Romans
Romans
1:20
THE UNDECIDEDS
Accepting Christ
A visitor to a meeting of people trying to stay ignorant of God tells
them there is no excuse for not accepting Christ.
Romans 5:2-5
WHAT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT
A woman discusses
being constantly disappointed by life, and wonders if she deserves disappointment.
Romans
2:9–13
DO YOU WEAR A MASK?
As
members of a small church group gather, they cover up their real daily
concerns until one member dares to speak the truth.
Romans
3:23
LENTEN
AMBLINGS
Two teenage friends
catch each other skipping communion outside their
church and challenge one another to examine their guilt.
Romans
5:8
THE GRACE OF FRANKENSTEIN
When Dr. Frankenstein's creature eats all the neighborhood kids'
Halloween candy, the doctor takes the punishment for his crime.
Romans
5:9
RISEN AGAIN
Real monsters crash
a church Halloween party and learn the gospel.
Romans
6:1
HIGH SPEED GRACE
Sal gets pulled over for a ticket and is shown mercy by Officer Grace,
who rips up the ticket.
Romans
6:23
THE TOASTER
Raymond
explores the topic of death with his granddaughter, Allison.
Romans 8:16
NEXT PASSENGER, PLEASE
Passengers approach a ticket counter to book flights to sin.
Romans 8:16
CHILD OF GOD
A mother cleaning up after her children realizes that God cherishes us in much the same way
Romans 8:26
TRICK OR TREAT
A strange Halloween visitor displays a remarkable trick, making the
homeowner very uncomfortable.
Romans 8:28
THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE
A man recording his “bio” for a video dating service reveals his inner insecurities.
Romans 8:28
FORGOTTEN FRIEND
Jesus taught his disciples to pray without losing heart, and in this warm monologue an "unanswered prayer" reminds us to trust God's plan even when our requests are met with silence.
Romans 8: 31
FREIGHT TRAIN PEACE
A woman speaks candidly and from her heart about the struggles she wrestles with regarding fear, trust, and loneliness.
Romans
9:20-21
IN YOUR FACE
6 teens ruthlessly criticize what the audience thinks is each other, until
it is revealed that they are actually interacting with a mirror.
Romans
BODY IMAGE
Several teenagers try to alter their physiques before
realizing that God designed them to be his perfect children, no matter
what their body type.
Romans 9:21
POTTER VERSUS THE CLAY
A potter is surprised to hear from the clay he is about to mold. The clay
is very demanding and believes he knows what's best for him.
Romans
12:2
THE KING HAS COME
Unconditional Love; God's Gift to Us in Christ
Maggie
is meeting Derek's family for the first time and is anxious to make a
good impression; perhaps too anxious.
Romans 13:8-10
CHORUS LINE LADIES
Three
elderly former chorus line dancers decide to go to church but are afraid
of how they might be received.
Romans
15:5
ACCIDENTS
HAPPEN
Two
couples have an accident in a restaurant parking lot and the drivers,
the husbands, end up exchanging harsh words and cutting criticisms. The
wives quickly realize they attend the same church and must act as referees
between the men.
Romans
8:26-27
LEARNING TO PRAY
A woman
looks back on her life of prayer. As she progresses from the simple prayers
of childhood to the sophisticated prayers of adulthood, she ponders whether
she missed the most important aspect of prayer: relationship.
Romans
12:3
HUMBLE PIE
Jim publicly
chews out an employee. But when his administrative assistant asks him
to publicly apologize, Jim isn't sure what to do.
Romans 1:15-17
WORKPLACE WITNESS
WARFARE
To
show, through humor and hyperbole, how difficult it can be to share faith
in the workplace
Romans 1:16
THE GIFT
Worried about her son's
self-esteem, Tim's mom has given him an early Christmas present: his very
own announcer. Don (the announcer) follows Tim everywhere, elaborating
on his conversation. This makes for an awkward situation as Tim tries
to ask his coworker, Carla, for a date.
Romans 3:10, 23-24 & 7:7
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.
Romans 3:21-26 & 5:1-11
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.
Romans 3:23-27
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.
Romans 5:6-8
HUNG ON A TREE
Sarah is helping her new roommate, Becky,
get ready for a Christmas party with her family. They are decorating Becky's
Christmas tree with ornaments she's collected over the years. To Becky,
Christmas is glitz, glamour, and "peace on earth." Sarah gently
tries to remind Becky what she's really celebrating. The culmination comes
when they pull out the last ornament in the box—baby Jesus in a manger—which
Becky says doesn't belong on a tree.
Romans 5:9-11
SIGNING THE PAPERS
To get the audience thinking about the far-reaching
effects of divorce and lack of communication in a marriage.
Romans 6:3-11
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.
Romans
6:14
THE PARTY
A guy goes to a party and hears several "voices."
But only one is from God.
Romans 6:14 & 7:18-25
THE RIGHT THING
Doing the right thing is often difficult,
but especially if the moral and ethical choices are seemingly insignificant.
Yet, being faithful in small matters is as important as being faithful
in the big issues.
Romans 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.
Romans 8:31-39
GET A LIFE
This reader’s
theater piece is written for two readers but can be performed by more.
It is a touching exploration of the places we look for love while ignoring
God’s still, small voice telling us, “You’re wonderful.
I love you.” This script also has a choice of endings. A break is
written in to make it an open-ended sermon starter, or you can use the
complete script as a stand-alone piece.
Romans 8 & 9
ADOPTED
After getting into a fight at school, an adopted girl
questions her right to remain in the family. A heart-to-heart chat with
Dad about unconditional love lures her back.
Romans 8:17-19
IF ONLY
To
open discussions with youth about self-worth
Romans 8:26-27
A SEA OF TROUBLES
What's a script about depression got to do with Christmas?
Plenty. The Christmas season is one of the most depressing times of the
year for many people. Unfortunately, those who aren't depressed are so
caught up in their celebrations that they forget about those for whom
the season is anything but joyous. This script gives us a peek into the
life of a man so lonely and hurt he's at the end of this rope. But as
with the Christmas season, there is hope: he knows he needs help and,
in his struggle, he utters a simple prayer: "Dear God ... Help.".
Romans 8:28
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.
Romans 8:31-39
THE MEMORIAL SERVICE
To
get the audience thinking about the assurance of salvation we have through
Jesus Christ
Romans 8:35-39
HANG IN THERE
Sometimes just "hanging in there"
isn't good enough. In fact, doing anything is just about impossible. How
does one "hang in there" when there seem to be no answers and
no one to go to?
Romans 8:38- 39
NOW WHAT?
An uncertain college graduate must decide what to do with the rest of
her life.
Romans 12:2
THE VIPER
In this humorous look at standing up to the power of evil and speaking
God's truth, three young people confront a vampire who claims he has the
power to control them. They produce traditional talismans to ward off
vampires, using these as symbols of the "tools" that God has
given them to resist temptation and to empower them. (A "thankful
heart" is one of those gifts.) The conclusion emphasizes gratitude
for these gifts and the joy of being accepted for who we are.
Romans 12:10;1
GOD REST YE MERRY
Mark, a recent divorcee,
is riding the commuter train home after a day of Christmas shopping for
his children. His ride is interrupted by Lady, a well-meaning, chatty
grandmother. As their encounter unfolds, we feel Mark's pain and witness
love in action as Lady opens her heart and home to Mark.
Romans 12:15
MISCONCEPTIONS
Someone around you is affected by infertility. You
may not realize it because those who are are hesitant to bring it up.
As a result, they suffer not only from infertility but from the loneliness
that accompanies it. This sketch is designed to open the topic, to encourage
those in the cycles of depression and hope, and to help people know how
to approach the topic with sensitivity.
Romans 12:15 -16
THE ENCOURAGER'S CLUB
When people are in difficulty or pain, it's natural
to want to offer encouragement. But some problems are not helped by glibly
spoken words - and not even by sincerely spoken ones. There are times
when there really is nothing we can say that helps another person. Sometimes
the only encouragement we can give is to stand by the person while he
or she goes through the dark valley. This sketch invites us to think about
the sources of true encouragement.
Romans 12:19
DOG EAT DOG
One of the biggest challenges to male
friendships is competition. Men seem driven to edge each other out in
even the smallest ways. Sometimes such competition pushes a friendship
to the brink of destruction, especially when fueled by revenge.
Romans 13:7
BEST OF INTENTIONS
A couple has borrowed money from their son's savings
account, without telling him, but fully intending to repay it. Other financial
needs short-circuited their plans, and now their son is planning to spend
his money.
Romans 13:9-10
YOU STILL HAVE A FATHER
To
open a discussion on infidelity and its effects
Romans
14:19
EDIFIERS ANONYMOUS
Four
men join together for one of the most unique 12-step programs in existence.
This exaggerated look at the need to edify one another pokes fun while
tackling a serious issue.
Romans 15
A WAY WITH PEOPLE
It's not often we're forced to think
seriously about our selfishness and the effect it has on our relationships.
But every once in a while, when our failures are too large to deny, we
come face to face with the fact that we care more about ourselves than
those around us. When we allow ourselves to operate on autopilot, we tend
to use people instead of love them as Christ commanded. This sketch, in
true mime style, exaggerates this tendency to mammoth proportions. But
the message comes through loud and clear: don't use people for your own
benefit or you'll face the consequences.
Romans 15:1-12
GAME DAY
At first look,
it would appear from their enthusiasm and demeanor that June, Ben, Jerry
and Betty are at a sporting event – they are that passionate about
whatever it is they are attending. It isn’t until the end of the
sketch that we discover they are actually at a worship service. (Note:
This sketch is about worship attitudes, not worship behavior.)
Romans 15:1-7
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.
Romans
15:5-6
HOW
TO BUILD A BRIDGE
A
person is reading a book entitled, “How to Build a Bridge.”
As a conversation develops with the passers-by, they all begin to realize
that the book refers to building spiritual bridges.
Romans 15:13
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.
Romans 16:1-16
THE INGRATES
Mr. and Mrs. Ingrate, a couple who
don't express thanks, meet the young man who is about to marry their daughter.
Mr. Ingrate induces the fiancé to thank him for the gift of a honeymoon
trip — to test the man's ability to be an Ingrate.
