** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <October 15, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Autophobia
• READ: EXODUS 29:42-46; 32:1-4; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16
What are you afraid of? Heights? Snakes? Public speaking? Chickens?
Yes, alektorophobia (the fear of chickens) is a real thing! So is coulrophobia (the fear of clowns), dentophobia (the fear of dentists), and microphobia
(the fear of small things). A person with helio- (sun)
and herpeto- (reptile) phobias might not want to live
in Florida, and if you happened to have papyrophobia
(the fear of paper) and arithmophobia (the fear of numbers), that math homework is never getting done!
Autophobia (the fear of being alone) is something we can all raise our hands for. We dread the thought of being left out, abandoned, or forgotten. A shortage of presence can easily send us into panic or leave us feeling paralyzed.
After four hundred years of slavery in Egypt, the Lord used His mighty hand to rescue His people. But as they walked away from all they had ever known, fear set in. Their leader, Moses, met with God on Mt. Sinai, but the meeting took so long, the people got autophobic and built a golden calf to worship and call their “god.”
What the people of Israel didn’t know was, in that very meeting on Mt. Sinai, God was giving Moses instructions for the tabernacle: “Make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them,” He said (Exodus 25:8). This tent would be a tangible reminder that their God was always right there with them.
When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, releasing the presence of God to be wherever His followers are. Cleansed by His grace, we are now the “sanctuary” where God dwells on this earth!
My instincts may tell me to bolt headlong in the other direction when I see a chicken, but I never have to fear being alone. Wherever I am, God is also right there! • Mandy Desilets
• Read Colossians 3:16. What are three ways you can become more aware of God’s presence when you’re feeling alone?
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <October 14, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Three Tips for Talking with Others about God
• READ: MATTHEW 28:16-20
Have you ever tried to talk to someone about Jesus and been unsure about what to say?
Opening up to others can be scary. It can be terrifying to share your faith in Christ, especially when you’re not sure how someone might respond. In those moments, here are three things to remember to help you stay calm and communicate the gospel well:
1. Take a deep breath and rest in this truth: as you share the truth from God’s Word, God is the One who is at work in the person you’re talking to and it is not ultimately up to you whether this person will respond to the gospel (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
2. Be kind in the way you present the truth (1 Peter 3:15). Offer the person a smile. Be gentle with them. Be willing to answer any questions they might have. Listen closely to them.
3. Pray about what you are going to say. The Holy Spirit will not abandon you and will equip you (Luke 12:12). You can even pray silently for wisdom while you are speaking.
As you share the gospel, remember Jesus is with you. You are never alone— even during scary conversations with those who do not yet share your faith. • Emily Acker
• Who are people in your life you want to share the gospel with?
• How could you use the tips in today’s devotion in your conversations with them?
• Who are mature Christians in your life you can talk with about how to witness well?
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
