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NATURE’S SONG 4: FORGIVENESS – written by Tanis Harms
TOPIC: seeing God’s forgiveness
SCRIPTURE: Acts 16:31, Romans 6
Style: drama/conversation: parent teaches
. their child about seeing that God
. can wash away our sin.
Cast: DAD (or MOM), CHILD
Set & Props: chairs, table, newspaper, textbook/s
SCRIPT:
(DAD enters and sits at table to read a newspaper.
CHILD enters and slams his books onto the table.)
DAD How was school today?
CHILD Okay!
DAD If this is how you are when you’re “okay”
. I’d hate to see when you were actually upset.
CHILD (starts to pace angrily) We were told today
. that there is a forest fire which might blow in
. towards us and burn down all of our homes.
DAD Yes, this is in the news today.
CHILD Shouldn’t they try to put out the fire?
DAD They will, only if it endangers our homes.
CHILD What about all those trees that are burning down?
DAD It is part of nature. Everything in nature
. must die. And a NATURAL forest fire
. is nature’s way of bringing about new birth.
. The fire burns everything down into ashes,
. which puts nutrients back into the soil.
. Certain seeds can only open and grow
. after being in a fire, and these trees
. can then grow and provide the proper habitat
. for many species of grasses, wildflowers
. and animals. All of these could become
. extinct if there’d never be a natural forest fire.
. So natural forest fires are very necessary
. to maintain the natural ecosystem.
CHILD So some death is good? 2
DAD Well... I see you remember our last conversation
. about death?
CHILD Yes, because of sin, there is death.
. And Jesus died for us so we could have life.
. I guess His death was a good thing.
DAD Yes, although it was NOT what God wanted to do.
. But it was necessary, so it is therefore
. a good thing. Sin, and the consequences of sin
. are never good. In order to have a relationship
. with God, we need to be free of sin.
CHILD And that is why Jesus died for us, in our place.
DAD Yes, but we cannot forget that we have to make
. a choice to die with Jesus. This is to ask
. for the forgiveness of our sins. To die to sin.
CHILD WHAT???
(DAD motions for the CHILD to sit down with him.)
DAD Let us use the forest fire as an example.
. We are the forest. For this example,
. let us say that this forest is ready to die.
. There are bad plants choking out the good ones,
. and lots of insects taking over.
. When we ask Jesus to forgive all our sins,
. Jesus’ forgiveness is like a forest fire.
. It burns away everything, and you have
. a fresh new start. And then God chooses
. to forget about all your sins.
. NOW you have a close relationship with God.
. And, you only need to do this once,
. then you are a child of God forever.
. Nothing can ever change that.
CHILD But here on earth, I will still leak oil.
. Or, my forest will still have some weeds...
. until I go to heaven.
DAD (chuckling) Yes. That is not good for your
. relationship with God. This is why
. you continually talk with God and
. keep cleaning up your little oil spills.
. We need to keep on weeding.
CHILD But I still don’t understand... 3
. if God is good, and loves us,
. why do bad things happen to us? Wait,
. I remember: people make choices, and there
. is sin in the world. So why does God ALLOW
. bad things to happen to good people?
DAD These are good questions, and there
. are several reasons.
CHILD Several?
DAD Yes, sometimes it is to punish us,
. to make us see that we are doing something wrong.
. Then, we can correct our actions. Another reason
. can be so we can learn something through it.
. And, also, going through bad things
. can be like a test.
CHILD God tests us? So we should be studying?
DAD Let’s say you have been learning math all year,
. but you never have any tests.
CHILD That would be GREAT!
DAD But how do you know if you have learned
. your lessons correctly? What if you later
. get a job where you need math skills,
. but you keep doing it wrong? How can you say
. you know math, if you never prove it?
CHILD So the tests that we have in life,
. prove that God is in our lives helping us?
DAD Yes. And it is proof to OTHER people
. that God is in your life. If you told
. your friend about Jesus, and how much God
. helps you in times of trouble,
. but you never go through times of trouble,
. how could your friend believe what you
. are telling him?
CHILD This is interesting. So... because God loves us,
. He died for us, and all we have to do is ask Him
. to forgive our sins, and then we can have a close
. relationship with Him –
DAD WITH His help. He wants to help us
. with everything.
. 4
CHILD In order to believe in Jesus, we need
. to ask for His forgiveness?
DAD This is part of believing in Jesus.
. His death is the only thing that will
. wash away all our sins. Like a complete
. forest fire burns away everything,
. and gives you a fresh new start. Come,
. let us see if the forest fire is getting
. too close to any homes.
. Someone might need our help.
(DAD and CHILD exit.)