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.

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.

The Wisdom Bag

The Wisdom Bag is a presentation for the “Idea Bag” magic trick. The prop is available at www.TruthsAndTreasures.com

Scripture References
James 3: 13 and 17 and James 1:5

Script
Have you ever heard your Mom talk about a “hope chest?” It’s a chest that ladies fill with items they want to use when they get married. You might say those items give them hope for a happy life.

I brought a different kind of hope chest to show you. It’s my wisdom bag. Wisdom is a big word that I like to describe as “knowledge applied.” In other words, using my best ideas in the best way.

James 3:13 says, “Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do.” (CEV)

Inside this bag is the wisdom I use in my daily life. (Turn bag upside down.) Oops, it looks like my wisdom bag is empty. I would hate to think I used it all up yesterday.

Wait, the Bible also says in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (NIV) That means if our wisdom bag is empty, all we have to do is ask God.

Of course we can’t see wisdom. But we can see the results of wisdom in our lives. In James 3:17 we find, “But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, (produce box 1)
Wow, it’s a gift box. Reminds me of how God gives us wisdom. James 3:17 (CEV) goes on to say that the wisdom from God is also; friendly, (box 2) gentle, (box 3) sensible, (box 4) kind, (box 5) helpful, (box 6) and genuine and sincere. But it looks like I ran out of gift boxes. (Place boxes back inside bag.) I guess it’s a good thing I ran out of boxes because I also ran out of room inside my bag. (Show all boxes fill bag.)

You can be overflowing with wisdom too. According to the book of James, all you have to do is ask.

I brought a gift for you. It’s a wisdom bag. Actually it’s just a paper bag but inside the bag are all the verses from James that we talked about today. You can think of it as your Wisdom Starter Kit.

Find more ways to share the truth of scripture through the treasure of magic and stories at www.truthsandtreasures.com