Jesus is God’s gift for everyone
Sat 16 December 2006
| Bible Bite | Jesus is God's gift for everyone. |
|---|---|
| Date | 2006-12-16 |
| Passage | Luke 2:10-11 |
| Passage Text | (Contemporary English Version) |
| But the angel said, \"Don\'t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David\'s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. | |
| Tags | Jesus, Gift, Christmas |
| Other Refs | John 3:16 (Contemporary English Version) |
| 16God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. | |
| Key Points | Jesus is the the best gift ever, and it's for everyone. |
| We don't have to 'earn' this gift -- it's free! | |
| Props/Materials | Dirty sock wraped |
| Preparation | Set up mic if required |
| Debrief | Kids were attentive, but no laughs. Can see it's key to have a good visual gag at the start, to warm things up. Big diff with public school act, with kids laughing lots over fainting. |
| Sound was good from the back apparently, just on a stand with mic down inside the bin, right on my face. Lapel mic wd be better. | |
| Pat sat on a stool next to me, and we worked well together. She found more conversational script much more helpful, no monologues over gospel bits. | |
| Forgot to tell knocking kid to return, so he saw me inside bin! |
[ Introduction: leader picks child to knock on bin, everyone calls 'come out Stinky!', Stinky comes out singing his intro tune ]
STINKY: Hello Miss Pat!
LEADER: Hello Stinky, great to see you -- how are you?
STINKY: Oh, I'm so excited! I love Christmas, I get gifts! I love it! I wonder what I'm going to get this year.
LEADER: Yeah! It's a great time of the year. Hey Stinky, have you got a gift for me for Christmas?
STINKY: Oh! Wait a minute, I've got something. [Gets gift, reaches out to leader] Look!
LEADER: Thank you! It looks very nice... [reaches for it, but Stinky pulls back]
STINKY: Ah ah ah! Not so quick! Have you been good enouh to get this gift, Miss Pat?
LEADER: Stinky! You don't usually have to be good to get true gifts -- you just receive it from the generous person that gives you the gift!
STINKY: But haven't you heard the song... 'He knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake'...
LEADER: I know that song, but Christmas is about a gift for EVERYONE, not just good people.
STINKY: Wow! OK, you can have the gift now then... [Gives gift, leader opens it, it's a dirty sock] This sock is so special, there's only one of it. Do you like it?
LEADER: [Ironic] Eh... Sure, very nice sock...
STINKY: Hey Miss Pat, you talked about a gift that's for everyone, but it's a bit tricky with gifts. Sometimes some people miss out on gifts. That's really sad! Some people get more gifts than others, just because their family or friends have lots of money. Some only get a gift if they\'ve been good, and it's hard to know if you've been good enough or not to get a gift.
LEADER: You're right Stinky, it can be very tricky. But there is one gift that is for EVERYONE.
STINKY: Wow! That would be the best gift ever -- a gift for poor people, and kids without families, and even naughty puppets! Who's giving us this gift?
LEADER: God!
STINKY: God?! What is God getting us for Christmas? He made the world, and He's the boss of everything -- what kind of gift would He give us?
LEADER: What a good question Stinky! Let's see what Robbie the Robot finds in the Bible...
[ Slide shows: Luke 2:10-11 ]
LEADER: Ah! This bit of the Bible tells what happened to some shepperds on the first Christmas. They were just looking after their sheep in the night, in the country. Suddenly, an angel appeared to tell them about the birth of Jesus!
STINKY: Whoa! I would have been really scared. Did they faint?!
LEADER: They were very scared, but let's read what the angel told them...
[ [read passage ]\ But the angel said, \"Don\'t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make EVERYONE happy. This very day in King David\'s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord.\ Luke 2:10-11 (Contemporary English Version)]
LEADER: Let's see who can help me... What is the 'good news'?
STINKY: The angel gave the shepperds socks!
[ Kids answer ]
LEADER: Who will be happy about it?
STINKY: The sheep!
[ Kids answer ]
STINKY: Wow, so the good news is that a saviour was born, and everyone was going to be happy about it. Hey Miss Pat, what does Christ mean?
LEADER: Christ means King, and it's talking about Jesus being the king over the whole world. You see, Christmas is about good news for EVERYONE -- Jesus, the Saviour and King, has come to the world! You know, the reason why we give gifts at Christmas is that God has given us the best gift ever -- his son Jesus.
STINKY: Why is Jesus such a good gift? Does he come with batteries included?
LEADER: Jesus showed us how we should live, and he taught us many great things. But the best thing about him is that he makes it possible for us to be friends with God.
STINKY: Wow! Really! That'd be great, to be friends with God! He's so good, and strong and big!
LEADER: Yes! You see, the Bible says that We all say \'no\' to God and do things he doesn\'t like.
STINKY: That\'s not right! God wouldn\'t be happy about that.
LEADER: No Stinky, you're right, He does feel hurt and angry, and that means we can\'t be friends with God.
STINKY: Oh no. How can I be friends with God? Maybe I can give him some gifts?
LEADER: No Stinky, we can't earn God's friendship. Instead God has given US his Son Jesus to make us his friends.
STINKY: Ah, Jesus! The gift from God! I hope Jesus is a better gift than my dirty sock!
LEADER: He is. Jesus is a lot, lot better. Jesus did an amazing thing. He died for us. He took the punishment we deserved so we can be forgiven and be friends with God.
STINKY: So he took our place?! Even though he didn\'t deserve to be punished? That\'s amazing!
LEADER: Yes, it is amazing! If we trust and follow him as our king, we can be friends with God. And it's for everyone!
STINKY: Everyone? How about poor/rich? Popular? Africa? Australia? Big/small? Old/young? Sick? Good looking? Smelly puppets?
STINKY: Wow! That\'s AMAZING! I can see what's exciting about Christmas: baby Jesus is a gift for everyone! So what\'s our lesson for today?
[ Slide shows Bible Bite: Jesus is God's gift for EVERYONE. ]
LEADER: The lesson is this: Jesus is God's gift for EVERYONE. Do you think we can say this together kids? [read] How about you Stinky, can you say it?
STINKY: Ah... I'm not very good at these, I might need a bit of help. Let me see... Miss Pat's dirty sock is for good little monkeys only...
LEADER: Oh Stinky! Let's read it all together again to help Stinky. [read]
STINKY: Wow! That's a gift worth getting really excited about. Thank you for teaching me that Jesus is God's gift for EVERYONE. Hey Miss Pat, I better go now. See you later little monkeys!