Vacation Bible School Ideas

In the ‘60’s, a TV show set out to provide a mindset of exploration and adventure being pitched as “the wagon train to the stars”. Gene Roddenberry sought to provide a glimpse of society from the viewscreen of a starship. In this show called Star Trek, he identified issues of the day and attempted to provide a solution that a utopian mindset might solve.

If you’ve ever watched the original series you will see that while the option was presented, it was never really the solution. It always seemed to stop short of a being the best option, leaving a question of whether there was a better solution.

Years after the show was cancelled, fan popularity brought back a Motion Picture in 1979 that revisited the slogan: “To seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where noone has gone before.”

The interesting comparison and perhaps the opening that gave Star Trek it’s extraordinary longevity is the fact that during those same years, Christians we’re beginning to be shamed for having the answer that society was so much searching for.

If fact, when Christians began to be silent, society began to go boldly looking for the answer.

In the 60’s the Bible and Prayer were removed from schools, the Apollo 8 Astronauts were sued for reading Genesis aloud on their flight to the moon, homosexuality became a protected legal status in 1967; all the while Christians continue to become more passive and increasingly silent.

On this 40th anniversary of Star Trek the Motion Picture, I think it is appropriate to look at those in the Bible who have boldly gone on before us, having the very answer humanity needs and refusing to be silent. Their lives and precious words can empower us to boldly do the same.

Consider these great heroes of our faith:

  • Moses Boldly went into Egypt to say let my people go.
  • Abraham boldly went into new civilization when God said to go.
  • King David boldly went before his enemies with the power of God
  • Elijah boldly stood before the 450 prophets of Baal and the people saying: “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”
  • Jesus, Paul, Phillip, Barnabus, Apollos, Pricilla, Aquila, Timothy and John ALL had a testimony of preaching the Gospel and BOLDLY taking the gospel… where it had never gone before.

You don’t have to have a Bible degree to be bold.

Acts 4:13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

People can tell when you have spent time with Jesus.

Boldly speak the truth

Ephesians 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him

With boldness comes knowledge of where our power comes from.

1 Corinthians 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Ephesians 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

To keep Christians silent society has shamed the truth, diluted the Bible, populated false teachers, and called evil good and good evil.

Boldness from the Pulpit to the People

2 Corinthians 7:4  Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

Boldness of the People to the World

Colossians 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Conclusion

The final frontier is not the exploration of space or the exploration of our minds; the final frontier is souls. It takes boldness for a Pastor to speak truth and boldness of the people to take the Gospel message to a lost and dying world. Outside these doors lies the greatest adventure you could ever know, Christians have been taught to fear it, hide from it and not speak against it.

But we are told to Boldly Go by our headquarters; to set our coordinates on souls, and perhaps take the Gospel where it has never gone before. Because Christians have been silent for so long… that may be across the street, rather than across the world.

 

The bible is full of references of people doing good works.

In fact, you have all heard of good works… afterall… doesn’t everyone tell you to be good?

If you’ve ever been in the boy or girl scouts they even give you badges for doing good works…

But how good… is good enough?

1 Peter 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

So there is a test, a trial that needs to take place to see what will hold up, what will honor God…

What good works this morning… will honor God?

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(Take the balloons and have the children call out good works and write then on the balloons.)

Once you have collected them all (in a container) Place them over… the fire (candle of flame)

Note: a candle has a tendency to be blown out when the balloon pops

As you pop each good work exclaim that there must be some work that will stand the test of fire… there must be some work that is good enough!

Then… after all the balloons are popped:

Romans 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

So if there are no good works that will stand the test… How can we get to heaven…

What IS good enough

Jesus Said:

John 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

(Take the balloon filled with water… Write JESUS on it and hold it over the flame.

Note: the Balloon doesn’t pop)

It’s not good works… it’s Jesus!

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

  • Jesus is the only way to heaven, not good works.
  • Jesus will past the trial by fire
    Jesus will save you!
  • But How?

Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Have you ever called on Jesus to save you?

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Addl.

Titus 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Colossians 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

For the theme of Faithbook, teach that God has sent you a friend request do you accept or ignore.  If they have accepted the request, teach they should try to unfriend the world.

For The Skit

Have some characters trying to do like a real life Facebook, by doing things  like:

  • poking
  • Writing on a wall
  • Crushing Candy
  • running around asking people to be their friend

Also have a very confused Grandfather figure trying to learn how to use facebook.

 

Setting Up The Church

The way we did it, since we were bringing facebook to life in the skits, we made everything look like the inside of a computer, with wires and keyboards on the walls.We also had a door on the side of the stage so that soemeone could knock and ask to be your friend during the skit.

There will be more information come.

                      

For the God’s Global Warming theme, you can direct it towards missionaries and God warming hearts all over the world.

More information to come.

Use the theme of mad scientist to show the children how God works through nature by using different experiments like:

  • Elephant toothpaste
  • anti gravity/water pulled up into a glass
  • diving ketchup bottlle
  • dry ice bubble
  • instant snow
  • fountain bottle
  • inflating a baloon with dry ice
  • polymer in a cup shuffle
  • kinetic sand
  • dry ice bombs
  • crushing cans with heat
  • bottomless can
  • invisible water
  • burning money
  • clock reaction

there will be more information to come.

 

Use the “To The Pond And Beyond” theme to show that God loves and protects all creatures, using Biblical references to animals such as:

  • Luke 12:6
  • Proverbs 6:6
  • Luke 12:24

Idea for the skit

When we put this on, we used the story of a father and a son who were out fishing, and the son wasn’t interested in fishing,but wanted to be home with his video games. and the father was explaining how amazing of a world god made, and what could be learned from it. (like telling the son to watch the ants.)

There will be more information posted.

 

For the game show theme, You can teach that God gave you a free prize, if you choose to accept it. You can use sermon titles such as:

  • The Price Is Right(or Is The Price Right)
  • Deal Or No Deal
  • The Wheel Of Fortune
  • Fear Factor

Name Ideas for your host or skit characters

  • Howard  I. Know
  • Pearl E. Gates
  • Barb E. Doll
  • Flecher Biceps
  • Dina Sore (elderly person)

More information will be posted.

 

In the Theme of Indiana Jonah, let the kids join you in the Quest For The Cross, meeting villans and missonaries on the way. During the journey you can teach that being Saved is the quest of a lifetime.

Idea For The Week

If your church has access to Skype, try to set up a call or calls with Missionaries and their families across the world.To show the kids that there are kids all over the world going through the same problems as they are.

For The Skit

We did the story of Indiana Jonah and a Bad Guy. Indiana had the bible. and the Bad Guy, thinking the bible contained the map to heaven, tried to steal it. So Indiana told him that you had to have to go to the cross to get  to Heaven. So it became the quest for the cross. For the setup we started with the place looking like a old cave with treasures, the second day we were outside of the cave, and the third day we were in Cairo, Egypt

There will be more information to come.

The Inspector Clueless theme is about a detective who is gathering the clues to find the truth. But the inspector doesn’t know the truth is right in front of him in the Bible.

More information to come.