Reading Rap

Reading Rap or Bible Rap
by Barry Mitchell

Here’s a rap I’ve used to encourage children to read books.  It plays just as well for the Bible.
The Reading Rap also works well with our Willie the Worm finger puppet on our website at www.barrymitchellproducts.com
On the road there are many signs,
some pointing forward, some pointing behind.

Keeping track of all those directions,
helps us make better selections.

Going the same way all the time,
makes life boring and that’s a crime.

Open your mind to every way,
you can enjoy life and make it pay.

Reading the (use “the” referring to the Bible and “a” referring to other books) book is my favorite rule,
to keep your mind sharp and cool.

Follow the signs to your church (local) library,
books on every subject they carry.

Check out one and take a look,
once you start (pause) you’ll find it fun to read the book.

Get Connect Gospel Application

THE ETERNAL CIRCLE
A Gospel Presentation for the Get Connected Ropes written by Paul Morley of England.  www.missionmagic.co.uk
You can tell he’s from England.  Check out how he misspelled “color” and “favourite.”

There are six differently coloured rings of knitted ropes (red, white, blue, green, yellow and orange.)  Each rope has a meaning for me.
The white represents God the Father, the Father of light. The red represents Jesus the Son of God who died for me. The yellow represents the Holy Spirit who brings power into our lives. The blue represents all the people in Old Testament times who believed in the coming Jesus, without seeing Him. The orange represents the people of the New Testament times who saw Jesus and believed He was the Saviour of the world. The green represents those in the world today who believe in Jesus and have made Him their best friend.
The rings are shown and a child is invited to help. Go through the colours again dropping them onto the child’s hand.  The rings are then collected and dropped into your change bag.
The child is invited to lift out their favourite colour as you state what the colour represents. You look with amazement as the children shout what has happened. The ropes are linked like a chain!
That’s amazing! That’s what the Lord wants us to know. When we trust in Jesus, we’re in a safe place. A chain is put around things to keep them safe. God puts us in a chain so we will know we are not alone, but are linked to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are also linked with the Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints and all those around the earth who love Jesus.
Gather the links up again and drop them again in your change bag and the child lifts out their favourite colour again. Look with amazement as the rings have now changed into a continuous ring.
Wow that’s amazing! God wants us to know that when we believe Him because of Jesus, we become part of Gods eternal circle. We are joined together with all those who have trusted Jesus and we will live with them all in God’s heaven forever in God’s eternal circle.
Hold of the ends of the loop and bring your hands slightly together and the circle will take the shape of a smile. That truth is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face.
The Change Bag
The choice is yours, either use a triple change bag or, as I do, a single load. With your single load change bag have it loaded with the eternal circle. On top of the handle have the chain available. After showing the individual loops, say, “I need my collection bag” and under the cover of your box, drop the loops and bring out the change bag with the chain.  The chain will appear to be the same loops that were just in your hand.  Drop the chain in one side of the bag, as if they are the single loops.
I think you will agree that it’s a colourful, effective, and easy to do trick with a good gospel application.

Barry’s Note: I love Paul’s handling of the loops with a regular change bag.  The routine is a great addition to our Get Connected ropes.

Candies of Sharing

By Barry Mitchell

Object: To discuss and teach the principle of sharing. Alternative messages of hope and faith.

Props: Large bag of loose M & M candies or Smarties and paper plates or bowls.

Game
Place an equal number of candies on four paper plates or bowls.  Place on a long table and put an empty plate behind each plate of candy.  Divide children into four groups.  For larger size groups divide into more teams to have no more than ten children per group.

Ask for a volunteer from each group to play the part of an outcast. Choose four and ask them to stand off to the side.  Explain that each outcast must begin with nothing. They begin as an outcast because everyone else will be eating candy while they watch.  They have no promise of any candy at all.  However, they can have hope that some of the group might share with them.

Explain to the group that they are to run to the respective plates and pick up five candy pieces. (Choose a number based on the number of candies placed on the plate so that everyone has a turn.)  Then they are to decide if they want to eat all five or share some or all of them with the four outcasts.  If they want to share, they can place them in the empty plate.  When all the candies have been eaten or shared, the shared candies are then divided evenly among the outcasts.

Discussion Points
Sharing means we must give up some portion of what we have been given.
The outcasts had to live by faith that their friends would be willing to share.
Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor.  How is this game an example of loving your neighbor?

Additional Observations
I tried a similar version of this game with rubber squeeze balls and found the children were less likely to share the toy balls than the candy.  It is my understanding that children with peanut or chocolate allergies are safe with Smarties, however, check with the parents first.

Scripture References
Galatians 5:22-23 Fruits of the Spirit
I Timothy 6:18-19 Be generous
Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good
Matthew 22:34-40 The greatest commandments

The Open Hand of Prayer

An alternate presentation for the Hand & Eye Silks from Barry Mitchell Products
By Barry Mitchell

Main Point: A message about prayer

Props: The Hand & Eye silks are usually performed by changing the hand into the eye using a palmo ball.  In this presentation the eye silk is changed into the hand.

Presentation
Recently I had my eyes opened to the miracle working power of prayer.  (Show eye silk and begin pushing it into your fist.)  But despite the helping hand of God in our daily lives, many of us miss the mystery of prayer.  Allow me to give you a hand.  (Produce hand silk.)

Prayer is a conversation with God, not a formula.  But here is a memory tool that you carry at the end of your arm.

When we fold our hands to pray, the thumb is nearest to us.  We can begin by praying for those closest to us–our loved ones. (Philippians 1:3-5)

The index finger is the pointer. Pray for those who teach and point the way for us to follow.  (1 Thessalonians 5:25)

The next finger is the tallest. It reminds us to pray for those in authority over us–national and local leaders, and our supervisor at work. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

The fourth finger is usually the weakest. Pray for those who are weak and suffering. (James 5:13-16)
(Possible joke if it fits your personality to add humor: This finger is also the wedding ring finger.  So when you pray for the weak and suffering be sure to pray for the married.)

And finally our little finger is our reminder to pray for little ole me.  Ask God to supply your needs.  (Philippians 4:6,19).

If you have ever had a small child wrap all their fingers around just one of your fingers and give a little tug, you know how that feels in your heart.  That child’s slight grip and tug on your finger can’t help but tug on your heart.  In the same way, when we pray, we tug on God’s heart.

Special Thanks:  The idea for this mini sermon came from a daily devotional from “Our Daily Bread,” (www.rbc.org) and a sermon from my local pastor.

Be A Taker

An alternate presentation for “Bank Bag Bounty,” from Barry Mitchell Products

Main Point: Holiday or motivational message at any time of the year.

Presentation
Last year I think I gave too much. (Show moneybag empty.)  But in the coming year I’ve decided to be a taker. (Produce first coin under cloth, via the method used with the effect, and drop in moneybag.)

I plan to TAKE compliments.  (Produce two and drop in bag.)  Otherwise I rob the giver of a blessing.

I plan to TAKE advice. (Produce coin and drop in bag.)  Someone may actually know more than me.

I plan to TAKE time. (Produce coin and drop in bag.)  I will notice the beauty of the world around me.

I plan to TAKE refuge. (Produce coin and drop in bag.)  God and friends are a comfort in times of need.

I plan to TAKE the lead. (Produce coin and drop in bag.)  I may be the miracle someone is waiting for.

I plan to TAKE a leap. (Produce coin and drop in bag.)  Living up to my potential will require a leap of faith.

I recommend that you be a taker too.  (Pick up moneybag and prepare to remove jumbo coins.)  You may discover that taking produces an abundance of blessings.  (Produce jumbo coins.)
By Barry Mitchell

Making A Christmas Tree

By Barry Mitchell

Main Point: A Christmas tree is simply an arrow to God

Object Effect: Making a Newspaper Tree

Presentation:
(Paper is rolled and prepared in advance.  An extra sheet of paper is wrapped around the outside so it’s not visible that the paper has been cut in advance.)

When I was a child, he lived alone in a rundown shack.  But he was the richest man I’ve ever known and that’s a fact.

I visited him often when I was young.  Although he was poor in stuff like most people have, he was rich in wisdom.  I never left his home without learning a little something or at least feeling better about myself.

The holiday season was my favorite time to visit.  People would bring him food baskets and gifts because he was so poor.  It was one of the few times each year that he had a bounty of food in his home.  But he would always share - no matter how little he had.

I remember one Christmas, it was as if he was just waiting for me to ask about his Christmas tree.  He usually had a little tree that someone would give him out of their woods.  But this year, he had a rolled up piece of newspaper in the tree stand.  It didn’t take long for me to ask him about his tree.  He said, “I have a beautiful one right there,” as he pointed to the paper roll.  “It has good news and bad news and the funnies too,” he said.

I said, “That’s not a Christmas tree; it’s just old newspapers rolled up.”  He smiled, because he knew I was going to say that.  He said, “Son, this newspaper tree has everything and does everything that the finest tree in the President’s White House does.”  I said, “Well it doesn’t have any lights.”  He said, “There is a story in those pages of a little girl who found her lost dog because of the help of her neighbors.  That story lights my heart.”

I said, “Well, it doesn’t have any pretty ornaments.”   He said, “Pretty ornaments are just colorful balls.  When I read the colorful jokes in the funnies I have a ball.”

I said, “Well, what about the garland and all the decorations?”  He said, “There are advertisements on every page with pictures of people decorated in the finest apparel money can buy.”

I said, “But what about the star at the top of the tree?”  He said, “The star at the top of the tree is just a reminder of the true meaning of the tree.”  I said, “What’s that?”  He said in his gentle voice, “All Christmas trees serve the same purpose.  It doesn’t matter if they are short or tall, decorated beautifully, or not at all.  They can be homemade or designer priced.  But they all do one thing, they point to the Christ.”  Then with a twinkle in his eye he reached into the paper tube and made the biggest paper Christmas tree I had ever seen.  (Pull paper tree up.)

I’ll never forget that wise old man and I hope you’ll never forget that a Christmas tree is only special because it points to the Christ.

Making a Paper Tree
A paper tree is very easy to make.  There are several tools that some add to make it a little more efficient, however, they are not really needed.

Cut six sheets of newspaper.  This is accomplished efficiently by cutting the folded edge of several folded newspaper sheets about one-half inch from the folded edge.  After the cut, all will be single sheets.

Rolling the single newspaper pages into a tube is the next step.  A cardboard tube from a paper towel roll may be used as a rolling guide; however, it’s not really necessary.  Tape the sheets of paper together lengthwise as you roll them around the cardboard tube or eliminate the tape by simply overlapping the pages about six inches as you roll the pages.

If using the cardboard tube, remove it and tape the roll of paper together.  Now you are ready to cut the paper to make the tree.  Cut down the newspaper tube about half way.  Make three cuts which make four equal sections.

Bend back each section of paper strips so that you can see the inside of the roll.  Hold the base of the tube with one hand while reaching into the center of the roll with the fingers of the other hand.  Pull up the newspaper inside the tube to start the tree growing.  Keep pulling to make the tree grow taller and taller.

A Little More Magic
To produce the tree without cutting the sections in front of the audience simply cut them in advance and hide the cuts by rolling another sheet of newspaper around the outside.  At the point of production, simply tear the outer paper away and pull up the tree or pull it directly from the center without tearing away the page.

Coal in My Stocking

An alternate presentation for the Mother of All Diamonds effect from Barry Mitchell Products
By Barry Mitchell

Main Point: God never gives us coal unless he has a diamond in His plan for us. Makes a great gospel presentation for a Christmas show.

Props: The Mother of All Diamonds prop with lumps of coal and diamonds.

Presentation
I have some lumps of coal, a cup, and a chimney.  Actually this red tube is more like a flue pipe.  That’s before your time I’m sure.  Something else before your time is the expression, “All I got for Christmas was a lump of coal.”  (Remove coal from cup to show.)  It was believed that Santa would come down the chimney with his bag of gifts and, if you had been nice, you would be rewarded with gifts.  If you had been naughty you would only get lumps of coal in your stocking.  (Show tube empty to represent the chimney and place it over the cup.)  Unless you own a power plant or a wood stove, then coal is not a good Christmas gift.

Some people believe God is like Santa Claus.  If you’re good, you get gifts.  If you’re bad, you’re heading for the fireplace.  But God is much more than a judge of whether we are naughty or nice.  God loves us no matter how we act.  And God’s greatest blessing to us is given BECAUSE of the way we act.  God loves us so much that He is willing to forgive us if we only ask.  Not even Santa Claus can do that.

The definition of God’s love is that He wants to do anything and everything for our best.  He doesn’t want to give us coal.  (Drop coal in cup which is covered by tube.)  Unlike Santa who might deliver coal down the chimney, God wants the best for us.  (Lift tube from around the cup and sit aside.)  God wants to deliver us the best.  (Pour diamonds into smaller cup.)

The Bible tells us over and over how much God wants the best for us. God never gives us coal, unless He has a diamond in His plan for us.

Scripture suggestions

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Big Fat Wallet

An alternate presentation for “Bank Bag Bounty,” from Barry Mitchell Products

Main Point: Biblical money management

Presentation
Do you ever worry about money?  Did you know that most people’s money bags are filled with fifty and one hundred dollar bills?  Your expression tells me that you’re not “most” people.  (Open money bag and remove 3” X 5” cards with phone bill, electric bill, and cable bill printed on them.)  Take a look inside mine.  Here is the phone bill, the electric bill, and of course the cable bill.  Other than that, my money bag is empty.  (Show bag empty.)

Did you know that the two biggest problems in America today are debt and obesity?  In other words, it’s not just our wallet that’s fat.  (Prepare to produce coins from the cloth.)  But that doesn’t stop us from spending.  (Start producing coins.)  We spend it like we can pull it out of the air.  A little here, and a little there, to pay for this and that.  Money really does grow on trees, that is according to the way we spend it.  (Finish producing small coins and remove hand full of coins from money bag.)  From the look of our possessions, we really do have it all.

We want the world to believe we make big money. (Produce large coins.)  But if people really knew the truth, they would see that the only thing inside our money bags is one really big line of credit. (Remove Vista card.)

Biblical Application
Many people don’t have a money problem, they have a management problem.  It’s okay to have things, as long as things don’t have us.  Our possessions are a trust given by God.  If we manage them well, God will be honored.

Special Thanks to Pastor Brent Freeman of Pathways Church in Sevierville, TN for inspiring this presentation idea with one of his sermons.

Possible Scripture References
Luke 12: 13-21 The Parable of the Rich Fool
2 Corinthians 9:8
Ecclesiastes 5:15
Matthew 6:25-34 Do not worry

The Magic of Giving

An alternate presentation for the You Bug Me effect from Barry Mitchell Products
By Barry Mitchell

Main Point: A message about giving
Scripture: Several suggestions below

Props: Ropes from the “You Bug Me” effect from Barry Mitchell Products, change bag, several 12 inch silks.  In place of the silks, knots may be tied in the rope.  Ordinary rope and silks may also be used in place of the “You Bug Me” ropes.  But why would you want to do that? The “You Bug Me” ropes are actually knitted so they won’t unravel and they stretch longer than twelve feet to fill the stage more. There are two three-foot ropes, one yellow and one red and one twelve-foot rope that is half yellow and half red.

Preset: Place long rope with silks tied to it in one side of the change bag.  Place four silks and the two small ropes in the other side of the bag.  Using a variety of colors of silks will make the effect even more colorful.

Presentation
(This presentation is perfect for the Christmas season to discuss the magic of giving.)

I have two pieces of rope, one red and one yellow.  Yellow is for the girls because they are beautiful like the sunshine.  Red is for the boys because they are always red-e to get into trouble.  No, that’s not it.  Red because they love to have fun just like a big red balloon is fun.

This is a story of giving.  (Hold up small ropes.)  Don’t worry it’s a short story.  Of course giving applies to both boys and girls. (Tie short ropes together. Emphasize the word “not” as you tie the “knots” in the rope.  In place of tying knots in the rope, which may not be seen by a large audience you may tie twelve inch silks onto the rope.)

NOT (Tie knot in rope or tie silk around rope) everyone knows that giving is easy.

NOT (Tie knot in rope or tie silk around rope) all gifts are the same.  Some are touchable and usable.  Some are from the heart like love and friendship.

NOT (Tie knot in rope or tie silk around rope) only is a gift great to receive but it’s even greater to give.

NOT (Tie knot in rope or tie silk around rope) sure about giving yet?  Let me help.

When we take the first step to becoming friends with someone else, we are giving our kindness.  When we donate items to charity, we are giving from our abundance.  When we give our time to help someone else we are giving our most valuable possession.  When we give money we are trading our treasure for a blessing.

When it comes to giving there are two laws.  1. It’s impossible to give without getting a blessing in return.  2. No matter how much we give, we can’t out give God.

(Tie knot in rope or tie silk around rope)  My suggestion to you is do NOT miss out on the blessing of giving.  (Place short ropes in change bag as you ask for helpers.)

I need a couple of helpers to hold the ends of my giving ropes.  If each of you will hold an end, I’ll show you the real magic of giving.  Very slowly pull out a little rope.  (Switch change bag and assist each helper to pull the rope evenly from the change bag.)  When each of us does a little, it will NOT go unnoticed.  Keep pulling the ropes.  (Allow ropes to be pulled out of change bag revealing a long rope of silks or knots.)

Christmas ending  When it comes to giving sometimes it’s nice to be naughty (knot-e).

Scripture references

Galatians 6:7 (NIV) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Proverbs 11:24-26 (NIV) One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.
Proverbs 22:8-9 (NIV) He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.  A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Prayer Bag

Darren Casteel shared this wonderful presentation to teach prayer with some of the silks in our Fishing for Friends effect.  Darren says this is the basic outline of what he does with the bait silks.  He does not use the fish or children’s faces silk.  He says it gets a great response.
Thanks Darren, great ideas.

(A change bag or other production prop may be used.  Or simply hold up the silks as you discuss them.)
This is my prayer bag.  It is a reminders me of how we pray and what we pray.

(Produce heart silk.)  We need to pray with a right heart.  The Bible says the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

(Produce money silk.  Kids will usually say we can’t pray for money.)  Wait, we can pray for money when praying from the right heart.  The Bible shares that we do not have because we don’t ask. (James 4:2)  When we ask for something like paying a bill or money that has a good purpose it’s certainly okay.

(Produce smile silk.  Turn silk upside down to make a frown.)  We pray for people to be unhappy, right?  (The kids will scream to turn it over.  Follow with all the popular “turn it around” gags.)  We pray that people have the joy of the Lord.

(Produce quill silk.)  Did you know that God keeps his promises?  This quill reminds me of the strength of a promise written in ink.  I pray that I will also keep my promises and become a trustworthy person.

(Produce soap silk.)  We can also pray to be clean.  The Bible says, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to cleanse us from our sin.  (I John 1:9)