Bible Reading: Psalms 97:1-6; 104:31-35; Revelation 1:4-7

Enzo was watching TV when he saw small ripples appear in his glass of juice. A moment later, he felt slight vibrations throughout his body, as though someone had just started a car he was sitting in. "Mom!" Enzo yelled as he ran into the kitchen. "The floor is shaking!"

"Quick," said Mom, "under the table!" They scooted underneath the large kitchen table and stayed there several minutes until the rumblings deep in the earth below them stopped.

Once it was safe, they climbed back out, and Mom flipped on the news. "The earthquake we felt was 4.8 on the Richter scale," she said. "There were some buildings in the area with minor damage, but it wasn't very strong, and no one was hurt."

"We learned about the Richter scale in school," said Enzo. "It has numbers between one and ten that measure how strong an earthquake is."

"That's right," said Mom. "A 4.8 is considered a light earthquake."

"It didn't feel light," said Enzo. "It was scary!"

"Yes, earthquakes scare me too," said Mom. "When I feel one, I'm afraid it might damage our house or our town--or worse, hurt you or someone else. But earthquakes also remind me how powerful and holy God is and that He is in control of everything."

"How do earthquakes remind you of that?" asked Enzo.

"The Bible says that the earth trembles before the Lord," Mom replied. "Even though the huge tectonic plates that make up the earth below us seem incredibly powerful and unpredictable to us, God has complete control over them. There's no scale to measure how powerful He is. He's off the Richter."

"So the earth trembles before the Lord, just like I tremble in an earthquake?" asked Enzo.

Mom laughed. "Do you mean you tremble because you're scared or because you're shaking along with the ground?"

Enzo thought a moment. "Both!"

"Earthquakes are powerful forces of nature, but they're nowhere near as powerful as God," said Mom. "He has control over the entire universe, and yet He loves us and sent His Son to die for our sins. One day, the whole world will see His power when Jesus comes again to judge sin, but those who trust in Him have nothing to fear."

Enzo smiled. "What a great God."

–Courtney Lasater

How About You?
Have you ever seen something so powerful it made you afraid? Whatever it was, God had complete control over it--He's more powerful than anything you can imagine. One day, all people on earth will see His power like never before when Jesus comes again, but those whose sins have been forgiven will have nothing to fear. Are you one of those people? If not, trust in 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:
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. (NIV) (Psalm 96:9)

Today's Key Thought:
God is great

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:97-104

"What is this?" Lindsey asked her grandma, looking at the metal trays and racks on the kitchen counter.

"That's honeycomb," Grandma said. "Grandpa took it out of one of our hives earlier."

"It doesn't look like honey," Lindsey said doubtfully.

Grandma laughed. "Right now, the comb is draining, so if you look under the metal rack, it should look like honey. Now I need to package it up so Grandpa can take it to customers tomorrow."

"Can I help?" Lindsey asked.

"Sure!" Grandma handed her a pair of gloves. "Why don't you put these on, then I'll show you how to do it."

When her mom picked her up later that day, Lindsey told her about the honey. "It was so cool, Mom! There was honey left on the trays, and Grandma let me taste some. It was so good--it tasted just like sugar. I got to bring some of it home so you can taste it."

"That does sound really cool," Mom agreed. "I can't wait to taste it. Did you know that there's a Bible verse about honey?"

"There is?" Lindsey asked. "About honey?"

"Yep. It's in the book of Psalms, and it tells us that God's Word is sweeter than honey."

"But the honey was so sweet!" said Lindsey.

Mom laughed. "Yes, honey is really sweet, and the Bible is even sweeter than that! God's Word teaches us about Him, and He uses the Bible to talk to us. Through it, He tells us who He is and how much He loves us, and He helps us understand what Jesus did to save us and how we should live as His children. Talking to Him and learning from Him are two reasons it's important to read the Bible."

"I like looking at my Bible." Lindsey bit her lip. "But I can't read it yet."

Mom smiled. "You'll be able to read it before too long! And listening to the Bible works the same way--that's why Daddy or I read your Bible to you every night before bed."

"Can we read the verse about honey tonight?" Lindsey asked.

Mom pulled into the driveway. "That sounds perfect."

–Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Have you tasted honey? It's very sweet, isn't it? Our Key Verse today tells us there's something even sweeter than honey--God's Word! God's words to us in the Bible are sweeter than anything else. How great is it that God wants to talk to us? Listen to what He has to say by reading the Bible yourself and listening when others read and explain it to you. What is God telling you?

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

Today's Key Thought:
Reading the Bible is sweet!

Bible Reading: Mark 2:3-12

Kelvin sighed as he picked up a big box. "This room is full of stuff."

Mom wiped sweat from her forehead. "And we need to get it all moved to the garage. Theresa and her kids will be here soon."

Kelvin and his mom had been struggling since his dad passed away, and he had been surprised when Mom told him that her friend was going to move in with them for a while.

Kelvin made a couple of trips to the garage, then he dropped to the floor in the still-messy guest room. "I'm tired."

"Me too." Mom leaned against the wall. "We can break for a minute."

"Why are we doing this?" Kelvin asked.

"Because Theresa had a fire at her house," Mom said. "She and her kids can't live there anymore."

"I know that, but why do they have to come here? Aren't there other places they can go?"

"She's my friend, Kelvin," Mom said. "We help our friends when they're in trouble." Mom knelt on the floor. "I'll tell you one quick story, then we need to get back to work. When Jesus was doing miracles, some men came to bring their friend to see Him. Their friend couldn't walk, so they had to carry him to the house."

Kelvin looked at his mom. "They carried a grownup?"

Mom nodded. "When they got to the house, it was too full to get inside. Instead of leaving, they climbed onto the roof with their friend and made a hole in the roof."

Kelvin's eyes widened. "They took him on the roof?"

"They lowered him down through the hole," Mom said. "And Jesus healed him. The men did everything they could for their friend, showing him the kind of love that God shows us. Jesus laid down His life for us, and when we make sacrifices for our friends like He did, we show them His love." Mom stood up. "And now we need to get this room cleaned and set up for Theresa's family so I can be a good friend and show her God's love."

"We should get back to work, huh?" Kelvin got to his feet. "At least we don't have to carry people or climb onto any roofs."

Mom smiled. "Right?"

–Emily Acker

How About You?
Have you ever done something big for one of your friends? Maybe you helped them with homework when you wanted to be playing instead, or you helped them with chores even though you didn't have to. That's the kind of love Jesus showed His friends. He died for our sins so we could be His friends forever, and He'll help you make sacrifices for your friends too.

Today's Key Verse:
There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. (NLT) (John 15:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Friends help each other

Bible Reading: Romans 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 12:9

The wind blew through Georgia's hair as she and her uncle paddled their canoe among the reeds that filled the marshes near her new home. She didn't feel like paddling. Her mom had died of cancer four months before, and now she and her little brother were living far from home with Uncle Steve. The bayou, as Uncle Steve called it, looked like a swamp--nothing like Georgia's home in Michigan.

Georgia watched the marsh reeds bend under the force of the strong wind and muttered, "I know how you feel."

"What did you say, Georgia?" asked Uncle Steve, who had been doing more than his fair share of paddling for the last half mile.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking how those reeds and I have a lot in common." Georgia sighed.

"How so?" asked Uncle Steve.

"Well, they get blown around wherever the wind wants. They don't get any say in what happens to them." She sighed again. "Just like me."

"You know, Georgia, I think you're right. You do have a lot in common with these reeds. But not in the way you think. Look a little closer," urged Uncle Steve as he paddled them over to the reeds. "What do you notice?"

Georgia studied the cluster of reeds. It was true that the wind blew them around, sometimes switching directions abruptly. But no matter how hard the wind blew, the reeds just bent over and popped back up.

"They aren't breaking," observed Georgia. "As soon as the wind stops, they straighten back up again. But that's not like me at all. I feel like I'll never pop back up."

Uncle Steve stopped paddling. "There's a verse in Isaiah that says, 'A bruised reed He will not break.' Georgia, no matter how much the hardships of this life may bend you, you can hang on to the promise that you don't have to break because God loves you and offers you grace, peace, and hope. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for your sins so that you could have the promise of eternal life and never have to face life's troubles alone. In times when it seems like you'll never pop back up, trust Him to hold you up so you won't break--just like these reeds."

–Laura Kuehn

How About You?
Are you going through a hard time right now? Do you feel like a reed getting bent over? Remember God's promise to you--no matter what you face in life, He will be with you. Because of His great love for you, He gave His Son, Jesus, so you would never be alone. No matter how hard the winds may blow, you can trust Him to be with you and hold you up.

Today's Key Verse:
A bruised reed He will not break. (NKJV) (Isaiah 42:3)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God to hold you up

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:3-8

"Wanna come to church with me this week, Finn?" asked Tobin, who was at his cousin's house for the day. "We're studying the life of Jesus in my Sunday school class, and I think you'd really like it!"

"Nah," muttered Finn. "I don't like church."

"How do you know?" asked Tobin. "You've never been there."

"I just know I won't like it, that's all. Let's go see what's for dinner." Finn led the way to the kitchen, where he peered over his mother's shoulder. "Salmon patties, yum!"

Tobin frowned, then felt embarrassed when he realized his aunt had noticed.

"Don't you like salmon patties, Tobin?" Aunt Kim asked.

Tobin shook his head. "No, not really."

"Have you ever eaten one?" asked Aunt Kim. Again Tobin shook his head.

"Then how do you know you don't like them?" asked Finn.

Tobin shrugged. "I just know, that's all."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Salmon patties are so good! But hey, if you don't want any, I'll eat yours."

"Before you do that, I think Tobin really should try one," said Aunt Kim.

"Yeah, give it a try," said Finn. "You might like it, Tobin."

Tobin started to protest but then stopped abruptly. "Okay, you win," he said, grinning. "I'll try a salmon patty."

"All right!" Finn gave him a fist bump. "I know you're gonna like it."

When they sat down to dinner, Tobin hesitantly cut into his salmon patty. He put it in his mouth and chewed slowly. "Not bad," was his verdict. He eagerly ate the rest. "I think I'll have some more!" Aunt Kim smiled and passed him the patties.

"You know, this reminds me of a verse I learned at church," Tobin said as he helped himself to another patty. "It says, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good.' The Bible tells us that when we get to know Jesus, He'll show us how good He is and how much He loves us. That's why I love church--it's a place to learn more about Jesus with others who have seen His goodness and love too." He grinned at his cousin. "Well?"

Finn looked at him thoughtfully. "Okay, I get what you're saying," he said. "Mom, can I go to church with Tobin this week? I want to give it a try."

–Barbara J. Westberg

How About You?
Have you ever turned down invitations to go to church because you thought you wouldn't like it? If you already go to church, do you pay attention and learn all you can about Jesus? Next time, give it a try! Listen to the lesson and songs and think about them. If you have any questions, ask them. Once you start learning about God and how much He loves you, you just may find you want to know more and more!

Today's Key Verse:
Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! (CSB) (Psalm 34:8)

Today's Key Thought:
Let God show you how good He is