John

John 1:1
FUTURE, FUTURE, FUTURE, FUTURE
To open a discussion with youth about decision making, procrastination, trusting God for leadership and relying on the Word of God.

John 1:1–5
THE GREATEST GIFT
Paul and Shelley demonstrate the gift of kindness by inviting a suffering couple to Christmas dinner.

John 1:1-5; 17:5
FRIDAY'S FACES
This is a dramatic reading, not a monologue or sketch. The emphasis here is on the words and vocal delivery, not on acting a full-blown character. The potency of the story and word choices combine to capture the hearer 's imagination. This powerful piece paints a picture of Christ on the cross at the moment of separation between Father and Son:" Clinging in hope to Abba's promised reunion, Jesus cried out and gave up his spirit."

I John 1:8
Shipping and Handling
Jake, in fear of sinning, delivers himself to Ryan’s house in a big box for a friendly conversation.

John 1:9
THE INTERROGATION Charlie is interrogated for his sins and acts defensively until he realizes he can go to God to ask for forgiveness to stop feeling guilty.

John 1:1
CHILD OF GOD
A mother cleaning up after her children realizes that God cherishes us in much the same way

John 1:14
A GIFT
How does anyone find love? After the breakup of a relationship, Jess feels unloved and unlovable. It takes an honest reminder from a friend for Jess to remember how beautiful she truly is. This slice-of-life sketch is a reminder that love has already come to us all.

John 1:14-17; 14:6; 18:36-38
TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE COMICS
To prepare the audience for a discussion on the perceived relativity of truth; to raise the questions, “Can there be one truth? Isn’t everything relative, depending on point of view?”  

John 3:1-21
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Millie is in her back yard, engrossed in a book. Then Steve shows up. Poor Steve is just a well-meaning delivery man, trying to give Millie a package. But Millie didn’t order any package and won’t accept delivery. Steve tries to convince her the package is a gift, but she’ll have none of it. This comedy is a good reminder of the free gift of salvation we have through Christ.

John 3:16
EASTER VOICES
The Easter story affects us all in different ways. In this script, we hear from six voices —three who witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry firsthand and three who live in the 21st century and only know Easter as a “story,” not a real-life event. Each has been affected profoundly by the story. And there are life lessons for us to learn from each of these characters as well.

John 3:16
EASTER EPIPHANY
Kara stands in the checkout line at the grocery store with her young children. One clamors for candy; two perform acrobatics on the checkout railing.In the midst of the chaos, the youngest whispers a secret to her mother: “I lov you, Mommy.” And in that moment, the message of Easter is revealed. Kara says of her children, “I’m aching for how much I love them. ”It dawns on her that the love she feels for her children is a fraction of the love God has for his children, demonstrated through the sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

John 15:5
JENNY LISTENS
Part two of a series but can also stand alone. Jenny vents her frustration about not finding God's will for her life to Jesus. Jesus finally silences her and sits her down, showing her his will is for them to be together and communicate.

John 14:6
YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH
A man’s attempt to find truth by simultaneously exploring all the major world religions leads to an uncomfortable lunch with his sister.

John 4:35
OPEN YOUR EYES
Gwen bemoans having to go to school for another year while waiting for a full-time ministry, and almost misses the chance to minister to her friends.

John 10:18
SWEAT SOCKS OR SWEET SUBMISSIONS
Submission is a word that freaks many out. But what is it really? It is finding ourselves at a four way stop, all arriving at the same time, and one of us yields the right of way. Jesus yielded his rights so that everyone could win, not so that He could win. In a family, there also needs to be submission; a yielding of rights so that everyone in the family can win. Children yield their desires to the leadership of their parents, husbands yield authority to love their wives and wives yield control to respect their husbands. But as this script reminds us, sometimes we forget when it comes to the little things that irritate us.

John 3:16
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT
Two young girls grow suspicious when they find an unexpected gift from their father.

John 3:16, John 10:27-28
THE TOASTER
Raymond explores the topic of death with his granddaughter, Allison.

John 3:19-21
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.

John 3:22-26
WHO'S THE MAN
To demonstrate that the best part of honor is in honoring, but we often get caught up in praising ourselves instead of God.

John 4:7-14, 6:63-69 & 14:1-4
A NOSE FOR THE TRUTH
When one woman tells her friend that she is considering cosmetic surgery on her nose, the other gets upset. The second woman then tells of her former husband, who wanted to remake her. The two friends discuss the difference between the real and authentic, and the artificially altered/improved. 

John 4:7-12
LOVE STRUCK
At Christmas, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Jesus was the incarnation of God's love. We, too, are called to incarnate God's love in our lives, but what does that mean? The mini-sketches included here portray two examples of how God's love may become flesh in us.   

John 5:1-9 & 9:9-41
THE PRESCRIPTION
Sometimes we seek help from secular sources when our real problem is a sick spirit. When that is the case, we need the prescription that directs us to the Source of spiritual healing. In this sketch, a man has difficulty believing that such a simple prescription can really help him. This script helps viewers to think about the kind of help that only God can give.

John 5:23-25
THE DYING AMONG US
Kelly and Beth are getting ready to go out with their friends Mark and Craig on Halloween. They are putting finishing touches on their costumes when Mark and Craig arrive, dressed as the Grim Reaper and a pirate. In the ensuing conversation,we learn that one of the teens is on the verge of suicide.

John 7:24
MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE
WESLEY and MELODY return from a church service where each cannot worship with the music that reaches the other. While discussing what they didn't like about the service, they get a surprise phone call to which neither wants to respond. This sketch pokes fun at other peoples differing tastes, but poses a serious question that many people will be able to relate to.

John 7:17-19
GETTING A MESSAGE 
To remind us that even church leaders sometimes forget how to follow. 

John 7:37–3
GOT WATER?
A thirsty woman in search of a drink of water is barraged with too many choices.

John 7:38
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.

John 8
MARY'S GIFT
This sketch seeks to breathe new life into the ancient story of Mary Magdalene's devotion to Jesus by fleshing out Mary's personality. It also invites the audience to identify with her experience of God's grace through the person of Jesus.

John 8:3-12
YOU STILL HAVE A FATHER
To open a discussion on infidelity and its effects. 

John 10:1-18
QUITTIN’ TIME
A department store Santa sits down on a bench and begins to complain about his woes of the season to the young stranger next to him.Soon Santa shows himself to be something other than the kind old Kris Kringle one would expect.

John 10:27
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.

John 11:24-26
POINTS
To open a discussion on works and salvation through grace.

John 11:45-53
TALE OF TWO FRIENDS
Two of Jesus’ closest friends talk about the night of Jesus’ arrest.
By the end of the night, both men will realize that their acts of betrayal are the cause of Jesus’ death.

John 12:1 -11
THE FRAGRANCE OF WORSHIP
Drama contrasting the heart attitudes
of Mary and Judas.

John 12:24
A STUPID ACORN
An ant tries to convince an acorn to embrace its destiny and "die" so it can become a tree, but the acorn is content being an acorn and doesn't want to give that up.

John 13
THE MASTER'S TABLE
The teenage daughter of the family that owned the upper room where Jesus ate the last supper shows the room to a friend and recalls everything that happened that weekend.

John 13:34
CHORUS LINE LADIES
Three elderly former chorus line dancers decide to go to church but are afraid of how they might be received.

John 13:34
NO ORDINARY CALL
A father struggles with the news that his college-age son is gay.

John 13:34-35
LOVE STRUCK
At Christmas, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Jesus was the incarnation of God's love. We, too, are called to incarnate God's love in our lives, but what does that mean? The mini-sketches included here portray two examples of how God's love may become flesh in us.   

John 13:34-35, 15:9-17, & 17:11, 20-23
PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999
On New Year's Eve, 1999, a young computer programmer who has worked on the Y2K project, can let go of the worry about what might happen if all the computers did not get corrected. Minutes before midnight, his friends remind him that having people who stand together with one who is anxious is better security than any technology can provide.

John 14:1-4
TRUST ME
Sara and Karen are high school seniors with a real-life problem. Sara’s boyfriend, Mike, has lied to her —more than once, it seems. That doesn’t seem so life-and-death, but then the conversation turns to trust and the girls hit on the big questions: How do you know you can trust someone? How do you know you can trust God?

John 14:1-4
A MOTHER'S SON
As these three intertwined monologues unfold, we realize we are watching three women named Mary who have each lost a son. One is having trouble accepting that her young son is dying. One is mourning the loss of her unborn son, who died when she was 29 weeks pregnant. The third is the mother of Jesus, watching her beloved son die. Through their stories, we feel the pain of losing a child and gain a glimpse of the love the Father has for us that he would sacrifice his only Son to save us.

John 14:1-6
REACH OUT
To open a discussion on evangelism through example. 

John 14:6
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION SOLUTION INFOMERCIAL
This sketch is an infomercial about a solution that helps people to make New Year’s resolutions as well as the right New Year’s resolutions (the right decision).

John 14:6
YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH
A man’s attempt to find truth by simultaneously exploring all the major world religions leads to an uncomfortable lunch with his sister.

John 15:1-3
PRUNING TIME
Tracy is upset because her mom won't let her go to a party. After arguing with her mother, she goes outside to cool off and runs into her dad, who is pruning a tree. Dad always finds some way to make a lesson out of any given situation and this time, Tracy beats him to the punch..

John 14:2
HOUSE AND HOME
This fast-moving and light-hearted overview is a plan on the ways we use the words “house” and “home.” It gradually becomes more serious as the readers explore the biblical metaphor of “home” as the dwelling place of God with the church being a “spiritual house,” etc.

John 14: 27
FREIGHT TRAIN PEACE
A woman speaks candidly and from her heart about the struggles she wrestles with regarding fear, trust, and loneliness.

John 14:27
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN HURT YOU
A parody of the news media and a glimpse into America's obsession with fear.

John 15:11-12
JOY
What's in a name? When your name is Joy, there is a whole lot more than you may think. A young girl discovers that her name is more than a label, but an entire outlook on life.

John 15:13
THE ANNIVERSARY
In this lighthearted sketch, we meet Rax and Gabe, two of heavens' finest. Gabe is thrilled to be making his annual hike -in human form -to the place where Jesus' resurrection happened. Rax has never been out of heaven and isn't so sure about this whole "body" thing. Through their antics, we gain an appreciation for the celebration of the angels in heaven.

John 15:12-13
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
A woman in a card shop searches for the right birthday card to send her friend whose husband recently died. Eventually, she decides to go see the friend instead of just mailing a card.

John 15:12-13
LOVE STRUCK
At Christmas, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Jesus was the incarnation of God's love. We, too, are called to incarnate God's love in our lives, but what does that mean? The mini-sketches included here portray two examples of how God's love may become flesh in us.   

John 15:13
EVERY BOY'S DREAM Three friends sit in a Starbucks, trying to ‘one up’ each other by bragging about how important their jobs are for the betterment of the world. However, when they find out the man next to them is a fireman, they begin to get some perspective on how to help others before themselves.

John 15:12-15
RETURN TO THE HIGH DIVE
Sometimes doing what is right is not the convenient thing to do. But God calls us to go against the convenient and conventional; he calls us to live by faith.

John 15:12-27
AMONG FRIENDS
Three friends meet to watch the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament.  Despite the distractions, one notices another is struggling and chooses to spend time being a friend rather than merely a sports companion.  

John 16:8–11
TRICK OR TREAT
A strange Halloween visitor displays a remarkable trick, making the homeowner very uncomfortable.

John 16:33
LAURA'S BILL
A woman whose daughter was killed in a bus-train accident has just helped get new safety regulations passed. She is confronted by another mother who also lost a child in the accident, but the second woman has never come to terms with what happened. The sketch shows that life is full of difficult circumstances that demand difficult decisions. The way we choose to deal with our circumstances will greatly influence our lives.

John 16:33
IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER
It is a common question: "If God is so loving, why does he allow people to suffer?" While we know we haven't been promised a pain-free life here on Earth, we also know that God has the power to give us just that ... and we want it. So, what should our response be to pain and suffering? This sketch raises that very question.

John 17:20
PRAYER MENU
An elderly woman does "people watching" at a McDonald's and explains what she learns by praying for the people she sees.

John 18:1-11
WHO ARE YOU?
Two young men, one from the first century and one from modern time, describe their life-changing encounters with Jesus.

John 18:28-38
Trial by Pilate
Jesus' trial before Pilate is revisited, as readings from the Old and New Testaments answer Pilate's questions
.

John 19:17-20:24
Will Wordswiggle?
How would Peter react on a talk show when confronted with the question: Who is Jesus? Although you might think he'd deny he ever knew the man (three times), in this witty drama we actually discover that he has a hard time convincing the host that Jesus really rose form the dead. This humouous peice is great for the Easter season or a service on evangelism to remind Christians that we need to be patient when sharing the Gospel with those who haven't heard the good news.

John 19:25-27
MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS
When we think of Jesus' mother, it's often in the glowing Nativity scene:
a radiant young woman holding a swaddled baby. This script shows us quite another Mary: a mother torn by agony as she watches her son die a horrible, demeaning death. We get a chance to see both Jesus and Mary as "people" rather than "biblical figures."

John 19:25-30
THREE HOURS
Mary Magdalene watches Jesus as he is crucified. As she bears witness, she wonders how love could be so seemingly trapped by hate.

John 19:28-30
TETELESTAI
A roman tax collector meets Luke the physician, and tells the doctor of his eyewitness to Jesus' crucifixion. But it is the "why" of the crucifixion that confuses the collector.

John 19:28-30
THE CHECK'S TAKEN CARE OF
In this series of vignettes, we meet four couples, all having dinner at a nice restaurant. Each couple is unable to pay for the meal, and each, in turn, is surprised to hear from the waiter that an anonymous benefactor wants to take care of the check. Each couple, that is, except Ralph and Virginia, who have come to "rely upon the kindness of strangers. "There are many lessons to
learn from the various couples' reactions to this outlandish offer.

John 20
HE'S GONNA BE MAD
To help the audience understand the power and reality of the Resurrection.

John 21:1 -7
SWIMMING TO SHORE
A disciple cheering Peter on from the boat as he swims to Jesus reflects on Peter's connection with Christ, and the passion he has for serving. The disciple comes to the conclusion that he wants that same fire.