Seperation from God but Jesus saves! [Childrens Story Object Lesson]

An object lesson children's story on the theme of 1 John 2:1 "But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." 

Teaching how sin separates us from God and it is practically impossible to live perfectly since leaving the garden of Eden and the tree of life. But we are in trouble because we need connection to God to live - but wait.... Jesus to the rescue!

Kids come up for a children challenge

Who knows what this is? [hold up quoits pole]

Today this represents the Tree of Life, or God who gives us life 

This ring [hold up quoit ring] represents your life. In order to live you need to connect to God. 

-- 

Everyone line up in front of this tree of life. [put stand on one extreme side of the stage]

We're going to take turns trying to put this ring, that represents your life, on the stand.

Let's go [the kids are so close they can literally place the ring on without missing.]

There we go, when humans were living in the Garden of Eden they were so close to God it was easy to connect with him. 

Option 1: Choose Jesus (a four-act submarine adventure script for young kids)

Cast:

1. JOE – Cautious Caption (Lead Actor, able to confidently work the audience)
2. NAV – Nervous Navigator
3. MOP – Comical Cleaner
4. SPANNER – Clever Mechanic
5. FLIPPER – Ambitious Cook 
   

The Armour of God [script where balloons are used in the story]

 Characters:

• Narrator
• Evil One
• PF 1 belt
• PF 2 breastplate
• PF 3 shoes
• PF 4 shield
• PF 5 helmet
• PF 6 sword

(Scene: The children are gathered at the front of church. The Narrator stands in front
of them.)
 
Narrator: Who knows who wrote the book of Ephesians in the Bible? It was Paul!
Ephesians is the name for people who lived in a city called Ephesus. Paul knew that
the Ephesian Christians had to be strong and courageous to face the challenges that
would happen to them in their lives. He used the example of wearing armour, which
the Ephesians would have seen the Roman soldiers wearing, to teach them about
how to protect themselves from the evil one.
Today we’re going to look at this Armour of God that Paul talks about and what it all
represents so it can help you stay strong against the evil one.
Now we need a tall helper. (Choose an older child – at least 8 years old?)
Are you afraid of balloons? GREAT, because we going to use some balloons the
Pathfinder have learnt to twist to represent the Armour of God.
 
The first piece of armour is the Belt of Truth. It holds everything together and
reminds us to always speak the truth, as well as trusting in God as the source of
truth

Jumpin Jerry

Brief: ‘Jump’ - some of the times when people were healed they would jump for joy.

Performance: Mountain View College junior day of worship - Nov 2/3, 2017

 

S: Hello girls and boys. My name’s Sarah the story-teller, and it's so good to see you all here...

J: Hang on, hang on, stop right there!

S: Jerry, I'm about to tell these children a story. Can you wait?

J: You're telling stories alright! What do you mean you're happy to 'see' them all.

S: I AM very happy to see them.

J: No, you can't be!

S: Why not? They appear to be well mannered... so far at least.

J: But you can't be happy to 'SEE' them... you're a puppet, you've got no eyes!

S: Yes, I do! I had them sewn on the other night ... see!

J: Oh, right, my apologies, I forgot my glasses, my buttons aren't what they used to be. What's this story about anyway? Is it about the time you sneezed and a spaghetti came out your nose?? I love that story!!

S: NO Jerry. The story isn't about me. And we don't talk about the spaghetti incident in public, remember?

J: Oh... is it about the time I got a fidget spinner stuck up my nose? Boy did that make me fidget!

My God's More Awesome

Brief: a puppet show for a Children's church on the theme 'God is Awesome"
Performance: Castle Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church - Oct 21, 2017

Note: where possible, the puppeteer for ‘Onlooker’ needs to look/dress similar to each other.

Bragger 2: Wow, it's dry out there, it hasn't rained for weeks!

Bragger 1: You know, the God I believe in is so awesome He can make it rain ANY time He wants to.

Bragger 2: Yeah, well MY God is so awesome He can make it rain any time He wants to AND can also make fire come down from the sky.

Bragger 3: Really? Well MY God is so awesome He can make it rain any time, bring fire from the sky AND make the sun stop if He wants to.

Bragger 4: Well MY God is so awesome He can make it rain water or fire, stop the sun AND cause the stars to fall.

Bragger 5: My God is so awesome He can not only make it rain water or fire, stop the sun and cause the stars to fall, but He ALSO created this whole earth... [smugly]  just by speaking!

First Birthdays

Performance: Sydney Adventist School Auburn
100 Year Anniversary Celebration - July 22, 2017
Brief: A puppet play to fit in with the theme "we are made by God"

•    JOE: sensible, inquisitive
•    WALLACE: frivolous, know it all.
•    GRANDPA: kind, intelligent. (egg carton prop)

[Joe enters, whistling, glances at audience but keeps going, then freezes. Looks back at audience. Pans looking from side to side in amazement and calls out.]
JOE: Umm, Grandpa!
[Pa enters, looking at girl.]
Pa: Yes, Joe.
JOE: [whispers] There's a whole bunch of people here.
PA: [looks around] Oh, so there are.
JOE: Whyyyy?... It's a Saturday.
PA: Well, they're probably here for the birthday party.
JOE: [excited] Birthday!
PA: Yes, 100 years old.
JOE: [amazed] 100 years, wow.... none of them look that old. Except maybe that guy over there with the beard.
PA: No, it's not their birthday.
JOE: [jumps in quickly] Is it your birthday, grandpa? Wow didn't know your were 100!
PA: No, I'm not 100.
JOE: You're not? Well how much older are you? You don't look a day over 110!

Adventure With Jesus [6 Act Drama Series for school week of worship]

Set in heaven each day, performed looking into audience as if they are earth.

Cast members:

1. God: calm but loving in nature
2. GABE: excitable, worked up into a panic mostly
3. Jesus: calm and loving also. Day 1, 5, 6.
4. Mary and Joseph mimers: Day 1
5. Angels: Day 2,4,5
6. Satan: Day 5

1. Monday - Birth of a King

GOD: Jesus

JESUS: Yes father

GOD: It’s time... for you to go to earth.

JESUS: I know. I was hoping this day would never come, but I always knew it would.

GOD: Yes. At least it won’t be for too long.

JESUS: Yes, I know, but after spending eternity with you, It’s going to be hard to be away from you for the first time.

GOD: It’s the only way we can save them.

JESUS: Yes I know, I’m happy to go. I’ll do anything to have the humans able to come home to us,

GOD: Yes! I love them so much too. We have to free them from the world turned evil by Satan.

JESUS: So much pain and death there. It hurts so much.

GOD: Yes… and you're about to…..

JESUS: I know… I’m about to experience it... just as the Humans do.

ChickEgg [puppet play about creation]

Performances: Kindergarten - "Big Camp", Victoria April 2013
Castle Hill seventh-day Adventist Church, February 29, 2020

Bernie: sensible, inquisitive
Wallace: frivolous, know it all.
Farmer Dave: kind, intelligent, God loving.

[crow flies in and lands, sits, gives two squawks, then preens it's self through the play.
A Chicken also appears (and pecks for food the entire time) followed soon by Bernie and Wallace.]

Bernie: Hey Wallace,

Wallace: Yes Bernie

Bernie: Where do Chickens come from?

Wallace: Umm, they come from eggs, Bernie

Bernie: I know that, but where do the eggs come from?

Wallace: Umm they come from Chickens.

Bernie: But where did that chicken come from?

Noah's Arkestra

An Orchestral Children's Story

Summary: A conductor tells the children of the audience a story about Noah’s Ark and the instruments keep interrupting with sound effects - to the apparent frustration of the conductor, who eventually plays along with it.

Conductor:

“How many of you have heard the story of Noah?”

[pause for a show of hands, then act surprised and disappointed as everyone already knows the story you were about to tell]

“Oh . . . all of you.”

[mutters as if disappointed that this isn't a new story for the kids] “Great” 

“Well, it’s my favorite story so you’re going to hear it again.

A long time ago, God spoke to a man named Noah. He told him he needed to build a huge boat to save some of the people and animals from a big flood that was coming.

So Noah and his sons started to chop down some trees.” [makes chopping motions with arm]

Drummer: SNARE, SNARE, SNARE, (calls out:) “TIMBERERRRR” LOWER TOMS & BASS DRUM thud.

Conductor: [looks around to the drummer with a confused glare - as if to communicate ‘what was that all about’]

Jesus' Soldiers

 Performance: Warburton Seventh-day Adventist Church - July 23, 2011
The brief given to Scott: A short play about Jesus death through the eyes of the soldiers.

Act 1: At the cross

Two soldiers are sitting back to back resting, both physically and emotionally tired - about an hour after Jesus was taken down from the cross.

Eve Remembers

Performance: Warburton Seventh-day Adventist Church - July 23, 2011
The brief given to Scott: A short play about how the world came into sin.

ABEL: Are you ok Mummy?  Why are you crying?

EVE: I’m ok, Abel. [Sniffs and swallows] I was just thinking about when we used to live in the Garden of Eden. Life was so much easier than now. I didn’t have to make all these clothes.
Your dad and I could be together all day, but now he has to go out and work all the time.

CAIN: Tell us what it was like in the garden, Mum.

Destination Dizzyland

 Performances: Lower Primary - "Big Camp", Victoria April 2011
and Warburton Seventh-day Adventist Church - July 23, 2011

The brief given to Scott: A series of 5 short plays themed around a 'plane trip to heaven', including specifically: Why we want to leave, How we get a ticket, Who is the Pilot, The journey and the final destination.

ACT 1: The Dream

SCOTTIE:     Hey Alex, do you ever dream of going to Dizzyland?

ALEX:         No. I love the park. It has both a swing AND a seesaw!

SCOTTIE:     (Puzzled) A Swing . . . and a seesaw?

The Pathfinder Memory Folder

Performance: Victorian Pathfinder Rally Day, 2008
The brief given to Scott: A play that showcases the year's memorable Pathfinder activities 

Cast:
•    PF - Pathfinder (curious and initially cautious)
•    CON - Conscience (Cheerful, obliging)
•    MM - Memory mime (over enthusiastic mime actor)

[PF is walking across stage and a warning buzzer goes off causing them to freeze on the spot.]

Con: [calls out with authority]
 “memory full, please free up some memory, say ‘Ok’ to continue.”
PF: OK? . . .
[looks confused and starts moving again] Where am I?
[Con makes his way to PF]
Con: This is your memory.
[Stretches arms out and spins around slowly as if pleased with the place]

Happy birthday, God!

 RECORD, October 21, 2006

I like having birthdays. You probably do too. Birthdays usually mean a party (I like going to parties). A party usually means presents (I like getting presents), party food (I like party food), birthday cake (I like cake) and games and activities (I like them too!).

On the Road to Bethlehem

Wacky But True, December/January 2005

My cubbyhouse in heaven

"Like cubbyhouses as a kid? Imagine what kind of cubbies could be in heaven!"

 RECORD, October 22, 2005

Cubbyhouses are fun. Not only playing in them but building them too. Do you have, or have you ever
had, a cubbyhouse? I’ve always wanted a treehouse but only ever had one on the ground.

Power, Passion and Grace

Performance: Victoria Pathfinder Expedition, 2003 
The brief given to Scott: A short play that demonstrates Power, Passion and Grace

5 people walk in at random and sit on a bench, possibly at a bus stop.
Possibly reading magazines, where the script can hide also.

Bragger 1: You know, the God I believe in is so powerful He can make it rain any time He wants to.

Bragger 2: Yeah, well my God is so powerful He can make it rain any time He wants to but can also make fire come down from heaven.