** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < September 26, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
I Am the Vine
• Naomi Zylstra • John 15:1–12
What does it mean when Jesus called Himself the vine? He gave His disciples this picture on the night before He went to the cross, saying, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5). Jesus as the vine is a great metaphor for our
relationship to our Savior. Jesus being our vine means that we can draw love and strength from Him, like a branch that is connected to a vine can draw water and nutrients to sustain growth. Jesus wants to stay in connection with us, and when we remain in Him, we see growth in our lives. Jesus also offers us support as our vine. A branch that is connected to its vine won’t blow away or break off in a windy storm.
When life gets windy and we are connected to Jesus, we can remember who we are in Christ and what our purpose is in Him. Remembering that we belong to Christ is a great way to center ourselves when life is getting chaotic. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit reminds us that we can reach back to our connection to the main vine, rest in His strong love, and reconnect with our purpose.
And what is this purpose? To bear the fruit of love. Just a few verses after calling Himself the vine, Jesus commands His disciples to love each other like He has loved them. But He makes it clear that they cannot do this without Him, saying, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear
fruit unless you remain in me” (verse 4). And Jesus has already shown us what bearing fruit can look like. Our vine has already demonstrated His love for us. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross and rose again, beating sin and death, because of the deep love He has for us. And because of His sacrifice, we can now bear the fruit of love too. ⦁ Naomi Zylstra
⦁ What does it mean to bear good fruit as a Christian? (Take a look at Galatians 5:22-23.)
⦁ Why is it important to remember that we can’t bear this good fruit on our own? What do you think it means to “remain” in Jesus?
“My command is this: Love each other as I [Jesus] have loved you.” John 15:12 (NIV)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < Oct 13, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
I Confess
• Abby Ciona • Romans 3:23–26, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 32
I confess the things I did.
And the things I didn’t do but should have done.
I confess letting anger explode
And bitterness smolder inside.
I confess that I strayed off the path of following you.
I missed the mark of the goodness you planned for me.
I lay down my pride and envy, selfishness and jealousy.
My independent nature thinks I can live without you,
But you’re the only source of life.
Both my actions and attitudes are infected with sin.
My heart needs transformation.
I confess, I know I’ve done wrong.
I turn away from my sin and turn back to you,
And you are already running to me in love.
You forgive me.
You give me new life, a fresh start.
And you lead me in becoming more like you. • Abby Ciona
• Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God has already forgiven all our sins—past, present, and future—through His death and resurrection (Romans 8:1). And the Holy Spirit lives in us, transforming us to become more and more like Jesus and helping us turn away from sin. Why do you think God calls Christians to confess our sins frequently?
• Oftentimes, we sin because we don’t feel safe or loved, and so we try to rely on ourselves or other created things instead of coming to God and entrusting all our needs and desires to Him. But God knows our hearts even better than we do, and He has so much compassion for us. How can examining the needs and desires behind our sin help us turn to God?
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us…1 John 1:9a (NIV)
