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Halloween is coming with all it's creepy crawlies. What's a loving Christian to do? Carve a special jack-o-lantern to express how God changes you.
This is a great object lesson for children. There are four parts to this 1) the Poem, 2) Action: Carve part of the pumpkin, 3) the Bible verses that inspired the poem and 4) Talking points to fill the time while you do the actual carving. You will probably want to carve and clean the pumpkin prior to the presentation, but leave some of the ooey guts inside and the pieces still in the pumpkin to create the illusion of carving.
Fun Tip: "Jesus" is just long enough to carve in the shape of a face. "J" and last "S" carve large like ears. "E" and "U" carve small like eyes. Middle "s" long like a nose.
Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
Bible Verses: "Life Application Bible, New International Version." Tyndayl House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois and Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, Colorado. Copyright 2004
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
- Action: Present Pumpkin
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
- Talking Points: This pumpkin is a lot like me. On the outside it looks nice, a good shape, just like a pumpkin should. It has a few bumps and imperfections, just like me, but on the outside it looks pretty good. On the inside, however ooey's and gooey's and all sorts of yucky stuff. I need God to change me.
The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
- Action: Cut top of pumpkin
- Ephesians 1:17 "I keep asking God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."
- Talking Point: Nothing can happen until I ASK God. I must pray. I need to "A" accept I am a sinner, "B" Believe in Jesus Christ and "C" Confess my sins. And then God can start his work in me.
The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
- Action: Clean out pumpkin
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 6:18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness."
- Talking Points: Everybody is a sinner, me, you, your Mom and Dad, your best friend, everybody. But we don't have to suffer for all eternity for the wrongs we do. We can ask forgiveness and start new. God will forgive, but FIRST you must pray and ask, then God can work in you.
My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
- Action: Cut eyes
- Ephesians 1: 18 "I pray also that eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
- Talking Point: No matter how dark and creepy or lonely things get there is a light in your heart. You have to ask the light to come in. You have to pray to God, and then the Holy Spirit will live in you. You will always have someone you can turn to, someone you can talk to. When you ask Jesus into your heart, God will start to open your eyes to see hope and to see the many blessings that surround you.
Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
- Action: Cut ears
- Matthew 7:24 (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
- Talking Points: So it is not enough to hear God's word, you need to live God's word. You need to do God's word. It is important to memorize the 10 Commandments, but you need to actually do them too. Don't lie, don't steal and KEEP GOD FIRST.
To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
- Action: cut nose
- Genesis 2:7 "The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
- John 20:22 "And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
- Talking Points: No one asked you if you wanted to be born. Your life is a free gift, no strings attached. The gift of Jesus is a choice. God asks you if you want Jesus in your life. If you say yes, then the light of Jesus enters your heart and lives in you for the rest of your life.
Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
- Action: Cut mouth
- Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
- Talking Points - With your heart you believe, but it is with your mouth that you are saved. You need to "A" accept you are a sinner, "B" believe in Jesus Christ and "C" confess with your mouth. With our mouth's we can also Praise, give Thanks and share the Bible with others.
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
- Action: add candle
- Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light of in the Lord. Live as children of light. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.)"
- Talking Points: When God enters your heart, the light of Jesus will change you little by little, but the light within you will shine. The more you change to be more like Jesus the brighter your light will be. (turn pumpkin so kids can see the carving) Whose light do I want to shine through me? JESUS!
And that's it. A fun poem, inspiring Bible verses and a cool pumkin that shines the light of Jesus. Have a Happy DAY!
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