Last night, I planned to repeat the Bible Club lesson for our teen group at church. But when I arrived, a search of my vehicle revealed that my Bible and notes had been left at home. That didn’t stop God from answering my prayer as I had been asking him how to apply it to the teens. His answer was the lesson that “evolved” from our Wednesday evening discussion.

I remember Dr. Ollila (Northland Baptist Bible College) speaking about the protection given by rules while I attended the college. He spoke about the young person’s longing for stepping across the line into freedom, not realizing the protection they had enjoyed inside the walls. Those thoughts came to mind as I drew the picture of a sheep fold for the teens.

During our discussion, I asked the teens what benefits we gain from Jesus being the Door. The obvious answer is salvation. Through Jesus we have eternal life and forgiveness of sins. But with all the focus on salvation, we often forget to mention the “abundant life” Jesus offers to his sheep (John 10:10b).

Outside the fold, there are a number of tantalizing possibilities, but these “pleasures of sin for a season” only mask the painful result of living without Jesus. But when believers inside the fold keep their eyes on the Good Shepherd, they will realize that they have many benefits the world will never know. Reading the Scriptures, meditating on God’s truth, and praying for guidance will help these to become more evident over time.