Puppets: Weeds

WEEDS

Mooster:  (pokes head out and begins hoeing) Dum de dum de dum…I whack the weeds, I whack the weeds, Hi ho the dairy-o, I whack the weeds!

Monkey Moe: (pokes his head out) Hiya Mooster! Whatcha doin?

Mooster:  Hi, Moe! I’m busy weeding my garden!

Monkey Moe: Yuck. That looks like a lot of work.

Mooster: Well it is, but I have to weed the garden in order to get my vegetables to grow.

Moe: Why did you plant so many weeds if you didn’t want them to grow there?

Mooster: I didn’t plant the weeds, Moe! Sheesh. You think I would do that to myself on purpose? You ever try and hoe out spider grass? This stuff is tough as nails and grows faster than kudzu.

Moe: Well where did all the weeds come from if you didn’t plant them?

Mooster: They just grow all by themselves. Birds and other animals drop weed seeds, the wind blows weed seeds, and lots of weeds send out long roots called runners, which make new plants pop up all over everywhere.

Moe: Looks like the weeds are tough, too.

Mooster:  Weeds are stronger than regular plants and they can just take root and grow in almost any kind of dirt! Spider grass is so strong it can grow through asphalt and destroy a road surface. Kudzu can grow so fast it can completely cover an old barn in just a couple years.

Moe: Well why doesn’t that happen with the good stuff that you DO want to grow?  Why don’t your fruit and veggie plants grow fast and strong and choke out the weeds?

Mooster: Well, Moe, do you remember the story of Adam and Eve? How they sinned and disobeyed God about eating from the tree of knowledge, which God had told them not to eat?

Moe: Yeah. That’s how sin entered into the earth and we all became sinners.

Mooster: That’s right. Well, when God sent Adam and Eve from the garden, God also told them that because of their sin, the ground was also cursed. Genesis chapter 3, verses 17 to 19 says, “…Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground…”  So you see, Moe, God told Adam that from then on, weeds would cause him to work hard in the growing of food. He would have to sweat and fight off thorns and thistles. And that curse is still on the earth – that’s why we have nasty weeds.  

Monkey Moe: Wow. I didn’t know that’s where weeds came from. Thanks for explaining that!  So, what have you got growing in your garden? Anything good?

Mooster:  Oh I have all kinds of great stuff! I have tomatoes and peppers and lettuce and cabbage. I have squash and potatoes and onions and melons…..

Monkey Moe: Melons? Like honeydews and watermelons and cantaloupes? Yum Yum!!!!

Mooster: Yep, I have all of them!

Monkey Moe: Can I eat one now? Can I Can I Can I – oh please!!!

Mooster: They’re not ready yet, Moe! You have to be patient. Growing a fruit or a vegetable takes a lot of time and patience. Just like growing as a Christian.

Moe: Huh? What does that mean? “Growing as a Christian.”

Mooster: It means that just like plants take time to grow from a seed to a seedling to a little plant to a bigger plant to making flowers and then fruits, so a Christian has to grow. When we first get saved, that great! Now we’re on our way to heaven. But our walk with Jesus doesn’t stop there.

Monkey Moe: It doesn’t – I know that, we’re supposed to keep growing and getting more mature in the knowledge of the things of God. 

Mooster: Right, Moe, but that takes time. You don’t get saved on Monday and become a mature Christian by Friday. There’s things we need to do in order to grow.

Hey Mr. Songleader! 

Songleader: Yes?

Mooster: Can you help the kids think of some things that would help us grow as Christians?    

Songleader: Sure – okay kids – what do you think would help us grow as Christians?

(Allow kids to answer. If they don’t say anything, you can help them along with concepts: Read your Bible, go to church often, pray, ask God to help you learn, do Bible studies, hang out with other Christians, avoid doing things that displease God.)

Songleader: Okay Mooster- looks like we came up with some good things to think about! Hey – I know a song that might help us all remember today’s story!

Moe: Well go ahead and teach it to us, Mr. Songleader.

Songleader: Lead kids in    Read your Bible

                                                Pray every day

                                                Pray every day

                                                Pray every day

                                                Read your Bible

                                                Pray every day

                                                And you’ll grow, grow, grow

                                                And you’ll grow, grow, grow

                                                And you’ll grow, grow, grow

                                                Read your Bible

                                                Pray every day

                                                And you’ll grow, grow, grow

(Repeat it)                                       

                                               

Mooster:  Thanks Mr. Songleader! That’s a great song for today’s lesson.

Moe: I liked that song! It makes me think about growing stronger as a Christian. It also makes me think about your watermelons growing faster so I can eat one!!!

Mooster: Moe, you’re drooling. Knock it off. You will just have to be patient. I promise you can have some watermelon as soon as it’s ripe.

Moe: Okay thanks! I’m looking forward to it.

Mooster: And I’m looking forward to us both growing as Christians this summer. We need to read our Bibles and memorize verses. Pastor, do you have a memory verse for the kids to learn?

Pastor: I sure do! 2 Peter 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Mooster: Thanks, Pastor. Kids, this summer we want to have an extra special reward time. Each week that we have puppets, you will be asked if you have memorized any of the Bible verses. If you do, you will earn a reward! Pastor has extra sheets of paper with the Bible verse from today on it so you can take it home and learn it before the next time we have puppets.

Moe: A prize? AWESOME!!! Is it a banana shake? Banana bread? Banana smoothies? Banana and marshmallow sandwiches? Bananas and peanut butter? Oh give me a hint, please, please, pleeeeeeeeease!

Mooster: Nope. No hints. Just memorize your verse and come next time and see what you will get. I promise you will like it!

Moe: Oh, okay. Well, I’m gonna leave you to finish hoeing your weedy garden and I’m gonna go memorize that verse so I win a prize. How about you kids? You gonna memorize it with me? (let kids respond) Okay, Great! See you next time!

Mooster: Bye everyone!!!