** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < January 27, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
The Unexpected Seeds of Bible Camp
• Romans 10:9–15, 2 Corinthians 5:11–21, Colossians 4:3–6
I have to admit, the last thing I wanted to do was teach Bible camp. Give up a week of my summer? For a bunch of little kids I didn’t even know? I attended church, sure, but it’s not like I was a Bible expert. Couldn’t they find someone more qualified? But my friend encouraged me to try it, so I thought, "Fine. It’s only a week. I’ll help."
When camp started, I was surprised. Some of these kids had never even heard of Jesus before! As one cute little face looked up at me and told me his family had never been to church, I thought, "I might be the only face of Jesus that these kids see today. Maybe that they have ever seen!" Suddenly my sense of purpose deepened. I wasn’t just a glorified babysitter. I was introducing these kids to Jesus.
I didn’t need to be a Bible expert for these kids. All I could do was let them see Jesus’s love shining through me. If I could offer a friendly face and a kind heart, maybe they would start to know that Jesus is kind and He cares about them. Something as simple as a positive interaction with me might be all it would take to spark their faith! I mean, if they went home saying they loved Bible camp, those happy memories would plant a seed. They might come back next year. And the year after that. Maybe they’d even start coming to church. Maybe they’d teach Bible camp someday...and lead a whole new group of kids to Jesus!
You never know where saying yes to God will lead. • Bitsy Kemper
• Have you experienced Jesus’s love through someone in your life? What did this person do that showed you what God is like?
• When we experience God’s love for us, sharing that love with others comes naturally. Can you think of a time when God revealed His love for you? If not, you can ask Him anytime.
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < February 05, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Our Help
• Psalm 46, 1 John 4:4
God is our help. How amazing is that? The Bible tells us so many times that we can rely on God. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). In Deuteronomy 31:6 and then again in Hebrews 13:5-6, we are told that God will never leave us. Never. He is always on our side. In 1 John 4:4, we are reminded that God is great, and He is in us through the Holy Spirit. He is far greater than those in the world. He is bigger than our enemies and anything that we could face.
God is our help when we are in trouble. God is our help when we have decisions to make. God is our help every day. So many Bible passages talk about the way God cares for us, and the Holy Spirit reminds us that He will continue to take care of us. Whenever we are afraid, we can cling to God.
In times when everything seems to be falling apart in our lives, we can find comfort in God’s words to us, like Psalm 46, which begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” God, the Creator of the universe, is our help. God, the One who can do anything, decided to create us. And love us. And die for us. He loves us “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), and not even death can keep Him from saving us. Jesus, our loving God, rose from the dead. We can rely on God to be our help. Always. • Bethany Acker
• Do you have a favorite Bible verse that reminds you God is your help? If not, do any of the verses mentioned above resonate with you? Why or why not?
• How do you need God’s help today? (Remember, we never have to feel bad for needing help. In fact, God WANTS us to come to Him for help.)
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NIV)
