Bible Reading: Hebrews 10:23-25

"My class is going on a field trip to see Mount Vernon, George Washington's home," Anissa told her parents. "We've been learning about him, and I need to get books from the library and write a report on his life."

"That's great," said Mom. "I'm sure learning about him before the trip will make it more enjoyable." So Anissa got to work, reading books about George Washington and writing her report.

When Anissa arrived home after the field trip, she told her parents about the good time she'd had. "It was so much fun to see the things and places I'd read about. I even knew some things the guide didn't mention."

After eating breakfast on Sunday, Dad stood up to help Anissa clear the table. "Okay, Anissa. Let's hear your memory verse before we leave for church," he said.

"Um, well, I don't know it yet," Anissa confessed. "I was too busy this week. I'll go study it right now." She hurried off before Dad could reply.

Learning the verse took longer than Anissa expected, and she had to hurry to get ready for church. When it was time to leave, her hair wasn't quite dry and she couldn't find her Bible. After hunting a few minutes, she finally shrugged and ran out to the car without it.

After church, Anissa sighed as she got into the car. "I haven't been getting much out of church lately," she said.

"Anissa," said Mom, "why did you do a lot of reading and write a report about Mount Vernon before going on your trip there?"

"My teacher said I had to. But I'm glad, because learning about it ahead of time made it more special!"

"Why don't you do the same for church?" suggested Mom. "Prepare for it by setting aside some time the night or morning before to read your Bible, learn your verse for Sunday school, and ask God to prepare your heart to worship Him and listen to what He has to say to you."

"Good idea," said Dad. "But don't forget that we go to church to worship Jesus and learn more about Him with other believers. He is present there with us, helping us grow in our relationship with Him--whether we feel it or not."

–Mary Rose Pearson

How About You?
Do you enjoy going to church? Have you tried preparing for it ahead of time? You can do that by giving yourself time beforehand to read your Bible and pray that God will use the church service to speak to you and others. Church is a special event where we get to be in God's presence with other believers. Prepare your heart so you'll be ready to worship and hear what He has to say to you.

Today's Key Verse:
I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." (NKJV) (Psalm 122:1)

Today's Key Thought:
Prepare for church

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:7-13

Emery looked at the tall buildings surrounding her new home. A big lump formed in her throat as she thought about the stormy divorce that had taken her father away from her. She tried to tell her mother how lonely she was, but she felt like Mom didn't really listen. I know Mom's nervous about starting her new job today, thought Emery. But I wish she'd think a little more about me and how I'm feeling on my first day at a new school!

Emery felt nervous as she walked into her new school, but the principal was kind and led Emery to her classroom to introduce her to the class. When the bell rang for lunch, Sara, the girl sitting in front of Emery, turned around. "Want to eat lunch with me?" she asked. Emery breathed a huge sigh of relief as she went with her new friend to the cafeteria.

"What do your parents do?" asked Sara as she and Emery ate.

"My mom is starting a new job at the hospital today, and my dad…" Emery had hoped no one would ask about her dad. "He's a salesman," she said vaguely. "How about your parents? What do they do?"

"My mom's an engineer, and I never knew my dad."

Emery didn't answer right away. "My parents are divorced," she finally said in a small voice. She felt tears rising to her eyes and fought them back. "And Mom just thinks about her own problems and doesn't even listen when I talk about mine."

"I know what you mean," said Sara. "I was really lonely until I met my heavenly Father."

"Your what?" asked Emery.

Sara smiled. "My heavenly Father--God. He always listens. I can talk to Him about anything, and He helps me not feel so lonely."

"Must be nice," said Emery wistfully.

Sara leaned forward in her chair. "Why don't you come to church with me and learn about Him? He can be your heavenly Father too!"

"You mean He'll listen to me too?" asked Emery. "And help me not feel lonely?"

"Definitely," said Sara. "He loves us and sent us His Son, Jesus, because He wants us to be His children." She got up. "Ready to go outside?"

"Yes," Emery said, "but tell me more about your heavenly Father!"

–Matilda H. Nordtvedt

How About You?
Do you know God as your heavenly Father? Even if you have a dad in your life, you need a relationship with God. You can know Him because of what Jesus did for you when He died on the cross for your sins and rose again. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.) He loves you and is always ready to listen to what you have to say. Why not go to Him right now?

Today's Key Verse:
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. (NKJV) (Psalm 34:15)

Today's Key Thought:
God always listens

Bible Reading: Mark 14:3-9

"Our youth group is helping out at a preschool program at church next week," Charlotte told her mother as she helped weed the flower beds. "Bria has a great voice, so she's going to teach the kids songs, and Eduardo's a lot of fun, so he's in charge of games." Charlotte sighed. "I'm just helping with check-in."

"Well, that's an important part of the program too," Mom said. "They need to make sure all the kids are accounted for and direct them where to go."

Charlotte shrugged. "I really want to help out and serve the Lord--I just wish I had more to offer."

"Charlotte, that's not--" Mom was interrupted by a squeal from little Billy, who was hurrying across the lawn toward them.

"I make present for Mommy!" he called. Clutched in his soil-stained little hands was a small pot half-filled with dirt. Billy had stuck a dandelion into the dirt. Charlotte grinned as Billy ran toward them with a huge smile on his face.

Mom turned to Charlotte. "It's a dumb present, isn't it?" she asked quietly. "That old pot he used is cracked and dirty. And that's just a weed! He should have brought me roses from the florist."

Charlotte looked horrified. "Mom! How would he get them? He's only three! You're not going to tell him that, are you?"

When Billy reached them, Mom bent down and took the flower pot he offered. "Thank you, Billy Boy! I'll put this right in the middle of our dining room table." She gave him a hug and then turned back to Charlotte as Billy ran off. "Actually, I love Billy's gift, even if it's not perfect. I know he brought it to me because he loves me. And when we offer gifts to God, with real love in our hearts, don't you think He's pleased and accepts them too--no matter how big or small they seem?"

"You're talking about me helping with check-in next week, aren't you?" asked Charlotte.

Mom nodded. "I'm glad Billy brought me the gift he was able to give me. That's what God wants us to do too. He wants us to do what we can to serve Him out of love and gratitude for all He's done for us."

–Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Do you give gifts of your time, money, or talents to God? Don't compare what you can do with what others do or spend time wishing you had talents God gave to someone else. He wants you to serve Him with the abilities He gave you. If your heart is filled with love for God and gratitude for everything Jesus has done for you, He accepts your gifts with great joy.

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:
God loves your gifts to Him

Bible Reading: Matthew 10:29-31; 25:31-40

The cold winter wind bit at Maryam's nose and ears as she and her mother were shopping downtown. "Can we stop at the pet store and get some birdseed?" asked Maryam. Mom agreed, and they headed for the store.

As they passed an alley, they saw a man sleeping there, huddled against a wall. He was shivering in a shabby coat, his hands bare and his toes poking out from his shoes. Maryam grabbed her mother by the hand and quickly pulled her past the alley. "What's wrong?" asked Mom.

"That man made me nervous," said Maryam. "Why is he dressed like that? And why is he sleeping on the street on such a cold day?"

"He must be homeless," said Mom.

"We talked about homeless people at school," Maryam said as they went into the pet store. "But I didn't think there were any in small towns like ours."

After buying a bag of birdseed, Maryam and her mother started back to the car. As they passed the alley, they saw that the man was gone. Mom looked sad. "I hope he's okay."

When they got home, Maryam filled the family's backyard feeder with birdseed. Then she went inside and rubbed the cold from her tingling fingers. She joined her mother at the window, and they watched birds swoop down to the feeder. "I'm glad we can put out seeds for them," Maryam said. "It's so cold, and it's hard for them to find food. They might die without us." Maryam smiled as she watched the birds flutter around the feeder and peck at the seeds. "You know what? Some verses I read in my Bible this morning said God knows about every sparrow that falls. He cares about birds."

"Yes," said Mom. "And He cares about people much more than birds. People are so valuable to Him that Jesus became one of us so we could be saved from sin and live with Him forever."

Maryam stared out at the snowy backyard, thinking of the man they'd seen. "We found a way to help the birds through the cold winter. Maybe we could find a way to help homeless people too."

"I'm sure we can," Mom said. "Let's come up with some ideas."

–Daryl B. Knauer

How About You?
Do you know of someone who's in need? In today's Key Verse, Jesus tells Christians that doing something for someone in need is the same as doing it for Him. Think about what you could do. Perhaps you could donate food, money, or even your time to your church or another organization that helps people. Ask God to show you how you can share His love by helping those in need.

Today's Key Verse:
Truly I [Jesus] tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (NIV) (Matthew 25:40)

Today's Key Thought:
Help those in need

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:10-17

"What are you doing, Thomas?" William stared at his little brother in shock. "Mom, come quick!"

Mom came running into the room. "Who got hurt?" she asked, then frowned. "Thomas, why in the world are you standing on a Bible?"

Thomas grinned. "We learned about it in Sunday school today. The Bible is God's Word, and we're supposed to stand on it!" He thrust his hand into the air.

William began to laugh. "Thomas, you're not supposed to actually stand on the Bible. That's just a fancy way to talk."

Now Mom laughed. "You mean a figure of speech?"

"Yeah, that," William agreed, eyeing the Bible. "We aren't supposed to stand on the Bible, we're supposed to read it."

"Then why do we sing about standing on it?" Thomas stepped onto the floor, looking confused.

"Standing on the Bible means standing firm in its truth." Mom picked up the Bible and flipped to Ephesians 6. "Sometimes people explain ideas using things we're familiar with to help us understand. The armor of God is a good example. Is the armor of God actual armor that you need to buckle and fasten?"

Thomas shook his head. "No, but that would be cool. I could be like a knight!"

"Ephesians 6:10 tells us to be strong in the Lord," continued Mom. "The devil tries to get us to doubt God's goodness and His promises in the Bible and give in to sinful temptations. Standing firm means remembering that God is so good that He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins and that Jesus gives us the strength to resist temptation. It means trusting that Jesus's sacrifice saves us from sin completely and being confident in God's endless love for us. As we learn what the Bible says about Jesus and embrace its truth, it helps us stand firm against the devil's tricks."

"So, instead of standing on the Bible, we want the Bible inside us?" asked Thomas.

William frowned. "What? You don't eat the Bible either!"

"Memorizing means the verses are stuck inside my brain," Thomas explained. "So, if the Bible is stuck inside my brain, then I can stand on its truth!" Thomas threw his fist into the air again, making both Mom and William laugh.

–Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Are you standing firm in the truth of God's Word? Satan is very tricky, and he wants all of us to sin and doubt God. But the Bible tells us the truth about God's goodness and His love for us. It tells us how we have the power to resist sin through Jesus. By reading God's Word, memorizing it, and learning about it with others, we can equip ourselves to stand firm against the devil's lies by remembering the strength we have in Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. (NIV) (Ephesians 6:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Stand firm in God's Word