** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <March 19, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Fear of the Unknown
• READ: ISAIAH 41:8-10; MATTHEW 6:25-34
God created us in His image. He created us to trust in Him and not to worry about what the future might hold. At the dawn of creation, Adam and Eve didn’t spend their days stressing over the unknown. They knew God would provide for them: He had provided them with each other, and He had crafted the earth with fruits and nourishment.
But when Adam and Eve ate from the tree, they showed a distrust of God. They took their future into their own hands. And now, many of us spend so much of our time fearing what lies around the bend.
Think about it. How often is the future at the forefront of your mind? How often do you find yourself spiraling into fear as the questions pile on top of each other? "What if I don’t score well on my SATs?" "What if I choose the wrong college?" "What if I never have any real friends?" "What if this isn’t God’s plan for my life?"
Friends, take a deep breath. The future can be scary—especially when times are uncertain and you can’t see what’s right around the corner. You are not alone in your fear of the unknown. Giving up control is a challenge for all of us.
But trust is so much more powerful than fear. When we fully put our trust in God, we see that He is strong and good and peace and joy, all at once. We can be expectant that God is working good through our circumstances because our God is a God of hope (Romans 8:28-30). We can be brave when we face the unknown, because God is with us, goes before us, and is at work in all the details, bringing about His good kingdom purposes. He knows all, even when we don’t. For God, there is no such thing as an unknown.
Give your fear of the future to God, and trust Him to “make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6). • Becca Wierwille
• When you think about the future and all that is unknown, what kinds of thoughts come to your mind? Write down the thoughts that are filled with fear instead of trust.
• Reread today’s Scripture passages. How can these promises from God combat the lies at the root of your fears?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <March 22, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
No Longer Condemned
• READ: JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 2:1-4
Once again, the Pharisees were out for Jesus’ blood. Eager to catch Jesus in a mistake, they tugged a woman before Him and announced their plans to stone her for her sin of adultery. The Pharisees hoped Jesus would protest her sentence and contradict the law of Moses, which said adulterers had to die.
Finally, Jesus spoke. “If anyone here is without sin, they can throw the first stone.”
The Pharisees all grew quiet. Instead of Jesus being neatly trapped by their clever trick, they had been trapped! One by one, they left.
Then, only Jesus and the woman stood there. No one else, just the Son of God and a sinner. She didn’t offer any excuses as she stood there in the silence. Not to Jesus. This was the One who was without sin. He was the only One who would be within His perfect rights to cast that stone, and He knew it all: every sinful action, every sinful thought, every moment of her entire life.
That woman was me. I stood before Jesus, alone. He saw right through me. There was nothing I needed to or could say. Jewish law commanded that I be stoned for my adultery. God’s perfect law said I had to die for my sin. But in both cases, Jesus had the power over the law. It was powerful, but His grace was greater. He had the power, the mercy, and the compassion to forgive and say the beautiful words: “I don’t condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”
Those are words He has spoken to each of His children. If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior from sin and death, your name is in this blank: “I don’t condemn you, ______. Go, and sin no more.” • Jessica Kleeberger
• Have you put your trust in Jesus to save you from sin and death? To learn more, check out our "Know Jesus" page.
• Read Matthew 18:23-33. As Christians, what should we remember when we are tempted to judge others?
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Romans 5:6 (NLT)
