Bible Reading: James 1:21-25

Hurry up, Dad, thought Landon as his dad read a Bible passage aloud. Landon was anxious for morning devotions to end so the day's fishing trip could begin. It seemed like a long time before Dad finally closed with prayer.

"Okay, let's go!" said Landon as soon as Dad said "Amen." He grinned at his mother. "We'll bring you some fish for dinner."

When they got to the river, Landon and Dad quickly cast their fishing lines into the water. They talked as they waited for the fish to bite, but they didn't get even one nibble. "Maybe they heard us talk about frying them!" joked Landon as he and Dad moved along the riverbank to try a different spot.

A few minutes later, something tugged at Landon's line. "I've got a bite!" he exclaimed. He reeled in his catch. "My dinner!" he announced, holding the fish above his head. Landon frowned as he took the fish off the hook and inspected it. "I thought talking too loud was scaring the fish away, but fish don't even have ears."

"Sure they do," said Dad. "You just can't see them. Fish have internal ears--that is, ears on the inside--not external ones like us." He tugged gently on Landon's ear. "But you know what?"

Landon shook his head. "What?"

"Well," said Dad, "even though our ears are on the outside of our heads, our most important hearing takes place on the inside in our hearts. That happens when we listen carefully to the message God has for us. His message is in the Bible--it tells us about our need for Jesus and how we should live as God's children who have been freed from sin. When we listen to that message, God helps us live out its truth."

Landon thought about their devotions that morning. He had heard Dad's voice, but he knew he hadn't listened with his heart to God's message. "I didn't do a good job of that this morning."

Dad patted his shoulder. "None of us listen perfectly all the time, but God is patient with us. He's also given us the Holy Spirit to help us listen and act on His words."

Landon nodded. "Maybe tonight I'll reread the devotions and listen better this time." He grinned. "After I eat some freshly caught fish, that is!"

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
How well do you listen when someone reads the Bible or talks about what it means? Do you just hear words, or do you hear a message from God and take it to heart? Every single one of God's words is specially given to us so that we can know God better and experience His love and power in our lives. Trust Him to help you listen to all He says with your heart and put it into practice.

Today's Key Verse:
Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." (NLT) (Luke 11:28)

Today's Key Thought:
Listen to God with your heart

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:1-4

"Who would like to take this form to the principal for me?" asked Mrs. Li. "It's very important, and he's waiting for it." Flynn raised his hand high for his teacher to see. "Flynn, you may go," she said.

Flynn proudly walked to the principal's office with the form in his hand. But when he got there, the principal wasn't there. He dropped the form on the principal's desk and walked slowly back to class. "Some important job," he muttered to himself.

At recess, Flynn collected all the balls from around the playground and put them in the bin. No one seemed to notice.

On his way home, a woman dropped her keys on the sidewalk. Flynn scooped them up and handed them back to her. But she scurried away without even a "thank you." Flynn sighed and trudged home.

His mom was in the kitchen when he arrived. "Want a snack?" she asked. Flynn shrugged. "What's wrong, Flynn?" asked Mom. "Everything okay?"

"My teacher at church says that since Jesus saved us we're supposed to do good deeds to show others His love and that we have faith in Him. But what's the point if no one even notices the good things I do?"

Mom paused. "Do you remember the year Dad was out of work?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Flynn. He did remember. It was a hard year.

"And do you remember how a grocery card and Bible verse appeared in our mailbox every single week?" asked Mom. Again Flynn nodded. "Those verses and gift cards kept us going during a very hard time, but we never found out who was behind it," Mom said. "Why didn't they let us thank them?"

"I guess it just made them feel good to help us," said Flynn.

"I'm sure it did," said Mom. "But I also think they knew that the Bible tells us to do our good deeds in secret and that God, who sees everything, will reward us. Even though your good deeds may not get any appreciation here on earth, keep doing them. God sees every good thing you do for others out of the love He has shown you, and He knows you're doing them for Him."

–Laura Kuehn

How About You?
Do you get frustrated when the good things you do are not appreciated by others? Don't stop doing good. Jesus, who loves you so much that He died for your sins to make you God's child, appreciates every good thing you do out of the love you have for Him. Remember that you are serving Him, not people, and that He will reward you in His way and in His time.

Today's Key Verse:
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (NIV) (Galatians 6:9)

Today's Key Thought:
God sees your good deeds

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Grace and Alicia got off the bus and walked to Grace's front door. "Our church is having a kids' festival on Saturday," said Grace. "We'll have crafts and food, and the high schoolers will perform a drama about Jesus's death and resurrection. You want to come?"

"Nah," said Alicia. "My parents say church is made up of people who believe in silly things. Besides, I think it's crazy to think that something that happened so long ago makes any difference in people's lives today." Alyssa quickly changed the subject. "What topic did Mr. Larsen give you for your history project? I got Armistice Day. Mr. Larsen said that was the day World War I ended. What did you get?"

"The Lusitania," said Grace. "Mr. Larsen said that was a British ship that was torpedoed right before the war. I don't know much about it, but I think my parents have a picture of it."

Grace's mom greeted them when they walked in. "Did you get your project topics today?" she asked.

"Alicia got Armistice Day, and I got the Lusitania," said Grace. "Don't you have a picture of that around here somewhere?"

"I do," Mom said. "Because you know what, Grace? If the Lusitania hadn't been destroyed by a torpedo, you wouldn't be here!"

Grace was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Your great-great-grandfather's first wife was sailing from New York to England to visit her very ill father. She was on the Lusitania and lost her life when it went down. A few years later, your great-great-grandfather married again and your great-grandmother was born, followed by my mother and then me and then you. None of us would've been here without the Lusitania sinking. Life would've been very different for our family if that event hadn't happened."

"Wow," Grace said, "I didn't know that." Then she thought of something. "Alicia, you said a long-ago event couldn't make a difference in our lives today, but that's not true! Just like the Lusitania changed lives in our family, Jesus's death and resurrection changes lives too! What He did changes everything, because now anyone can be forgiven for their sins and have a relationship with God."

"I never thought about it like that," said Alicia. "Maybe I'll go with you Saturday after all."

–Linda Weddle

How About You?
Is there a historical event that changed your family's history? What about Jesus's death and resurrection--has that made a difference in your life? If God hadn't sent His Son to die for our sins and then raised Him from the dead, we wouldn't be able to have His joy and peace in our lives and the promise of eternal life with Him. Jesus changes lives, and if you trust in Him, He will change yours 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:
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and…He was buried, and…He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (NKJV) (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 )

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus's death and resurrection changes lives

Bible Reading: Acts 20:17-21

"The British are coming! The British are coming!" Jacob cried as he spurred his horse past Uncle Eric and thundered through the pasture back toward the barn.

Uncle Eric soon caught up. "You must have learned about the Revolutionary War and how Paul Revere warned the colonists that enemy troops were coming," he said as they slowed the horses to a walk for the rest of the way in.

Jacob grinned and nodded. "I wish I could have lived back then. Riding at night to warn people of danger must have been really exciting!"

Uncle Eric shrugged. "Exciting, yes, but don't you think it sounds scary too? How many of us would really have dared to do that and risked getting captured?"

"I would have!" Jacob exclaimed as he dismounted and led his horse inside the barn to rub him down.

"Maybe," said Uncle Eric thoughtfully. "But we have an even more important message to share with people, yet sometimes fear keeps me from sharing it."

Jacob looked doubtful. "What do we have to tell people about?"

Uncle Eric began to rub down his horse. "God has given Christians the task of sharing His message of love with the world. We need to tell people that Jesus died and rose again to free us from sin and that the only way we can be forgiven for our wrongs and have eternal life is by trusting in Him."

"Oh!" Jacob frowned. "Won't they think we're kind of weird?"

"Do you think Paul Revere worried about what people might think when he warned them that the British were coming?" asked Uncle Eric. Jacob shook his head. "But we worry about things like that, don't we?" said Uncle Eric. "Our message is far more important than Paul Revere's, yet we often keep quiet out of fear of being embarrassed or judged. But time is short, just like it was for Paul Revere. Jesus is coming again one day to bring all those who trust in Him to live with Him forever, and no one knows when that will be. That's why we need to depend on Him to give us the courage to tell others about Him now."

Jacob latched the door shut behind his horse and got an idea. "Next time we ride, maybe I'll shout, 'Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!'"

–Jean A. Burns

How About You?
Have you ever shared the message of Jesus's love and forgiveness with someone? God wants every single person on this planet to experience His love, and He wants us to be part of His work! If you trust Jesus as your Savior, you can ask Him to give you the words to say and the opportunity to share the good news of His love with others.

Today's Key Verse:
And then [Jesus] told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." (NLT) (Mark 16:15 )

Today's Key Thought:
Share the message of Jesus

Bible Reading: Psalms 23; 139:1-6; Matthew 7:9-11

"Layla is crying again," Kiera told her aunt. "What do you think she wants this time?"

"She's probably hungry," said Aunt Michelle as she picked up her five-week-old baby.

"She can't do anything for herself, can she?" asked Kiera. "You have to pick her up and carry her. You dress her, you feed her, you rock her, and you have to give her baths."

"That's right," said Aunt Michelle. "Right now your little cousin depends on me for almost everything. I take care of her day and night."

When Kiera returned home, she told her parents all about Baby Layla. "Aunt Michelle must get really tired," said Kiera. "She has so much work to do. She does everything but breathe for that baby!"

"We were all babies like that once," Dad said. "You were too, and Mom and I did the same things for you."

"Well, I'm not like that anymore," replied Kiera, standing tall. "I take care of myself."

"I'm still like a baby in some ways," said Mom. Kiera giggled. "But I am!" Mom insisted. "I depend on my Father for everything. Sometimes I get upset because He doesn't meet my needs right when I want Him to. But most of the time I rest, trusting my Father to care for me."

"But Grandpa lives in California!" said Kiera. "You don't depend on him to take care of you."

Dad smiled. "Mom isn't talking about her earthly father. She's talking about God--her heavenly Father."

Mom nodded. "My heavenly Father is with me day and night. I need Him all the time."

"We all do," said Dad. "Aunt Michelle loves Baby Layla, so she's happy to take care of all her needs. But just think of how much more God loves us, and how much more capable He is in providing everything we need. When we needed a Savior to rescue us from sin, God loved us enough to send His own Son, Jesus."

"Right," Mom said. "Unlike human parents caring for their children, God knows what we need before we can even ask for it."

"Well, then I guess it's okay to be like a baby in that way," said Kiera. "I know I want God to take good care of me!"

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Do you know that in some ways you're like a baby? Even though you're much bigger and able to do lots of things a baby can't, you still need to depend on God. He gives you the air you breathe and provides everything you need. He knows how to best care for you and understands your deepest needs and desires. Trust that He is a good Father to you--His precious child.

Today's Key Verse:
If you…know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. (CSB) (Matthew 7:11)

Today's Key Thought:
God takes care of you