CBH Ministries is a children's ministry organization, offering Keys for Kids, Down Gilead Lane, and much more.http://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx℗ & © 2011 CBH Ministries, All Rights Reserveden-ushttp://cbhministries.org/desktopmodules/keys/keys/images/CBH-For-Kids-Banner.jpghttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspxhttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx?ID=8980"What are you doing,Grandma?" asked Janae when she stopped to see her grandparents on the way home from school. "Oh, I'm getting things together for the object lesson I'm giving in Bible club tomorrow," replied Grandma. "Want to try it?" "Sure," agreed Janae. "Good! Then fill a cup with water," instructed Grandma. Janae got a cup and filled it. "Next, sprinkle this pepper all over the water, and then stick your finger in the cup," continued Grandma. "Oh-h-h!" exclaimed Janae after following Grandma's instructions. "The pepper is all over my finger!" Grandma nodded. "Clean the pepper off your finger and rub this dish washing soap on it." Grandma chuckled. "On your finger, that is," she added. "Not on the pepper." Janae laughed and then carefully did what Grandma told her. "All right," said Grandma. "Now stick your finger in the water again." This time the pepper rushed away from Janae's finger and clung to the sides of the cup. "Cool!" she exclaimed. "But . . . you said this was an object lesson, so what does it teach us?" "Let's pretend the water is the world, and the pepper is sin," said Grandma. "The finger represents us. We go into the world, and we're peppered with sin. For example, we sometimes do and say wrong things, don't we?" "Yeah." Janae nodded. "Like . . . even though I try to be good, I sometimes mess up." Grandma nodded. "So the water stands for the world, the pepper for sin, and the finger for us. But Bible verses we learn are like . . ." began Grandma. "Like the soap!" Janae interrupted. "What we learn from the verses helps us stay away from sin. I remember that when Jesus was tempted, He quoted Scripture verses." "Good." Grandma smiled."Always remember that just putting Bible verses in our heads by memorizing them isn't enough. When they're truly in our hearts--when we think about what they say and follow their teaching--we can use them, like Jesus did, to keep sin away." How About You? Do you have Bible verses hidden in your heart? Do you think about the verses you memorize? Do you consider what they mean and apply them to your life? You live in the world, so sin is all around you. When you're tempted to look at something you shouldn't, to disobey your parents, to use a bad word, or to sin in some other way, let the verses in your heart help you choose to obey God and send sin away. Today's Key Verse: Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (Psalm 119:11) Today's Key Thought: Overcome sin with Scripturehttp://media2.cbhministries.org/media/website/kfk/podcast/key051813.mp3Sat, 18 May 2013 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx?ID=8979"Who will volunteer to sign this?" asked Miss Steele, showing her Sunday school class a sheet of paper. "What's it for?" asked one of the kids as several hands went up. "Well, when you sign it, you will be agreeing to do whatever I write on the paper," said Miss Steele. The hands promptly went back down. "It could be something like . . . mow my lawn, give me your allowance next week, come to a party, or maybe invite five people to Sunday school," continued Miss Steele. "It might be something hard--or easy. But you'll be glad if you do it. Now . . . who will sign this?" There were several giggles, but no volunteers. "Isn't there anyone who trusts me?" Miss Steele asked. Finally, Gina raised her hand. "I'll sign it, Miss Steele," she said. After Gina signed her name, Miss Steele took the paper again and began writing. Everyone eagerly waited to see what she wrote. When she finished, she handed the paper to Gina. "Read it out loud," instructed Miss Steele. "Go to the table in the corner," Gina read, "and pick up the Bible you see there. Whatever you find under it is yours to keep." Gina jumped up and hurried to the table. "Oh-h-h," she squealed as she lifted the Bible and uncovered some money. "Thank you, Miss Steele." "I thank you, Gina, for trusting me when no one else did," Miss Steele replied. She smiled at the class. "When we give our lives to the Lord, it's a little like signing a blank sheet of paper," she told them. "We say, 'Lord, I'm surrendering my life to You. You write the orders.' When we do this, God blesses and rewards us. Now . . . before Gina could receive her reward, what did she have to do?" "Sign the paper," said Amy, "even though she didn't know what it would say." "And she had to do what the paper said," Brent added. "If she had just read it but didn't do what it said, she still wouldn't have the money." "Right." Miss Steele nodded. "She had to trust me, and she had to obey me--whether it was hard or easy. It's like that in our relationship with God, too. We don't have to be afraid to hand our lives over to Him. We must trust Him and obey Him. The rewards He promises are worth more than anything He asks us to do." How About You? Are you afraid to yield everything in your life to God? Do you think He'll ask you to do something hard? That could be true, but don't worry about it. Give your life to Him in unconditional surrender. As today's Scripture reading says, God's children are to be "led by the Spirit of God." Yield to Him and do whatever it is you know He wants you to do. You'll be surprised at all the good things He has in store for you. Today's Key Verse: Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1) Today's Key Thought: Trust God and obey Himhttp://media2.cbhministries.org/media/website/kfk/podcast/key051713.mp3Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx?ID=8978CRASH! The sound of shattering glass echoed through the house. Both Randy and his mother ran into the kitchen. "Oh, Jennifer! My new vase!" Mom exclaimed when they saw the little girl looking in dismay at pieces of a glass vase scattered all over the floor. "I didn't mean to drop it," Jennifer sobbed. "It slided right out of my hands." Mom nodded. "I see that," she said. "Right now I want you to go wait in your room before you get cut on this glass. I'll be there to talk to you in a minute, but first I need to clean up this mess." So Jennifer sadly went to her room while Mom picked up the biggest pieces of broken glass and Randy got the broom and dustpan. "Jennifer should have known better than to touch the vase," said Randy with a frown, "but since she picked it up, she should have hung on tight and not let it slip out of her hands. It's pretty valuable, isn't it? I mean . . . it was." "Well, not so very," said Mom, "though I liked it." She looked thoughtful. "Speaking of letting it slip away reminds me of the most valuable thing anyone has, but many people let it slip away," she added. "Any idea what that would be?" "Ah . . . I'm sure you're not going to say it's money or a house or jewelry," said Randy slowly, trying to think of the right answer as he spoke. "Us kids, maybe? Or just any family members?" "That's a good answer," said Mom, "but I was thinking of our souls. People think so little about them and are so careless with them. Do you remember the story Jesus told of the rich man who was interested only in having a good time and plenty of food?" Randy nodded. "God called him a fool, didn't He?" "Yes. That rich man provided for his life on earth but took no thought of what would happen to his soul when he died," replied Mom. "Many people still make the same mistake and let their souls slip into eternity without the Lord. Making sure you'll go to heaven is the most important thing you can do." Solemnly, Randy agreed. How About You? Are you concerned about your soul? It's that special something inside of you that will live forever. Having the whole world is worth nothing if your soul is lost. It's up to you to decide where you will spend eternity--in heaven or in hell. Trust Jesus right now before it's too late. Make sure that heaven is your destination. (See the ABCs of Salvation at the right.) Today's Key Verse: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Mark 8:36) Today's Key Thought: Your soul is valuablehttp://media2.cbhministries.org/media/website/kfk/podcast/key051613.mp3Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx?ID=8977"What are you making, Mom?" Jody asked as she watched her mother's knitting needles move in and out. "I'm making a baby sweater for one of the ladies at church," answered Mom. "Mrs. Pauley is having a baby next month." "How come you do so many things like that for other people?" Jody asked. "It seems like you're always knitting or baking for somebody." "I enjoy making things and giving them away," said Mom with a smile. "I think it's kind of like when you make something special at school and bring it to me." "Yeah, but that's a little different," Jody replied. "I mean . . . you're my mom! But you do a lot of stuff for people you hardly know." "Not as much as Dorcas did," Mom answered. "Dorcas?" asked Jody. "Who's she? Do I know her?" Mom smiled. "The book of Acts in the Bible tells about her," she explained. "Dorcas was also called Tabitha. She was a Christian and did many good deeds. She knew how to sew, and she devoted much of her energy and time to making clothes for poor people and widows. Dorcas was always helping others. I imagine she was also their friend and listened to their troubles and comforted them." "I think I remember hearing about her in Sunday school," Jody said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be surprised," said Mom. "When Dorcas died, everyone was very sad. Do you recall what happened next?" Jody thought for a moment, then she nodded. "I remember that she died--but then she was raised from the dead, wasn't she?" "That's right," said Mom. "God used the Apostle Peter to bring her back to life." "When I get older, I'm going to be like you and Dorcas and do things for other people," Jody decided. "You don't have to wait that long," said Mom. "Let's think of something you can do for others right now." "Okay, but . . . like what?" Jody asked. Glancing out the window, she saw an elderly neighbor taking packages from her car. "Oh. Maybe I could go help Mrs. Jenks. Is that okay?" Smiling, Mom nodded. How About You? How can you help someone? Can you draw a picture or make a small gift and give it to your grandparents or a neighbor? Can you help them by dusting or cleaning? With your mother's help, could you make cookies for a shut-in? Make a card for someone who is ill? Mow the lawn or shovel snow for an elderly person? There are many possibilities. When you help others, you please the Lord, too. Today's Key Verse: She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. (Proverbs 31:20) Today's Key Thought: Help othershttp://media2.cbhministries.org/media/website/kfk/podcast/key051513.mp3Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx?ID=8976Brett looked up from his plate as he and his family were eating supper. "You know what?" he asked, reaching for the salt shaker. "Today I remembered what Pastor Hughes said about witnessing and being the salt of the earth, and I decided to witness to Keith. He's always doing really bad stuff. Like . . . he swears sometimes, and he's mean to the little kids, and today I saw him cheat. So I told him he was a sinner headed straight for hell, and that he should repent." "Whoa! Sounds like you came on a little strong," said Dad. "I invited him to come to church, too," added Brett, "but he said he already goes. It must be a pretty stupid church he goes to if he isn't a Christian yet." "I hope you didn't tell Keith that," said Dad. "Did you?" "Well . . . sort of," Brett replied. "Brett, if you insult the person you're talking to, he might get angry and become completely turned off to the Lord," warned Dad. "I was just trying to witness," said Brett. "How could that ever be anything but good?" He frowned and started to sprinkle salt onto his potatoes. After just a few shakes, the top fell off and salt poured out onto his food. Brett looked in dismay at his plate. Mom jumped up to help. "I guess I didn't put the top on tight when I filled the shakers," she said. "You know, Son," said Dad, "you got too much salt on your food, and that spoiled it. I think maybe you gave Keith too much salt today, too. It's great that you witnessed to him, but you may have given him too much too fast. When we do that, it could spoil someone's interest in spiritual things." Brett got up to get a new plate. "Do you think so?" he asked. "I'm afraid so," replied Dad. "Like the Bible says, Christians are like salt, which is needed to improve flavor. So don't stop witnessing, but next time, try to be kind and tactful. Be sensitive to the other person's feelings." Slowly, Brett nodded. "I'll apologize tomorrow," he said, "but . . . it should be okay to tell him Jesus loves him and he needs to accept Him as Savior, shouldn't it? Should I tell him I'll pray for him, too?" Smiling, Dad nodded. "Say it lovingly," he said, "and that should be fine." How About You? Do you witness to your friends? It's important that you do so. You may be the only Christian they know--the only one who will tell them about Jesus. Show love and concern when you witness. Your friends have feelings just like you do. If you think they need to hear some harsh thing, tell them lovingly. Pray about it, and then trust the Lord to give you the right words. Today's Key Verse: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:6) Today's Key Thought: Witness tactfullyhttp://media2.cbhministries.org/media/website/kfk/podcast/key051413.mp3Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx?ID=8975The Johnson family stood looking at the huge oak tree lying across their front yard. During the night, a fierce storm had blown it down. "Wow!" exclaimed Natalie. "If that tree had fallen just a little farther this way, it would have hit the house!" Dad nodded. "God surely takes good care of us," he said, placing his hand on Natalie's shoulder. Mark eyed the short distance from the fallen tree to the house. "Yeah," he said in awe. "Our house isn't damaged at all." "I hope I never forget all the things God has done for us," murmured Mom. "But sometimes He lets bad things happen to us," said Natalie, "like when Grandma got hit by a car!" "Yes, but even then, Grandma--and all of us--felt God's comfort and peace," said Dad. "We knew we could trust Him to care for us." Mark nodded. "When I get scared, it helps to remember other times when I was scared but God took care of me," he said. "We had a story in Bible club about how Samuel set up a stone and gave it a name--kind of a funny name that meant something like 'God helped us,'" Natalie remembered. "Our teacher called it a memorial rock because it was set up as a reminder that God had won a battle for Israel." "You're thinking of the name Ebenezer," said Mom with a smile. Dad grinned. "Maybe we should set up a memorial rock of our own," he said. "Maybe. Or could we make a notebook telling about the times God helps us?" Natalie asked. "We could add to it whenever something special happens--like this tree missing the house." "Good idea," agreed Mark. "And let's include a picture of all of us standing in front of this big tree. Whenever we see the picture we'll be reminded of how God took care of us." Mom and Dad both smiled approvingly. "We can call it our Ebenezer Book," suggested Dad. "Get the camera, Mark. Let's start our book today!" How About You? Do you have a way of remembering the things the Lord has done for you? Have you received a special answer to prayer or has God protected you in a dangerous situation? Has He helped you through a hard class at school or provided a friend when you felt lonely? Why don't you keep a record of what God has done for you? Don't do it to dwell on the past, but do it to be reminded that God is always there to help, even when you're faced with a difficult situation. Today's Key Verse: Remember His marvelous works which He has done. (1 Chronicles 16:12) Today's Key Thought: Remember God's goodnesshttp://media2.cbhministries.org/media/website/kfk/podcast/key051313.mp3Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.cbhministries.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx?ID=8974"How was school?" Ryan's foster mother asked cheerfully as he shuffled in. "Fine," answered Ryan, avoiding her gaze. He hurried to his room and shut the door before throwing himself on the bed. Ryan was dreadingMother's Day. His class was doing a project to honor mothers, and it embarrassed him. Hot shame washed over him as he recalled how some of the kids had made unkind remarks about his family. Hearing a knock on his door, Ryan sat up quickly. "Come in," he called. Mr. Grady, his foster father, entered the room. "How about a nice, fresh, chocolate cupcake?" Mr. Grady asked as he perched on the edge of the desk. Ryan shook his head. "Want to talk about what's bothering you?" asked Mr. Grady. "It's nothing," muttered Ryan, but he couldn't keep a tear from trickling down his cheek. He brushed his eyes angrily and burst out, "Why was I even born? Nobody wants me!" "God thought you were special when He created you," Mr. Grady said quietly. "He still thinks so, and we do, too." "My other foster family got rid of me," Ryan mumbled, "and even my own mom or dad didn't want me!" "Ryan, Mrs. G. and I are glad you're with us," said Mr. Grady gently, "and you need to know that God wants you, too. He always cares about you, even when people hurt you." "How do you know?" Ryan asked doubtfully. "God proved it by sending His Son Jesus who thought you were worth dying for. We talked about that, remember?" asked Mr. Grady. Ryan nodded. "Trust in Him, Ryan. The Bible says God will never leave His children." Mr. Grady put a hand lightly on Ryan's shoulder. "Want to look up some of God's promises with me?" Ryan sighed. "Okay," he agreed. "How about coming along to the kitchen and having a cupcake while I get my Bible?" suggested Mr. Grady. Giving Mr. Grady a tiny smile, Ryan followed him to the kitchen. How About You? Have you been hurt by someone you love? Do you think nobody cares about you? Jesus does. He made you special, and He loves you so much--even more than moms or dads ever could. Trust in Him. But perhaps you aren't lonely--you have loving parents. Thank God for them--especially for your mom on this Mother's Day. If you know someone who doesn't have a loving parent, be sure to show Christ's love to that person. Today's Key Verse: They (mothers) may forget, yet I will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:15 ) Today's Key Thought: Give thanks for mothers--and for God's carehttp://media2.cbhministries.org/media/website/kfk/podcast/key051213.mp3Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT