** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <February 26, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Proper Identification (Monday)

Read: Matthew 7:21-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 John 5:10-13 

 

"Wanna go see if Dad's busy?" asked Josie as she and her brother started home from school. Connor nodded, so they took the route that led past the place where Dad worked. Their father, who was a gate guard at a factory, saw them coming. "Sorry, but you can't get through here without a badge," he growled with a stern face. Josie giggled. "Dad, quit teasing!"

 

"Everyone needs to have a badge to get inside the factory, right?" asked Connor. "Even the gatekeeper's kids."

 

"Not all factories require badges, do they?" Josie asked.

 

"No, but at our factory it's strict company policy for everyone going in to have a badge identifying them and showing that they belong here," Dad replied. "Proper identification keeps outsiders from hindering our production, and it also protects them. It keeps them from getting hurt by wandering into the wrong place."

 

"What if somebody tries to get in without a badge?" asked Connor.

 

"Then I find out why they've come," said Dad. "I give them a badge if they have legitimate business here, but if not...well, I just have to disappoint them." Dad nodded toward the street. "Here come some people now, so I'll see if they have badges--or find out what they need. I'll see you two at dinner."

"Okay. Bye, Dad," said Josie, and she and Connor went on home.

 

After dinner that evening, Dad reached for his Bible and read several verses. "Hey," said Connor when Dad finished. "That's kinda like what we talked about this afternoon. People need a badge to get into your factory, and they need to know Jesus to get into heaven."

 

"That's right,"said Dad. "If we think we'll get into heaven by doing good deeds, we're wrong. Knowing Jesus is the only way to be saved and have eternal life. When we trust in Him, He gives us His Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us and shows that we belong to Him."

 

"Kind of like the identification badges you have to check," said Josie.

 

"Exactly," said Dad. "The Holy Spirit identifies us as God's children. He's like a badge that proves we belong in God's kingdom because we've been saved by Jesus." -Jan L. Hansen

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you want to go to heaven? You can, but not because of your own good deeds. You can’t do anything to earn your way to heaven—only Jesus can get you there. He paid the price to save you by dying on the cross for your sins. To have eternal life, you need to trust in Him. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.) Then you’ll receive His Holy Spirit, who identifies you as a child of God.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: 1 John 5:12 (ERV) (KJV)

Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < February 23, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Soul Food (Tuesday)

Read: John 6:32-40 

 

Mrs. T. opened the front door that was as wide as her smile. "Come on in, Grace and Bella! I'm pleased you could come!"

 

Bella stepped into Mrs. T.'s house after her mother. Her mouth began to water at the tantalizing smells.

 

"Tanya, thank you for having us over," Bella's mom said with a smile.

 

Mrs. T. gave Bella a squeeze. "It's my favorite calling from God--getting to know people by inviting them into my home. He's blessed me so much, and I want to spread that blessing around like butter on a flaky biscuit!"

 

Bella sat down at a table loaded with food. "You made all this?"

 

"I sure did!" Mrs. T. nodded.

 

"What are those round, golden things?"

 

"Hush puppies. They are made with cornmeal and fried up crisp--eating them with pulled pork and collard greens is close to heaven on earth! Have you ever had soul food, Bella?"

 

"Soul food? I don't think so. What's that?"

 

Mrs. T. winked. "You'll get a nice sample today, because everything on this table is soul food! It's traditional African American food."

 

Bella took bite after bite until her plate was empty. "Mrs. T., I think soul food is my new favorite kind of food! Everything you made was tasty, and I'm so full I don't think I could ever eat again!" Bella patted her stomach.

 

Mrs. T. laughed. "I promise that even after all this food you will want to eat again later. But I can think of soul food you can eat and never get hungry again!"

 

"What is it? Some kind of really thick bread?" Bella inquired.

 

"Yes, the Bread of Life! That's what Jesus calls Himself in the Bible. Whoever comes to him will never hunger or thirst again. Jesus was talking about a different kind of soul food--one that satisfies us spiritually. When you make Jesus Lord of your life and trust in Him alone to save you, He gives you eternal life. Have you asked Jesus to be the one who feeds your soul, Bella?"

 

Bella nodded vigorously. "Last year I put my faith in Jesus."

 

Mrs. T. clapped her hands joyfully. "Baby, I do believe you know what soul food is after all!"

 

-Savannah Coleman

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you in need of soul food? Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life because only He can satisfy our hungry souls and fulfill our longing for God. He died on the cross to save us from sin and rose again so we could have eternal life. When we trust in Him, we will never be hungry spiritually again! If your soul is hungry, trust in Jesus today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: John 6:35 (NIV) (KJV)

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

 

 

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < February 25, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Bottle of Tears (Wednesday)

Read: John 11:32-36 

 

"Wow, Ezra! What a lot of boxes!" Jaxon exclaimed as he looked around his best friend's room. "Looks like you've already got most all your stuff packed up." Jaxon sighed. "I sure wish you weren't moving."

 

"Me too," said Ezra. "But we have to move for my dad's new job."

 

Jaxon sat down on the floor. This can't be real, he thought. My best friend can't be leaving. "Maybe this is just a bad dream," he said.

 

"I wish!" said Ezra, sitting down next to him, but both boys knew it wasn't a dream. It was real. "I'm going to miss everyone--especially you!" Ezra's voice trembled a little.

 

On the day Ezra's family left town, Jaxon went to see them off. When he returned home, he sat on his bed, staring out the window and trying not to cry. Lord, what am I supposed to do? his heart cried out. None of the other kids seem interested in the stuff I like! Ezra and I got along so well, and now he's gone!

 

"Honey," Jaxon's mom said from the doorway, "I know this is a very hard day for you. It's okay to hurt--and to cry."

 

Jaxon sniffled. "Oh, Mom! Ezra and I spent so much time together. What am I going to do now?"

 

Mom wrapped her arms around him. "Well, for starters, you could let out all those tears you're holding in," she said gently.

 

"But crying is for babies," said Jaxon. "I'm not a baby!"

 

"Crying doesn't mean you're a baby," said Mom. "It's something that helps us heal. Even Jesus cried."

 

"I remember reading that," said Jaxon. "Jesus wept.' That's the shortest verse in the Bible, isn't it? Jesus cried when his friend Lazarus died."

 

Mom nodded. "Jesus experienced the same emotions we do because He became human in order to save us. Crying doesn't mean you're a baby--it means you're human! If Jesus cried when He was sad, so can you. He sees your tears and understands your sadness."

 

"If I cry, will it make me feel better?" Jaxon asked, his voice trembling.

 

Mom smoothed Jaxon's hair. "It usually does."

 

Jaxon nodded and let the tears slip down his cheeks.

 

-Laura Farrer

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you feel ashamed about crying? When you feel hurt or sad, you may think you should blink away the tears. But remember, it’s okay to cry—Jesus did! He knows exactly how you feel, and He is with you when you experience pain or sadness. Share your hurts with Him, and don’t be afraid to cry. He sees all your tears, and He cares.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Psalm 56:8 (NKJV) (KJV)

Put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?

 

 

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < February 27, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Finding Friends (Thursday)

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

 

Amaya came home in tears. "I wish we'd never moved here!" she wailed. "I don't have any friends."

 

"I'm sorry," said Mom. "Let's talk about how you can change that."

 

"I can't do anything! The kids just stare at me and walk right on by. I'm so lonely."

 

The door flew open, and Amaya's brother Kareem blew in like a whirlwind. "Hey, Mom, is it okay if I go to Troy's? He wants me to see his new dog, and he needs help with his science project."

 

Mom nodded. "Just be home by five-thirty."

 

"Okay!" said Kareem, and the door slammed behind him.

 

Amaya wiped her eyes. "You and Dad and Kareem know lots of people already. Why aren't they friendly to me like they are to all of you?"

 

"Amaya, you've been looking for someone to be a friend to you, but Kareem and Dad and I were friendly to others first. Maybe you should stop looking for a friend and start trying to be one instead."

 

"But I don't know how," said Amaya.

 

"Oh, I think you do," said Mom. "Remember when we studied the love chapter in the Bible at church last month--First Corinthians Thirteen? It lists a lot of qualities that would be found in someone who is friendly."

 

"I remember," said Amaya.

 

"Well, those are all qualities we can put into practice because we know Jesus," Mom said. "Because we have His love in our hearts, we should reach out to others in friendship. Put others first and see what you can do to make them feel cared for. For example, Mrs. Carson next door just got home from the hospital today. What do you think I could do to help her?"

 

"I...I don't know," Amaya murmured. "Maybe fix some food for her?"

 

Mom smiled and took a casserole dish out of the oven. "Just what I thought too. Why don't you bring it over to her?" Amaya sighed but took the casserole and left.

 

A while later, Amaya came skipping into the apartment. "Guess what, Mom? Tara, Mrs. Carson's granddaughter, and her mom are cleaning her grandma's apartment. Iasked if they'd like me to come over after dinner and help them. Can I?" Smiling, Mom nodded. -Barbara J. Westberg

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you lonely? Stop and look around you. There are many lonely people—including lonely kids. You probably see some of them every day. Instead of waiting for others to be friendly to you, reach out to them. If you know Jesus, He’s given you everything you need to show others His love and care (see today’s Bible reading). Make friends by being a friend like Jesus.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Proverbs 17:17 (NKJV) (KJV)

A friend loves at all times.

 

 

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < February 21, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Minutemen (Friday)

Read: John 12:25-26; 2 Timothy 2:3-4 

 

"Check out this cool wig!" Anna exclaimed as she and her dad and brother strolled through the museum and peered into display cases holding artifacts from the Revolutionary War period. "I've seen pictures of George Washington wearing a wig like this." She grinned at her brother. "You'd look so cute in a wig, Jeremiah," she teased. "You should wear one of these."

 

"No way!" said Jeremiah. He pointed to a gun display. "Now those are cool!"

 

Anna shuddered. "Guns aren't cool--they're scary!"

 

Jeremiah looked at the information posted at the display. "Many of those who fought for liberty were ordinary farmers and tradesmen," he read aloud."Some of them belonged to a special group called minutemen--a small, handpicked force that had to be able to assemble quickly. These early soldiers had to be ready and willing to leave their homes, businesses, and families at a moment's notice. They were generally the first to go and be engaged in a battle."

 

"Wow!" said Anna when Jeremiah finished reading. "That must have been hard. Aren't you glad there aren't any minutemen today, Jeremiah? You'd probably have to decide if you'd want to be part of a group like that."

 

"Actually, we all have to make a similar kind of decision," Dad mused.

 

"You mean decide whether or not to join the military?" Jeremiah asked.

 

"No, I mean because we belong to Jesus, and He uses ordinary people to serve Him," replied Dad. "We should be ready and willing to immediately follow Him wherever He leads--even if it means leaving homes, family, friends, jobs, or material possessions."

 

"Missionaries do that when they go to foreign countries," observed Jeremiah.

 

"Yes, they do," Dad said, "and they often report that the joy of serving Jesus far outweighs the sacrifices they make. But it isn't just missionaries who need to be ready to serve the Lord. Jesus has given each one of us a mission to share the good news of salvation with others. We should all be ready to do that at any moment--whether He leads us to a faraway place or just down the road."

 

Jeremiah grinned. "No matter where we are, we can be minutemen for Jesus."

 

Anna nudged him with her elbow. "And minutewomen!"

 

-Sandra L. Ardoin

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you willing to follow Jesus and serve Him wherever He leads? It isn’t always easy, but He’ll be with you and empower you wherever you go. Maybe He’ll lead you to another country to tell people there about Him. Or maybe He’ll encourage you to show His love to an unpopular classmate, even though you’re teased for it. Be ready to serve Him in whatever way He shows you, knowing He’ll give you the strength and courage you need.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: John 12:26 (NLT) (KJV)

Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.