. all rights belong to Tanis Harms –
. refer to www.church-skits.com
TEACHING ALWAYS – written by Tanis Harms
TOPIC: training up your children
SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Style: drama/conversation: teens in
. a Sunday School class discuss their lesson
. without a teacher present and discover
. that their parents are doing a good job
. of raising them after all
Cast: PERSONS up to 15 (NOTE: if you have less,
. combine the lines, if more, divide them up)
Set & Props: chairs for everyone,
. big purse, watch, Bibles,
. lesson books (which can be the script
. if it’s too much to memorize)
SCRIPT:
(TEENS sit in semi-circle waiting.
SOME are very quiet,
OTHERS speak in low tones and chuckle.
TEEN 1 rushes in.)
T1 Hey everyone, I just was told that
. Mrs. Manuel is having a baby.
T2 We know, dude, we saw her every week –
. getting bigger and bigger –
. right before our eyes.
T1 No-I mean-she was just rushed
. to the hospital.
T3 Oh, I hope everything’s okay.
T4 So what are we supposed to do
. for Sunday School?
T5 Do they have a substitute?
T6 I overheard that Mr. Smith had to rush over
. to fix someone’s emergency plumbing issue.
T7 He had to work on a Sunday?
T8 Hey, he’s not the type to just let someone’s 2
. house get filled up with oozing water.
T9 Yeah, he’s going to do whatever it takes
. to help.
T10 He’s just cool – like that.
T11 Okay, but what does that mean for us?
T12 It means, we get a break!
T13 We could play a game.
T14 Knowing us, things will get out of hand,
. and then someone will come to check up
. on us, and then we’ll all be in trouble.
T15 Because – of course – you KNOW all
. our parents are going to find out about it.
T1 Yeah, don’t want to disappoint the parents.
. Okay, so what should we do then?
(TEEN 1 finally sits down and everyone looks at TEEN 1.)
T1 Why are you all looking at ME?
. Just because I brought the news,
. doesn’t mean that I’m in charge.
T4 Ah, yeah, I kind of think that’s how it works.
T2 (eagerly) You want ME to lead?
T3 No! I mean, no offense, but – (nicely) no.
T4 No matter what we decide, we’ll
. probably get into trouble.
T5 Now why do you say that?
T4 Because, every Sunday when we get home,
. Dad looks at me sternly and says,
. (mimicking Dad) “So what did you learn
. in Sunday School today?”
T6 Yeah, mine does that too.
. 3
T7 My mom does that, and she WAITS
. until I think of something.
T8 My mom will somehow know what
. we actually studied in our class that day;
. so if I DON’T get it right,
. I get the lesson – all over - AGAIN.
T9 So we should at least go over the main point.
T10 Yeah, that way, we will at least
. have something to say when we are asked –
. the question.
T11 So who’s going to lead us?
(ALL look at TEEN 1.)
T1 Again, why do you think I should be
. the one in charge?
T2 Dude, I think it just falls to you.
T12 (dramatically) It is your destiny.
T13 (correcting) It is your calling.
T1 I didn’t hear anybody calling.
T12 (tries to throw voice) Dude-this is your destiny!
T1 I know that was you!
T14 We could hold nominations and a vote.
. I nominate Andy (or Andrea).
ALL (holding up their hands) I second that-
T15 (to P ) I think you won. Besides,
. you’re the only one who brought
. your Bible and lesson book.
T1 None of you brought your Bible
. and lesson books???!!!
T2 Are you scolding us already?
. 4
T1 Come on, guys, don’t your parents make you
. take your Bible and lesson books?
T3 I left mine in the car.
T4 (meekly) Sorry.
(ALL look sheepish except for TEEN 5. TEEN 1 sees
her big purse.)
T1 Gloria, do you have a Bible
. in that big purse of yours?
T5 Yes.
T1 Get it out, please. I’m not doing this alone.
. (stopping to shake his/her head)
. Seriously, I can’t believe your parents
. don’t tell you to take your Bibles
. and lesson books.
(ALL sheepishly pull out their Bibles and lesson papers
from behind their backs.)
T1 That’s better. You know, church is
. the ONE place it SHOULD BE COOL to have
. your Bibles! Anyway, okay –
. (gets teacher-like, looks at lesson book)
. Our scripture reading today is
. Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
. (waits while everyone finds the scripture)
. Okay Gloria, anytime you’re ready.
T5 (finds the scripture and reads)
. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God,
. the LORD is one!”
T6 Stop!
T1 Already? What’s wrong?
T6 I have a question. Why should we care
. about what God says to Israel?
T7 Yeah, Israel is God’s chosen people
. from long ago.
. 5
T8 And so are we – when we become Christians –
. we are God’s chosen people.
T9 But not EVERYTHING said to the
. nation of Israel applies to us, like,
. things about their land and stuff.
T10 And the old little laws.
T11 Old little laws?
T10 Yeah, you know, all that stuff about
. what they can or cannot eat.
. Then the New Testament says -
. that now we can all eat anything.
T11 I could eat anything right now. I’m hungry.
T12 The nursery has animal crackers!
T13 Seriously? You can’t be that desperate.
T14 I think we’re off topic already.
T15 Yeah, I still don’t have anything I can
. tell my parents about this lesson.
T1 Continue reading, Gloria.
T2 We still didn’t answer the question.
T3 Okay, so - the principles or – BIG laws –
. that were given to Israel still apply to us today.
T4 I hope there isn’t too much to remember.
T5 Well, here it is. (reading) "You shall love
. the LORD your God with all your heart
. and with all your soul and with all your might.
. These words, which I am commanding you today,
. shall be on your heart.”
T6 That’s it?
T5 I still have 3 more verses to read.
T7 But that’s the main lesson? To love God – 6
. with everything we’ve got?
T8 When you think about it, it really does
. sum up everything.
T9 Yeah, if you love God, then you love others,
. and then you won’t do things like – fight with
. your brothers and sisters – or anybody else.
T10 Or talk bad about them.
T11 Or lie to them.
T12 Or steal.
T13 And if God is, like, your ultimate Parent,
. then you would WANT to obey Him, and
. not want to disappoint Him.
T14 The cool thing about God is that He is perfect.
T15 And remember, God SEES everything, and knows
. everything, even what you are thinking.
T2 My mom thinks she does. I mean, she thinks
. she knows what I am usually thinking.
(ALL look at TEEN 2.)
T2 (sheepishly) She’s just guessing, of course...
. Although, I guess, she’s usually right.
T3 Okay, so is that the lesson then?
. That we love God –
. with everything we’ve got?
T1 Gloria still has a few more verses to read.
T5 (reading) "You shall teach them diligently
. to your sons –
T4 Stop! What about the daughters?
T6 I’m pretty sure that’s implied.
T4 So why not just say “children”?
. 7
T6 I don’t know. I’m sure God gave us
. our brains to figure these things out.
. You know, use logic.
T1 Reading on, then.
T5 So, (reading) "You shall teach them
. diligently to your sons and shall talk of them
. when you sit in your house and when you walk
. by the way and when you lie down
. and when you rise up. You shall bind them
. as a sign on your hand and they shall be
. as frontals on your forehead.
. You shall write them on the doorposts
. of your house and on your gates.”
T7 This sounds more like a lesson to our parents.
T8 Except, we shouldn’t tell them about
. these verses. I mean, I don’t exactly
. want Bible verses written on my forehead.
T9 Can you just imagine?
T10 I’m NOT trying to picture it! I mean,
. Mom following me down the school hallway
. quoting scriptures?
T11 Do you really think that’s what it means?
T12 We’re in trouble.
T13 Yeah, I’m pretty sure my Dad has read
. those verses. He’s read through the Bible
. many times already.
T14 And has your dad ever done anything like THAT?
T15 Mine sure hasn’t.
T1 Maybe it’s one of those principle-things again.
. If we’re supposed to love God with everything
. we’ve got, then maybe our parents are supposed
. to just teach us whenever they can.
T2 That would be a drag.
. 8
T3 Maybe not.
T2 You’re talking crazy, right now.
T4 Maybe not.
T5 They ARE the parents. Their job is to help us
. grow up and know how to live.
T6 For the world, that would mean - how to survive.
T7 for Christians, that would include – how
. to survive - but by using Christian principles.
T8 Which could include everything about life.
. I think.
T9 Okay, so let’s think about it.
. What ARE all the areas of life.
T10 Getting along with people.
T9 That’s definitely in the Bible.
. Mom is constantly telling me to
. (mimicking) “treat others
. as you’d have them treat you.”
T10 And if I come home from school and talk
. about how someone was being a bully to me,
. after he speaks with the teachers and
. the principle, Dad tells me to forgive,
. and to love that person –
T9 Because don’t forget, “when you are nice
. to your enemies it is like pouring
. hot coal over them.”
T11 And there’s food! Sorry, I’m still hungry.
T12 My parents make sure that we always pray
. before we eat.
T11 Hey, I’m not saying that I’m NOT thankful.
. I am. I’m very thankful that we always
. have food to eat whenever I get hungry.
T13 Do your parents apply biblical principles 9
. to school?
T14 Oh yeah! I’ve learned to pray for
. knowledge and wisdom.
T15 And to do everything to God’s glory.
T14 At the same time, though, they say that
. the most important thing in life
. is to live for God. It doesn’t matter
. what kind of job I get when I grow up,
. it just matters that I live for God.
T15 And do everything to God’s glory.
T14 (mimicking) “Success isn’t getting rich,
. it’s doing God’s will in God’s strength.”
T1 So what about our future jobs, then?
T2 Mom says, “Get one!” And then something about
. the sloth from the book of Proverbs.
T13 Yeah, “if you want to eat-you better work.”
T4 Dad tells me that no matter where I work,
. ultimately, God is my boss.
. I’m really working for God.
T9 Oh, I get that speech when I’m supposed
. to do a good job washing the dishes.
T10 I usually hear my mom singing while
. she housecleans.
T11 Every morning, my mom asks me what
. I’m concerned about for that day,
. and then prays with me –
T12 Out loud?
T13 Every morning?
T11 Yeah. Why? Is that crazy?
T3 No... not at all.
. 10
T4 Kind of cool, actually.
T11 It’s so I will learn to give all my concerns
. to God, because we are not supposed
. to worry about anything.
T6 I guess our parents ARE always teaching us.
T7 And obviously, we DO listen.
T2 Even when we pretend we aren’t.
T8 I suppose we’d be crazy NOT to listen
. to their advice.
T9 Yeah, they’ve - “been there-done that.”
T10 So it really does make sense to
. obey our parents.
T12 As long as WHAT they teach us doesn’t
. go against what God teaches.
T13 I guess that’s why my dad keeps reading
. through the Bible.
T14 Okay, so what’s the main point to this lesson?
. I want to get it right.
T15 To love God with everything we got.
T6 And for parents to teach their children this -
. whenever they can.
T2 Meaning - that the children should be learning
. from their parents – whenever they can.
T5 I wonder if Mrs. Manuel has had her baby yet?
T7 Someday we’ll be parents –
(ALL look at TEEN 7 and freeze in a moment of
silent terror.)
T7 Probably. SOME - day!
(ALL unfreeze with a sigh.) 11
T1 Then we’ll be the ones teaching THEM.
(ALL look at TEEN 1 and freeze in a moment of
silent terror. TEEN 1 stays frozen only for a moment,
then quickly looks at watch.)
T1 Ha-ha-ha – Hey! Class is over.
(ALL unfreeze with relief.)
T1 (teasing) And I’ll tell all your parents
. that you all behaved very nicely today.
(ALL laugh and talk quietly with each other
as they exit.)