FruitWow!

Scripture Reference: Galatians 5:22-23

A skit about the Fruit of the Spirit.

Cast:
PITCHMAN – trying to sell the Fruit of the Spirit, doesn't really get that he can't
SHILL – the PITCHMAN's assistant, doesn't think for him/herself
MARK – the PITCHMAN's intended victim, but he/she knows better
SECURITY – this could be one or two people, it could even be the SHILL

Props:
Large bottle labeled FruitWow!
a Bible
stack of papers/folders
ice cream carton (can be empty) & spoon
a vitamin or fruit snack – preferably in a character shape
Optionally, you could have a banner or sign or slide with a FruitWow! logo.
You could also dress like an infomercial pitchman.

(Opens with the PITCHMAN on stage trying to sell the product. The SHILL is standing behind a table ready to act out/demonstrate the PITCHMAN's pitch and feign enthusiasm for the product. The MARK is in the audience watching the demonstration.)

PITCHMAN: Has this ever happened to you? (dropping papers/folders on table in front of SHILL) It has been a long day at work, you're ready to head home, and your boss dumps a load of work on your desk. Could you use some love, joy, and peace? Would a boost of patience and kindness be useful right about now? Does this tax your goodness? You drive home in heavy traffic only to arrive to a houseful of screaming kids. (SHILL holds ears and spins head.) Who has time for faithfulness and gentleness? And forget about self-control! (SHILL picks up spoon and ice cream carton, looks at spoon, tosses spoon away, and dumps ice cream carton into mouth.)

You could read your Bible (SHILL looks a the Bible), but who has the time? (SHILL shrugs)

You could pray (SHILL folds hands and looks heavenward), but that's so hard. (SHILL grabs neck and winces as if in pain)

Now, there's an easier solution. It's FruitWow! (holds up bottle) Concentrated fruits of the Spirit in a bottle. Each pill holds 20 times its own weight in Holy Spirit. It does all the work. Why do you want to work twice as hard? It's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff.No time-consuming Bible reading, no exhausting praying, no creams, no ointments. FruitWow! You will say "Wow!"

SHILL: Wow!

PITCHMAN: That's right. All of the fruits of the Spirit in one simple pill. How much would you expect pay for such an amazing product?

SHILL: Uh, one million dollars!

PITCHMAN: A million dollars?!? (stage whispers to SHILL) That's too high.

SHILL: Uh, 98¢!

PITCHMAN: (stage whispers to SHILL) That's too low!

SHILL: Uh, $100.

PITCHMAN: It won't cost you $100. It won't cost you $75. It won't even cost you $50. With this special TV offer, you only pay 19.95. But that's not all, call in the next 20 minutes, and we will include a set of Last Supper Steak Knives.

MARK: That's not right.

PITCHMAN: Ah, but it is. For just 19.95 you get a 30-day supply of FruitWow!, a set of Last Supper Steak Knives, plus I will throw in, at no extra charge, the Prayer of Jabez barbecue apron. (Just pay separate shipping and handling.)

MARK: No, I mean that's not how you get the Fruit of the Spirit.

PITCHMAN: Of course it is. It's on TV; it has to be true.

MARK: The Bible says that if we belong to Jesus and live by the Spirit, we will have this fruit. We can't buy it or eat it or earn it.

PITCHMAN: But it comes in the shapes of your favorite Bible characters. Look, (holding up pill) I have a John the Baptist right here.

MARK: It doesn't matter. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit and keep in step with Him.

PITCHMAN: Security!

MARK: (Continues as SECURITY approaches.) The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of a Christian's transformed life.

PITCHMAN: Security! Get this troublemaker out of here!

MARK: (Finishes as SECURITY removes him/her.) The fruit of the Spirit are the qualities of character that God grows inside of you.

PITCHMAN: (Waits until the MARK has been removed.) FruitWow! You'll say "Wow!" (speaking faster) Operators are standing by. FruitWow! is not available in stores and is made in Germany. Beware of FruitWow! imitators. Call now!

(Scene ends with the PITCHMAN and the SHILL quietly discussing what happened.)

Workers in the Vineyard

Scripture Reference: Matthew 20:1-16

A skit about the Kingdom of God.

(Note: I use these skits to introduce a lesson. This skit has a little bit after the teaching. I don't have the lesson included in the skit. I just designated "***teaching time***" in the script. You will need to fill in this bit. The skit also ends with "Let's go play." because this takes place just before games at AWANA for us. You will need to change this to whatever your next activity is.)

Cast:
NARRATOR - the one teaching the lesson
WORKERS - 6-10 volunteers to act out the skit (you may want to involve the whole class)
EARLY WORKER - a "volunteer" who isn't too happy with the arrangements

Props:
Chocolate coins

NARRATOR: We are going to continue with Jesus' parables. Today we are doing the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard from Matthew 20. To help me with this story I need 2-3 volunteers. Wait. Wait until you hear what I need. I need 2-3 people to pick grapes for me. (Mime picking grapes.) In exchange, I will pay you one denarius – or in this case a chocolate coin. (Choose 2-3 volunteers and have them start picking grapes.)
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard."
A denarius was a small silver Roman coin. It was the most common coin in circulation. It was about the size of a nickel, and it was a daily wage for an unskilled worker or common soldier. It would be the equivalent today of making about $20 a day, which is less than minimum wage.
The denarius survives today in the name of money in several counties. For example, the dinar is still used as currency in several modern Arabic-speaking nations. The Spanish word dinero derives from the Latin word denarius. In France…

EARLY WORKER: (Clears throat) We're still picking over here.

NARRATOR: Oh, sorry.
"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing."
I need 2-3 more people to help out. (Have them start picking grapes.)
"He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went."
Now the term "the third hour" means about 9:00 in the morning. They used a 12-clock to measure time during the day. This ran from sunrise to sundown, and there were always 12 hours. The length of the hour would vary in length depending on the season. In the summer, when the sun comes up earlier and goes down later, the hours were longer. In the winter…

EARLY WORKER: I think my arm is going to fall off.

NARRATOR: Sorry, again.
"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing."
(Get another 4-5 volunteers and have them start picking grapes.)

EARLY WORKER: (Gives the narrator a dirty look.)

NARRATOR: I know, I know, I'm getting on with it.
"About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
"'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.
"He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'"
So I need 2-3 more people to pick grapes.
"When evening came…"
You can stop picking now.

EARLY WORKER: Phew!

NARRATOR: "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius."
(Start paying everyone a chocolate coin then pause before paying the first people.)
"So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius."
(Give each a chocolate coin.)
"When they received it, they began to grumble…"

EARLY WORKER: Hey! Wait a minutes. I've been up here doing this (mimes picking) all this time until my arm almost falls off, and I get one lousy chocolate coin, the same as those who were up here for two seconds?!?

NARRATOR: I am not being unfair. That is exactly what I agreed to give you. Have a seat and let me see if I can explain.

EARLY WORKER: Hrrph!

NARRATOR: That's exactly how the workers in the story reacted. "they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'"
:
***teaching time***
:
So does that help you understand why you got the same payment?

EARLY WORKER: I'm sorry. I was busy eating my chocolate. What did you say?

NARRATOR: Let's go play.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Scripture Reference: Luke 5:17-26 (also Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12)

A skit about the forgiveness of sins, healing, ministry, leading others to Christ.

Cast:
Friend - One of the friends of the paralytic

Props:
none

My buddies and I all believed in God. We went to the Synagogue each week, we said our daily prayers, and studied the Scriptures. But I don’t think I really knew God until that day.

We had all heard about the Preacher who was teaching about God’s love and was healing the sick & lame. We also know He’d caused quite a stir among the leaders of the Temple. We went to Jesus one day. See one of our buddies was paralyzed, and we want to see if Jesus could heal him. Since he couldn’t walk, we lifted up his mat and carried him there. But when we got there, we found a huge crowd trying to get to Him. Jesus was in a house, and there was no way to push through the crowd and get to Him. We were determined to get our buddy to Jesus, so we set him down and thought. We finally hit upon the idea of lowering him through the roof. You see, our houses were built with flat roofs, so people could go up on the roof on hot nights to cool off. We went up the outside stairs and dug a hole in the roof, removing the tiles. We then lowered him through the hole in the roof right in the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. I think we surprised everyone.

I guess we impressed Jesus, because He turned to our buddy and said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” His sins are forgiven?!? What a strange thing to say! We brought our buddy, so he could be healed and walk again.

Then, almost like he could read their minds, Jesus turned to the leaders of the Temple and said, “Why do you have such evil thoughts? Do you really think that I speak blasphemy? Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you know that I have the authority to forgive sins....” Then he turned to our buddy and said, “Get up, take your mat, and go home.” Then he got up! Our buddy got up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. We all praised God and sang hymns all the way home. We saw something remarkable that day!

I have thought about that day so many times. I have wondered why Jesus first said our buddy’s sins were forgiven, and this is what I think: His healing people was good – very good – and it showed He had authority that no one else had. But that wasn’t the main thing. The main thing is that He cam to forgive sins. By comparison, healing our buddy was easy and less important. Don’t get me wrong, seeing our buddy walk was a great thing! But it has no eternal value, because some day his body will be in the grave, where no one walks. Forgiveness of sins is forever, because it lets us spend eternity with God. And that was the truly remarkable thing that happened that day!

Hot Cross Buns

Once, long ago in England, a monk saw poor families living together in rag tents on the streets of his town. Easter was two days away, and the monk thought to himself, "On the day of the rebirth of our Savior, families should not go hungry."

This monk had once been a baker, so he now baked a great many spiced buns with raisins inside. He decorated the shiny brown tops of the buns with a cross, and while they were still piping hot, he went out among the families and gave them the delicious buns.

A young boy named Giles would not take even one.

"Bake me a basketful of buns that I can sell," he said. "I do not want charity."

The monk looked at the boy's ragged clothes and dirty face, and though he felt sorry for the lad, he saw that Giles had pride, so he baked the child a basket of the buns.

That Easter morning, Giles took his basket from house to house, singing out in a voice that carried over the clear air:

"Hot Cross Buns. Hot Cross Buns.
One a penny, two a penny, Hot Cross Buns.
If you have no daughters, give them to your sons.
Hot Cross Buns. Hot Cross Buns."

Before Mass that morning, Giles had sold all the buns. He put the money he had earned in the poor box at church.

To this day, children all over the world chant the words of his song.

---

Giles gave all he had for others, perhaps sacrificing his own life to do so. Similarly, Jesus gave all He had for us. He sacrificed His life to pay a price we could not pay ourselves. If you would like to know more about having a personal relationship with Christ, leave a comment or go to NeedHim.org.

Have a blessed Easter,

Jeff

Worship – Part 6

Scripture Reference: Revelation 4

A skit that reviews the previous skits and discusses worship in Heaven.

Cast:
Pam – Worship Leader
Jeff – Person who doesn’t know how to worship

Props:
none

(During the opening song, Jeff sings, raises his hands, and doesn’t nothing to disrupt praise this week.)

Pam: Jeff, I am so proud of you.

Jeff: Well, thank you. I’ve worked really heard, and it’s nice to get some recognition for it.

Pam: Do you even know what I’m talking about?

Jeff: Uh, no.

Pam: You sang that praise song without me having to get on to you.

Jeff: Oh, that. Yeah, I guess I have been a bit of pain the last few weeks.

Pam: A bit?!?

Jeff: Hey!

Pam: So you don’t find it undignified or girly?

Jeff: Not at all. I realized we are all warriors in God’s army, like David, and we should celebrate God with our whole hearts.

Pam: Wow, it sounds like you must have had a good day.

Jeff: Not really, but I’ve also learned that we’re suppose worship God even when things aren’t going well. In fact, we need that time with God even more.

Pam: In the last chapter Habakkuk, he tells about all these terrible things than have happened to him, but then he says, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Jeff: That’s right, because I’ve also learned that worship isn’t about me. It is about God, and sometimes we may do a song I don’t like or I’m tired of, but that’s okay.

Pam: Wow! And you’re not too busy to worship?

Jeff: I’m still very busy, but I have to make spending time with God a priority. I wouldn’t be too happy if I went to a restaurant and was served leftovers. Why would I want to serve God my leftovers?

Pam: And I even saw you lift your hand during worship.

Jeff: Yeah, I still feel a little funny about lifting both hands, but I like lifting one hand. I feel like I’m reaching out for God.

Pam: That’s fine. You may get comfortable enough to raise both hands some day. Or you may always raise one hand. Whatever God leads you to do.

Jeff: There is one thing still that bothers me.

Pam: What’s that?

Jeff: Well, I’ve spent half my life not worshipping God right. I wish I had more time to do it the right way.

Pam: You have all eternity to worship God.

Jeff: What?!?

Pam: The book of Revelation gives us a picture of heaven, and it describes incredible worship. Imagine actually being AT the throne of God worshipping Him.

Jeff: That sounds amazing!

Pam: Revelation 4 says, “before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. . . . Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’”

Jeff: That sounds familiar.

Pam: Those words make it into a lot of hymns and praise songs.

Jeff: I can see why. What a great image, and what an incredible thing to look forward to.

Pam: It just so happens that we are about to sing two of those hymns now.

Jeff: Well, that worked out well. Let’s sing!