Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-21

Amelia looked down at her paint-splattered T-shirt and jeans and shook her head. "I'm trying to keep it on the wall."

Her dad grinned. "Me too, but look at my hair."

Amelia's eyes widened. "What if the blue never comes out?"

"Then I guess I'll have blue hair," Dad said.

"You two sound like you're having fun in here." Mom stepped into the doorway. "Mind if I join you?"

Amelia looked at her mom and giggled. "You have pink paint in your hair."

"I do?" Mom pulled her ponytail forward to see. "Oh, well. It will wash out."

Amelia dipped her roller in the paint pan. "I didn't know painting could be so much fun."

"I know," Mom said. "I think part of it is knowing we're doing this for someone else. I can't wait to see your cousins' faces when they see the freshly painted walls."

Dad nodded. "It feels good to do this for your aunt after all she's been through lately."

"It feels kind of like Christmas morning," Amelia said as she rolled more paint on the wall. "I thought I could only feel like that if I were getting something."

"Well, in a way, you are getting something," Dad said. "You know how the Bible tells us not to store treasures on earth but to store them in heaven? Today, helping out your aunt and cousins like this, you're storing up treasures in heaven."

"We store treasures in heaven by doing good things for others?" asked Amelia.

Dad nodded. "The Bible reminds us that earthly treasures don't last forever, but Jesus loved us so much that He died and rose again so we could be part of His eternal kingdom. When we do things for others to show them His love, God promises to use our loving deeds to build His kingdom. It's one way we store up treasures that last."

"I want to do stuff like this more often," Amelia said.

"I think that would be a great idea," said Mom. "We can find other ways to share God's love as a family."

Amelia smiled as she put one more stripe of paint on the wall, knowing her cousins were going to love their new room. She couldn't wait to do even more to serve others and store treasures in heaven.

–Bethany Acker

How About You?
Do you ever take the time to do good things for others? When you serve others to show them the love of Jesus, you are storing treasure in heaven where it will last forever! Trust God to help you store up heavenly treasures by keeping your focus on Jesus and His kingdom and by showing others His love.

Today's Key Verse:
Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (NIV) (Hebrews 13:16)

Today's Key Thought:
Do good to others

Bible Reading: John 8:31-36

"Grandpa, look at that one!" exclaimed Easton as a burst of colorful sparks filled the air. He watched in awe as the twirling sparks wove patterns of color in the sky as they made their way down to the earth. "It's the best one yet." The fireworks display was spectacular. Amid ohs and ahs from the crowd, a variety of reds, greens, yellows, blues, and blazing whites lit up the sky.

After the grand finale, Grandpa and Easton stood and stretched. "Do you know why we celebrate the Fourth of July?" asked Grandpa.

"Sure," replied Easton as they walked back to the car. "It's a special day that's set aside to celebrate our freedom and liberty."

Grandpa nodded. "We live in a country where we can choose what kind of work we want to do, travel where we want, say what we think, vote for those we want to be elected, and meet for public worship of God. Not everyone has those privileges."

"I know, Grandpa," said Easton. "I'm glad we can do those things here."

"I am too," said Grandpa. After a moment, he added, "But did you know, Easton, that the greatest freedom anyone can have is available to people in every country of the world?"

"It is?" asked Easton.

Grandpa nodded. "Unfortunately, many people don't know about that freedom," he said. "I'm talking about the freedom that Jesus Christ gives to everyone who trusts in Him. When we trust Him to forgive us for all the wrong things we've done and be our Savior, He makes us His children and frees us from the power and the punishment of sin. That's the most spectacular freedom anyone will ever have."

"Then we should celebrate that too," said Easton with a grin. "Can we have fireworks again tomorrow?"

Grandpa laughed. "That might not be a bad idea. We should certainly let the world know about this freedom and tell people that they can enjoy it too. All right. We'll have to think about a good way to celebrate our freedom in Christ, and then let's do it!"

–Linda E. Knight

How About You?
Do you celebrate the freedom from sin that Jesus gives? If you know Him as your Savior, you are truly free--you're no longer ruled by sin and you're free from its punishment. That's a reason to celebrate! Be as outspoken about your freedom in Christ as you are about the other freedoms you enjoy. Let others know they can have this freedom too!

Today's Key Verse:
If the Son [Jesus] sets you free, you are truly free. (NLT) (John 8:36)

Today's Key Thought:
Celebrate freedom in Christ

Bible Reading: Romans 4:5-8; Ephesians 2:8-9

"Gotcha!" Eli shouted as he took another of Adrian's game pieces off the board. Adrian groaned, then gave Eli a playful shove.

"Adrian," said Eli's mom as she came into the room, "you're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like. I'm making roast chicken and biscuits."

"Really? Thanks!" said Adrian. "I love your cooking!"

"Call your mom and make sure it's okay," said Eli's mom. "Tell her we'll drop you off on our way to church--or you can come to church with us."

"Okay," said Adrian. After Eli's mom left, Adrian turned to Eli. "You sure have to work hard to be Christians, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Eli.

"You go to church all the time," replied Adrian. "And you can't do certain things."

"But that's not what makes us Christians," said Eli. "Trusting that Jesus died and rose again to save us is the only thing that counts." Adrian just shrugged.

When Eli's mom called them into the kitchen, Adrian's mouth watered at the smell of the chicken and biscuits. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked. "Do you need help setting the table?"

"Nope," said Eli's mom. "Everything's already done." She picked up a steaming dish. "All you need to do is eat!"

They sat down and Eli's mom said a prayer, then she passed the chicken to Adrian. "This looks delicious!" he said as he stuck his fork into a leg. He bit into it and closed his eyes. "Wow. I could never cook like this!"

Eli's mom smiled. "Adrian, I overheard you say that being a Christian seems like a lot of work, but it's Jesus who did all the work. We go to church and trust God to help us do what's right because Jesus has saved us and we love Him, not to become Christians. Salvation--being saved from sin and having eternal life--is a gift from God." She passed the bowl of biscuits to Adrian. "It's just like this meal I made. You don't need to work for it. Just take it."

A smile spread across Adrian's face. "I think I will." He bit into a biscuit and chewed it thoughtfully. "Can I come to church with you tonight? I want to hear more about this gift from God."

–Esther M. Bailey

How About You?
Have you taken the gift of salvation? There's nothing you can do to earn a gift. You can't become a Christian by doing good things or going to church. You only become a Christian by accepting the gift of eternal life that Jesus died to give you. Receive that gift today by trusting in Him. (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:
The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV) (Romans 6:23)

Today's Key Thought:
Receive God's gift of eternal life

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:97-104

Gabriella read Mom's grocery list as she walked down the familiar aisles at the store. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a box of chocolate cream-filled snack cakes sitting on the shelf, and her mouth watered. I wish Mom had put Choco-Cakes on this list, she thought.

As she walked back to the produce section, Gabriella thought about those Choco-Cakes and how good they would have tasted. She found her mother and placed the items from her list into the cart. "Why the frown?" asked Mom. "Are you upset about something?"

"No," answered Gabriella. "I was just wishing I could have picked up Choco-Cakes instead of all this stuff. I just love those things!" She rolled her eyes dramatically. "When I walk past them, I can almost hear them call out my name. 'Gabriella--I'm over here! Buy me! Eat me!' They're so good!" She and Mom both laughed.

"And what does the honey say when you walk by?" asked Mom as she took a jar of honey from a floor display. "It's sweet. Does it call your name too?"

Gabriella shrugged. "No. Honey's okay, but I don't ever crave it. Do you?"

"No, but I think a lot of people in the Bible did," Mom said thoughtfully. "Some verses I read in the book of Psalms this morning included one that mentions honey, where the author says God's words are sweeter than honey."

"I remember that verse," said Gabriella. "We had to learn it for church once. Maybe it would make more sense to me if I liked honey better."

"The writer must have liked honey a lot," said Mom. "But he's saying that he likes God's Word even better. But for you…" Mom paused. "Why not think of it this way? God wants you to be hungry for His Word--the Bible--because it tells us what Jesus did to save us and reminds us of who we are as God's children. Through it, God gives us wisdom and encouragement for our lives. God wants you to be more hungry for His Word than for anything else in this world, including Choco-Cakes!"

Gabriella grinned. "That I can understand," she said. "That would mean I like God's Word a whole lot!"

–Jaunita Urbach

How About You?
Are you hungry for God and His Word? Think of something you really like to eat and compare your desire for that to your desire to know what God says. God wants you to enjoy the good things He provides for you to eat, but He also wants to give you spiritual nourishment through His Word. Taste its sweetness every day by taking a few minutes to read some verses from it.

Today's Key Verse:
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (NKJV) (Psalm 119:103)

Today's Key Thought:
Be hungry for God's Word

Bible Reading: Hebrews 11:17-29

Dimitri stood in place on the race track, alert and ready to spring into action for the final lap of the relay race. When his teammate passed him the baton, Dimitri sprinted down the track and was soon at full speed. Pushing himself to his limit, he zoomed ahead of his opponent. They were a full yard apart by the end of his run, and the crowd cheered as he crossed the finish line. "You did it, Dimitri! You did it!" his teammates called out.

"That team we were running against hasn't been beaten in four years!" he told Grandpa on the way home.

Grandpa grinned. "But you beat them today!"

A few months later, Dimitri and his mom arrived home after attending Grandpa's funeral. Grandpa had died of a heart attack, and Dimitri was still reeling from it. "I'm sure going to miss him," he said, tears filling his eyes. "He was the best grandpa in the world. I guess he was extra special to me because Dad died before I can remember."

"I know," said Mom. "Grandpa loved Jesus and cared so much for other people--especially you."

Dimitri nodded. "A lot of people will miss him." He absentmindedly picked up a picture of his relay team with the trophy they had won. "I'm glad Grandpa was here when our team won that trophy this year."

"Yes, he enjoyed watching you race," Mom said, looking over Dimitri's shoulder at the picture. "Did you know that the Bible compares living the Christian life to running a race? In a way, it's like the relay races you've been running. Christians run in their appointed time and place in life. When they finish their race, others take over and carry on."

"Well, then Grandpa was one of the best runners ever!" said Dimitri.

Mom smiled and nodded in agreement. "In all he did and said, he carried the truth and love of Jesus like a baton as he ran. I know he wanted to pass that baton on to you. Take it and run the very best you can, trusting God to help you share the love of Jesus and the truth of how He died and rose again to save us with others. Will you do that?" Dimitri wiped his eyes and nodded.

–Mary Rose Pearson

How About You?
Did you know that you're a runner in the race of life? The heroes of the faith referred to in Hebrews 11--and many other faithful Christians throughout the ages--have run ahead of you. Now it's your turn to run the race by trusting in Jesus and sharing His love and truth with others. Let Him help you be a good runner in life's race, knowing He's won you the prize of eternal life and will get you to the finish line.

Today's Key Verse:
Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. (CSB) (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Today's Key Thought:
Run well in life's race