** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <July 14, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Replacing Your Old Ways (Monday)

Read: Romans 12:1-3; Ephesians 4:22-24 

 

"Meteors incoming!" the girl in the space helmet shouted to her brother from the treehouse. "Let's vaporize them!"

 

Both kids raised their toy ray guns and fired at the sky. "Pew! Pew! Pew!"

 

Watching the grainy video from the sofa, Olivia laughed and nudged her mother. "Mom, is that really you and Uncle Joe? You used to be so…fun!"

 

"We were kids once too, just like you!" Mom smiled. "I'm so glad Grandpa converted our old videos to DVD so we can watch them."

 

Young Mom and Joe vanished, and an aerial shot of a football stadium appeared. An announcer shouted, "Polytechnic wins! The crowd goes wild!"

 

Olivia stared in puzzlement. "What's this? Was Uncle Joe in that football game?"

 

Mom chuckled and stopped the video. "No, Grandpa recorded that game from TV. After he watched the tape, he rewound it, put it in his camcorder, and filmed Joe and me. There was a little bit of the game left at the end."

 

"If he didn't need the game anymore, why didn't he just delete it?"

 

"Oh, a VHS tape isn't like the disc in our DVR. You can't just press a button and delete something. All you can do is record something else in its place." Mom set down the remote. "It's kind of like what God does with us."

 

"What do you mean?" asked Olivia.

 

"When you trusted in Jesus, He made you a new person and gave you His Holy Spirit, who is working to make you more like Him. Little by little, God works to record over your ways with His ways. But your old self still wants to control you."

 

"So even though we belong to Jesus, we still sin?"

 

"Yes. That's why the Bible tells us to take off our old selves and put on our new selves. When we remember that Jesus made us new people, it helps us turn from our old, selfish ways."

 

"It's too bad we can't delete our sinfulness," said Olivia.

 

"I know. But one day, when Jesus returns to make everything new, He will." Mom stuck out her thumb and forefinger like a ray gun. "In the meantime, we could pretend to vaporize it!"

 

"That sounds like fun!" Leaping from the sofa, Olivia raised her own finger gun. "Pew! Pew!" -John Leatherman

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you wonder why Christians still do wrong things? When we trust in Jesus, we are immediately saved from the punishment we deserve for sinning and given eternal life, but the transformation of our lives on earth has just begun. Even though we still sin, the Holy Spirit is working to replace our old, sinful ways with God’s ways. Trust Him to help you put on your new self so others can see His love and kindness in you.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Ephesians 4:22-24 (KJV)

Take off your former way of life…and [put] on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. (CSB)

 

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < July 11, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Whose Plans? (Tuesday)

Read: James 4:13-17 

 

Dad gently shook Mateo's shoulder. "Time to go," Dad whispered. "Fishing is best in the early morning, you know." Mateo groaned but rolled out of bed, and soon he and Dad were pushing off in a rowboat.

 

The sky was growing lighter, but a heavy mist hung over the still waters of the lake. Mateo yawned. "We can't even see where we're going," he complained.

 

"What happened to all the enthusiasm you had yesterday?" asked Dad. "I heard you tell your friends you were going to catch the most fish."

 

Mateo sat up straighter. "Yeah, and I will," he declared. "You'll see."

 

Dad was the first to reel in a good-sized bass, and then he caught several others. Mateo snagged a small sunfish--so small he had to throw it back into the water. Soon the sun came out and the mist disappeared.

After several hours, Mateo was discouraged. "I'm ready to quit," he grumbled. "I need to warm up before my baseball game today. I'm gonna knock the ball right out of the park!"

 

"I wouldn't want to miss that," said Dad with a smile. "But you'd better be careful about what you say. Not long ago you were going to catch the most fish. Now you're going to be the best ball player. It's a little embarrassing to boast like that and then come up empty-handed, isn't it?"

"I guess," said Mateo, glancing at the few small fish he had caught. He grinned. "Maybe I should say I'm going to strike out every time I'm up to bat."

 

Dad laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't go that far. Seriously, though, the Bible warns against boasting about our plans. We can't be sure what will happen tomorrow--or even today. Life is like the mist that was over the lake early this morning."

"It sure didn't last long, did it?" said Mateo.

 

"No, it didn't, and our lives on this earth don't last long either. The only thing that lasts is eternal life with Jesus. That's why we need to trust Him. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but we do know Jesus will be with us no matter what happens." -Brenda Decker

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you already have plans for today? For tomorrow? For next week? It’s good to think about upcoming events and opportunities, but as you make plans, remember that God is in control of all that happens. Your plans will come to pass only as He allows. Keep that in mind, and trust Him when things don’t go the way you planned, knowing He will be with you no matter what happens.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: James 4:15 (KJV)

What you should say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (NLV)

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < July 12, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Down the Drain (Wednesday)

Read: Isaiah 64:6; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:4-6

 

"Want to go swimming now, Lana?" Megan asked after lunch. Her cousin had come to spend the week with her.

 

"You girls can swim after you help with the dishes," said Megan's mom. "It won't take you long. Just rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. Then wipe the counters and table and clean the sink, and you can be on your way."

 

"Okay," said Megan, taking plates to the sink. "Gross!" she exclaimed as she set them down. "There's soggy lettuce and potato peelings in the sink. Yuck!"

 

"Yeah, and there are noodles and bits of hamburger too!" said Lana.

 

"Mooom," Megan groaned, "will you please clean the sink for us?"

 

Mom laughed. "I meant to rinse that stuff down before we ate, but I obviously forgot. I'll do it now and let the garbage disposal take care of it."

 

"Thanks," said Lana. "Nothing's worse than garbage in the sink!"

 

"Not true," Mom said with a smirk. "Sin is much worse!"

 

"Uh-oh!" Megan grinned. "While we wait, we're going to get a sermon!"

 

Mom laughed. "Yep," she said. "You say you can't stand looking at the sink until the garbage has been washed away. Well, sin is so bad, God can't stand to look at it. It had to be washed away by the blood of Jesus."

 

"Even being really good and trying hard not to do any bad stuff doesn't make us good enough for God, does it?" Lana asked.

 

Mom shook her head. "Any good deeds we do won't make up for the wrong things we've done. In fact, the Bible says that when we try to make ourselves good through our own efforts, the good things we do are like filthy rags in God's sight. The only way to have our sin washed away is to trust in Jesus." Mom turned on the faucet. "Just like I was willing to wash this stuff down the drain with water, Jesus willingly shed His blood when He died on the cross to wash away our sin. We need Him to clean us. Then we'll be good in God's eyes and able to share His goodness with those around us through our actions."

 

Lana smiled. "I'm glad Jesus washed away the garbage of my sin when I trusted in Him." Megan nodded. "Me too!" -Sara L. Nelson

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you think you’re pretty good? By human standards, you may be very good. But the fact is that by God’s standards, you are sinful. God hates sin, but He loves you and has made a way for your sin to be washed away. Trust Jesus to cleanse you from sin, and He will make you good in God’s eyes. To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Habakkuk 1:13 (KJV)

Your [God’s] eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. (NIV)

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < July 15, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Little Doughnut Holes (Thursday)

Read: Romans 13:8-10; Ephesians 4:28 

 

"Where did Mom go?" asked Sarah. She looked all around as she and Eli made their way past the booths at the craft fair.

"She stopped at a booth back there," Eli answered. "She said we could go on. She'll find us."

 

The two continued down the midway of the fairgrounds. "Mmmm. Do you smell what I smell?" Eli asked after they walked a short distance.

 

"Smells like a bakery," Sarah replied. "And there it is!" They walked up to the booth where a variety of delicious-looking baked goods were on display.

 

"Look at all those doughnuts, Sarah," said Eli. "And all those doughnut holes. I sure would like to have one!"

"But we already spent all our money, remember?" Sarah reminded her brother.

 

"Yeah, but the clerk's busy with those people over there," said Eli. "We could just help ourselves. They won't miss one or two little doughnut holes."

"Eli! Don't you dare take any!" said Sarah. "That would be stealing."

 

"But who would know?" asked Eli. "I'm sure they didn't count every single doughnut hole. They'd never miss 'em."

 

"Maybe not," Sarah replied, "but it would still hurt the bakery owners who are trying to make a living from selling their baked goods. Don't you remember what Pastor Olson said in his sermon last week? He said stealing goes against how we're called to love others as Christians. Jesus loved us so much He gave His life for us, and we need to show that same kind of love to others. Stealing is acting out of selfishness instead of love--no matter how big or small the thing is."

 

"Oh, so you were listening in church last week," Eli said with a grin. "When I saw those doughnut holes sitting there, I thought it'd be a good way to make sure." Sarah looked at her brother. "Eli! You never intended to take any at all! You were just teasing, weren't you? It would have served you right if I had reached out and taken a couple. Then what would you have done?"

 

Eli laughed. "I wouldn't have let you. But let's go find Mom. Maybe she'll let us have a little more money so we can buy a doughnut hole or two."

-Brenda Decker

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you tempted to steal little things because you think no one will know? Or because they seem too small to really matter to anybody? They matter to God, because people matter to Him—you and everyone else. Jesus loved us all so much He sacrificed His life to save us! Taking things that belong to others because you want them goes against the life He’s called you to as a Christian. Instead, live out the kind of love Jesus has for us—in both big ways and small ones.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: John 13:34 (KJV)

A new command I [Jesus] give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (NIV)

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < July 17, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Towers and Turrets (Friday)

Read: Nahum 1:7 

 

Charlie and Katie gasped as they caught their first glimpse of the magnificent stone castle that stood in front of them. They were spending the summer with their grandparents in England while their dad was in the hospital having surgery.

 

"Whoa! The castle's bigger than I imagined," said Charlie.

 

"There's water all around it!" squealed five-year-old Katie, scrunching up her nose. "How are we going to get in?"

 

"Across that wooden bridge over there," said Grandpa. "Come on, let's get marching!"

 

"The water surrounding the castle is called the moat," explained Grandma. "Moats made it extra tricky for enemy soldiers to break in, especially on horseback. Can you see the drawbridge? It could be raised up to stop unwanted intruders from crossing the moat."

 

"So cool!" Charlie exclaimed.

 

Inside the castle, a tour guide led them up a worn stone staircase that spiraled round and round, right to the top. "I'm getting dizzy!" said Katie.

 

Grandpa gripped the handrail and pulled a silly face. "Me too!"

 

"Hey, look at those weird little windows," said Charlie. "They're just tiny slits!"

 

"Perfect for firing an arrow out," said the guide. "Virtually impossible to fire one back in!"

 

At the top of the steps was the castle keep, a small inner tower. The guide explained that it was the highest and safest place in the castle.

 

"I hope Daddy's safe in the hospital," said Katie suddenly as they walked out onto one of the turrets. "I miss him!"

 

"Me too," said Charlie. "I wish he could see this place!"

 

Grandma reached out and hugged them both close. "Do you know what? Your dad is in the safest place he can be."

 

"Do you mean the hospital?" asked Charlie.

 

"Nope!" said Grandma. "Much safer than that. He's in God's great, big arms. The Bible describes God as a mighty fortress; a strong, tall tower that we can run to any time we feel afraid. Jesus saved us from sin, and He promises to be with us when we face scary times."

 

"That's so true!" agreed Grandpa. "Let's pray for your dad right now--right at the top of this castle tower. Jesus is just like the castle keep. He's the strongest and safest place we could ever be!"

 

-Angela Jelf

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you ever felt worried and afraid? Maybe you’ve seen the news and felt anxious, or perhaps you’re concerned about someone you love. Jesus doesn’t want us to worry. He tells us to run to Him with all our troubles. He is a strong, safe fortress whenever we feel afraid. Take your worries to Him and He will surround you with His loving arms.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Proverbs 18:10 (KJV)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. (NKJV)