Sun 18 August 2024

[ Introduction: leader picks child to knock on bin, everyone calls 'come out Stinky!', Stinky comes out singing his intro tune ]

Stinky: Hello everybody!

Leader: Hello Stinky. Why don't you tell the kids about the big race we're running together.

Stinky: Yeah, it's the special marathon for puppets that live inside a wheelie bin!

Leader: I'll be running and pushing Stinky's bin ...

Stinky: And I'll be in the bin. It's a team sport.

Leader: Yeah, kind of ...

Stinky: It's a long race. We'll go up the hills, and down the hills.

Leader: I can see you're excited. It'll be tough - but worth it!

Stinky: Yeah, this is the first ever puppet marathon in Australian. If we finish that, we get to go to ... the puppet olympics! Have you been training, Miss Pat?

Leader: Of course! I know how much you want to finish this race. I've been getting up very early and going for long runs in the cold mornings. How about you?

Stinky: I've been organising some things. Actually, I asked my friend Miriam to bring them today.

Leader: Oh, here she is.

[ Miriam walks in carrying a bag with 2-3 thick heavy books, hands over to Leader, exits. ]

Stinky: Thank you Miriam! Have a look inside, Miss Pat.

[ Miriam exits. ]

Leader: Hey, what are these big books for?

Stinky: For me to look at during the race. So I don't get bored.

Leader: Stinky! These are really heavy. Kids, is it smart to carry these in a race? [Get responses]

Leader: No, they would make it hard for us to run. We'll leave these behind.

Stinky: Oh... OK. At least I've got my knitting. (takes out ball of wool.)

Leader: Oh, I didn't know you do knitting.

Stinky: Yeah, I'm very good, I can knit with one hand! (Drop ball a couple of times, leader picks up, perhaps gets a bit tangled herself)

Leader: Stinky, if you drop this during the race, it'll trip me up. We'll leave it behind too.

Stinky: Oh... OK. At least I've got my binoculars! (brings out binoculars)

Leader: Binoculars?

Stinky: Yeah, so I can look around at the scenery during the race. (Pretend looking through binos at sides of bin)

Leader: Stinky, I need your help looking straight ahead at the race course marked out for us, so I don't get lost. We'd better leave these behind.

Stinky: Oh... OK. This race is going to be long and hard!

Leader: Yes, but it'll be worth it when we finish it!

Stinky: I guess so ... At least following Jesus is easy.

Leader: Hmm... Kids, do you think following Jesus is easy? [Get responses]

Leader: Let's see what the Bible says ...

[ SLIDE: So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us. Let us keep looking to Jesus. - Hebrews 12:1b-2a, NIrV ] Read aloud.

Leader: See, the bible says following Jesus is like a long race, and it's important that we finish it. So we need to leave behind things that get in the way - and keep going!

Stinky: But what could get in the way of following Jesus?

Leader: Kids, can you help Stinky? (Get responses: Might stop us from coming to church; Phone/TV screentime instead of reading our bible; Listening to music that isn't helpful; Feeling guitly and not saying sorry to God)

Leader: They might be good things like books or knitting, but they might distract us. Or they might be sins that stop us from obeying Jesus.

Stinky: OK, but how should we run the christian race?

Leader: Our passage says we keep looking to Jesus. - thinking about what he's like and what he's done for us. He finished his own long hard race, so we can follow his example.

Stinky: Oh ... that sounds hard for a little puppet like me ...

Leader: It can be hard for all of us. But it's worth it. This is a race that we run together. God helps us, and we help each other.

Stinky: That's good news.

Leader: Let's have a look at our Bible Bite for today.

Slide: Bible Bite: Keep following Jesus, leaving behind what gets in the way.

Leader: Stinky, can you say that?

Stinky: Eh ... If I keep rolling down a hill, I've left Miss Pat behind.

Leader: Oh, let's say it again together.

[ Repeat ]

Stinky: Thank you Miss Pat. I'm going to throw out more things from my bin so it's lighter for the race.

Leader: Let me pray before the kids go to their program: "Dear Father, thank you for Jesus and his example obeying you always. Please help us to keep following Jesus, leaving behind what gets in the way. Amen."

Stinky: Bye!

Category: scripts Tagged: faith works