** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < June 4, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
God's Glory
• Rebecca Moore • Isaiah 43:7, Romans 11:36, Isaiah 6:3
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” God made the vast heavens with the glorious light of the sun and the calming reflection of the moon. And to top it off, He sprinkled the sky with innumerable twinkling stars that bring us delight at night. He created countless planets and galaxies beyond our solar system, and here on Earth, He created plants that offer feasts of fruits and bounties of flowers. And the animals! He made mighty tigers and tiny mice; cruising whales and dashing minnows; horses and dogs, beautiful and faithful. And God made people. He made Adam and Eve in His own image to have fellowship with Him. God made us to glorify Him.
Why does God bring glory to Himself? Is that even okay? Isn’t it like bragging? The Bible is clear that God does not sin. When Scripture talks about God doing something to glorify Himself, it means that God is showing us who He is—what His attributes are, what He can do, and how much He loves us. He wants us to know Him.
Do you realize that we do something similar? We reveal things about ourself when we play a musical instrument, create works of art, play a sport, whiz through mathematical equations to discover an answer, or use whatever knowledge or talent we have.
But people aren’t sinless like God is. A person might have a sinful, boasting attitude and do things simply to show off. And we usually show off when we feel like our needs for love or affirmation aren’t being met. God sees these needs, and He wants us to come to Him so that He can fill them. As we follow Jesus, He helps us use the gifts God has given us to glorify Him. He calls us to serve others like He serves us (Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 4:10). Jesus humbled Himself by becoming human and dying on the cross—and He raised from the dead, defeating sin and death forever. This resulted in God being glorified!
When God glorifies Himself, He is simply being God. He is the sinless, mighty, loving, beautiful God. His works are glorious, and so is He! • Rebecca Moore
• How does God reveal Himself through creation? What is one of your favorite things He made?
• How can studying history or science or music or art help us know God better? How can we invite others to know God through these things?
They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Isaiah 6:3 (NLT)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < May 25, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Too Quiet to Preach?
• Cindy Lee • 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, 1 Peter 4:10–11
"I must be the worst evangelist in the world," I thought, as worry knitted itself inside of me. In church, I preferred being at the back, behind the scenes. Everyone around me was confident, talkative, and quickly put themselves on the frontline. I had heard
about the Holy Spirit transforming the disciples from quivering cowards to strong, bold preachers...but still my mouth was clamped shut.
I wore my Christianity inside and avoided the limelight. I didn’t vocalize my beliefs because I was acutely aware that many people treated faith with derision and ridicule. Sometimes, I felt entirely alone, surrounded by worshipers in church who were not in my age group and wondering what on earth I could possibly have to offer others if I wasn’t prepared to open my mouth. What could I do to reveal God’s love for us, to share how He sent His Son, Jesus, to heal the broken relationship we had with Him?
It was then that I discovered—while I might not shout out in prayer, preaching, or singing—I loved reading and knew the written word had the power to change lives. My gift wasn’t to try and be like everyone else. They had their skillset, and I had mine.
My inner panic was slowly unlocked, and I found a freedom to express myself through writing what was in my heart. Joy filled up inside of me when I realized I could do something after all. You can too. If, like me, you are worried about speaking out, you don’t need to feel guilty or afraid. God’s love for you doesn’t depend on what you do, and He invites you to rest in His love and rely on His strength to use the gifts He has given you. The way we all preach is through loving the people around us, no matter what we happen to be doing at the time. There are different ways of speaking, preaching, and professing your faith. Maybe you will speak up through art, dance, acts of kindness, or having a quiet strength through adversity. Don’t chase what isn’t yours, but catch the skills our loving Father has given you. • Cindy Lee
• Do you ever feel like it isn’t okay to be quiet? God made some of us to be naturally quiet, and He invites all of us to be quiet sometimes. It’s good to take time to think and reflect.
• If you are naturally loud and extroverted, how could you support the quieter people in your life? Consider asking them, and remember to take time to listen to their ideas.
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
