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The Time Capsule - Week 3

God’s Amazing Lamp

This week’s theme and material is based on Psalm 119 v 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path.

There is a set of PowerPoint slides for week 3 to accompany this session’s intro, lead-in drama and teaching material.
PowerPoint, Leaders’ notes and other items downloadable from the bottom of this webpage.

SLIDE 1 - ‘The Time Capsule’ series slide

THEME INTRO

SLIDE 2 - Introduce today’s theme of ‘God’s Amazing Lamp’ to the children. Explain that the Bible is like God’s amazing lamp. It shows us the way through life. Later, we are going to be hearing more about God’s lamp. First let’s see what our exploring archaeologists discover this week.

PART 1   

LEAD-IN SESSION DRAMA

Outline for Leaders:

Our explorer archaeologists, Bill and Tom are seeking to find their third artefact. Having fallen into a dark cave, their torch batteries fail and they are left fumbling about wondering how they will ever find their way out. They are saved when they discover an old lamp that lights up the way out for them.

Suggested Props:

  • Artefact 3 - Small traditional style lamp, old or replica.

  • Backpacks

  • Torch

  • Match box, pretend fake match.

  • Rope

  • Whatever is available to create a cave like feel on stage - black sheets backdrop.

  • Stand-up cardboard rock

Characters: Two explorers - Tom & Bill, Narrator
Sound effect: Background sounds of birds and animals in the bush

The cave

Scene: Bill & Tom with backpacks at the back of the hall, moving towards the stage.

Narrator:
(SLIDE 3) Last time Bill and Tom found an artefact in a pond, the model boat. The boat led them to Rocky Point where they’re now looking for the third artefact in underground caves.

Tom: (SLIDE 4 - as explorers reach front of the hall) Bill, this looks like the place on the map. But where are the caves?

(Bill and Tom move out of view where they can’t be seen but they can be heard as they use the microphone. Stage lights dim.)   

Bill: Argh…(Bill falls down an imaginary hole and lands in an underground cavern Bill remains silent and completely still)

Tom: (from backstage) Bill, Bill, what's happened, where are you? Bill, Bill are you OK? Bill speak to me!

(Suspense sound effect as Tom awaits a response.)  

Bill: (Bill stirs, answering Tom in a very trembly voice) I've fallen into some kind of cavern, It’s dark I can't see, (in a bit of a whimper) and Tom I don’t like the dark. Do you have the torch?

Tom: Oh, Bill, thank goodness your OK! I'm coming down.

Narrator: Tom is lowering the rope down through the hole into the cave. I think he’s making sure they can get out alright.

(Tom uses the rope to lower himself down into the cave)  

Tom: (torch in hand) Wow, there you are Bill. You OK?

Bill: I think so, that was unexpected, shook me up a bit. 

Tom: Oh no, the batteries on this torch appear to be running low. That’s it, they’ve packed up all together!

Narrator: Oh dear, Bill and Tom are now wandering around in the dark trying to find one another. 

(Tom & Bill grope around in the dark)

Bill: No worries, Tom, we’ll have to use the matches.  

Tom: Hey Bill, you’ve got the matches yeah?

Bill: Oh yeah, here’s the box. Ur there’s only one match though.

Tom: Now what’ll, we do?

(Suspense music all goes dark in the cave) 

Narrator: (The explorers fumble and fall and bump into one another) Oh dear, how will Bill and Tom get out? 

(Tom and Bill end up sitting on the floor in the dark) 

Bill: What are we going to do Tom? Tom, can you hear me? Tom, say something. 

Tom: Yes, yes, I can hear you. There’s something on the floor here, I think it may help us. Bill, you are never going to believe this – it’s impossible, but it is! It’s a lamp Bill, a lamp!  

Bill: A lamp, that’s incredible and fantastic – we found a lamp! Hooray, we can get out!  Light it quick and let’s get out of here!

(The two archaeological explorers make their way out of the cave with the lamp they’ve found)

Narrator: How remarkable that they found a lamp at the last minute. It turns out that the lamp is the third relic and once again there is a reference to a verse from the Bible on it. They will check the verse out later. Well now they have their next clue, how exciting. How important light is. We really can’t get along without it. 

BIBLE CHAT - (LISTEN-UP TIME SLIDE 5)

Props: Some kind of old lamp, maybe the one used in the drama.
By way of introduction you may like to take along a few items relating to light. Lamp, candle, torch.   

God’s Lamp 

SLIDE 6 - Remind the children of this evening’s theme.

(Hold up your lamp from the drama earlier.)
We’re talking about lamps and lights this evening.
Have you ever been somewhere where the lights have gone out? Have you ever had to rely on a torch or a candle?

SLIDE 7
In our drama story earlier, Tom and Bill got stuck in a dark cave, but just in time they found a lamp, that enabled them to see to get out of the cave. You certainly need a light if you go in a cave. Caves are dark places.

We can see how important light is for the people moving through these dark caves.  

Without light, they’d never find their way in or out.

SLIDE 8(a) (Black screen)
But wee need light everywhere. Imagine trying to live in the dark. Light is essential for life. We could not live in a dark world.

8(a)

SLIDE 8(b) (Activate animation – lights flash) 
Whether natural light from the sun or artificial light, we can’t do without light.

8(b)

SLIDE 9
Do you know, Jesus’ words in the bible are compared to a lamp and light. Jesus’ words are so important that they are described as a very, very special kind of light. Jesus wants to show us how to live our lives properly by following His words in the Bible.

In the Bible we read this

SLIDE 10 - “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path”
It’s like the Bible is a lamp shining out Jesus’ words, lighting up our lives so that we can follow Him.



SLIDE 11
We have lots of choices in life and Jesus’ words will help us make the right important decisions. Jesus’ words will help us keep going in the right direction.

Jesus’ words tell us how we should love other people and God. They tell us what is good and what is bad. Jesus words show us how to bring peace and joy to the world and show kindness to others. Jesus’ words show us how to forgive.  

SLIDE 12
So let’s remember, Jesus’ words in the Bible are so important. They are like an amazing lamp, ‘God’s Amazing Lamp’.  Each week in kids club we hear something about Jesus’ words and that’s terrific!  

Response Time Questions

  1.     Have you ever been afraid of the dark?        

  2. Why do you think David likened the Bible to light?

  3.     In the Bible verse what does the path represent?                 

Downloads

Drama script, Bible chat & response time leaders’ notes.
Week 3 PowerPoint slides