James
James 1:1–17;
James 4:7
THE PARTY
A guy goes to a party and hears several "voices."
But only one is from God.
JAMES 1:2
THE S.A. TEASE
A student taking the SATs is surprised to find that each of the questions is centered around spiritual issues--and can’t always be answered with “multiple choice.”
James 1: 2 - 12
WAITING FOR GRACE
A woman in a doctor’s office waiting for a medical diagnosis finds herself asking God for answers.
James 1:2-4
BEST-LAID PLANS
A man, unexpectedly home early, decides
at the last minute to fix supper for his family. But one by one, each
of his children becomes unavailable for the meal. In a last-minute inspiration,
he changes the meal to a "romantic" dinner for just him and
his wife, leading her to believe that was his plan all along.
James
1:2-4
THE UNINVITED GUEST
It is Trial’s
first day on the job (since being promoted up from an Irritating Circumstance),
and the assignment is to steal Sally’s joy. Little does Trial know,
but Sally is prepared and celebrates the arrival of her guest! A hilarious
look at the biblical view of trials and perseverance.
James 1:19
ARE YOU LISTENING?
A young girl is discouraged because she feels as if God is ignoring her.
But what she doesn't realize is that God is speaking to her; she just
cannot hear Him.
James 1:19-21
SINGLE CHRISTMAS
We all know someone who holds a grudge
against a family member and wears the badge proudly, even touting, "I
haven't been home or spoken to them for years." Beneath that veneer
often lies a hurting individual. But where does the healing begin? In
this poignant scene, we get a peek beneath Kristen's veneer and see the
first steps toward reconciliation. Without being preachy or judgmental,
this sketch opens the doors for hurting individuals to talk.
James 1:21-25
MIRROR, MIRROR
Taken from James 1:21-25,
this sketch is meant to illustrate one function of the Bible: Like a mirror,
it reflects back to us our imperfections and our need for cleansing. However,
there are many different responses to God's Word and its reflective powers,
as is portrayed humorously, yet vividly, in this sketch.
James 1:22-24
FILLING-IN-THE-BLANK
Keith and Teri discuss the Sunday sermon
in a fast-food restaurant after church. But their discussion avoids mention
of any particular sermon topic and substitutes the generic phrase, "fill-in-the-blank"
whenever the topic comes up. Keith sees only the weaknesses of others
and can't conceive of himself as ever "filling-in-the-blank."
Teri tries to break down his resistance.
James 2
ONE LAST SUNDAY
Sunday morning demands that Greg and Cindy make
a decision: go back to the church they've visited already, resume the
church-shopping hunt, or give it up altogether.
James 2:1-5
PEDIGREE PERPLEXITY
Three animal lovers meet in the veterinarian's office
to compare pets and pedigrees. Two are surprised to learn it's the Honorable
Judge Merriweather who owns the mutts, and a penchant for rescue.
James 2:2-4
A NIGHT ON THE TOWN
Too often we
become so accustomed to our particular worship habits and customs, we
forget what it must be like for a stranger who steps into our church to
worship. We sometimes compound the anxiety a visitor normally feels by
an unwillingness to adapt to guests or even help them understand.
James 2:14–18
FAITH THAT WORKS
Phil tries to convince a friend that faith without works isn’t really faith at all.
James 2:19
FLIGHT 227
This sketch illustrates the levels to which we commit
ourselves to anything. The names of the characters are the Latin words
that define these relationships. Notitia refers to only the factual content
of a relationship. Assensus is a step up from Notitia in that it involves
a commitment of loyalty. Fiducia is simply trust.
James 3:9-11
A LITTLE BIT OF SPACKLE
Two friends discuss marriage and family
problems while spackling an imaginary wall.
The spackle becomes the subtle metaphor for covering over problems
instead of dealing with things head-on.
James 4:1-6
DRIVING ME CRAZY
Mike and Melanie discuss aggressive
driving while Melanie powers her way through traffic. This role-reversed
adventure explores the human (and notoriously male) tendency to critique
others by using ourselves as the standard.
James 4:7-8
WORKPLACE WITNESS
WARFARE
To
show, through humor and hyperbole, how difficult it can be to share faith
in the workplace
James 4:10-12
CHRISTIAN STEREO TYPES
In this hilarious
sketch, a drama group is performing its first worship sketch. Once they
begin their performance, how-ever, we realize they missed the meaning
of the sermon topic. Instead of presenting stereotypes often associated
with Christians, they are presenting types of stereos used by Christians.
James
4:13-17
VACATION PLANS
A husband and wife making vacation plans illustrate a comic
lack of proper priorities.
James 4:13-16
SMOOTH SAILING
John examines his life from age 16 through 65. At
each age, he experiences pressure and looks forward to the next stage
of his life which he thinks will bring "smooth sailing." By
showing that life always comes with difficult circumstances, the sketch
shows that we should rest in God's peace at whatever level we're on.
James 4:13-17
A CRACK IN THE NEST EGG
Retirement is a dangerous concept. In pursuit of
a comfortable post-work life, many people forget that planning "expire-ment"
is important, too. This sketch illustrates the need to focus more on the
perspectives from eternity than on the myopic distortions of this life
alone.
James 5:11
I MISS HIM SO MUCH
ROGER
tries to sell MARGARET a carpet cleaner but the pair soon realizes they
have great personal tragedy in common. MARGARET shares her faith, but
ROGER is reluctant to believe in a God who would let such a horrible tragedy
happen in his life. He does finally accept MARGARET'S offer of dinner
and the promise of looking at his tragedy in a new way.
James 5:7–11
TOSSING IN THE TOWEL
A college freshman returns home after only a day away at college, much to the surprise of her father.
James 5:16
PRAYER MENU
An elderly woman does "people
watching" at a McDonald's and explains what she learns by praying
for the people she sees.
