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The Story of Santa

"Ho, ho, ho! And a merry Christmas to you!” bellowed a tall Santa at the entrance to Mia’s favorite toy store. Mia and her dad were doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. They needed a few more things for the shoeboxes they were filling for kids who lived in orphanages in poor countries.

“Dad, why do I see so many Santas around at Christmas instead of manger scenes?” Mia wondered aloud. “Everywhere I look I see Santa! See, there’s a gigantic stuffed Santa right over there!”

“I agree, there’s a lot more of Santa than Jesus in most stores at Christmas,” said Dad. “I think the tradition of Santa has overshadowed the truth of Jesus’ birth. However, not many people know the story of the real Saint Nicholas where our tradition of Santa began. Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course!” said Mia.

“According to history scholars, Saint Nicholas was born a long time ago around 280 A.D., which means 280 years after Jesus’ birth,” Dad explained. “His parents were very wealthy and left him a large inheritance when they died. Nicholas was a Christian, so he decided to share his wealth by giving gifts and money to the poor and sick in his town. He later became a Christian bishop in the church and eventually became Saint Nicholas.”

“So, did he wear a red suit and have a white beard?” asked Mia.

“No one really knows what Saint Nicholas looked like. All we know is he had a reputation of giving to those in need,” Dad said.

“Just like we’re filling those shoeboxes for the needy kids!” Mia exclaimed.

“Exactly!” said Dad. “People often associate Santa with getting a lot of presents. Instead, I think we should think of Saint Nicholas and giving to others. And remember, the reason Saint Nicholas gave to others was to show Jesus’ love to them. As a Christian, he knew the greatest gift we could ever receive was Jesus, who became human in order to save us from sin. That’s really what Christmas is all about—celebrating the gift of Jesus!”

So how about you?

Do you focus on giving to others at Christmas? Sometimes it’s easy to make Christmas all about getting presents for ourselves rather than thinking of how we can give to others. Money and presents aren’t the only ways to give. Share a kind word, do something extra around the house, or let someone go ahead of you in line. When you give, you point to the greatest gift of all—Jesus.

Key Verse

2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

Key Thought

Give generously to others.

Further Reading

2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 11-15

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The Most Important Gift

Austin woke with excitement and quickly jumped out of bed, wondering what would be in the wrapped presents under the tree. “It’s Christmas Eve, Mom!” he said as he ran into the kitchen for breakfast. Austin’s family had a tradition of opening their gifts on Christmas Eve.

Throughout the day, Austin made many trips to the Christmas tree to look at the presents. Just when he felt he couldn’t wait any longer, the evening meal was over and the family gathered to open presents. Austin got a book, a pair of jeans, a movie, and the thing he wanted most of all—a baseball mitt!

Austin was already dreaming of summer when Dad reached for his Bible. “Let’s read about the gifts the wise men brought Jesus.” After reading the story, Dad said, “We’ve given gifts to show our love for one another, and we have a gift for Jesus too.” He rattled a shiny red tin that had money from every member of the family in it. Collecting a Christmas offering was another tradition in Austin’s family.

It was Mom’s turn to read, and she read a passage from Second Corinthians. “Just like the people in this story who gave gifts to help the apostle Paul, you all gave money to be used for God’s work,” Mom said when she finished reading. “But the most important thing they gave Jesus wasn’t their money. It was themselves. They gave themselves to the Lord by remembering that He died to save them and submitting to His will for their lives. As Christians, we need to do that too. While it’s good to give money, it’s more important to depend on Jesus to guide us in doing His will and help us love others the way He does.”

Austin thought about that as he went to bed. He trusted in Jesus, but he hadn’t really given much thought to how Jesus wanted him to live. Suddenly he jumped up and ran into the living room. “I want to give myself to Jesus! I want to ask Him to help me love others and live my life for Him.” He grinned at his parents. “That’s the most important gift I can give!”

So how about you?

Have you given yourself to Jesus? That’s the most important gift you can give. As Christians, we must continually give ourselves to the Lord by depending on Him to help us do His will and show others His love. Give Jesus the gift of yourself this Christmas, and trust Him to use your life to share His gift of salvation with others.

Key Verse

2 Corinthians 8:5 "They first gave themselves to the Lord."

Key Thought

Give yourself to Jesus.

Further Reading

Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

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The Exchange Student

"That was a good play,” said José, an exchange student from Mexico who was living with Ronan’s family. They were returning home after attending a Christmas program at church. “I’ve heard a lot about the Bible, but I’ve never been to a pageant like that one.”

Ronan pointed. “Look! There are some carolers. They go from house to house singing Christmas songs. Do you have carolers in Mexico, José?”

“No,” said José, “but we do have what we call Los Peregrinos. Like Mary and Joseph, people go from house to house. They pretend to be looking for a place where they can stay. It’s planned ahead so that the third one they stop at lets them in. There’s a piñata ready for the children and hot drinks for the adults.”

“Sounds fun!” said Ronan.

“When we get home, I could show you pictures of that and other Christmas traditions we have,” José said.

Ronan nodded. “I’d like that.”

Later that night, Dad and Ronan wrapped gifts while José talked to his family in Mexico. “Do you like having José stay with us?” asked Dad.

“Yeah, I do,” Ronan answered. “We’ve studied Mexico at school, but learning that way isn’t the same as knowing somebody who’s from there. Having José live with us and listening to him explain what people were doing in the pictures he showed me is a better way to learn.” Ronan fastened a bright red ribbon to a package. “If I had just read about Mexico but had never met José, I wouldn’t know half as much about his culture as I do now.”

Dad put down his scissors and tape. “You know, it’s the same with knowing Jesus too. Just knowing things about the Bible is much different from having a personal relationship with Jesus and trusting Him with every part of your life.”

“Yeah,” Ronan said thoughtfully. “I think we should explain that to José. He seems to know quite a bit about the Bible, but we should make sure he understands why Jesus died and that he needs to know Him personally.” Ronan paused. “I’ll try to talk to him some more about it when I get a chance.”

“That’s a good idea,” Dad said. “I’ll do the same.”

So how about you?

Do you know Jesus personally? Do you trust Him as your Savior and Lord? Studying the Bible is great, but just knowing Bible stories, facts, and verses is not enough. You need to understand that you’re a sinner who is unable to earn your own salvation and that Jesus died to pay the price for you to have eternal life. Trust Him as your Savior. Learn more at keysforkids.org/GoodNews.

Key Verse

Philippians 3:10 "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead."

Key Thought

You can know Jesus personally.

Further Reading

Ephesians 3:14-21

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No Room

"Rayna, how would you like to have a roommate for a few days?” Mom asked when she picked Rayna up from school. "Pastor Rollins is looking for places for the Peterson children to stay while their mother is in the hospital. I thought maybe we could take Morgan.”

Rayna groaned. “Mom, no! She’d want to tag along everywhere I go.”

That evening, Rayna’s family read part of the Christmas story during family devotions. “Imagine Joseph’s disappointment when he asked for a room and the innkeeper turned him away,” Dad said as he closed the Bible. Then he prayed that they would be careful not to do the same thing.

Rayna thought about that when she went to bed. In her mind, she could almost hear the innkeeper saying, “Sorry. We have no room!” As Rayna tried to go to sleep, she couldn’t get the phrase out of her head. “No room! No room!”

No room for the Son of God! she thought. That’s terrible! Then the words of a Bible verse echoed through her mind: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” She tried to forget those words but couldn’t. Maybe letting Morgan share my room is like offering Jesus a room too.

When Rayna sat down for breakfast the next morning, she smiled at her mother. “Did you tell Pastor Rollins to send Morgan to us?” she asked.

Mom shook her head. “Not yet.”

“Well, let’s tell him,” said Rayna. “I know she’s a lot younger than me, but she needs a place to stay, and maybe I can help her forget her troubles for a while.”

Mom smiled. “I’m glad you decided that, but why the change?”

“I thought about the innkeeper last night,” said Rayna. “I don’t want to make the same mistake he did.”

“The innkeeper?” asked Mom. “Oh. The one who didn’t have room for Jesus?”

Rayna nodded. “I realized that Jesus wants me to make room for her this Christmas. Since I’ve welcomed Him into my life by trusting in Him, He wants me to welcome others too. And I don’t want to turn either one of them away.”

So how about you?

Have you made room in your heart for Jesus? Have you invited Him into your life? If you trust in Him, He’s shaping your heart so you can show His love and hospitality to others. Perhaps there’s someone He wants you to make room for in our life, like an older person who is lonely or a classmate who needs a friend. By showing them hospitality, you’re showing them the love of Jesus.

Key Verse

Matthew 25:40 "The King [Jesus] will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me."

Key Thought

Be hospitable.

Further Reading

Matthew 25:37-40; Luke 2:1-7

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White Christmas

"It’s still snowing, Grandpa,” said Evan. “We’ll have a white Christmas for sure!” Evan had not seen much snow when he lived in the valley, but now he was staying with his grandpa in the mountains.

Grandpa nodded. “It makes the whole world look so clean, doesn’t it?” he said. “It reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses. Isaiah 1:18 says our sins can be made as white as snow. That happens when we trust Jesus as our Savior from sin.”

Evan nodded, even though he wasn’t really sure what that meant. “I like the snow,” he said. “Can I go sledding for a while?”

“Sure,” said Grandpa, so Evan bundled up and went out.

That evening, Evan enjoyed a mug of hot chocolate while Grandpa read the Christmas story from the Bible.

When Grandpa finished, Evan turned to him. “Grandpa, I was thinking about that verse you like—the one about snow. Didn’t you say my dad trusts Jesus as his Savior?” Grandpa nodded.

“So does that mean his sins are as white as snow now?” Evan asked.

“It sure does,” Grandpa assured him.

“Then why is Dad still in jail?” asked Evan.

“Well, Evan, for many years, your father didn’t want to have anything to do with Jesus,” Grandpa explained. “Just like all of us, he sinned, and he started doing some very bad things and couldn’t stop on his own. He broke the law, so now he has to face the consequences for what he did—even though He decided to trust in Jesus while he was in jail and asked Him to forgive him for all the bad things he did. Jesus washed all his sin away and made his heart clean, and your dad is a new person and will spend eternity with God. Even though there are still consequences for the wrong things he did here on earth, God won’t hold those things against him. In God’s eyes, he’s as white as snow.”

Evan thought about that. “I want to be as white as snow in God’s eyes too,” he said.

“You can be,” said Grandpa. “Trust Jesus to forgive your sins and make you clean. Then you can have a white Christmas—inside and out.”

So how about you?

Did you know that you can have a white Christmas anywhere in the world? Even if you don’t get snow where you live, you can have a white Christmas on the inside by asking Jesus to wash away all the wrong you’ve ever done. He died to take the punishment for your sin, and when you trust in Him, He will make your heart as white as snow. Trust Him today! Learn more at keysforkids.org/GoodNews.

Key Verse

Isaiah 1:18 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

Key Thought

Trust Jesus as your Savior.

Further Reading

Romans 3:23; Psalm 51:1-4, 7

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Crybaby Christmas

"This is the worst Christmas ever!” Stella told her brother. “Not only did we have to move because of Dad’s job, we have to live in this tiny apartment because we can’t find a house.” She groaned as she tripped over a box on her way to the couch. “There’s no room in here!”

Logan shrugged. “At least we have beds. When Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem, all they could find was a stable. They probably just had straw.”

Stella sighed. “Yeah, well, at least they had the gifts the wise men brought them. We don’t have any presents to open tomorrow because we’ve been so busy moving that we haven’t had any time to go Christmas shopping!”

“Actually, the wise men didn’t bring gifts to Jesus right when he was born,” Logan said. “They didn’t come until later.”

Stella crossed her arms. “Well, at least they had the angels singing. I can’t stream any music because the internet here is too slow!”

“It was actually the shepherds who heard the angels singing—not Mary and Joseph.” Logan looked at his sister. “It sounds like you’re having a crybaby Christmas.”

Stella raised her eyebrows. “A crybaby Christmas?”

“Yeah,” said Logan. “You’re complaining about everything! If you stopped complaining and started singing, at least you’d have some music to listen to and one less thing to complain about!”

Stella threw a pillow at her brother’s head, but Mom came down the hallway just in time and caught it in midair. “Okay, you two. What’s going on?”

“Logan says I’m complaining about everything!” said Stella.

“Well?” said Mom. “Are you?”

Stella sighed. “Well, maybe. But everything’s a mess, and just because he’s not bothered by any of it doesn’t mean he can make fun of me!”

Mom nodded. “I know Christmas is a lot different for us this year, but we can still be joyful. When we remember that Jesus came to earth to save us and that He’s always with us, we can be joyful even when things are hard. He cares about our problems—and He wants us to care for each other.”

Stella and Logan looked at each other and smiled. Then Logan started singing “Joy to the World,” and Stella and Mom joined in.

So how about you?

Have you been rejoicing in the birth of Jesus this Christmas season? Or have you been too weighed down by problems to feel joyful? Problems can be hard to deal with, especially at Christmas, but remember that Christmas is all about Jesus fixing our biggest problem of all—sin. Remember that He came to earth to save you and is always with you, no matter what problems you face. Then celebrate Christmas with joy!

Key Verse

Luke 2:10 "The angel said... 'I bring you good tidings of great joy.'"

Key Thought

Be joyful!

Further Reading

Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 2:8-14

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Hugo's Rescue

Rose sat forward in her seat, her eyes riveted to the screen. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed as Hugo, the main character in the movie they were watching, fell into the ocean while trying to get the sail of his ship down. “What will happen to Hugo now? He was sailing alone!”

Her brother Barrett grinned. “He’ll get rescued,” he said. “Just wait.”

The music played. Excitement mounted. Rose nibbled on a handful of popcorn as she watched the man on the screen struggle for his life. He kicked and splashed to stay afloat as angry waves rolled about and threatened to drown him. Suddenly, a shark’s fin sliced through the water behind the man. “Look out, Hugo!” Barrett exclaimed.

“Now who’s worried?” said Rose. But her heart pounded as the shark got closer and closer to Hugo. He fought the sea, unaware of the danger behind him. Just when it seemed the shark would surely gobble him up, a boat roared into view.

“Someone jumped in and got a hold of him!” Barrett yelled. “They’re reeling him in!”

“Wow!” Rose said when the movie ended. “Good thing that boat came when it did!”

Barrett nodded. “That was a good movie.”

“Yeah.” Rose got up and adjusted an ornament on the Christmas tree. “It was good, but I like watching Christmas movies this time of year, and that wasn’t very Christmassy.”

“Well, it may not have had any Christmas trees or caroling in it,” said Dad, who had watched the movie with them, “but Hugo’s story actually reminds me a lot of what happened at Christmas.”

“Really?” asked Rose. “How’s that?”

“Christmas is the day we celebrate God rescuing us,” Dad said.

“You mean because it’s when we celebrate Jesus’ birth?” Barrett asked. “He came to earth to rescue us.”

Dad nodded. “God knew we had no hope of being saved from the sea of sin we were drowning in without Him, so He sent His only Son to jump in and rescue us. When we trust in Him, He reels us in and gives us eternal life.”

“I’m glad Jesus came to our rescue,” Rose said. She looked at her dad and grinned. “I guess that really was a Christmas movie after all!”

So how about you?

Have you been rescued by Jesus? Or are you still drowning in sin? At Christmas, we celebrate that Jesus, God’s Son, was born in Bethlehem. He grew up and lived a perfect life. He died on the cross to take the punishment for your sin, and He rose from the grave to give you eternal life. Trust Him as your Savior today! (See “Have You Heard the Good News?” at keysforkids.org/GoodNews.)

Key Verse

1 John 5:12 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Song of God does not have life."

Key Thought

Jesus rescues us from sin.

Further Reading

1 John 5:9-13

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A Fake Christmas

"It’s so pretty!” said five-year-old Jessie as she stood at the rope barricade and stared in wonder at the shiny balls, glittering stars, and sparkling snow on a Christmas tree at the mall. “Is the snow on the Christmas tree real?”

“No,” said Jessie’s older sister, Dakota. “It comes in a spray can, and you just spray it on.”

“It looks so real,” said Jessie, disappointed. “Who are all the presents under the tree for?”

“They’re not real presents,” said Dakota. “They’re empty boxes wrapped to look like presents—just part of the decorations. They’re supposed to get people in the mood to buy Christmas presents.”

Jessie could hardly believe that the beautifully wrapped boxes were empty. She wanted to reach over the barricade, pick one up, and shake it.

Back home, Jessie told her mother about the tree. “The snow looked so real,” she said. “And the presents did too, but Dakota says they’re just empty boxes. Are they really?”

“I’m afraid so,” said Mom. “Even though they’re covered in shiny paper and colorful bows, there’s nothing inside.”

“That’s sad,” said Jessie. “It’s not real at all—it’s a fake Christmas!”

“In a way, it is,” said Mom. “And we wouldn’t want to celebrate a fake Christmas, would we? Not at the mall, and not at our house.”

“At our house?” Jessie giggled. “We don’t wrap empty boxes and put them under the tree!”

“No,” said Mom, “but if we’re not careful, the things we do to celebrate Christmas—all the parties and gifts and decorations—can distract us from the real reason we celebrate Christmas—Jesus coming to earth to die for our sins. He’s the true gift of Christmas, and without Him, Christmas is empty—just like one of those empty boxes wrapped in pretty paper.”

“So is it bad to do those things, like give each other presents or decorate the house?” Jessie asked.

“Of course not!” said Mom. “But those things are like the pretty paper we use to wrap the gifts we give each other—it’s not the gift itself. And all the fun things we do at Christmas point us to the real reason we celebrate—that God sent His Son to the world to save us and give us eternal life.”

So how about you?

Do you celebrate the real reason for Christmas? Or do you just focus on buying gifts or getting presents? At Christmas, we celebrate God giving us the best present ever—Himself. He sent Jesus to save us from sin so we could have eternal life with Him. If you haven’t received that gift, do it today by trusting in Jesus. (Learn more about salvation at keysforkids.org/GoodNews.)

Key Verse

Romans 6:23 "The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Key Thought

Celebrate the true gift of Christmas.

Further Reading

John 3:14-21