GREAT HALLOWEEN GOSPEL PRESENTATION

Setup:

Table with newspaper

Sharp small knife

Large pumpkin

Candle and matches

We’ve been talking this fall about the huge love God has for you and me and the world – a love that gave us this wonderful book, the Bible, so we could know who God is.  A huge love that helps us when we are in trouble. 

Today, with Halloween so close, we’re going to use this beautiful big pumpkin to help us understand better the greatest way God helps us, and I need a few readers:

(Have on index cards)

Jeremiah 17:9

1 John 1:9

2 Corinthians 5:17

Matthew 5:14-16

And finally I need a 6^th grader to help me up front.

So I’ve already gotten this pumpkin started a bit, but x, can you finish opening it up at the top?  Let’s tip over the pumpkin so everybody sees what’s inside.  Why don’t you get  your hands right into that stuff! 

·         How is the stuff x is pulling out of the pumpkin like the sin that we have in our hearts?  (Jeremiah 17:9)

Okay, let’s clean it out.  We’re pulling it out all that slimy, nasty stuff and cleaning it out, aren’t we?  Let’s have x read 1 John 1:9

When we put our faith in Jesus, he helps us by removing the sin that pushes God away from us.  That’s called God’s forgiveness. 

·         How is forgiveness like cleaning out the pumpkin?

Okay, x, let’s draw a happy face on this pumpkin because God is doing something really wonderful here!  While x is cutting the face out, x, please read 2 Cor. 5:17

·         How is x making this pumpkin into something new?  How does Jesus make us new creations?

Well, this pumpkin looks mighty fine – it’s cleaned out, is new a jack-o-lantern, but it’s kind of dark inside, isn’t it?  I think it needs some light inside.

(put candle inside pumpkin and light it, put on lid).

Could we have our final reader read Matt. 5:14-16

(Turn off room lights)

·         How is the light in the pumpkin like the way God wants us to shine?

·         How does God want our light to shine before others?  How did we do this in a small way tonight? (Not so people will notice us, but so they think about God)

If you made a beautiful jack-o-lantern like this, would you light it and then put it in a closet?  No?  Why not?

So Jesus says – when we have become new creations in Jesus, we need to be with people, to help them learn about Jesus and his great gift of forgiveness too.

Prayer

“Build my Life”