** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <June 1, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Wherever You Go
• READ: JOSHUA 1:1-9; MATTHEW 28:18-20; ROMANS 8:28-39
"Where do I go from here?" I wondered, looking at my story. I had just finished typing out another novel—another novel for the collection of manuscripts sitting on my computer. My head swirled with story ideas and dreams, but I had no idea how
to get any of them published." How long will it be till then? Years? Decades?"
When I get overwhelmed thinking about how far I still have to go, I come back to one of my favorite Bible verses: Joshua 1:9. The Israelites were about to enter the land God promised to them generations ago, and their leader, Moses, had just died. God appointed Joshua to take Moses’ place. Joshua must have been overwhelmed—Moses had led the Israelites through the Red Sea out of slavery in Egypt, given them God’s good law at the base of Mount Sinai, and led them through forty years of wandering in the desert. This left Joshua with a huge position to fill at a critical point in Israel’s history. But just before entering the Promised Land, God spoke to Joshua. He promised never to leave Joshua nor forsake him, no matter where they went. And this promise came with a command that God repeated several times: be strong and courageous.
Similarly, when Jesus finished His work on earth—after He defeated sin, death, and brokenness through His life, death, and resurrection—and was about to leave His disciples to return to heaven, He gave them some final instructions (Acts 1:1-11) and this promise: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
I don’t know where my writing might take me, but I know Jesus will be with me every step of the way—and He knows what is best for me. No matter where you go in your life, Jesus is with you and has a plan through all of it. We can be strong and courageous because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). • Abby Ciona
• Do you ever get overwhelmed thinking about what your future could hold? Read John 16:33. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus—who has overcome the world—He lives in you through the Holy Spirit. How does this equip you to face the future with strength and courage?
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <June 2, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Pressured
• READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:7-12; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:31-34; GALATIANS 6:1-3
People tend to talk about peer pressure as if it only affects teenagers, but the truth is, it doesn’t magically go away once you turn twenty. And because peer pressure will always be a part of life, it’s important that we learn how to deal with it well.
Why are we as humans so easily overcome by peer pressure? Well, because we’re hardwired for community. God, who lives in constant community as three Persons in One, created us in His image, so we reflect God’s love of community. And that’s a good thing!
However, sin takes this good desire for community and warps it, twisting it into a fear-driven need to be liked by those around us. Satan fills our heads with thoughts like, “They won’t like me if I don’t join in” or “If they do it, it can’t be that bad, right?”
Nobody is immune to this! Look at today’s reading in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth that has been peer-pressured into believing nobody could be resurrected from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection (and our resurrection when He returns) is a HUGE part of the gospel—in fact, with no resurrection, there is no gospel. By giving in to peer pressure, the Corinthian Christians were denying the gospel.
So, how do we avoid being peer-pressured into compromising the gospel? Should we just avoid everyone? No! The answer isn’t isolation—it’s gospel-centered community.
Surround yourself with people who love Jesus and serve Him. Remind each other of your identity in Christ, which nobody can shake. Remind each other you are already dearly loved by Jesus and His people, so you don’t need to seek anybody else’s approval. Constantly point each other back to God’s Word so you can stand firm in His Truth. And rest in the sure hope that, someday, Jesus will return to defeat all fear and sin, and we will live together in perfect community with Him. • Taylor Eising
• If you don’t know the truths of the gospel, it’s really easy to compromise them without realizing it. How does studying God’s Word together help you stand strong in the truth?
• How can knowing Jesus’ great love for you—and the love His people have for you—help you fight against the lie that you need to earn the approval of others?
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)
