CM Curriculum Pilgrims Progress W3

Bible Lesson
None - there will not be enough time this week with all the stations

Memory Verse
''Colossians 3:16: "Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts." (NLT)''

For the memory verse, print it out on little strips of paper, and give to each child. They should carry it around with them on their “journey” through the Interpreter’s lessons. The Interpreter at the end should enforce the fact that they should remember the lessons, and at that time, ask them to take the memory verse out, and say it all together until it is learned.

Object Lesson 1: A Tour of the House of the Interpreter
This week is a little bit different. Instead of teaching from the front, we walk through "The House of the Interpreter" with different characters from the story teaching the kids along the seven different stations

Characters
 * 1) Interpreter – dressed in old-fashioned long robes, with a walking stick or a lit candle
 * 2) Christian – dressed as usual
 * 3) Moses – servant to sweep dust
 * 4) Gospel – maid to spread water over dust
 * 5) Passion – hotheaded young fellow all decked out in this world’s finest
 * 6) Patience – humble boy with simple clothes
 * 7) Satan – with a can of water
 * 8) Jesus –with jar of oil
 * 9) Belief – decked out in armor
 * 10) Paper giants
 * 11) Man in Iron Cage
 * 12) Dreamer

NOTE: Since there are so many people needed in this performanc that people can double up roles and go from room to room ahead of the kids. If you feel it would be better to illustrate this with pictures from the book, which may be easier, that is fine. However, I am going to write this as if it was to be acted out by staff members.

Supplies
 * 1) Costumes – see above
 * 2) Picture as described by the Interpreter
 * 3) Broom
 * 4) Water can/ Spray bottle
 * 5) Mirror
 * 6) Passion’s toys and jewels
 * 7) Sacks of treasure for Patience
 * 8) Pail of water
 * 9) Jar of Oil
 * 10) Sword/ shield/ helmet
 * 11) Either kids dressed as soldiers, or pictures of paper giants
 * 12) Iron cage/ streamers to create a make-believe cage
 * 13) Pillow
 * 14) Blanket
 * 15) Teddy Bear

Introduction Interpreter begins talking to the kids, telling them he is going to take them on a journey through his house to show them what he is showing to Christian.

Station 1: Painting on the Wall
Set-up: Picture on the wall of man looking upwards and holding the Bible in his hands. OR, a staff member could be standing still in this position. Kids walk in and position themselves around the picture.

In this room Christian sees a painting with the following symbols:
 * the man → the man is one in a thousand.
 * his upward gaze → shows his highest goal is to seek out and understand the mysteries of the kingdom
 * the Bible → contains the word of truth
 * pleading look → shows his love for those who do not know God. He always talks to these people and show them Jesus so that they may follow God
 * the world → shows that he does not care for mere earthly treasures
 * the crown → shows how great his reward is

Christian:	“What a glorious piece of art!!”

Interpreter:	“Yes. That man is one in a thousand. Everything in the painting has a secret meaning.”

Christian:	“What does his upward gaze mean?

Interpreter:	“It shows his highest goal is to seek out and understand the mysteries of the kingdom.”

Christian:	“Huh!! And what about that book he’s holding”

Interpreter:	“Oh, that is the best book ever!! It’s the Bible. Out of it come the words of truth.”

Christian:	“And what about his pleading look?” (If you have someone standing there rather than a painting, the Interpreter could clear his throat and say “..his PLEADING LOOK” making the person change his facial expression.)

Interpreter:	“This shows his love for those who do not know God. He always talks to these people and show them Jesus so that they may follow God.”

Christian:	“I see! And the picture of the world so far behind him shows that he does not care for mere earthly treasures.”

Interpreter:	“That’s right! What do you think the crown means?”

Christian:	“The crown shows how great his reward is.”

Interpreter:	“Right again! But quickly, we must move on. There is so much more to see.”

Station 2: Law and the Gospel
Set-up: Dusty looking room with dirt everywhere. Make sure kids won’t get ill from the flying dirt. Interpreter should have a small pocket mirror.

Interpreter:	(to Moses) “Sir, I want you to clean this room and sweep it clean.”

Moses:	“Yes Sir!”

Christian:	(begins to cough and spit.) “HELP!! This dust is choking me!!”

Interpreter:	“Gospel, come here!”

Gospel:	“Did you call?”

Interpreter:	“Yes. Come quickly. I want you to bring much water and sprinkle this room”

Gospel:	“Yes sir.” She sprays the room and dust down, and proceeds to sweep it all up effectively.

Christian:	“Sir, what does this mean?”

Interpreter:	“This room is the heart of a man that was never cleansed by the sweet saving grace of the gospel. The dust is his desire to do evil. Then the law comes into his life, and seeing how dirty he is, he begins to try to sweep things clean. But the law alone will not clean his heart. Only the gospel could clean it completely.”

Christian:	“But how come the law could not clean it? In fact, it seemed to make it worse!!”

Interpreter:	“Because the law is only a mirror for the soul. (produce a mirror) It works very well to show you your sins, just like this mirror will quickly show you your face. But it is completely incapable of cleaning you or giving you power to overcome your sins.”

Christian:	“Oh, whatever can I do then? What did the water represent?”

Interpreter:	“The water represents faith from the Gospel, and that faith can overcome any sin.”

Christian:	“Really? All I need is faith?”

Interpreter:	“That’s right: ‘All things are possible to him that believeth.’”

Christian:	“Wow, I want to believe!!”

Interpreter:	“That’s great. But we need to move on, and see more things.”

Station 3: Passion and Patience
Set-up: Passion and Patience are sitting on the floor. Have nice toys and books. Passion is rude, and fights with his brother for the littlest things, and bosses him around. Patience plays nicely and gives everything up, and always says “please”, “thank-you”, and “excuse me”. Interpreter and Christian watch this mini-interchange for a while (20 seconds).

Christian:	“Why is that one so rude and mean?”

Interpreter:	“He has been told that he must wait for his inheritance when his father comes home from his long trip overseas. He thinks he should have it now.”

Passion:	(to his servant) “I want my inheritance RIGHT NOW. Bring it here I say.”

Servant:	“Coming, master Passion.” (comes in with big bag of treasure)

Passion:	“Is that IT? Come on!!” (Dumps it out and immediately begins to play with all the treasure.) “HAHA, Patience, look at all my stuff. What a bad choice you made. Hehe, I get to play with mine NOW, and you can’t have ANY of it. You think our Father is coming back any time soon? Ha! Whatever. I bet he’s totally forgotten us.”

Christian:	“What a rude boy!!”

Interpreter:	“Watch as time passes by.”
 * Somehow show that time passes by. (Kid with sign that says “TIME”) Passion uses up all his toys and treasure and begins to grumble.  The Father comes home from his long trip. Seeing how Patience has spent his time he is proud and pours gifts on his son.

Father:	“Good job Patience. You will get your reward.” (Servants bring out several - 3 or 4 - bags of treasure.)

Patience:	“Thank you for this, and for advising me to wait.”

Passion:	“UNFAIR!! UNFAIR!!! I want some too. He got way more than me!! UNFAIR!!

Father:	“I told you I was coming back. But you did not wait, and you would not help your brother Patience, even when he was poor and starving. GO!”

Passion:	“Go where?”

Father:	Since you did not wait for me, you will be thrown into utter darkness.”

Passion:	“NOOOOOO! It’s UNFAIR!!” (Servants come, and take him away howling, and throw him into “utter darkness.”)

Interpreter:	“These two boys are Passion, of this world, and Patience, of the world to come. Passion, wanted everything now, rather than later. But everything was eventually taken away from him, and Patience got way more because he waited.”

Station 4: Satan quenching the flames
Set-up: This will be difficult to show, unless you have a really good fire area and excellent insurance. Therefore, I think this one should be shown with pictures in a slideshow – perhaps back in the main room while the other rooms are being set up again. We used our church's natural gas fireplace and PRETENDED to pour oil on it from behind the wall However, it might be best to tell a story to Christian; dialogue style, using pictures from the Pilgrim’s Progress book.

Station 5: Paper Giants
Set-up: Have either kids set up as fake soldiers, or have actual paper giants. People should be milling around arguing about whether or not they should try and get past the giants into the land they want so much. Then, have Belief dressed up in armor. Have a notary or secretary sitting at a desk to write down the names of those who have courage to enter in.

Interpreter:	(Leads Christian to a room where beautiful flowers, trees, and streams make it gorgeous, and he wants to stay) “Someday you will get in here if you are faithful unto death. Come” (Takes him to see the drawbridge where an army is standing guard, and a group of people down below wanting to come in.)

Man:	“Dear Professor, you are so smart, are you going to go in?”

Professor:	“Not just yet… maybe soon. You go in first.”

Man:	“No no, age before beauty you know.”

Christian:	“What does that guy do?” (points to secretary)

Interpreter:	“He writes down the names of those who have the courage to go in.”

Secretary:	“Come on! Is there no one among you brave enough to take the kingdom of heaven by courage?” (No one answers)

Christian:	“Why do they not go in? Don’t they want to get into heaven?”

Interpreter:	“Yes, with all their hearts, or so they say.”

Christian:	“Then why don’t they go?”

Interpreter:	“Look at those soldiers. They guard the castle, and do not let just anyone in at a low price.”

Man:	“Well, aren’t you going in?”

Professor: 	“No, after you young man.”


 * Finally a young man steps forward and goes to the Secretary

Belief:	“I choose to believe the words in my Bible. Therefore, I am going in.”

Secretary:	“What is your name?”

Belief:	“My name is Belief. I believe in God’s promises.”

Secretary:	“Which promises?”

Belief:	“Especially the one that says: ‘There shall no man be able to stand before thee.’”


 * The soldiers begin to arouse themselves and make scary threats to Belief.

Belief:	“Engarde!!”


 * He rushes forward, and the soldiers get ready. But, they seem to fall away at every stroke. He beats them all, and sets them all to crying. They all surrender

Christian:	“These soldiers were only actors in a play, and they weren’t scary at all. Since he believed in God’s promises, he could easily beat those guys.”

Interpreter:	“That’s right. But come, see more!”

Station 6: Man In Iron Cage
Set-up: Have a man locked in an iron cage, or something like it, and show his grief and sadness.

Man:	“AH! Woe is me!!!”

Christian:	“What is wrong with him? And why is he locked in this cage?”

Interpreter:	“Ask him.”

Christian:	“Sir, why are you crying?”

Man: 	“Because I am changed. Totally changed.”

Christian:	“What did you used to be?”

Man:	“I was a pilgrim just like you.”

Christian:	“And what are you now?”

Man: 	“I am a man in utter despair. And I am locked in this cage, and I cannot get out.”

Christian:	“How did you get in this cage?”

Man:	“AARRRGGGHHHH!! I stopped praying, I stopped believing in God’s promises. I sinned and I did many wrong things against God.”

Christian:	“Is there any hope for this man Interpreter?”

Interpreter:	“Ask him.”

Christian:	“Is there no hope at all?

Man:	“No hope at all. NONE!!”

Christian:	“Are you always going to be trapped in this iron cage?”

Man:	“Yes!! I can never be forgiven!”

Christian:	“Whatever did you do that is sooooo bad?”

Man:	“I did everything on this earth that God told me not to. I used up all my time playing instead of spending time with Him.”

Christian:	(to Interpreter) “He is just like Passion!!”

Interpreter:	“Yup!”

Man:	“Oh, I am ruined!! How can I live for eternity like this??”

Christian:	(to Interpreter): “But why did God lock him in this cage?”

Interpreter:	“He didn’t! Satan is the builder of cages!! God is the one that can set captives free!!”

Christian:	“Then why did He not set this guy free?”

Interpreter:	“Because this guy does not believe that God can forgive Him. And what man cannot believe God cannot achieve.”

Christian:	“So if this man just believes, he could be set free?”

Interpreter:	“Yes.”

Christian:	“Are there many people like this guy?”

Interpreter:	“More than you can imagine. They live their life for themselves, and think that before the end they can turn to God. But when they try to, they find that their sinful habits are too strong for them to break on their own. They do not believe that God can save them from the wreckage of their life.”

Christian:	“Then I hope I live my life spending time with God and staying away from sinful things. But, Interpreter, can I go? I want to start on my great journey.”

Interpreter:	“I just want to show you one more thing. Then you can begin your great journey.”

Station 7: Dreamer
Set-up: Have a pretend bed with a pillow, blanket, and maybe teddy bear. The Dreamer should have just woken up, and be thrashing around and in great mental turmoil.

Dreamer:	“Aaaaaaauuuuuugggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!”

Christian:	“What is wrong with this man?”

Interpreter:	“Dreamer, tell this man why you are screaming.”

Dreamer:	“Tonight, while I slept, I had a most horrible dream. The sky turned black, even though it was the middle of the day. Then thunder and lightning flashed around.”

Christian:	“Wow! That sounds scary.”

Dreamer:	“I saw the clouds pile up on top of each other as if it was a horrible storm. Then I heard a trumpet and saw a Man sitting on those clouds.”

Christian:	“A Man on a cloud?”

Dreamer:	“YES!! His hair was sooo bright, and His eyes looked like they were on fire, and His face shone as bright as the sun.”

Christian:	“WOW!”

Dreamer:	“And on His forehead, words were written. They said: ‘KING OF KINGS and LORD of LORDS!”

Christian:	“That was Jesus you were seeing!!”

Dreamer:	“Yes… He came near the earth and called out ‘Come forth!!’ When He said that the graves all around were opened up, and many people rose up into the air to meet Jesus.”

Christian:	“Awesome!! That was the great day that Jesus comes back!! Oh what an awesome day!”

Dreamer:	“No!! It was an evil day!!”

Christian:	“But why do you say that?”

Dreamer:	“Because I was left behind.”

Christian:	“Oh, that’s AWFUL!”

Dreamers:	“Yes, and then the earth opened up right beneath me, and I fell down, and kept falling, and falling…. Aaaaauuuugggghhh!!!!”

Christian:	“And then what?”

Dreamer:	“And then I woke up!!” (Seems much better and calmed down)

Christian:	“Why do you dream such an evil dream?”

Dreamer:	“Oh it comes every night!!”

Christian:	“Then God must be sending you a warning. Do you have any secret sins?”

Dreamer:	“Nope, none at all!”

Interpreter:	“Dreamer, tell the TRUTH!”

Dreamer:	“Well, it is just one, but it is just a little one. A tiny itsy bitsy one.”

Christian:	“You must give it up then. You know no one can get into heaven even if you have one tiny little sin.”

Dreamer:	“Oh I know… I completely intend to.”

Christian:	“When? You must give it up now!!”

Dreamer:	“Oh, soon, soon. It is really such a small one.”

Christian:	“But you must give it up now!! Pretty soon you will be like the man in the cage!!”

Dreamer:	“Oh no. His sins were big ones. Mine are just tiny little ones… just thoughts, really.”

Christian:	“But they will get bigger.”

Dreamer:	“Oh no, they won’t… They haven’t grown in years.”

Christian:	“But you MUST!! NOW!!”

Interpreter:	“Christian, we must leave. You will never convince him.”

Christian:	“Oh but we must!”

Interpreter:	“He will never be convinced. But come, back into our first room. Think about all these things that you have learned. Remember them, for they are more real than most people realize.”

Christian:	“How soon until God’s kingdom comes?”

Interpreter:	“Ah!! Sooner than you think, and longer than you wish. But, now you have had all the lessons you need from me. Have a great trip.”

Christian:	“Oh thank you kind Interpreter. Thank you!”


 * At this time, the class can go over the memory verse together.

Week 3 of continued story

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