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Epic Adventure 

Week 6 - GOOD NEWS
Bible focus - Paul’s time on Malta     

part 1    

Lead-in Session

Outline for Leaders

This week Ed returns with a 'splash' from his snorkelling experience. Whilst snorkelling, Ed came to realise how important it is to get air deep down into our lungs. Later, we develop the theme of how wonderful the Good News is and how Jesus' love can also envelope our lives bringing us life abundant. 

Characters: Ed and his friend Jim

Props: snorkelling gear, snorkel, face mask, flippers, black trousers or swimming shorts, black T-Shirt, splash sound effect. Fake fish and crab (If you can’t beg or borrow a bit of snorkelling stuff from friends / church family you may need to improvise and make some.)

SKETCH - Ed returns from exploring the sea

Scene Set: Jim pacing the platform, looking at his watch, leaves the platform as Ed enters through the stage door in his snorkelling gear. Jim comes back down the middle aisle.

Jim: Ed there you are, I’ve been getting a bit worried, you are so late. How did the snorkelling adventure go? Was it wet?

Ed: (Shaking his head in disbelief and throwing some water from hands over Jim.) Of course it was wet, (pulling a fish from his pocket, holding it up and then throwing it over the Kidz Klub back-drop – sound effect – SPLASH, then pulling a wet handkerchief from his pocket wringing it out to wipe his eyes) I was under the water!

Jim: So - what was it like looking under the water?

Ed: A bit fishy! Ha, ha...

Jim: Hey Ed, I like your gear, tell us about it will you.Take a seat Ed and have a drink (Jim simultaneously sitting down cries out) OUCH! A fish was not the only thing you brought back, I just sat on a crab! 

Ed: Anyway, about the snorkelling gear, I’m glad you asked me about that because there’s something I learned from this snorkel. I realised how vitally important the air that we breathe is. You can only use a snorkel when you’ve been trained by a proper instructor who shows you how to make sure you keep the airway clear at all times.

Jim: Oh right.

Ed: Well without air we can’t live so the air we breathe is life. You really come to see this when you’re breathing air in through your snorkel.

Jim: I see what you mean Ed, breathing is life.

Ed: Yes and that reminds me of today’s Adventurer’s theme, which is ‘GOOD NEWS’.  This is the deal, Jesus God’s own Son is alive today bringing us ‘GOOD NEWS’ and that ‘GOOD NEWS’ is that He loves us more than we can imagine. You see, the air we breathe gets right down into our lungs and gives our whole body life. And Jesus' love gets right deep into our lives too and that gives us a very special kind of life that the Bible describes as abundant life.

Jim: Hey Ed that is GOOD NEWS. Later we’re going to hear about how Paul spread the GOOD NEWS about Jesus’ love to some Islanders.

part 2      

BIBLE CHAT   

Washed up on Malta (please note that in addition to the chat below, there is an alternative drama version.)  
Acts chapter 28 verses 1 – 10

Story Props: Imitation fire, rubber snake, a few sticks to add to the fire. 

Bible Chat
(You could begin this talk sitting on the floor in front of your makeshift fire. A background noise of a small crackling fire would be good.)

Paul was shipwrecked but safely got ashore onto an island called Malta. It was cold and raining when they arrived, so the people on the island very kindly lit a big roaring fire, much bigger than the one I have here. Paul helped to gather some sticks (get up and collect a few sticks, return to the fire and put them on). Suddenly, without any warning a poisonous snake shot out of the sticks, clung to Paul's arm and bit him! (Have the snake in readiness hidden behind your fire). All the people from the island thought that Paul had done something really bad and that although he had survived the shipwreck, he would now die from the snake bite. But Paul shook the snake off into the fire. The Islanders waited and waited, expecting Paul to suddenly fall over and die but after some time they changed their minds. Instead of thinking Paul was bad, they then thought that he was some kind of god. The Chief Official of the island called Publius, invited Paul to stay a while in his home.

Now Publius’ father was very sick in bed with a fever, so Paul went to him and prayed that Jesus would make him better and He did! Word got around the island very quickly about this miracle and soon all the sick people were lining up for Paul to pray for them and they were made well too. Paul told everyone on the island the GOOD NEWS about how much Jesus loved the world and how He came to forgive people of all the wrong they had done. So out of a shipwreck came good and miracles of healing happened to many who were sick. How amazing was that!

After 3 months Paul and everyone who had been on the ship were setting sail again for Rome and Paul’s adventure continued. Although in Rome he was still a prisoner, he was allowed to live in his own house and there he welcomed all who came to see him and he never stopped telling people about his wonderful friend Jesus. Paul also wrote many letters to the Christians he had met on his missionary journeys, which are recorded in the Bible. All the time in his letters he encouraged people to follow Jesus and love others.

Paul’s life adventure with Jesus was amazing, so amazing that he couldn’t stop talking about Him and telling everybody everywhere the GOOD NEWS, even though people tried to stop him by putting him in prison. Paul never gave up following Jesus from that first day when he met him on the Damascus road. Paul knew Jesus was alive and real.

What we all do with our lives is so important, it matters greatly to God. I hope that you will decide to give your life’s adventure to Jesus and see His plan unfold for you.

Alternative dramatised version of the story

Stage set: Malta sign on stage

Props: Camp fire, snake, camp bed

Characters: Julius, Publius, Islander 1, Islander 2

Miming characters: Paul, an Islander, Publius’ father

The Story is told with each of the characters standing below the Malta sign. 

Julius: Hello my name is Julius and I was taking prisoners by ship to Rome. A man called Paul was among them. He was very different to the rest of the prisoners, he was kind and caring. He told me why he was going to Rome, it seemed to me that he had done nothing that deserved being sent to prison. Unfortunately on the journey we hit bad weather, the scariest storm I'd ever seen. We ended up shipwrecked but every one of us managed to make it to the shore and we found out that the island we had landed on was called Malta. Amazing things happened on the island because of this guy Paul but I’ll let the Islanders tell you about that.

Islander 1: Hello I live on the island of Malta and I’ve lived here all my life. I’ll never forget the day when a man of God called Paul came to our island, along with over two hundred people. They had all been shipwrecked and when they managed to get ashore it was cold and pouring with rain, so me and my friends decided to make a big fire to help them all dry off. Here comes my friend Archie, you tell them what happened next that night.

Islander 2: Hi there, well Paul was helping us to gather sticks for the fire when suddenly from among the sticks this huge snake fastened itself on Paul’s arm. We all waited for him to fall down dead but he didn’t, he just carried on as if nothing had happened. We thought he must have special powers. Our chief Publius heard about this and invited Paul to stay in his house but Publius will tell you more about that.

Mime – stage set with fire and sticks for Paul to gather. To be acted out as Islander 2 speaks.

Paul enters the stage gathering sticks, as he places them on the fire the rubber snake appears to bite him. He shakes it off and sits in front of the fire warming himself. Paul then walks off stage. Stage lights dim as fire removed and camp bed with blanket placed on stage, Publius’ father lying on the bed. Lights up.

Publius: Oh hello, yes well Paul did come and stay with me and we talked a lot. He told me and all my family about Jesus. My dad was too ill to join us for dinner because he had a really bad fever. When Paul heard about this he asked if he could go and see him, so I took him into the room. He held my dad’s hand and prayed that Jesus would make him well and instantly the fever left him! Then my dad came and joined us at the table for dinner. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live.

Mime below to be acted out as Publius speaks.

Paul enters stage and prays over Publius’ father, he gets up and gestures to thank him. Both walk off stage.

Islander 1: Yeah I remember that, in fact my Mum had a poorly leg and Paul prayed for her too, then he prayed for everyone on the island who was sick and they all got better! We were so sad when Paul had to leave us but we all went to the shore as he set sail and waved him goodbye.

Mime below to be acted out as Islander 1 speaks.

Publius, Publius’ father, Islander 2 and Paul all back on stage. Paul walks off stage as everyone waves him goodbye.

part 3

Response time (In SMALL Groups)

Spend some time recapping the highlights of Paul’s adventures. There were ups and downs but through it all Paul trusted God and saw God’s power displayed in miraculous ways. See what they can recall of the ups and downs.

1.    What do you think was the most important thing Paul wanted to do on his adventure? (tell others the good news).

2.    Why do you think Paul saw that as so important?

Show the children some of Paul’s letters in the Bible to the churches. Explain how he wanted to encourage them to never give up following Jesus even when things are hard and difficult.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that Paul never gave up following you and telling others the good news. Help us to learn more about you and find out for ourselves just how good and amazing you are. Amen.

Week 6 DOWNLOADS

Drama Script, Bible Chat and Response Time Leaders’ Notes.
PowerPoint Week 6 - Key Phrase Slide