us too. Our great God is omnipresent."

"What does that mean--that big word?" Elias whispered to Dad.

"It means God is present everywhere at the same time," Dad replied.

"There's no place in this entire universe where God isn't present," continued the minister. "Even way down in this dark cave. He's watching over you this very minute. He cares for us so much that Jesus became one of us and experienced the darkness of death so we would never have to be separated from Him. No matter how dark things get, He is always with us."

Elias felt glad God was right there with Him. I don't even feel very scared anymore, he thought. When the lights came back on a moment later, Elias gave his dad a big smile.

-Carolyn E. Yost

How About You?
Are you facing something that fills you with fear? Does it feel like you're surrounded by darkness and God is far away? No matter where you are or what it is you're facing, God is there with you. Although you can't see Him, He is watching over you and caring for you. The Bible tells us He is everywhere--He's omnipresent--and Jesus promises that nothing can separate us from Him, not even death. Whenever you're afraid or lonely, remember He is with you.

Today's Key Verse:
"Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the Lord. (NKJV) (Jeremiah 23:24)

Today's Key Thought:
God is everywhere

Bible Reading: Joshua 1:1-9; Philippians 1:12-20

"Something smells delicious!" Dad said as he walked into the kitchen.

"That's because it's chocolate." Lacy pointed to three bowls. "It's going to be a chocolate layer cake with three layers of dark, milk, and white chocolate."

Dad winked. "I'm glad you started watching baking shows in your free time."

"I wonder why!" Lacy giggled.

"How have things been going with Nia?" asked Dad.

Lacy removed the paddle attachment from the mixer. "We've been friends since kindergarten, so I thought she would be more understanding when I told her about my new relationship with Jesus. Instead, things have been difficult."

"How so?"

"Well, sometimes we used to make fun of kids in the lunchroom…it was kind of like our game, though we never said it to their faces. Now, I don't want to do that since I belong to Jesus and I know He loves those kids. I tried to explain it to Nia, but she said Jesus makes me boring."

"Did that make you want to behave the way you used to?"

Lacy shrugged. "For a second, but only because I want our friendship to stay the same."

Dad nodded thoughtfully. "Lacy, remember when you started baking? What was the first thing you made?"

"Those awful chocolate chip cookies! I over-mixed them and left them in the oven too long."

Dad laughed. "I was proud of how you didn't let that make you quit. You kept baking, your cookies kept improving, and today you're making a triple layer cake! Living a new life in Christ is not always going to be easy, but you have God's promise that He will be with you wherever you go. Because you have His Spirit in you, you will have the courage to speak and act in ways that are pleasing to Him."

"You're right, Dad. My baking journey took time, so I guess it makes sense that my faith journey will too. I just have to be courageous and keep taking the next right step." Lacy grinned. "I know what I'm going to name my cake! Chocolate Courage Layer Cake. It will remind me that in every layer of life, God will give me what I need to live courageously for Him!"

-Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Are you a child of God? When you belong to Jesus, He promises to never leave you or abandon you and to give you everything you need to live a life pleasing to Him. It can be scary to live in a way the world doesn't always understand. Living for Jesus and doing the right thing takes courage. With God's help, you can choose to live courageously and make daily decisions that show others His love.

Today's Key Verse:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (NIV) (Joshua 1:9)

Today's Key Thought:
In God's strength, you can live courageously

Bible Reading: Romans 12:3-8

"I'll help with that," Everett said when his sisters got out a puzzle. "That's a cool picture." He pointed to the cover, which showed three sailboats out at sea.

"There sure are a lot of different shapes and colors in this puzzle," Grace observed as she tipped the box over and the pieces tumbled onto the table. She picked up a piece. "I like the ones with the pretty, sunshiny yellow color."

Natasha nodded. "I like the blues and greens too. I want to work with them. But not the other pieces--they're not as bright and colorful."

"But if all the pieces were blue and green and yellow, we couldn't make a picture like the one on the box," Everett reminded her. "All the puzzle pieces are important."

"Just like people," Mom said from where she was working on her laptop nearby. The kids looked at her curiously, and Mom smiled. "Puzzle pieces come in different shapes and colors, but we need them all to put the whole picture together," said Mom. "People are different too. God created us to have different sizes, shapes, and colors, and He also gave us different personalities and abilities. But if we know Jesus, we're all part of His family. We look different and have different abilities, but we're all needed."

"Even kids are needed, right?" asked Grace.

"Of course!" said Mom. "Right now, you need to be a student in school."

"Yeah, because everyone can't be the same thing!" said Everett. "Imagine if everybody was a teacher--who would there be to teach?"

Natasha laughed. "Or if everybody was a preacher, who would there be to listen?"

"And who would grow the food for us to eat?" asked Everett.

"Food! Of course you'd think about that!" teased Grace.

"God made us all to be different so that together we can create a picture of what He's like and show the world His love," Mom said. "No matter what He has for you to do now or when you're older, you are needed!"

-Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Do you ever wish you were like someone else? Maybe you wish you looked like them or that you could do things they can do. But God didn't create you to be them--He created you to be you! He made you the way you are, and like every Christian, you are an important piece of the puzzle. You are needed to help grow God's kingdom and show His love to others. Trust Him to help you do your part so you can help show a picture of Jesus to the world, just the way you are.

Today's Key Verse:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. (NIV) (Romans 12:6 )

Today's Key Thought:
All Christians are needed