** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <Sep 19, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Doing Good to Others
• READ: GALATIANS 6:1-10, 1JOHN 4:19-20
When people do wrong to us, what is the first thing we want to do to them? Usually, it’s not something good. But as Christians, we know that God loves us with an enormous love, and He also calls us to love others. Even when people do wrong to us, we do not have the right to do wrong to them. Why? Because we did wrong to God. We sinned against Him again and again, and we still do! Because God is the source of all goodness, He requires justice: payment for all the wrong we have done. Yet, because He loves us, God was willing to pay for our wrongs Himself by sending His own Son, Jesus, to die the death we all deserve. Jesus, who never did any wrong, let Himself be killed in our place; then He rose from the dead and defeated sin and death! When Jesus comes again, He will right every wrong, and whoever has put their trust in Jesus will live with Him forever. His forgiveness means that sin no longer separates us from God.
So how do forgiven followers of Jesus live? When someone asked Jesus which of God’s commands is the most important, Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:34-40). And when He says “neighbor,” He means everybody—including our enemies (Luke 6:35).
If we say, “I love God” but hate someone who is part of God’s family, we are not being truthful (1 John 4:20). Instead of hating, God calls us to do good to other people, especially those in God’s family (Galatians 6:10). At the very least, this means we don’t harm people. And at the very best, we create ways for everyone to be included as we follow Jesus alongside each other.
Most of us have both positive and negative feelings toward the people we love. While it may not be easy to get along, we should always respect, encourage, and be kind to one another. Jesus said everyone would know that we are His disciples if we love one another (John 13:35). Love is important for everybody and anybody. God loves the whole world (John 3:16), and as Jesus’ forgiven followers, we have His Holy Spirit in us, empowering us to love people like God loves us. When our hearts are full of God’s love, there is no room for hate. • Jendayi Owens
• When is it hard for you to love others? How might remembering God’s love for you, and for the people around you, help in these times?
We love each other because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NLT)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <Sep 21, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Struggling with Shame
• READ: LUKE 23:32-43, JOHN 4:13-26
The Bible features stories of imperfect people—just like us—interacting with Jesus. The woman at the well, the man on the cross next to Jesus...these people were seen by a holy God, and they were recognized as people worthy of His attention.
When we mess up, we feel the need to hide from God. Some of us never want to go back to Him because we feel too guilty. We may even feel like the mistakes we’ve made have created a separation between us and God that can never be repaired.
What is it that makes us think we are somehow worse than those people in the Bible? Even though they did wrong, they were found by Jesus, and He offered them hope. What makes us feel like the sins we’ve done are somehow worse than the other sins that caused Jesus to be nailed to the cross?
Satan uses shame to try to create distance between us and God, but Satan is a liar. There is nothing we can do that can push us out of the reach of Jesus and His love. His forgiveness is too big! It was our sin that Jesus took on the cross. His death paid for it all, and when He rose from the dead, He conquered sin and death forever! He offers us new life, free from sin and shame. His grace is always available to us. Jesus sees us, and we don’t have to hide from Him. • Emily Acker
• Do you struggle with shame, feeling like you’re inherently bad or worthless? How does God offer hope through Jesus (Psalm 34:5)?
• Do you feel like certain things you’ve done make you unforgivable? If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are totally forgiven and forever part of His family! (Read more on our "Know Jesus" page.)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NIV)
