** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < July 21, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Paying Attention and Making a Difference
• Emily Acker • Galatians 6:2, Psalm 82:2–4
There are times when someone in your life seems to need you in some way. Maybe someone new starts at your school and they are struggling in a class that you understand well. Maybe your sibling hurts their leg and struggles to get around with their crutches. Maybe you see a coworker going without anything to eat during their lunch break.
When we see a need in someone else and we have the ability to meet that need, we can show God’s love by offering help. Throughout the Bible, God has compassion on people who are poor and struggling, and He helps them—often through the obedience of His followers. Today, God is still there for those who are going through hard times, and He can work through us to help the people around us.
People go through a number of different struggles. We will all experience hard times until Jesus returns to restore our broken world, but God has not left us alone. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are part of God’s family, and He calls us to love one another as He has loved us.
The more we are available to help others, the more we can touch this world and make it a better place. And remember, we aren’t supposed to do any of this in our own strength or wisdom. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit, who is our Counselor and Helper. The more we follow God’s lead and rely on His strength to do the right thing, the more we will shine His light. When we look out for the needs of those around us, we make a difference. • Emily Acker
• Have you ever felt God’s love because someone helped you?
• Can you think of someone in your life who is hurting? How could you look out for their needs?
Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (CSB)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < July 23, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
That Grace
• Emily Acker • Romans 5:6–11, Romans 7:21—8:1, 1 Corinthians 15:3–10, John 1:16
I try to make the right choices, but I know that I am messing up on a daily basis. Even though I call out to God over and over again and try to let Him guide me, I still make mistakes, and I still sin.
No matter how hard we try, we just can’t be perfect. But the good news is, God doesn’t wait for us to be perfect to love us. He offers His grace in the midst of our mistakes. He is accepting even when we are messing up.
On the journey of life, taking a wrong turn seems scary and dangerous when I am all alone. But I am not alone. I know that God is there to turn me around and make things right, and the assurance of His presence helps me feel so much better.
God’s grace is bigger than we could ever imagine. We run out of patience with those around us, but God is always patient with us. God’s love is there for us even when we mess up. Human love can be conditional, but God’s love is not.
God revealed the depths of His love on the cross. I am so thankful Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead so I could be forgiven. Nothing can separate me from God’s love because Jesus has covered all my sins—past, present, and future. I am so thankful God has chosen to show grace to me over and over again. That grace is so powerful. It can truly change my life and save me. • Emily Acker
• Do you ever feel like you are one wrong step away from God giving up on you? God’s grace is not based on what we do but on what Jesus has done for us (Ephesians 2:8-10). So His grace is always big enough to cover our messes.
• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can encourage you and remind you of God’s love, even when you fail? How can you be this kind of friend to others?
From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. John 1:16 (NLT)
