BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

1 6 : B V O V Jesus came to give usthe Greatest Gift: Himself. When we receive the gift of His love, it changes us. Then that same Jesus- kind-of-love begins to ow out of us! Superkid, think back to the last two years of our journey through Ephesians. What's the main thing?Jesus coming out of you!His light, life and love in you is how you become the radiant, beautiful Superkid He made you to be. Even if you don't always feel like it, you are growing up in Him! The Passion Translation says radiant means"gorgeous, honorable, splendid, infused with glory."You're not just trying to be good or nice to people. Jesus is shining His own love through you! Ephesians 5:29 says,"He pampers [the church], serving and satisfying its needs." That's how Jesus treats you! He helps godly parents care for each other and for you. Just imagine how they'd feel if you started helping around the house without being asked. That would be quite the Christmas surprise! Jesus can help you love your family like He does. Then in Ephesians 6:1, Paul talks straight to you, Superkid. He says, "Children, if you want to be wise, listen to your parents and do what they tell you, and the Lord will help you." There it is again, the Superkid secret sauce. Jesus IN YOU helps you obey! Just like He helps your mom or dad love you with His patience and wisdom. He helps you love them back with obedience and honor. Jesus also helps youreceivethe wisdom He's giving you through them. Wait, there's more to unwrap here. In verses 2–3, He gives kids a special command: "Honor your father and your mother…You will prosper and live a long, full life." This command comes with a promise! When you honor your parents, God promises to take care of you and make your life good. It's like a Christmas gift from your heavenly Father—a life full of goodness, joy, and His tender love and care. Jesus helps you obey, andyouget the reward. That's not cheating. That's just how good He is! One day when you're older, you'll realize thetrue giftwas the wisdom and correction God gave you through Mom and Dad. Because Jesus and your parents love you, they train and teach you how to live righteously. Their correction is part of God's love plan for you. As your parents guide you, they're not trying to frustrate you but to help you see Jesus better. The Mirror Bible says they are "drawing out every virtue that is in you." That's love in action! Ephesians 6:7 encourages you to obey others who care for you, such as parents, teachers, coaches. It says, "Put your heart and mind into it… He is your real boss!" (TMB). The Message says, "Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily…. And work with a smile on your face…you're really serving God." It doesn't have to be perfect. Just do it with love. Jesus sees everything you do with love, and He rewards it. He's leading you to be a great son or daughter, a great friend, and someday, a great parent or leader too. Superkid, that'sthe greatest gift you can give Him or anyone else—a life full of His presence, purpose and joy! Christlike Character: LOVE THAT SERVES. Jesus is fully committed to loving and caring for others. He puts others rst and obeys the Father with joy. Evidence: You treat others with kindness and respect, obey with a joyful attitude, help without grumbling, and respond to correction with a willing heart. Christ In You: Jesus is alive in you. His love ows through you to bless your parents, friends and leaders. You don't just do the right thing, you letLove Himselflive through you. Superkid, as you let Jesus come out of you in this special way, you'll live a life full of joy, wisdom and reward. That's the life He came to give you! MERRY CHRISTMAS from Commander Kellie Commander Kellie's Corner Superkids, Christmas is the perfect time to talk aboutthe Greatest Gift: Jesus! Jesus didn't come to earth just to live among us. He came togive His lifecompletely for us—pouring out His love to save the world. Now, He wants tokeep giving that love to others by living through you! You may not have money to buy nice presents for the people you love, but your LIFE is the greatest gift you can give. When you give your life to Jesus and let Him love through you,you become God's giftto everyone around you. We can give our lives to Jesus so fully that people see His love coming out of us all the time. Ephesians 5:21, The Passion Translation, says, "Out of your reverence for Christ, be supportive of each other in love." Reverencemeans "to show deep respect, honor and love." So out of our deep honor and love for Jesus, we support each other in love. You could say it like this: "We love God and He loves people, so we love people." Paul shows us what that love looks like in real life: in marriages, families and friendships. God intends for our love to look likeHislove. For example, Ephesians 5:25 tells husbands to love their wives with the same tender love that Jesus loves us with. Jesus is fully committed to us and gave His own life to make us pure, whole and glowing with His goodness. He is our example and our power to love. That's the heart of Christmas. The Greatest Gift! Kellie Copeland is responsible for Covenant Partner Relations at Kenneth Copeland Ministries and is the devel- oper of the Superkid Academy curriculum. Through her ministry and as "Commander Kellie," she fulfills the mission of drawing people of all ages into a personal, growing and powerful relationship with Jesus Christ. Activity Sheets Are Here! Scan to get this month's activities. God intends for our love to look likeHislove. likeHislove. God intends

• Cover