Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids and families

Read: Ephesians 2:19-22 “Hey, Blaine, what are you working on?” Dad asked as he walked into Blaine’s room. “I’m making a building out of interlocking blocks for the library contest,” Blaine said. “If I post a picture on their website, I could win a free meal at a local restaurant.” Suddenly, he frowned. “Hey, where’s my baseplate? Can you help me find it, Dad? It’s the big flat one that I have to...

Read: Ephesians 4:26-32 Mei hung up the phone and walked into the living room with her arms crossed and her jaw clenched. “That was Everly.” Mom frowned. “You’re not still angry with her, are you?” “Of course I am!” said Mei. “She shouldn’t have made fun of me that way. She did it right in front of everyone, and they were all laughing at me!” “I know she hurt you, Mei, and what she did was wrong....

Read: Psalm 143:8-10; 1 John 4:1-6 “Dad, what are those ropes on the side of the road?” asked six-year-old Arthur as they drove down the highway. “Those are called guardrails,” Dad replied. “Sometimes guardrails are made of wide metal bands, and sometimes they’re heavy wire ropes. They’re to make sure people driving on the highway stay on the road.” “Why would they want to leave the road?” Arthur...

Read: Ephesians 2:4-7 Harvey threw a baseball toward his dad. “What if I do all this practicing and I still don’t make the team?” Dad grinned. “I’ll still love you.” Harvey sighed. “You’ll always love me. You say that all the time.” “God will always love you too.” Dad lifted his arm. “Get ready to swing.” The ball came toward Harvey. He swung hard, but his bat didn’t connect with the ball. “This i...

Read: Luke 16:1-10 Mina pouted as her older sister, Jackie, folded a pastel quilt and placed it on top of a large stack of quilts their mother had made. “Ready to go?” Mom asked as she hurried into the living room. Kitty, Mina and Jackie’s toddler sister, giggled as she bounced on Mom’s hip. “Ready!” Jackie replied, grinning. “Why can’t I go to the craft fair too?” Mina whined. “Dad will take you...

Read: Luke 15:11-24 Brock was sprawled on his bed with a book when Seth, his older brother, came into the room. “Hey, Brock, did you know that Dakota Smith talked with Pastor Briggs after church yesterday and decided to trust Jesus as his Savior?” “Great,” Brock said halfheartedly. “Maybe he’ll stay out of trouble now.” Then he frowned. “But what if he doesn’t? What happens if he sins again? I alw...

Read: Matthew 25:31-40; Philippians 2:3-8 “Mom!” Jade called as she ran into the kitchen. “What’s up?” Jade’s mom asked from where she stood kneading bread dough. “I just saw an ad about kids who don’t have enough food to eat or clothes to wear, and I want to help, Mom!” Jade explained in a rush. Mom dusted flour off her hands. “Jade, I’m so glad you want to help and serve others. Why don’t we sta...

Read: Genesis 1:26; 2:15; Psalm 128:1-2 “I’m outta here!” Micah dunked an old cleaning rag in the trash can and ran into the house. Calvin looked around at his half of the garage, then at the other half that had been Micah’s responsibility to clean. What a difference! He knew Micah had worked a lot harder than he had. Now Micah was finished and could go to the ball game. Calvin scowled. He hated c...

Read: Matthew 10:28-31 “Shall I brush your hair before you go to bed, sweetie?” Grandma asked. Jiya, who was spending the night with her grandparents, nodded and got her hairbrush. Her scalp tingled as Grandma brushed her hair with long, gentle strokes. When she finished, Grandma handed the brush to Jiya. “There, now. Why don’t you clean the hair out of the brush so it’ll be all ready for next tim...

Read: Job 1:1-3, 13-21; 3:25; Matthew 6:33-34 Mom found Clare crying in the backyard, watching her dog, Sheba, paw at leaves in the flower bed. “What’s the matter, honey?” “I don’t want Sheba to get sick,” Clare said. “I know the vet took that lump off her leg, but she said it could come back.” “It could, but maybe it won’t,” said Mom. “It may never come back.” “But what if it does?” Clare sniffed...

Read: Psalm 119:9-16; Acts 2:40-44 Oliver was passing the kitchen door when he heard his little brother’s voice. “Dad, can I please have those shoes? They’re the kind Daryl Stewart wears.” Oliver grinned and went into the kitchen. “Do you think that since Daryl Stewart is a basketball star those shoes will automatically turn you into a great player?” Jude shrugged. “They might help.” “Jude,” said...

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:12-15 Sierra shut her bedroom door and tossed her backpack onto the bed. She set her cat, Tommy, on the floor. “Stay away from the curtains, Tommy,” she warned. “You know you always get stuck in them.” Sierra flopped onto her bed and opened her backpack. After digging around a moment, she pulled out a book. “What do you think, Tommy? Should I?” Tommy didn’t answe...

Read: Psalm 40:1-5; Ephesians 2:4-7 The waves crashed as Graham sat on the beach. Even though he was vacationing with his friend Omar and his family, his thoughts were dark. Back home, things were anything but a fun day at the beach. No one wants me , Graham thought to himself. Mom and Dad are too busy fighting to notice me. Except when I get bad grades. That’s the only time my teacher notices me...

Read: Matthew 5:14-16; John 1:1-14 “Come on, Dad. We’re ready,” called Lina. They had all gathered for family night. It was storming outside, but in the den, they felt snug and cozy with plenty of games and popcorn. “Coming,” Dad called from the bedroom. Just then the power went out. “Oh no!” said Manuel. “No lights!” “Now what do we do?” Lina asked. “Honey,” Mom called, “bring that big candle fro...

Read: Psalm 18:31-36 “I knew I’d win a prize. I just knew it!” Jack stroked the shiny blue ribbon he was holding and grinned, remembering how quickly his horse had stood straight and still, with ears flicked forward. “Blaze was the best because he had the best trainer—me!” “You did a good job training your horse,” Dad said. “But remember, you didn’t train him alone.” “Yes, I did,” said Jack. “No o...

Read: Psalms 95:1-7; 96:11-13 Gannon’s mom plopped the mushy, still-warm mound onto the coffee table for him to enjoy. After locating a recipe for homemade playdough online, Mom and Gannon gathered the ingredients and started creating. He was so excited to see the first batch! Gannon pressed his small hands into the stretchy substance, pulling it this way and that. “It feels perfect, Mommy! I like...

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 18-20 “I can’t wait for our youth retreat!” Katie said. “Do you have permission to go yet?” Tammy bit her lip. “Not yet.” If she went, she would have to invite her brother, Clint. Tammy loved Clint, but kids at school whispered behind his back because he didn’t understand when they were joking or when he should stop talking about his obsessions, especially with polar be...

Read: Colossians 4:5-6; 1 John 4:7-11 “I love being out in the snow,” said Addison, catching a snowflake on the tip of her tongue. Dad smiled. “I know—you never want to come in! But Mom sent me out to tell you dinner is hot and ready.” So Addison and Dad went in and washed up for dinner. “Did you have a good time playing with the new neighbor girl?” Mom asked as they sat down to eat. “Not really,”...

Read: Psalm 119:9-12; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 “Your Bible’s getting a bit dusty,” Dad remarked one day when he came into George’s room. George shrugged. “I haven’t moved it in a while.” “No?” Dad asked. “I’ve been busy.” George put the finishing piece on the castle he was building. He loved making all kinds of cool buildings with his blocks. “That’s too bad.” Dad stepped over to examine his newest creat...

Read: John 1:45-46; 4:25-29 Michael stood on a stepstool so he could see over the grille to where his dad was working underneath the hood. “What are you doing?” he asked. “I’m replacing the spark plugs,” said Dad. “Then it should run a lot better.” “Cool!” said Michael. “Are you going to do anything else?” “After this I’ll replace the brake pads,” Dad said. “I want to watch when you do.” Then Mich...

Read: Matthew 20:9-16 Bright and early in the morning, Kira flew into Grandma’s kitchen with a grin on her face while her cousins were still sleeping upstairs. Grandma had just finished setting out bags of flour and sugar and loads of cookie cutters. This could only mean one thing—Grandma’s delicious sugar cookies. “Oh, Kira, thank goodness you’re here!” Grandma exclaimed. “We have to make twenty...

Read: 1 John 2:15-17; 4:1-6 “C’mon, guys!” Lara jumped into the pool. “Let’s make a whirlpool!” “Ooh! Yeah!” Her brother Jerome pushed his goggles up onto his forehead. “A world pool?” Four-year-old Emelia, the youngest of the seven siblings, hung onto the ladder and scrunched her forehead. “A whirl pool, Lia. It’s where we go around and around until we make a current,” Lara explained. “I’ll piggy...

Read: Psalm 51:2; Isaiah 43:25; 1 John 1:6-9 Press, stamp! Press, stamp! Kaitlyn’s thumb squished into the orange stamp pad, then she squashed it onto paper. Next, she pushed her finger into the yellow stamp pad, and a sunny oval appeared on the page. Soon she had a collection of colorful fingerprints, and she was ready to create designs with her black pen. But her fingers were coated in wet, gooe...

Read: Luke 15:4-7; 19:10 “Mom!” Nia ran into the kitchen. “My lamb is gone! I’m sure I latched the door after I fed him, but it’s open now and Wooly is gone.” “Oh dear,” said Mom. “We’d better go look for him.” They started off, calling Wooly’s name as they searched the ditch and fields along the road. “Look,” Nia said as they approached a house not far from their own. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris are wor...

Read: Psalm 86:12-13; 2 Corinthians 9:12-15; Revelation 5:9-14 Dominic bit his cheek as he sat at his desk and stared up at his teacher. “I’m sorry, Ms. Foreman,” he said. He looked over at his handwriting on the whiteboard that read, Dominic was here . “Thank you for apologizing,” Ms. Foreman said. “But you knew the consequences of writing on the board without permission. I’m going to have to cal...