Time
5 minutes
Audience
Children, Youth, Adults
Description
This quick drama makes the point that the wages of sin are death but that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Materials
- Table to set Sin Shop items on with their labels
- Tape to put labels near Sin Shop items
- Items for your Sin Shop – items labeled (labels are available in the file mentioned below, but feel free to “upgrade” the sins depending on your audience) with various sins. For example:
- Lying to Parents
- Cheating on Math Test
- Disrespecting Parents
- Thinking Bad Thoughts
- Taking Your Brother’s Gameboy
- Using a Bad Word
- Little White Lie
- Basket for shopping
- Sign for store: “Lou’s Sin Shop” (available in the file mentioned below)
- Sign that says, “The cost of sin is death” in large letters and “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” in tiny letters. (If death is a difficult concept for your audience, you can use the sign that says, “The cost of sin is separation from God.” (You can find these signs and the labels for your sin shop items at www.teachingthem.com on the Lesson and Material Downloads page in a file called, “Sin Shop – Props.”)
- Small slip of paper with writing on it that can act as a receipt. Should say, “Paid in Full” on it in large letters. (An example is provided in the file mentioned above.)
- Optionally – costumes for your actors – apron for Lou Cipher, the storeowner, and a register or calculator.
Preparation
- Set up the table and the props with their labels to make them look like a counter at a store.
- Practice the skit, and memorize the lines.
Procedure
Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):
[PETEY enters Lou’s Sin Shop with a shopping basket.]
PETEY: “Wow! A sin shop! Awesome! I’ve been wanting some of these!”
[PETEY looks through the shelves and selects several items for his basket.]
PETEY: “I’ll take one of these and one of these….oh, and I’ve got to have one of these!”
[PETEY goes to register to pay.]
PETEY: “Okay, that will do it. How much do I owe you?”
[LOU calculates on his register or calculator as he says the following line.]
LOU: “Disrespecting Your Parents…..Taking Your Brother’s Gameboy….Using a Bad Word….Thinking Bad Thoughts…(Be careful with that one. It’s powerful.)….All together, that’ll be exactly….DEATH. Paper or plastic?” (Substitute “separation from God” if you prefer.)
PETEY: “Huh? I’m sorry. It sounded like you said, “death.” Did you mean “deal”…you’re going to give me a deal?” (Alternative: “Huh? I’m sorry. It sounded like you said, ‘separation from God.’ I just want to know how much I owe you.”)
LOU: “Nope, I meant DEATH….listen, I’m already giving you a deal. You don’t have to die physically today. You can put down a little spiritual death and pay the rest later.” (Alternative: “That IS what I said. Your total is separation from God.”)
PETEY: “Spiritual death? What do you mean?” (Alternative: “Separation from God? What do you mean?”)
LOU: “Between you and God. This stuff poisons your relationship with Him. It won’t kill it off completely, but it makes it plenty sick. So, paper or plastic?”
PETEY: “Uh, well, I guess I better put some stuff back. Take this and this off. How much do I owe you now?”
LOU: “Total’s still DEATH.” (Alternative: “separation from God.”)
PETEY: “Wait! That’s not fair! I took some stuff away. How can you charge the same price? Okay, all I want is this Little White Lie. Ring that up.”
LOU: “Read the sign, will you, [Points to sign.] It clearly says, ‘The cost of sin is death. Romans 6:23.’ That means little sins and big sins. They are all the same price. So what’s it gonna be?” (Alternative: “separation from God.”)
PETEY: “I’ll tell you what it’s going to be! I’m going to put in a complaint! Your name is ‘Lou.’ Is that as in, ‘Lou-ser?’”
LOU: “Full name is Lou Cipher. You can complain all you want. Management knows what I’m doing, and I’ve got their approval. Hey, look at me when I’m talking to you.”
[PETEY has noticed a receipt on the counter.]
PETEY: “Hey, what’s this? You didn’t tell me about this. It’s a receipt for all my sins, and it says it’s paid! I don’t have to pay you!”
LOU: “Oh, great, another one of those! Yeah, Management’s got a policy of paying for the sins of anybody that wants to apply the last part of the sign.”
PETEY: “What last part of the sign? I didn’t see anything.”
LOU: “Well, you don’t expect me to advertise something like that, do you? It’s in the small print.” [Points out small print on sign.]
PETEY: [Reading] “’The cost of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Huh. Well, I’m going to accept Management’s generosity. And you can keep those sins I picked out; I’m done shopping!” [Exits] (Alternative: “separation from God.”)
LOU: [Chasing after PETEY] “Hey, wait! I’ve got some stuff in the back you might want to take a look at…” [Exits]
Teach Them 