Scripture Reference: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-44, John 12:12-19
A lesson about praising Jesus, the King.
Cast:
STONES
NARRATOR
Props:
• I made my stones out of foam rubber prop rocks with sticks attached to allow them to dance and move.
• Music (I chose “Every Move I Make” from Shout to the Lord Kids)
(When the music starts, the puppet stage is empty. Once the intro ends, the STONES enter and dance to the music.)
(NARRATOR enters after the music ends.)
NARRATOR: “I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Scripture Reference: Luke 19:1-10
A lesson about repentance.
Cast:
DILLY – a southern fried chicken who doesn’t always get things straight
MR.MATT – the teacher who sets her straight
Props:
none
(MR. MATT is on stage.)
DILLY: How y’all doin’, Mr. Matt?
MR. MATT: Great. How are you, Dilly?
DILLY: I’m finer than frog hair.
MR. MATT: Glad to hear it.
DILLY: I was wondering if y’all would like to go with me to the shoe sale at Henney Penney.
MR. MATT: I’m not a big fan of shoe shopping. Why don’t you go with Flora?
DILLY: Flora and I are not on speaking terms at present.
MR. MATT: I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?
DILLY: She took offense at once teensy little comment.
MR. MATT: What comment?
DILLY: And I followed it with “bless your heart,” which everyone who’s anybody knows means you cannot take offense.
MR. MATT: What did you say to her, Dilly?
DILLY: I told Flora that she had all the fashion sense of a family of hyperactive baboons at a church rummage sale.
MR. MATT: Dilly! That’s terrible!
DILLY: But I said “bless your heart.”
MR. MATT: That doesn’t matter. That was mean. No wonder Flora’s not talking to you.
DILLY: You have that all wrong. I am not talking to Flora.
MR. MATT: Why are you not talking to Flora?
DILLY: She would not accept my apology.
MR. MATT: And why was that?
DILLY: She said it lacked sincerity.
MR. MATT: How did you apologize?
DILLY: I said I was sorry she has the fashion sense of a three year old on a sugar high, but I still think she’s adorable.
MR. MATT: Dilly! That’s no apology.
DILLY: But I said I was sorry. I cain’t help it if she is as hard-headed as a mosquito trying to bite an iron cow.
MR. MATT: If you are really sorry, then your apology should show you regret what you said.
DILLY: Even if she does have the fashion sense of a yard sale after a tornado?
MR. MATT: Cut that out! You also need to repent.
DILLY: How can I repent when I haven’t even pented?
MR. MATT: No. You need to not only feel bad for what you’ve done, but you need to stop doing it.
DILLY: So I cain’t say that Flora has all the fashion sense of…
MR. MATT: No! If Flora is really your friend, you’ll apologize. If you really mean it, you won’t do it again.
DILLY: Well, tie me down and call me a wagon wheel. I see what you mean, Mr. Matt. Flora is more precious to me than any well-phrased backhanded compliment. I must go at once to Flora and apologize for real (exits quickly)
MR. MATT: (stares at the stage surprised by DILLY’s sudden departure)
DILLY: (reappears) I almost forgot – bye, y’all!
Scripture Reference: John 9:1-12, John 11:1-44
A lesson about showing God's might.
Cast:
OZZIE – an excitable little monster
SQUIGGLY – Ozzie’s pet worm
MR. MATT – the teacher who sets him straight
Props:
none
(MR. MATT is on stage when OZZIE enters and screams.)
MR. MATT: (surprised) Oh my goodness! What’s wrong, Ozzie?
OZZIE: I’m so mad at my parents!!
MR. MATT: What did they do to make you so angry?
OZZIE: I really, really, really wanted to go to camp this summer.
MR. MATT: Yeah.
OZZIE: Camp Havasandwich.
MR. MATT: So what’s the problem?
OZZIE: So there’s this deadline to get the application in . I told them about the deadline. They said they’d handle it. I reminded them about the deadline. They said they’d handle it. I bugged, badgered, and pestered them about the deadline. They said they’d handle it.
MR. MATT: And?
OZZIE: They didn’t handle it.
MR. MATT: I’m sure there was a good reason.
OZZIE: No, they just didn’t get around to it. They hate me. They don’t treat me like a son. My life is over!
MR. MATT: Your parents still love you.
OZZIE: Nya-uh.
MR. MATT: Yuh-huh.
OZZIE: Nya-uh.
MR. MATT: Yuh-huh.
OZZIE: Nya-uh.
MR. MATT: Yuh-huh.
OZZIE: Nya-… (SQUIGGLY appears) Just a second, Mr. Matt. (OZZIE turns to SQUIGGLY and says in a stage whisper) We were having a very serious discussion, Squiggly. What is it? (pause) Who? (pause) What? (pause) When? (pause) Where? (pause) How? (pause then says loudly) Sweet!!
MR. MATT: What is it?
OZZIE: Squiggly – my bestest pal Squiggly – found out someone was keeping a secret.
MR. MATT: Who?
OZZIE: My parents. They were discussing something very special.
MR. MATT: What?
OZZIE: A trip.
MR. MATT: When?
OZZIE: The week I was supposed to go to camp. And guess where the trip is to.
MR. MATT: Where?
OZZIE: Disney World!! But Squiggly discovered their secret.
MR. MATT: How?
OZZIE: (mysteriously) He has his wormy ways.
SQUIGGLY: (nods proudly)
MR. MATT: So your parents do love you. They didn’t make your reservations for Camp Havasandwich, so they could surprise you with a trip to Disney World.
OZZIE: Oh, yeah. That was awfully nice of them.
MR. MATT: Your parents love you, and they want what’s best for you. It’s just that sometimes it turns out differently than you expected.
OZZIE: I see. Thanks for all the help, Mr. Matt.
MR. MATT: If you really want to thank me, you could take me to Disney World with you.
OZZIE: Nya-uh. (OZZIE & SQUIGGLY exit)
MR. MATT: Ozzie!
Scripture Reference: Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30
A lesson about God vs. stuff.
Cast:
VIOLET – a very tightly-wound purple bird
MR. JEFF – the teacher who sets her straight
Props:
Lots of stuff (both ordinary and unusual) to toss from the puppet stage
(This skits starts at the end of “The Rich Man” monolog from Traveling Light. After the last line (“He doesn’t understand! I’VE GOT A LOTTA STUFF!”) stuff starts flying from the puppet stage.)
MR. JEFF: What in the world? (walks over to puppet stage, dodging projectiles) Cut it out! (stuff keeps flying; look behind puppet stage) Violet, is that you?
VIOLET: (appears and says frantically) What?!?
MR. JEFF: Look at this mess you made. What are you doing?
VIOLET: Getting rid of all my stuff.
MR. JEFF: Why?
VIOLET: Don’t you even listen to yourself?
MR. JEFF: Not always. What did I say?
VIOLET: That Jesus told that guy to get rid of all his stuff.
MR. JEFF: Yeah, but that doesn’t explain why your trashing our classroom.
VIOLET: Don’t you get it?! If I don’t get rid of all this stuff I can’t go to heaven!
MR. JEFF: I’m not sure you heard the story right.
VIOLET: You might not have been listening, but I was paying close attention. Jesus definitely told that guy to get rid of all his stuff. So… (exits and stuff starts flying again)
MR. JEFF: Violet!
VIOLET: (enters) What?
MR. JEFF: Let’s go at this differently What do you have to do to be saved?
VIOLET: Have faith that Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of my sins.
MR. JEFF: Exactly. Does that have anything to do with stuff?
VIOLET: No! But Jesus told that guy to sell his stuff!
MR. JEFF: That was an instruction to that one person. The man in the story didn’t understand what it meant to be saved. He thought if he was good enough, he’d be saved. Jesus tried to show this to him by giving him something impossible for him to do.
VIOLET: So Jesus didn’t want him to be saved?
MR. JEFF: No, the Bible tells us that God desires all to be saved.
VIOLET: So it was impossible for him to be saved?
MR. JEFF: It was impossible for him to save himself. When the disciples asked Jesus who can be saved, he said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
VIOLET: So why did Jesus tell the guys to sell his stuff?
MR. JEFF: There’s just one way to God, and that’s through Jesus Christ. For the rich man, his stuff was blocking the way.
VIOLET: Oh.
MR. JEFF: We all need to remove whatever is blocking our way to God. It may be stuff or pride or fear or ignorance. We can help people clear the way, but only God can save anyone.
VIOLET: Well, I knew that!
MR. JEFF: (looking around at all the stuff on the ground) Oh, really?
VIOLET: Oh, that.
MR. JEFF: Yeah, that.
VIOLET: Um… I think I hear the phone ringing. Gotta go. Bye. (exits)
MR. JEFF: Bye, Violet.
