** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < September 8, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Intravenous Truth
• Savannah Coleman • 2 Timothy 3:14–17, Hebrews 4:12–16, Romans 15:4
This morning as I was reaching for my Bible, I was soul-weary from a week of grief and tears. I needed to be saturated in the truth. Then, a picture popped into my mind so instantly and clearly, I felt sure it was from God. The picture was of an IV line threading from my Bible into my arm.
Doctors use an IV line (or intravenous line) to give a patient fluids or medicine. The small tube feeds straight into a vein. When our bodies are sick or dehydrated, an IV can give us the help we need. Similarly, when our souls are weary and the world feels like it’s crumbling around us, we can cling to the encouragement that comes from God’s life-giving words.
When Jesus—the very Son of God—came to live among us, He embodied the truth of the Word. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness, He was weary. When the devil came to tempt Him, Jesus used Scripture to combat every attack (Matthew 4:1-11).
Later, in Matthew 24, Jesus said that although heaven and earth will pass away, His words never will (verse 35). Jesus explained that the Temple, the place where God’s presence dwelled among His people, would be destroyed, but His words would endure. God has come to dwell with His people, no longer through a building but through flesh—Jesus Christ. He went to the cross and rose from the dead so we could be with God forever. And Jesus will return to reign over the new heavens and new earth—and God will dwell with us in a whole new way. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have unfading hope. We can rest in the knowledge that the enduring Word of God will not return void but will accomplish everything God intends (Isaiah 55:11).
By reading the living and active Word of God, we have access to the truth our souls so desperately need. We can ask God for His mercy to help us in times of wondering and weakness. He will equip us with everything we need for life. Watch God’s transformative power as His truth flows through your veins. • Savannah Coleman
• Do you have a favorite Bible verse, passage, or story? Why is it meaningful to you?
• Have you ever felt refreshed while reading the Bible? Have you ever felt frustrated? Most people experience both—even people who have been Christians for a long time! Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about the Bible?
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 (NLT)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 < September 4, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
All of Us
• Emily Acker • Romans 3:23–24, Ephesians 2:1–9, Titus 2:11
I sometimes struggle with the fact that God offers the same kind of grace and love to someone who has hurt me as He does to me. I mean...that person doesn’t deserve all that, do they?
Maybe you are the kind of person who goes out of your way to do nice things for others. And then you have someone in your life who only thinks about their own needs. Does it bother you when you realize that God loves them just as much as He loves you, and He wants to accept them into His family too?
We are all equal. We might feel like we’re better than some of those around us. We might feel worse. But we all have the same value in God’s eyes.
The death of Jesus on the cross was not just for me or you or certain people who are “good” or “worthy” of being saved. There was a criminal dying on the cross next to Jesus’s, and he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
The truth is, we are all sinful. We could never do enough good things to earn God’s grace. That’s not how grace works. God loves us with a never-ending love, a love that isn’t affected by what we do right or what we do wrong. And when we realize this is how God loves and accepts us, it becomes easier for us to accept others...and to admit our own faults.
We are not better than others. We struggle too. We need God’s grace. Without Jesus giving His life for sinners, we would not have the hope of eternity. We are just like those who hurt us, those who look out only for themselves. All of us are unworthy. But Jesus is the Worthy One (Revelation 5:1-12). He went to the cross and rose from the dead so that EVERYONE who puts their trust in Him can be counted worthy in God’s sight. • Emily Acker
• Do you ever struggle with thinking that you’re better than others? Jesus invites us to bring these thoughts to Him. He won’t condemn us; He will help us turn away from sin and live in His love.
• Do you sometimes feel like you’re not worthy of God’s love and forgiveness? You can bring these thoughts to Jesus too. According to today’s Bible passages, what does Jesus say about you?
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Titus 2:11 (NIV)
