** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <April 16, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
A Light in the Dark (Monday)
Read: John 8:12
Rain pattered against the window as Will sat on the couch, reading. The rain got louder and louder as the wind picked up, and then a flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a crash of thunder. Suddenly the room plummeted into darkness.
"Hey!" Will shouted.
"It's the storm. It knocked our power out," said Will's dad, walking over to the window. "Look, the whole block is out."
Will got up. "Ow!" he said, banging his knee against the coffee table. "I can't see anything!" "Hold on," said Dad.
There was a rustle of movement, a scratching sound, and then a burst of light as Dad lit a candle and set it on the coffee table. Warm orange light filled the room. He lit a few more candles, and soon the room was much brighter.
Will collapsed back on the couch and rubbed his knee. "It's a good thing we had the candles. I don't want another bruise."
Dad laughed. "Walking in the dark isn't smart. You can get lost or hurt yourself." He pointed at Will's knee. "We need light. We're helpless without it."
"That sounds a lot like the verse we learned in my class at church last week," said Will. "It talked about Jesus being the light."
Dad nodded. "In the Bible, Jesus says He is the light of the world. Without Him, we are walking blind in the darkness of sin. But with Jesus as our light, He chases all the darkness away. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He shines His love and forgiveness on us so that we can see and follow Him. Without Him, we're lost."
Will rubbed his sore knee. "But what if the light goes out?"
Dad shook his head. "Jesus is the light no darkness can defeat. He has promised us eternal life with Him, and nothing can separate us from His love."
Just then the lights flickered back on. Will smiled and picked up his book. The storm was passing. "Better leave the candles, Dad. We need the light."
-Cathryn Free
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you ever been lost in the dark? Maybe you got up in the middle of the night to get a drink and stubbed your toe or thought you saw something moving in the shadows. But what happens when you turn on the light? You can see, and suddenly it’s not scary anymore. Without Jesus, we are lost in the darkness of sin and death. But just like turning on a light in a dark room, Jesus shines His love in our lives. He forgives our sins, saves us from Satan and death, and guides us in our walk with Him each day.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: John 8:12 (NIV) (KJV)
[Jesus] said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of 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 < April 11, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
God’s Strength (Part 1) (Tuesday)
Read: Mark 4:36-41
Andrés glanced nervously out the school window. It's been looking stormy all day, he thought. I hope there isn't going to be another tornado alert. Sighing, he tried to concentrate on his math lesson.
As Andrés began the first problem, a bell rang. "Take a large book and file quietly into the hall," Miss Grey told the class.
The kids quickly obeyed, taking their places in the school's inner hall and putting the books over their heads as they had done during tornado drills before. But something seemed different today. Andrés could hear a siren blowing from a nearby fire station. It was the signal to the town that a tornado funnel had been seen nearby.
Andrés had never been so scared before, but as he sat trembling, he recalled something Dad had said the weekend before. They had gone swimming, and as Dad walked out into the deep water, Andrés's little brother Liam clung to his father's shoulders. "Are you scared in the deep water, Liam?" Andrés had asked.
Liam shook his head. "Nope. Dad's got me."
Dad had laughed. "Good boy! I'm in control here, and I'm glad you trust your father." Then he'd added, "I hope both you boys will remember that you can always trust your Father in heaven too. He's in control of everything, even when bad things happen that we don't understand. We just need to trust Him and remember that, no matter what happens, we have eternal life through Jesus." As Andrés remembered that, he felt better.
A few minutes later, Andrés heard a roaring sound. It began softly, but got louder and louder. Is that a train? Andrés wondered. We're not even close to the tracks. Then he remembered hearing that a tornado sounded a lot like a train rushing by. I'm still scared, Andrés thought, but God is my heavenly Father, and He's in control. I can trust Him--even if a tornado hits.
Finally the all-clear siren sounded, and the kids returned to their classroom.
"A tornado passed by not too far from our school," the principal announced over the intercom a few minutes later. "It caused a lot of damage, but thankfully no one was hurt." Andrés smiled and silently thanked his heavenly Father for watching over them. -Hazel W. Marett
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you afraid of storms? They can be frightening, can’t they? That’s because they are powerful and can cause a lot of damage. But God is even more powerful. When the lightning flashes, the thunder rolls, and the wind whistles through the trees, remember that God is in control of all those things—and that He saved you and is always with you, even when He lets you go through difficult experiences. Trust Him.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Mark 4:41 (NKJV) (KJV)
Even the wind and the sea obey Him!
** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < April 12, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
God’s Strength (Part 2) (Wednesday)
Read: Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Andrés looked closely at the small log Dad had brought home to show him. There was a long piece of straw sticking out from the wood. "Weird," said Andrés. "How did that straw get into the wood?"
"The tornado that passed by the other day did that," said Dad. "One of the guys at work found this on his property. His place was right on the edge of the storm." "Wow!" said Andrés. "The wind drove that flimsy piece of straw right into the hard wood. And the straw didn't even get bent!"
"That took a strong, special kind of power," said Dad. "I've been thinking about that all afternoon. As a result, I've decided to teach the Sunday school class I've been offered."
"Really? What does teaching a class have to do with this wood and straw?"
"Well, this straw was weak, but powered by the storm, it became very strong," Dad replied. "I'm weak too, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hold the interest of the kids in the class. When I thought about the straw in this log, I was reminded that a special kind of power is also available to me. Through that power--the power of the Holy Spirit--God can use me to help those kids know more about Jesus."
"You'll be a good teacher," said Andrés.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I hope and pray you're right." Dad smiled. "I thought about you too, Andrés. Mom told me you've been having trouble figuring out what to say to a friend who's going through a rough time."
"Yeah--my friend Mason. His dad died a couple weeks ago, and I want to be there for him, but I don't know what to say."
"It can be hard to comfort someone in a situation like that, but remember that you have a special power available to you too," Dad told him. "Because you trust in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit's power. Even though you feel weak in such a tough situation, He will help you comfort Mason."
Andrés nodded. "Okay. You teach your class, and I'll talk to Mason, and God will help us both!" -Hazel W. Marett
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you afraid you won’t be able to make a difference in sharing Jesus with others? Do you want to tell people about Him and show them His love, but don’t know how? You won’t be doing it on your own. You have a special power—the Holy Spirit! He is working through you to help more people know about Jesus and see His love in their lives. Depend on Him to give you the strength and power you need.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) (KJV)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < April 13, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Where the Fish Are (Thursday)
Read: Matthew 4:18-22
"Our teacher told us to start thinking of people we could invite to vacation Bible school this summer," Asher told his dad after church. "We talked about being fishers of people in class today--which means telling others about Jesus, not real fishing," he said with a grin. "Mr. Benson said that's what vacation Bible school is for--to share Jesus with kids who haven't heard about Him."
"So who are you going to invite?" asked Dad.
"No one." Asher shrugged when Dad raised his eyebrows. "All my friends already know Jesus."
"Hmm," said Dad. "Speaking of real fishing, I hear they've been biting lately. Care to go?" "All right!" exclaimed Asher. "I'll get ready right now."
Dad nodded. "I'll get the fishing gear. Meet me out back when you're ready."
When Asher ran out the back door a little later, he stopped short and stared. Dad was sitting in a lawn chair, holding his fishing rod. The hook lay on the grass, and Dad watched it intently. "What are you doing?" Asher asked.
"Shhh!" said Dad. "I'm fishing. Don't scare the fish away."
Asher looked at the hook and then at his dad. "Dad! Didn't anybody tell you that fish live in water?" Asher said, rolling his eyes. "C'mon. Let's go where the fish are."
Dad looked up. "You know, that's a very good idea." He reeled in his line and got up. "Okay. The fish aren't far from here. We'll go to Pearson Lake." He looked at Asher and added, "You need to go where the fish are to be a fisher of people too. Apparently, they're not in your group of close friends, but I think you'll find they're not far away. I'm sure there are lots of kids who need a friend--especially one who will introduce them to Jesus."
Asher sighed. "Yeah," he murmured, climbing into the car. As they drove down the street, he suddenly pointed. "Maybe the new kid in that blue house would come. And I guess I could ask Mary, who sits across from me at school--I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask a girl."
"See?" said Dad. "I knew you could think of someone. Why don't you ask the new kid if he wants to come over and play your new video game sometime?"
Asher smiled. "I'll do that." -Hazel W. Marett
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do all your friends already know Jesus? That’s wonderful if they do, but don’t take it for granted. Talk to them about Jesus, but don’t stop with just those you know best. Jesus wants to help you bring others to Him. To do that, you may have to go outside your circle of friends. Look around. Who needs a friend to introduce them to Jesus?
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Matthew 4:19 (NLT) (KJV)
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < April 15, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Redeemed (Friday)
Read: Romans 5:6-11
Derek stood at the glass counter as his mom handed over his grandmother's emerald necklace. A man took it and handed her some money. Derek heard her sigh as she placed it in her wallet. They walked silently out of the shop.
On the bus ride home, Derek finally spoke. "Mom, why did you sell Gigi's necklace? I thought you loved it."
"I do, but I love you more. The money we got for it will help us get by until I can find work," his mom replied.
They stopped at the market near their apartment to buy some groceries. Mom even splurged and bought Derek his favorite candy bar.
At Sunday school the next day, Derek's teacher, Mrs. Brown, asked if anyone had any prayer requests. Derek hesitated but then raised his hand. "Please pray that my mom can find a job so she doesn't have to sell anything else she loves," he said quietly. Mrs. Brown prayed, and after class she took him aside. Derek told her about the trip to the pawn shop, Gigi's beautiful necklace, and even the candy bar. Mrs. Brown didn't say much but gave him a tight hug.
A few days later, Derek entered his apartment building after school and stuck his key in the mailbox. Inside, he found a small package addressed to his mom. He ran upstairs and found her looking for jobs online.
"This came today, Mom. What is it?" Derek asked.
Mom opened the package and poured the contents onto her desk. It was Gigi's necklace! As shiny and beautiful as ever. His mom began to sob.
"I don't understand. I thought you sold it!" Derek exclaimed.
Wiping away tears, his mom said quietly, "I did. But it has been redeemed."
"Redeemed?" Derek asked. "That sounds like a church word."
"It is," Mom said. "It's just like what Jesus did for us, Derek. The Bible says we were sold into death by our sins--just like I sold this necklace--but Jesus's death on the cross bought us back. He redeemed us and gave us eternal life--just like someone bought this necklace back for me." She smiled at him. "Their kindness has reminded me how very much God loves and cares for us."
And with that, his mom slipped the necklace over her head and gave Derek a big hug. -Laura Kuehn
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know that, if you trust in Jesus, you have been redeemed—bought back from sin and death? When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for your sins so you would never have to. If you have not accepted Jesus’s payment for your sins, you can do so right now. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.) You are a special treasure to God and were worth the cost.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Ephesians 1:7 (NIV) (KJV)
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
