The Devil’s Vegetable

Scripture Reference: Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13

A lesson about temptation and God’s way.

Cast:
OZZIE – an excitable little monster
MR. MIKE – the teacher who sets her straight

Props:
None

(MR. MIKE begins on stage when OZZIE enters.)

OZZIE: (enters yelling and waving arms in a Taz-like fashion)

MR. MIKE: Ozzie?

OZZIE: (continues)

MR. MIKE: OZZIE!

OZZIE: Oh. Hi, Mr. Mike.

MR. MIKE: What on Earth are you doing?

OZZIE: I’m just standing here talking to you.

MR. MIKE: No, what was with all the yelling and flailing?

OZZIE: Oh, that. The devil was trying to tempt me, so I was trying to scare him off.

MR. MIKE: That’s certainly a unique method.

OZZIE: I hope it works better than the other things I’ve tried.

MR. MIKE: Like what?

OZZIE: Running really fast, standing really still, wearing camouflage, hiding in the closet, turning the radio up real loud, eating chocolate, pulling the covers over my head, eating chocolate…

MR. MIKE: You said eating chocolate twice.

OZZIE: I really like eating chocolate. I’ve tried bug spray, a fire extinguisher, deodorant, Brussels sprouts…

MR. MIKE: Brussels sprouts?

OZZIE: Yeah, I hate Brussels sprouts. I thought the devil might hate them too, and they’d scare him off.

MR. MIKE: And did that work?

OZZIE: Not so much. (stage whisper) I think the devil likes Brussels Sprouts.

MR. MIKE: Did any of those things work?

OZZIE: Not really, but I have this idea for a catapult.

MR. MIKE: I think you’re going about this all wrong.

OZZIE: So I should just give in to the temptation?

MR. MIKE: That’s not what I meant.

OZZIE: When the little devil and the little angel come sit on my shoulders, I should just flick the little angel away and do what the little devil tell me to do?

MR. MIKE: Not at all. You should always resist the devil. It’s your ammunition that’s all wrong.

OZZIE: But I’m too young to buy bullets.

MR. MIKE: No, I mean you need to use your Bible.

OZZIE: Ah! Like one of those really big King James Bibles. I can just whack him upside his head.

MR. MIKE: No, Ozzie! I mean you can hide God’s Word in your heart. When you know what the Bible says and practice your memory verses, you have what you need to tell right from wrong and the truth from a lie.

OZZIE: Oh. Is that why you have a memory verse every week?

MR. MIKE: Exactly.

OZZIE: Well, then I better get going.

MR. MIKE: To work on your memory verse?

OZZIE: No. I built a giant mousetrap to catch the devil, and I used my pet worm Squiggly for bait. (exits)

MR. MIKE: Ozzie!

14-Carrot Temptation

Scripture Reference: Matthew 6:13a

Illustration of “lead me not into temptation.”

[Note: I recently attended a puppet ministry festival and bought a rabbit puppet, so I wrote a script for it.]

Cast:
D.B. – a good albeit not very bright bunny
Miss Kelli – the teacher who sets him straight

Costume:
n/a

Props:
Bag of carrots sitting on a table

(While MISS KELLI is discussing the verse, D.B. enters and starts whistling for the carrots.)

D.B.: Here boy. (Whistles) Here boy. C’mon. (Whistles)

MISS KELLI: D.B., what in the world are you doing?

D.B.: I am trying to get a carrot.

MISS KELLI: Why don’t you just open the bag?

D.B.: Because my mother said don’t get into the bag, because the carrots are for dinner. So I am trying to get a carrot out of the bag without getting into the bag.

MISS KELLI: That sounds awfully difficult. You must really like carrots.

D.B.: That bag is like gold.

MISS KELLI: How so?

D.B.: It is 14-carrot.

MISS KELLI: (Groans) So how’s it working?

D.B.: Not very well.

MISS KELLI: Are they having trouble hearing you through the bag?

D.B.: Don’t be silly. Carrots don’t have ears.

MISS KELLI: I guess I didn’t think of that. Have you tried anything else?

D.B.: I tried to use my mental powers to get a carrot out of the bag.

MISS KELLI: Why didn’t that work?

D.B.: Power shortage. Then I tried to sneak up on them from underneath. (Disappears to demonstrate.)

MISS KELLI: What did that give you?

D.B.: (There is a thud against the table, and D.B. comes back up dazed.) A headache.

MISS KELLI: Well, D.B., it sounds like you are suffering from temptation.

D.B.: I can’t believe you said that. That is the awfullest thing you’ve ever said to me, Miss Kelli. That was mean and cruel and uh and uh… What does tep… tep… tepatatation mean?

MISS KELLI: Temptation. Temptation is thinking about doing something wrong.

D.B.: Well, what do I need to do?

MISS KELLI: Have you thought about praying?

D.B.: I hadn’t thought of that. If I pray hard enough, maybe God will reach in the bag and get a carrot for me.

MISS KELLI: That’s not what I…

D.B.: What a great idea.

MISS KELLI: I didn’t mean…

D.B.: After all, God can do anything. He could reach right in that bag…

MISS KELLI: (Yelling) D.B.!

D.B.: You don’t need to yell.

MISS KELLI: But you weren’t listening.

D.B.: I am standing right here.

MISS KELLI: I’m sorry, but…

D.B.: I’m not deaf you know.

MISS KELLI: I meant you can pray to God to help you not give in to your temptation.

D.B.: (Understanding) Oh. I could to that, too.

MISS KELLI: God wants to help when we are tempted to do something wrong. That is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray “lead us not into temptation.” If you ask God to help, He will.

D.B.: I’ll do it. (Bowing head) Dear God, help me not to be tepatated to take a carrot. In Jesus name, Amen.

MISS KELLI: Amen.

D.B.: I think I will go out and play until dinner.

MISS KELLI: I think that would be a good choice.

D.B.: Even if I still really want the carrot?

MISS KELLI: It’s okay to still want the carrot as long as you don’t give into the temptation.

D.B.: Glad to hear it. Glad to hear it. See you later, Miss Kelli.

MISS KELLI: Bye, D.B.