Skits and Stuff

The Adventures of Super Dude
Example

Week 1: Gideon

	Summary Though Gideon was not a super hero and possessed no super human qualities, he was able to defeat the Midianite army with God’s help. Order of Events Puppet Skit: Super Who? Introduction of Super Dude. Two boys struggle to find something fun to do. Object Lesson: Watch the Signs Road signs help us discover what is ahead. God used signs to help Gideon know what was in store for him and his people. Bible Lesson: Gideon Defeats the Midianites Judges 6-7 Prayer    5.  Memory Verse: Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (NIV)   6. Activity: Battle of the Super Heroes Teams give their super heroes strength by answering questions about the lesson and memory verse.
	Puppet Skit: Super Who? (Excerpt) (5-8 minutes) Props: No props except for Super Dude’s outfit: he should have a matching shirt and shorts set (or a pair of tights), and on the shirt should be written the letters "SD." He should also have a cape. Some kind of mask to cover his eyes is optional. Brian: What do you want to do today, Chad? Chad: Want to play frisbee? Brian: Naah, we did that yesterday. Chad: How about watching t.v.? Brian: No, too boring. Chad: Then you come up with something, Brian. Brian: Play baseball? Chad: With only two people? I don’t think so. Brian: There’s got to be something fun we can do. Chad: (looking up) Hey, what’s that? Brian: It looks like a bird. Chad: It’s not a bird. Brian: Okay, it’s a plane then. Chad: It’s not a plane either. Brian: Then what is it? Super Dude (SD): (yelling) Look out below! (Super Dude quickly flies in and crashes right into Chad, knocking him down.
	Object Lesson: Watch the Signs (5-8 minutes) Props: Resource Pictures (Included) When you’re riding in the car with your family, do you ever pay attention to the road signs? Can you name some of the road signs that you’ve seen? (Allow kids to name a few) What if you’re driving along on a road and you come to this sign (Hold up "stop" sign) What should you do? (Stop) (Hold up "For Sale" sign) What about this sign? If we saw this sign, what would we expect? (That something was for sale—someone was trying to sell something like a house, a boat, a car etc.) (Hold up "danger" sign) What does this sign mean? (We should be careful or stay away from that particular place because there might be something that could hurt us.) A lot of signs have words on them, like the ones I just showed you, but some of them don’t have any words at all, just a symbol or a picture. (Hold up curvy road sign) What do you think this one means? (A curvy road is coming up ahead and we need to slow down and be cautious) (Hold up "picnic table" sign) Who knows what this sign means? (An area that has picnic tables so you can eat food) There are a lot of different kinds of signs, and I’ve only shown you a few of them today. Why do you think we have signs? (To tell us what to do or what is coming up next) What do you think would happen if we saw these signs but didn’t obey them? For example, what if we saw the "stop" sign, but chose to ignore it? What would happen? (Someone could get hurt, you could get into an accident etc.) So, obeying signs is very important, isn’t it? And, as we’ve already said, signs are also very helpful because they let us know what might be up the road ahead. If we’re driving and looking for a place to eat, the road signs will tell us what restaurants are ahead. Today in our lesson, we’re going to be talking about a different kind of sign, but a sign that was still very helpful and important to a man named Gideon.
	Lesson: Gideon Defeats the Midianite Army Judges 6-7 (20 minutes) Props: Resource Pictures (Included) The Israelites Worship Idols Gideon was part of a large group of people called "The Israelites." The Israelites were a group of people who worshipped and believed in God, and God watched over them and gave them many blessings (things to be thankful for). But sometimes, the Israelites disobeyed God. They started to worship other things besides God—things called idols. Idols could be made out of anything—wood, stone, gold etc. The idols might be in the shape of a calf or bull like this one. (Show bull idol picture). Bulls were supposed to represent strength. Or they might be in the shape of a person, similar to a statue, like this one. (Show statue of idol) Idols weren’t real gods—they couldn’t hear you nor could they do anything for you. They were simply pieces of wood or metal. Idols were just an ordinary object like a chair, or a table. We don’t think of praying to a table or to a chair do we? We don’t expect our chairs to love us or to listen to us or help us with our problems, right? Objects like idols aren’t anything like God, yet, that’s exactly how the Israelites were treating the idols. They would pray to the idols and worship and sing to the idols, and they expected the idols to do great things for them. Let me ask you a question: do any of you have brothers or sisters? If you do, have you ever done something really nice for your mom or your dad, like maybe take out the trash, or set the dinner table, and then your brother or sister takes all the credit for it? They tell your mom or dad that they were the ones who did the nice thing, instead of you. Has that ever happened to anyone? (Allow kids to share) It’s pretty frustrating isn’t it? When you put a lot of thought into helping out and you take the time to do all the work, and then someone else comes along and says they did the work instead of you, it can be very annoying. It might even make us mad that the other person did it. Well, that’s exactly how God felt towards the Israelites. God had been taking care of the Israelites. He’d seen to it that they got out of a very bad situation, where they were slaves to other people. The Israelites were forced to do very hard work for other people and they didn’t get paid for it. They were treated very badly, sometimes getting little to eat and even getting beaten at times. But God helped them get out of the situation and He’d been taking very good care of them since then. He listened when the people prayed and He made sure they had all the things they needed, like food and clothes. But instead of thanking God for all of his blessings, the Israelites started to worship idols—pieces of rock or gold—things that could do nothing for them. The Israelites are Tormented This habit of worshipping idols made God very angry, and as a result, God allowed groups of people called the Midianites, the Amalekites and several other groups to pester and torment the Israelites. These other groups would do things like destroy the plants and crops the Israelites used for food. If the Israelites had corn planted in a field, the Midianites would cut it all down or burn it. If the Israelites had cattle, like cows or sheep, the Amalekites would come in and kill all the animals. They would pick fights with the Israelites and hurt or kill their people. One group after another would ruin whatever the Israelites had, and there were so many people doing this, the Israelites weren’t able to fight back. Finally, the Israelites couldn’t take it anymore and they cried out to God, "God, please help us!" God Sends an Angel to Gideon God replied to the people, (paraphrased) "I am the Lord your God. I have told you not to worship idols, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you are asking me for help." So, God sent an angel down to talk with a man named Gideon. (Show Gideon with Angel) Gideon was an ordinary man. He didn’t have any super powers: he didn’t have super strength or super hearing. But, he was one of the few people who still believed in and worshipped God. The angel told Gideon, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior...Go in the strength you have and save Israel from Midian." Gideon couldn’t believe what he was hearing! He asked the angel, "How can I save Israel? My group is the weakest group there is, and I am the weakest member of my family. How can I defeat the Midianites?" God told Gideon that He would be with him and that together they would defeat the Midianites. Before this could happen though, God asked Gideon to do one thing: God disliked the idols the Israelites were worshipping, so God told Gideon to tear down the altar (the large area made of stones where the idols were kept and worshipped) of the idols. Gideon wanted to obey God, so he agreed to tear down the altar. However, Gideon was also afraid of the other Israelite people and how they would react if they found out he was the one who had destroyed their altar made for the idols. So, Gideon went to the altar at night, hoping no one would see him, and he did as God had asked and destroyed it. The next morning the Israelites saw the ruined altar and began asking who had been responsible for it’s destruction. When the people began to look for clues as to who had done it, they figured out it was Gideon. Not only were the people upset and angry about the destruction of their altar, but they wanted to put Gideon to death for doing it! Gideon’s father, Joash, spoke up and said that if Baal was really a god, (Baal was the name of the idol the Israelites were worshipping) then Baal could take care of whoever ruined his altar. You see, Joash also believed in the one true God, and knew that Baal wouldn’t be able to harm his son. Finally, the people agreed to let Baal take care of Gideon, and so Gideon was not killed. God Gives Gideon a Sign Now, it wasn’t long after this that the Midianites, the Amalekites and several other groups once again started heading in the direction where the Israelites were living. The groups were getting ready to attack again. Gideon began to feel that it was time for him to gather his own armies together and fight back, but he was very nervous about doing this. Gideon wanted to make sure God would be with him in this battle, because if God wasn’t with him, he knew there was no way he and his army could defeat the others in battle. So, Gideon asked God for a sign. We talked about signs earlier in our object lesson, and saw how signs can be helpful about what is ahead on the road. Gideon was asking for something similar from God. He didn’t ask for an actual road sign, but he did ask God to do something that seemed impossible, and if God would do it, then Gideon would know that he could win the fight against the Midianites. Gideon told God he would lay a fleece on the ground, (the wooly hair from a sheep) and if there was dew on the fleece (water from the air) but the ground all around the fleece was dry, then that would be a sign. It would be a sign that God was with Gideon and that he would be able to defeat the Midianites. So, one night Gideon put the wooly fleece on the floor. Sure enough, when he woke up the next morning, the fleece was soaking wet, but the ground all around the fleece was dry. But Gideon still wasn’t completely convinced. So, he asked God to give him just one more sign. "This time," Gideon said, "let the fleece be dry and the ground all around it be wet." And again, Gideon woke up the next morning and the ground all around the fleece was soaking wet, but the fleece was completely dry. God Decreases the Armies’ Number Now Gideon knew for sure that the Midianites were in trouble! God was going to defeat them. Gideon had called together a huge army of men to fight, about 32,000 men. Gideon was feeling pretty confident at this point. Then, God told Gideon he had too many men. I can just imagine Gideon saying, "What? Are you crazy? How can I have too many men?" But that’s exactly what God said. You see, God wanted the Israelites to know that if the Midianites were defeated it was because of God and His power, not because of the people. To help solve this problem, God told Gideon to tell the men that anyone who was afraid to fight could leave. So, about 22,000 men left. That’s a lot of scared men! But it still wasn’t enough for God. He wanted the numbers down even more. This time, God told Gideon to take the men down to the river, and allow them to drink. He said anyone who gets down on his knees to lick up the water with their tongues should not fight, but all of those who pick up the water with their hands and then bring it to their mouths could stay. Of the 10,000 men who were left, only 300 picked up the water with their hands. So, Gideon’s huge army of 32,000 men was now down to just 300! Gideon Defeats the Midianites Don’t you think Gideon had to be feeling a little nervous now? He started out with 32,000 men and now he only had 300. He must have been wondering if God really knew what he was doing. But, he trusted God. Gideon and his 300 men surrounded the camp where the Midianites were staying and they began to attack. God caused the men in the Midianite army to become confused and they started to attack each other. The others in the army ran away, and Gideon, with the help of 300 men, and one very powerful God, defeated the Midianites that day. Application Gideon was a hero, but not because he had super powers. He didn’t have super speed or super strength and he couldn’t fly. The Bible said he was the weakest member in his family. He was an ordinary person, just like you or me. Not exactly the kind of person we think of when we think of a hero, is it? You see, Gideon wasn’t a hero until God came into the picture. God’s power and God’s strength helped turn Gideon into a hero. Gideon became a hero because he was willing to trust and obey God, and allow God to work through him. That’s how he was able to defeat the Midianites—not because of what he could do on his own, but because of what he could do with God’s help. We don’t have to be the smartest person, or the best looking, or the most popular in order for God to use us. God calls regular people to be heroes. Just like in our puppet skit, the boys couldn’t do the kinds of things Super Dude could do, but they could still find ways to have fun, while they were being themselves. That’s all we have to be for God. He can use us no matter who we are, or the abilities we have. He just wants us to be open to the things He can do through us. We can do anything with God’s help. Any one of us in this room can become a hero. Any one of us can make a difference wherever we are, whether it’s at school, at church, or at home. All we need to do is depend on (or trust in) God. He’ll give us the strength to do the things we don’t think we can do. Questions for Reflection What words come to mind when you think of a hero? How do you think God would describe a hero? Have you ever had the chance to be a hero? When was a time you had to trust God for something you didn’t think you could do? Prayer Ask the children if they have anything you can pray for, and then include those things in your prayer time. Then pray: God, we want to thank you for the lesson we learned about heroes from Gideon today. Thank you that you can use us to do big things, even at times when we feel very weak or small. Help each boy and girl here today to remember that you are always with them, and that you love them very much. In Jesus name, Amen.
	Memory Verse: Phillipians 4:13 (10 minutes) "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV) Props: Overhead with today’s verse on it. (Included) Teacher: Today we’ve been talking about getting our strength from God, so today our Bible verse goes right along with that theme. To help us out, I asked our new friend, Super Dude, to come and introduce the verse for us today. (Super Dude enters) Super Dude: Hi kids! Teacher: So what did you think of our Bible story today, Super Dude? SD: It was a good one, but I felt sorry for that guy...what was his name again? Teacher: (speaking to the kids) What was the man’s name in our story today? (kids yell out Gideon) SD: Yeah, that’s right, Gideon. Teacher: Why did you feel sorry for him? Was it because he felt weak and didn’t think he could do what God asked of him? SD: No, it was because he had fleas. Teacher: He didn’t have fleas! SD: Yes he did. You said he was going to put out his fleas and see whether or not they got wet. Teacher: I didn’t say "fleas," I said "fleece." You know, the wool from a sheep? SD: Oooh, that makes more sense. But now I feel sorry for the sheep. Teacher: The sheep? Why do you feel sorry for them? SD: Because they had to stand outside that night and get all wet! Teacher: No Super Dude, the wool is cut off the sheep first. It doesn’t hurt them. It’s like getting a hair cut. SD: I see. But I still feel sorry for the sheep. Teacher: Why do you still feel sorry for the sheep? SD: Because without all their wool, I bet they were cold! Teacher: The sheep were fine Super Dude. Let’s get on to our Bible verse for today. Can you read it for us? (Show the overhead with the verse on it) SD: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 Teacher: Very good. Now, what do you think that verse means? SD: That’s easy, it means that I can do whatever I want because I’m super strong! See my muscles? (he attempts to "flex" his arm muscles) Teacher: I don’t think that’s what this verse is saying, Super Dude. Not everyone has super strength like you. SD: Then what does it mean then? Teacher: (to the kids) What do you think it means? (allow the kids to give answers) That’s right, I don’t think this verse means physical strength, like being able to pick up a building like Super Dude, here. SD: What other kind of strength is there? Teacher: I think the kind of strength God is talking about is inner strength. SD: What’s that? Teacher: In a way it means being brave, or having the courage to do something. SD: I have no idea what you’re talking about. Teacher: All right, let me explain it this way. Let’s say there is a big hairy spider in the room. SD: (freaks out) Spider? Where? (screams and hops around looking for it) Teacher: Calm down Super Dude, there isn’t really a spider, we’re just pretending. SD: (in a whimpering voice) I don’t like spiders. Teacher: Okay, this is exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about. Just pretend there is a spider in your room and you have to kill it, but you’re afraid of spiders. What do you do? SD: I call for my mommy! Teacher: What if there’s no one else around? SD: I panic! Teacher: But you don’t have to Super Dude. This is what the verse means. Whenever we feel like we can’t do something all on our own, God gives us the inner strength to be able to do it. Even though you don’t think you could kill that spider, you could pray and ask God to help you, and he’ll give you the inner strength to help you do it. SD: Does that really work? Teacher: It always worked for me. SD: That’s pretty neat. Teacher: Yep. So the next time you’re afraid, or nervous about something, all you have to do is say to yourself... SD: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Teacher: That’s right. SD: Do you think the kids could say it now? Teacher: I bet they can. What do you think kids? (Have them say it several times. If you want to get them up and moving a bit, have one side of the room stand and say it, then the next side.) SD: I bet I can say it louder than they can. After all, I do have super lungs! Teacher: Okay kids, let’s see if you can it louder than Super Dude. (Do this as much as time allows. Then back to Super Dude) Thanks for helping us out today Super Dude. SD: Any time. (End)
	Activity: Battle of the Super Heroes (10 minutes) Objective: Teams give their super heroes strength by answering review questions about the lesson and memory verse. Teams see if their heroes are strong enough to knock down a "building." Materials: For each team, you will need: a stack of heavy, hard-cover books (8-10) a feather a straw a pen a paper towel roll a 6 inch ruler a bat set of all 6 super heroes (see Resource pictures) review questions (included) chair dry erase board (or poster board) & marker Preparation: For each team, arrange the books in a stack, to simulate a "building." The books should be heavy, and the stack should be fairly tall. Make a copy of the set of 6 super heroes for each team (see Resource pictures). The teams will start out with super hero #1, and progressively work their way up to #6. The teams also start out with a "super weapon," (the feather") and work their way up to the bat. Procedure: Divide the group into teams. To begin, give each team super hero #1 and a super weapon, the feather. These items can be sitting on the floor in front of each team, or on the table in front of the stack of books. Explain that just like in the story today, the super heroes are going to be depending on each team to give them their super strength. The heroes start out fairly weak, but will get progressively stronger. In order to give their heroes strength, the teams must compete to correctly answer questions about the lesson and the memory verse. (see below) For every 5 questions answered correctly by the team, the hero will get stronger. As the hero gets stronger, he also gets a new weapon (straws, pens etc.) to use to try and knock down the building (the stack of books.) Teams are successful when they have worked their way up to hero #6, and can use their super weapon (the bat) to knock down the building (books). To begin, a chair is placed in front of each team. Other team members line up behind the chair. The first person in line tries to knock down the stack of books using only their feather. Of course, this won’t happy since the feather isn’t strong enough to knock down the books. So, the teacher will begin to ask the teams a question. The first person in each line sits in the chair. The teacher asks a question, and the first person to stand up, gets to answer the question. If he/she is correct, that team gets a point. If he/she is wrong, another team gets to answer and earn a point. Those people then go to the end of the line, and the next person in each line sits in the chair. This process continues until one team has correctly answered 5 questions in a row, earning five points. That team is then given super hero #2, and the corresponding weapon. (See below) Once the team gets a new weapon, one volunteer has the chance to try to knock down the books with it. This should be impossible until the very last weapon, the bat. (Make sure the books are heavy enough to accomplish that). Once the team has earned their final super hero and bat, one volunteer has the chance to knock down their building. The first team to accomplish this, wins. The other team(s) could continue until they have earned super hero #6 and the bat, and knocked down their building as well. Order of heroes & weapons Super hero #1---feather Super hero #2—straw Super hero #3—pen Super hero #4—paper towel roll Super hero #5—6 inch ruler Super hero #6--bat Optional: Using each super hero figure, use a piece of string or yarn to create a necklace. The person who volunteers to try to knock down the building can wear the necklace. The same could be done using a long strip of paper to create a headband.