Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: Reuben Stands Tall Standing Firm Against Peer Pressure
- Chapter 2: Trusting the Path Trusting God When Things Are Hard
- Chapter 3: Built to Last Building Your Life on God’s Word
- Chapter 4: Bella and the Lost Game Choosing Honesty Over Winning
- Chapter 5: Fruit That Lasts Growing the Fruit of the Spirit
- Chapter 6: Listening Ears and Calm Hearts Listening First, Speaking Wisely
- Chapter 7: Big Hills and Brave Hearts Finding Strength in God
- Chapter 8: Wonderfully Made Overcoming Comparison and Self-Doubt
- Chapter 9: Shine Your Light Doing Good Even When Others Don’t Understand
- Chapter 10: Choosing Good Friends The Power of Good Friends
- Chapter 11: Forgive Like Jesus Learning to Forgive
- Chapter 12: Nothing Too Hard for God Keep Going When You Want to Quit
- Chapter 13: Be Brave Being Brave with God Beside You
- Chapter 14: Malachi’s Lost Buddy God Brings Good from Hard Times
Welcome to The Vine Kids
If you’re like most parents and ministry leaders, you want to raise kids who love God’s Word. You want devotions to be meaningful, memorable, and actually stick. But here’s what often happens instead: you open a devotional, read a Bible story the kids have heard a dozen times, ask a few questions, say a prayer, and wonder if any of it made a difference.
You’re not alone. In my years working in children’s ministry, I’ve seen countless parents and church leaders who want to disciple kids but feel overwhelmed, under-resourced, or unsure where to begin. Some struggle with confidence. Others feel like they’re just going through the motions. And most are left wondering: Is there a way to make Scripture feel real and relevant to kids’ everyday lives?
That’s why I created The Vine Kids.
What Makes This Different
The Vine Kids isn’t another collection of Bible story retellings. Kids already know about David and Goliath, Noah’s ark, and Jonah and the whale. Instead, this devotional does something different: it shows kids facing the real problems they deal with every day (peer pressure, choosing friends, honesty, fear, forgiveness) and it shows them how God’s Word becomes the answer.
Each of the 14 chapters features a modern, relatable story where a child navigates a challenge, discovers a truth from Scripture, and learns to apply it in their own life. The Bible verse isn’t just something to memorize. It’s the solution to the problem they’re facing.
As a children’s ministry leader and author of four previous children’s books, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. Kids don’t need more information. They need to see that God’s Word is alive, active, and directly connected to their world today.
How to Use This Book
The Vine Kids is designed to work your way. These 14 chapters can be used:
- Daily for an intensive 2-week experience (perfect for family devotions or weekday kids’ programs)
- Weekly for a full quarter of discipleship (ideal for Sunday school or small groups)
- At your own pace for bedtime reading, homeschool Bible time, or church events
Each chapter includes:
- A modern story kids can see themselves in
- A memory verse that speaks directly to the story
- A simple explanation to help kids understand the verse
- A drawing prompt to engage their creativity
- Discussion questions to spark meaningful conversation
- A Parent Insight Box with developmental context and practical tips (useful for parents and teachers alike)
You don’t need a theology degree or a perfect track record to use this effectively. You just need to show up, read together, draw together, and talk together. That’s where faith gets built.
My Prayer for You
My hope is that over these 14 days, the children in your care will experience something deeper than just “doing devotions.” I pray that they will begin to see God’s Word not as something distant or boring, but as the very thing that helps them navigate life. I pray that you, whether you’re a parent, teacher, or ministry leader, will feel equipped and confident to disciple children, not perfectly, but faithfully.
Like a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:3), may the children you serve be rooted in God’s Word, growing in faith, and shining His light to the world around them.
Let’s get started.
Abenezer Mergia
Chapter 1: Reuben Stands Tall
It was Reuben’s first week at his new school. Everything felt different. The hallways were long, the classrooms were bright, and the playground was really big. At recess, kids played in groups that already knew each other. They laughed and shouted as they ran around. Reuben watched from the side, feeling nervous and a little left out.
He wanted to make friends, but he didn’t know how to join in.
One day at lunch, a group of boys waved him over. They looked fun. They were loud and told lots of jokes. Reuben smiled and walked toward them.
“Hey, wanna sit with us?” one boy asked, smiling with food in his mouth.
Reuben nodded and sat down quickly. The boys started teasing other kids. They made jokes about the lunch lady’s hat and laughed at students who dropped their trays.
At first, Reuben laughed too. It felt nice to be part of the group.
But then something didn’t feel right. The teasing wasn’t kind. The jokes didn’t make him happy. Instead, Reuben felt a little funny inside, like a quiet voice was talking to his heart.
That evening, Reuben sat with his mom at the kitchen table. He told her about the boys and how he had joined in.
His mom listened and gave him a gentle smile. “You don’t have to follow kids who do wrong just to fit in,” she said. “There’s a better way to be strong.”
She opened their family Bible to Psalm 1 and read:
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither; whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:1-3, NIV)
Reuben listened closely. “What does that mean?” he asked.
His mom said, “It means someone who loves and follows God’s Word is strong and calm, like a tree with deep roots near water. Even when storms come, the tree stands tall and grows good fruit, like kindness, patience, and love.”
Reuben thought about the boys. Were they like trees, or more like leaves blowing in the wind?
The next day at school, Reuben saw the boys again. They were teasing a younger student who had dropped his backpack on the playground.
The boys laughed and pointed, but Reuben remembered what his mom said.
He took a deep breath and said, “Hey, that’s not funny.”
The boys stared at him. One shrugged and said, “Whatever,” but the teasing stopped.
After recess, Reuben helped the younger student pick up his things. The boy smiled and said, “Thanks, Reuben.”
That night, Reuben’s mom gave him a big hug. “You’re like that tree,” she said. “Standing strong and kind, even when it’s hard.”
Reuben smiled. He felt proud and peaceful. Maybe being rooted in God’s Word was the strongest thing of all.
Memory Verse
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither; whatever they do prospers.”
(Psalm 1:1-3, NIV)
Simple Explanation
This verse teaches us that when we love God’s Word and think about it all the time, we become strong and steady. Just like a tree with deep roots next to water, we can stand tall even when things around us are difficult. We grow good things inside us, like kindness and patience, and we do well in life because God helps us.
Draw This
Draw Reuben standing next to a big tree by the playground. Show the tree’s roots deep in the ground and fruit growing on its branches. Around the tree, draw kids playing nicely and smiling.
(The rest of the page is a framed space for drawing.)
Talk About It
- What does it mean to be like a tree planted by streams of water?
- Have you ever felt pressure to join others who are doing wrong?
- How can God help you stand strong and be kind even when it’s hard?
- What are some ways you can “delight in the law of the Lord” every day?
Parent Insight
At ages 7-10, kids are beginning to face real peer pressure as they develop their sense of belonging outside the home. Teaching them now that standing firm in God’s Word gives them inner strength will serve them through every social challenge ahead. This week, when your child faces a choice between fitting in and doing what’s right, ask: “What would help you feel peaceful inside like Reuben did?”
