ARMOR OF GOD PUPPET SKITS
Melody: (enters) Hello? Am I late?
Carlos: (enters) Hello, Melody! No, you’re not late, you’re actually a little early.
Melody: I didn’t want to be on time because Sergeant Cornbread considers early on time and on time late.
Sergeant Cornbread: (enters) Did somebody say cornbread?
Melody: Yes, I did
Sergeant Cornbread: Well, don’t keep an old soldier waiting. Where is it?
Melody: Where is what?
Sergeant Cornbread: The cornbread!
Melody: I don’t have any cornbread.
Sergeant Cornbread: Carlos has cornbread?
Carlos: No, Sergeant Cornbread. I don’t have any either.
Sergeant Cornbread: Then what is all this talk about cornbread? Is it a joke? It’s not a very funny one!
Carlos: No, sir. It wasn’t a joke. Melody was just saying your name.
Sergeant Cornbread: Oh, so you were making fun of my name, were you? I have you know that I am very proud of my name, it was given to me when I was in the army so go ahead and laugh all you want!
Melody: We would never make fun of your name. I like it. I was just asking where you were.
Sergeant Cornbread: Well, I get a little sensitive about my name, I don’t like people poking fun at it.
Melody: We would never do that.
Carlos: No, sir!
Sergeant Cornbread: Never mind about that, who brought the cornbread?
Melody: Umm, nobody brought any cornbread.
Granny Grace: (enters) What’s all the commotion about?
Carlos: Hi, Granny Grace. We were just telling Sergeant Cornbread that we would never make fun of his name.
Granny Grace: I know you wouldn’t do that.
Sergeant Cornbread: I might have overreacted a tad. I heard somebody say cornbread but then there wasn’t any and you know how I am a little sensitive about my name, and on an empty stomach, well, I don’t do so well on an empty stomach.
Melody: It’s okay, Sergeant Cornbread, I don’t like when people make fun of my name either.
Carlos: I like your name and can’t see any reason why anyone would make fun of it.
Melody: Thank you, Carlos. Sometimes, the kids at school make fun of me because my name is Melody and I don’t listen to a lot of the same music the other kids listen to. Some of the lyrics in the songs aren’t pleasing to God so I don’t listen to those songs or always know what the most popular music is. They say, how can you be a Melody without music. I love music, just not the same stuff they like.
Carlos: I understand how you feel. Being a Christian isn’t always easy. You don’t always fit in when you are choosing to do the right thing. I know it’s good to obey God and his word but when so many people are doing things that God tells us not to do, it makes you feel kind of weird and different just for choosing to do what is right.
Granny Grace: You’re right, we are strange and different to the world. Being great means being different. If you just did what the rest of the world did, then you would just be like all the rest.
Sergeant Cornbread: Absolutely! There is nothing great about just being like everyone else! Take a stand! Obeying God does make you different but it also makes you extraordinary!
Carlos: The thing with names is we don't get to pick them. Somebody else gives it to you.
Sergeant Cornbread: Roger that, Carlos! My army buddies gave me the name I have so I like it because of them and I love following Jesus.
Granny Grace: I can tell you about three men who had even stranger names given to them and they really stood out and seemed weird for obeying God.
Carlos: What were their names?
Granny Grace: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Sergeant Cornbread: Their buddies didn't give them their names either.
Melody: Did their parents name them that?
Sergeant Cornbread: No. The King of Babylon attacked Israel and captured them and gave them new names. The Isrealites who survived were taken as slaves and made to work for the King.
Melody: That doesn't sound very nice.
Granny Grace: It wasn't nice at all but since these three men of God were good, smart, trustworthy and hardworking, King Nebuchadnezzar put them in charge of important tasks within the Kingdom.
Carlos: King Nebuchadnezzar! Talk about a strange name!
Melody: At least they were liked.
Sergeant Cornbread: The King liked them because he could use their skills and wisdom but this made the king's men jealous and angry
Granny Grace: What made it even worse on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is the entire kingdom worshiped false gods and bowed down to a huge golden statue every time music was played.
Melody: Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego bow down to the golden idol?
Carlos: If they didn't bow down, I bet they looked pretty strange being the only three people in the kingdom standing while everyone else bowed.
Melody: That couldn't have won them any popularity contests.
Sergeant Cornbread: No, they did not bow down! They worshiped the one true God. They loved our creator. They didn't care what anyone except God thought of them!
Granny Grace: The king's men informed the king how they refused to worship the golden idol and convinced the king to make it a law that everyone must bow down and worship the statue when the music plays and if they didn't then they would be tossed into the fiery furnace.
Melody: Uhhh, like to be burned alive? I have to be honest, I would be scared of that. That sounds a whole lot worse than being unpopular.
Carlos: Some kids make fun of me because I pray and read my Bible. I hate it that they don't like me and it makes me feel different but I love God and I want to do what is right.
Melody: Sometimes, it's hard to be different.
Sergeant Cornbread: I'm sure it was hard for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego too but they refused to worship an idol. When the music played, they wouldn't not bow down. They took a stand!
Melody: What happened to them?
Granny Grace: The king was so furious that they disobeyed him that he had them thrown into the fiery furnace. The flames were so hot that the soldiers who tossed them in there died instantly from the blazing heat.
Sergeant Cornbread: King Nebuchadnezzar watched as all this took place and he noticed the most amazing thing. The three men were walking around in the flames! They were unharmed by the fire! They weren't alone either, there was also someone else in the fire with them.
Carlos: Who was with them?
Granny Grace: Jesus! Jesus was with them in the flames and he protected them.
Melody: Wow! That's amazing!
Sergeant Cornbread: It was a miracle for sure! The king called them to come out of the flames and he commanded that everyone in the kingdom to never say anything bad about our God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego again!
Carlos: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were great men of God!
Granny Grace: They weren’t like everyone else but they were great men of God!! They were extraordinary!
Melody: I want to be great for God!
Sergeant Cornbread: When you obey God instead of doing what everyone else does, that makes you extraordinary. If you do what everyone else does, then you're just like everyone else and there is nothing great about being like everyone else. Being like everyone else is easy and there is nothing great about following the crowd.
Carlos: When I get tempted to do something that is displeasing to God because everyone else is doing it, I remember Romans 12:2 and it helps me stand my ground.
Melody: Romans 12:2?
Granny Grace: Yes, Romans 12:2. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test & approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing & perfect will.
Sergeant Cornbread: Roger that! Romans 12:2.Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test & approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing & perfect will.
Melody: I’m not going to conform or change to fit in! I’m going to keep filling my mind with God’s word so I will know what’s right according to God as God molds me into everything he wants me to be!
Carlos: I am taking a stand just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego! I'm going to continue to do what God wants me to do even when it's different from what other people are doing!
Sergeant Cornbread: That's great! Do you know what else is great?
Melody: What else is great?
Sergeant Cornbread: My hunger! I sure could go for some cornbread right about now.
Granny Grace: I worked up a bit of an appetite too. I am going to go fix up a fresh batch of my famous buttery cornbread! (exit)
Sergeant Cornbread: Roger that! (exit)
Melody: I want to help! (exit)
Carlos: I want to help make it and eat it! (exit)
