Lazy Town

Sports Candy: Fruit of the Spirit

Lazy Town is one of those TV series that you either know of or don’t and if you do either love or hate. Personally I love it, although not remotely Christian, as far as I am aware it still tries to put across a message encouraging our kids to live right. Anyone trying to teach our kids a good lifestyle of health and activity has to be worth watching. In this series of teaching I have incorporated the fruits of the spirit with the concept of the programmes sports candy. Eat fruit live healthy, with us though it’s live right for God and see the fruit grow. The video selection is chosen from ‘Anyone can be a hero' DVD first episode but most episodes can be used as the message remains pretty constant throughout of being your best and doing your best, not being lazy.

Are You Letting Your Fruit of the Spirit get Squeezed?
It is very important to God that we develop the fruit of the spirit. Children who begin learning this at a young age are much farther ahead of their peers later in life. We should teach a child that he/she must learn how to 'walk in the fruit of the spirit' before God blesses them with an opportunity to use their spiritual gifts. God gives us all various gifts from the time we are born, however developing the fruit of the spirit takes time and practice. Children need to know especially in the beginning, they may not feel like exercising the fruit. Sometimes our emotions and feelings are pretty strong and our flesh wants to take over and control the spirit. Their fruits may get 'squeezed' as they are learning. Make sure to emphasize that this is a normal part of developing the fruit of the spirit and it works their spiritual muscles.

Memory Verse, Galatians 5:22,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law"

Lesson One – Love, Peace and Joy
‘Parable of weeds and treasure’ Matthew 13: 24-29, 36-45

Objectives:
To show clearly His kingdom comes first in a hidden way.
Only the strong and gentle recognize and follow him.
True followers must be prepared to pay the ultimate price for doing so.

Video 3:01 – 6:06. One step at a time

Let me tell you the story of Harold, a great explorer. He had traveled for about 2 weeks through dense jungle. The bugs were eating him alive but he didn't care. He was looking for an exotic animal, the Rodentias Christianas mouse. This mouse is very rare but last week as he was crawling through the bushes on his hands and knees he came across this mouse. Here is a picture to share with you (show power point). He watched the mouse and before he knew it, the mouse was caught by a huge hairy lion. The lion looked really mean. He had huge pointy teeth. He growled ferociously. He thought ‘Oh, now the mouse is in trouble.’ The mouse began to plead with the lion.... Rodentias Christianas is a talking mouse by the way " Please, please Mr. Lion, let me go, I promise I'll repay you." The lion laughed... He said "what can a little mouse like you do for a big lion like me?" "Well", squeaked the mouse, "I promise I'll help you whenever I can." The lion fell into fits of laughter and let the mouse go. He continued to watch the mouse for about a week. During that time the mouse and the lion became friends. Then one night Harold was lying in his tent fast asleep when he was awakened by a huge roar. His sleeping bag shook and he sat straight up in bed. The lion was roaring and yelling for help. Harold grabbed his camera and ran toward the sound. There was the lion high up in a tree caught in a net. He was struggling and roaring. Suddenly, the little mouse appeared, the lion must have woke him up too. "Help", the lion yelled. "Little mouse, run and find some help. Please go get someone who can help me!" The mouse looked at the lion and said. "Don't worry, I can save you." The mouse then chewed a hole in the net and the lion was free. Wow Harold couldn't believe it. He ran over to the mouse to ask him why he would help a ferocious lion. The mouse explained... "I belong to a very special family of mice. We are Christian mice. Do you know what that means?", he asked. Harold said no. He explained that he had asked Jesus to live in his heart and Jesus taught him about real love. That kind of love is committed love it makes me do my best to love everyone even a big scary lion.

Object Lesson
The word worry is written on a piece of flash paper. The children are asked if they have any problems, concerns or worries. The teacher will explain that the Word of God is very powerful. It is something we can rely on in times of trouble. Light the flash paper with a match, it catches fire and disappears. The children are usually quite impressed and it is important to stress that that is how powerful God is. He can get rid of all of our worries. He can bring us peace.

Lesson Two - Patience and Kindness
‘The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant’ Matthew 18:21-35

Objectives:
Our Forgiveness Should Be Unlimited.
Jesus Is the Model for Forgiveness

Video 8:45 – 12:39 Super Hero training

Choose a volunteer, lay two coins in the palms of your hands like this - the positions are very important! Notice that the coin in your left hand is right in the middle of your palm. The coin in your right hand is near your thumb. In one quick motion, flip both hands over and slap them straight down onto the table. The coin in your right hand should get flicked across and under your left hand. The coin in your left hand should simply fall straight down Ask your audience where they think the coins are – they’ll probably guess there’s one under each hand. If you move your right pinkie finger a bit, people usually guess the coins are under your right hand – then you can reveal they are wrong! Reveal both coins under your left hand. If you repeat the trick, be quick! Try not to let anyone notice the positions of the coins. Now, can make the coins land under your right hand instead? Point out it’s just a magic trick and try to teach it, it may not work as it takes patience to learn things and as they practice they will get better, it’s the same when following Jesus we need to be patient with ourselves and others when they get things wrong, they’re like you just practicing the trick of living for Jesus.

Object Lesson

Scene 1: Two people enter. They both look happy and shake hands. They appear to be friends and are having a conversation. The tone of the conversation changes. The two look angry. One slaps the other. The one who was slapped apologizes. He appears to be sad. The other turns his back on the apologetic person and walks away.
Scene 2: Two different people enter. They also appear to be happy but they don't really know each other. They meet and engage in a conversation. A disagreement ensues and the two are in heated conversation. They seem to work things out. Shake hands and exit. Ask the audience which was an example of showing kindness to others.

Discuss who we should be kind to and how we can show kindness.

Lesson Three: Goodness and Faithfulness
Ruth the whole story

Objectives:
We should show concern and kindness toward a new person.
Looking at the kindness of Boaz to Ruth, we should consider the kindness of Jesus to us.
Faithfulness shuts and bolts the door, it helps us to resist the devil and forces him to flee.

Video 14:50 -17:35 step by step

Welcome to Sportacus Boot Camp. We are going to train all you wanna-be Heroes to be fruitful. I expect your complete attention at all times. I expect you to follow me exactly. All right let's see if you can respond to my actions. Do the first set of actions to music I'm not impressed, that wasn't good enough. If you want to be good Heroes, it has to be better than that! Let's try it again. Not bad. You make a pretty good class of Heroes. But I'm here to tell you about the last group of Heroes that come to the pirate academy. They seemed really good but that is only half the story. We were training a new bunch of Heroes. They had just joined the Hero Academy. I spent four months with them. We did sit ups, push ups and jumping jacks. I worked them really hard. You have to get them in shape! You have to straighten them up. They were really good. They were always polite. They listened, they answered and they obeyed. They were becoming a tough group of Heroes. But I didn't know that they weren't always being good. In fact they were horrible behind my back. Every time I wasn't around they changed. When I was there they were excellent but when I wasn't they weren't so good. One afternoon when it was really sunny I gave the new recruits some jobs to do. They all said "yes sir" and I expected them to do this. But they began to get sloppy I began talking to them. I asked them why they were getting sloppy. It was then that they confessed that they hadn't been practicing. They played games. They were good but only when I was watching. Being good isn't easy. Goodness is something God can give you. He can help you to be good all the time. When you talk to Jesus and you ask him to come and be your best friend, he will live in your heart. He will help you to show goodness.

Object lesson
Western music plays. A message is delivered by "Pony Express". It is written on brown paper and wrapped around a brick. When it is tossed onto the stage, the leader unwraps it and begins to read the letter. "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." 1 Corinthian 4:2. While the letter is being read a bandit sneaks up behind them. He is known as the "Memory Verse Bandit". After the verse is taught the Bandit steals it. The leader calls the sheriff (another volunteer). They post a reward sign for the Bandit and the Sheriff promises to be back next week to watch for the Bandit. This provides the leader with an opportunity to teach the importance of remembering verses, the importance of hiding them in our hearts. As we remember the Bible and put into action then God blesses you here on earth but also gives you treasure in heaven where no bandit can steal it.

Lesson Four: Gentleness and Self control
Clean and Unclean—Matthew 15: 1-28

Objectives:
Faith is keep on believing no matter what.
Show your Faith don’t let others put you off.

Video 19:00 – 22:22 Anyone can be a hero

This story to be read by a leader and acted out by the children.
Trail Blazing Tom was the most talented cowboy in all the west. He taught new cowboys to blaze a trail in less than a week. Cowboy Tom's had 3 new trainee Cowboys. They were going to learn how to ride through Bandit Canyon. All of the bandits and bank robbers hid refuge in this canyon. Tom gave each Cowboy instructions. He told them simply to get on their horses and not get off. He said ride straight through and most important, stay on the path. "Let me say that again", said Trail Blazing Tom, "what ever you do, stay on the path". All of the trainees nodded, they had heard the instructions and were going to stay on the path. They started out. The first Cowboy led the way, followed by the others. They rode slowly watching for trouble. Suddenly the second cowboy let out a scream. There was a gigantic rattle snake on the trail. The snake slithered away quickly so he continued to ride. Then he screamed again! IT was another large rattle snake. "That's it!", he cried, "I can't take this, I don't like snakes and I'm not going to ride on this path. I'm going to go another way." The others reminded him about what Tom said. He told them not to leave the path. He didn't care, he was too worried about snakes. So he rode off in another direction. The other two continued to ride. They came to a large river that went right across their path. It was impossible to get around this river. There were no bridges that they could see. The first Cowboy suggested they swam across. The third cowboy had just bought new cowboy boots, if he rode into the water or swam across, they would be ruined. He decided to find another path. The first cowboy reminded the second about staying on the right path but he didn't listen, he rode off. He waved back as he went to find a new way, one with a bridge. The first cowboy was determined to do the right thing. He crossed the river. He was soaked but he didn't care. He stayed on the right path. Later he rode into a small town on the other side of the canyon. He met Cowboy Tom there. He was the only one who arrived. Tom explained that it was good that he had self control and could listen to the instructions that path was the only way out of the canyon. The others were lost. The Bible, tells us of the way we are supposed to go. It tells how to behave and it helps us to follow the right path in our lives. That is very hard to do, we don't like to follow rules. It takes self control. We need to learn to follow God and to do what He wants. God can help us to have self control if we ask him

Object Lesson - "I Love Cookies"
The leader has a container with a chocolate chip cookie in it. Explain how wonderful cookies taste. They are so delicious. I have a severe egg allergy so I explained to the children that even though I absolutely love cookies, I can't eat them. I would have to go to the hospital. For this reason, I must always exercise self control. It is very difficult. This object lesson could be adapted for any food allergy or situation when self control must be exercised.