Can I Take Your Temperature?

One Bad Bug

2 Kings 5:1–27

Susanna comes on stage and is looking for a book and some other things.

Susan: Hi, Susanna. What are you doing?

Susanna: Waiting on my brother when I’d rather be out with my friends.

Susan: Why are you waiting on Nick?

Susanna: Because Mom said that I have to.

Susan: I guess that’s a good reason.

Susanna: He’s got a cold so mom told him to stay in bed. I’ve been running back and forth for him all day!

Nick (VO backstage): Susanna! Where’s my comfy pillow?

Susanna: See what I mean? It’s like I’m some kind of slave.

Susan: I’m sure he appreciates what you’re doing for him.

Susanna: Susan, are you kidding me? This is Nick we’re talking about.

Nick VO: Susanna! I want some orange juice. Hurry up!

Susan: Well, maybe he won’t appreciate you fully today, but someday he’ll look back and be thankful for what you did.

Nick VO: Susanna! Take my temperature again. My feet are cold and my head is hot.

Susanna: I don’t think he’s likely to live that long. AUUUUUGGHH! (Looks like she’s about to pound Nick.)

Susan: (Grabs her arm) Don’t do it, Susanna. You know, there was a slave girl in Bible times who worked for her master Naaman. Even thought she was a slave, she was kind and helped him.

Susanna: Really?

Susan: Naaman had leprosy.

Susanna: Is that worse than a cold?

Susan: Oh, yeah! It was a skin disease. Lepers were avoided because no one else wanted to get what they had. But Naaman was pretty important because he was a successful captain of the army.

Susanna: What did the slave girl do?

Susan: This girl had been kidnapped from Israel, so she told Naaman’s wife about the prophet Elisha who could heal Naaman from the leprosy.

Susanna: What did Naaman do?

Susan: He got permission from his own king to go to the king of Israel. When he arrived, the king of Israel was so upset to learn that he was supposed to get Naaman healed, that he tore his clothes because he thought that Naaman’s king was just looking for an excuse to get upset with him and go to war. You don’t get requests to get people healed from leprosy much when you’re a king.

Susanna: Uh oh.

Susan: Elisha heard about it and sent for Naaman. He knew how powerful God was, and he wasn’t concerned.

Susanna: Did he heal Naaman?

Susan: He didn’t actually talk to Naaman. He just sent a messenger out of the house to tell Naaman to go wash in the Jordan seven times. Naaman was mad. Elisha didn’t even come out and wave his hands over him or anything, and Naaman didn’t believe it would help to wash in the muddy Jordan, since there were cleaner rivers than that.

Susanna: What did he do?

Susan: One of Naaman’s servants pointed out that if Elisha had asked him to do something hard, he would have done it, so he should just wash in the Jordan. It was worth it to obey. Naaman washed in the Jordan and came out with brand new skin.

Susanna: And all because a little servant girl was kind.

Susan: Never underestimate the power of serving other people.

Nick: Susanna! Where’s that comfy pillow and orange juice?

Susanna: Guess you’re right. It’s good to serve others, whether they’re grateful or not. (Calling to Nick) I’ll be right there!

Professor Math Visits the Seed Time Show

Seed Time Game Show, Number 14

Voice: Welcome to the Sow Your Seed Game Show with your favorite hostess and mine, Bobby Bling!

(Chloe Starr and Bobby Bling enter to cheering audience and game show music.)

Bobby: Hey, announcer! What about Chloe Starr? You forgot to say Chloe!

Announcer: Sorry, Chloe is on vacation. But we do have a special guest today. Everyone give a big had to Professor Math!

Bobby: Oh, no! Not Professor Math. I don’t even like math.

Prof M: Velcome to ze show.

Bobby: Yeah. Great. Do you know how much I like math? Like a big zero.

Prof. M: Technically, zero is only a whole number, not a counting number, so ve vill not count it for today’s show. It looks a little like a donut. So— (Draws it on the chalk or dry erase board.)

Bobby: (Rolling eyes) Thanks for setting us straight, Professor.

Prof M: Not a problem. I hope that in time I will find a cure for your math-o-phobia.

Bobby: Right. Let’s just jump to the questions for today.

Prof. M: (Taking dramatic stance with his calculator using chalk board/dry erase.) I’m ready.

Bobby: (Second roll of the eyes and a large sigh.) Question number one. When we bring the whole tithe into the store house, the Bible says that God will: A) open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing we can’t contain, B) clap really loud because we did the right thing, or C) take us shopping for shoes.

Prof M: If you square the hypotenuse of the logarithm of x divided by z to the 10th power and invert the geometric series of S subscript n and square it you get—

Bobby: (Interrupts when she chooses a child) What do you think the right answer is? Correct! God says He will open up the windows of heaven and pour a blessing on you that is so big you can’t even contain it. How awesome is that!

Prof M: —three billion...I think.

Bobby: Too late, Professor, but good try. Next question. What is the tithe that we give to God? Is it A) my favorite candy bar, B) everything in my sister’s piggy bank, or C) the first dollar from every ten dollars that I get?

Prof M: (Quickly calculating) The factors of the polynomial are (x-1) using synthetic division to compute the n power over d to the xyz and so on—

Bobby: (Choosing a child to answer) Correct! It is the first dollar of every ten that we receive. God is so good that He blesses us with every good thing. Let’s always remember to give back to Him first because we love him.

Prof M: (Not noticing that the question is over. Sounding a little stressed but not giving up yet) Still computing! And if I take the graph of the function of z divided by m, n, o, p, I get...

Bobby: Last question! When we bring our tithe to God, A) He can finally afford to go out and get some ice cream, B) it honors Him, or C) He doesn’t notice.

Prof M: (Agitated and pulling out hair at trying to solve the equation he has on the board. Calls over his shoulder to Bobby) Still computing...if I take the probability that j will be zero except when it is in the denominator of y, and 2 is less than the n of m in the logarithmic function of w...

Bobby: (Chooses a child to answer) Correct! It honors God when we bring our tithe to Him. He doesn’t need our money, but He multiplies it when we give it to Him because He wants us to be blessed. And He always knows when you give. It honors God!

Prof M: (Triumphant at last.) The answer is two!

Bobby: Sorry, Professor. That’s not the answer.

Prof M: (Perplexed) Where did I go wrong?

Bobby: Let’s talk about it over donuts. Bye, kids. (Starts to push the Professor off stage as he mutters mathematical formulas and works on his calculator.)

Prof M: Was it the m divided by the logarithm of z? I wonder...

Servant Heart

How Not to Serve Someone 101

2 Timothy 2:24; 3:14–17

Teacher: We’re going to watch what happens in our little restaurant here. I want you to look for which waiter is really serving his or her customer. Can you do that? Great. Shhhh. Here they come.

Two customers come into a restaurant and are seated at two separate tables for lunch. They each look at the menu and decide what they would like to order.

Customer A: Let’s see what’s on the menu today. Hmm. I think I’ll have a double cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake. That sounds awesome.

Customer B: (Peeking at A’s menu) That sounds great. I’m going to order that too. Where is it on the menu?

(Customer A points it out as his waiter comes out.)

Waiter A: Hi. Can I take your order for today?

Customer A: I’d like a double cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake.

Waiter A: (Takes menu) I’ll have that right out for you.

Customer A: Thanks.

(Customer B waits expectantly.)

Customer B: (to the audience) I wonder when my waiter will come out.

(Waiter B walks out while reading a book. Doesn’t notice he has a customer until he bumps the table.)

Waiter B: Oh, I didn’t see you there. (Puts book away and assumes bad French accent) Welcome to ze Burger Heaven. We have ze heavenly burgers in this joint.

Customer B: Oh. Glad to hear it. I’d like a double cheeseburger...

Waiter B: (Interrupts and drops the accent) You know, I don’t feel like getting you a burger. Wouldn’t you rather have a hot dog? It’s less work.

Customer B: No, I really want a double cheeseburger and...

Waiter B: The truth is, I don’t even want to go get you a hot dog.

Customer B: (Watching as Waiter A brings Customer A’s food with a smile.) Isn’t that your job? And besides that hamburger, I’d like...

Waiter B: This job is soooo much work, do you mind if I just sit down for awhile? (Doesn’t wait for an answer.) Thanks. (Puts his feet up.)

Customer B: (Shocked) I’d really like to order. If you could just bring me...

Waiter B: (Waves the request away.) Are you kidding? I’ve been on my feet all day. They really hurt. Hey! (Bright idea) Why don’t you wait on me! That would be so much better.

Customer B: You want me to wait on you? You’re supposed to serve me. I’m the customer!

Waiter B: Exactly. That means you haven’t been on your feet all day. I’ll just rest while you take my order.

Customer B: (Aside to the audience) I’m getting out of this place!

Waiter B: (As the customer leaves he pulls out his book, leans back, and calls out.) Oh, I’d really like some fries and a chocolate shake with that order. Make it snappy!

(Actors freeze for a moment and then exit.)

Teacher: Hi, kids. Which waiter was serving the customer the best? (The one who brought food to the customer and took care of them.) When we serve others, do we think of them first or ourselves first? (The other person.) Can you think of someone you can serve this week? (My dad, my mom, my brother or sister, my friends, my grandpa or grandma, my teacher, etc.) How can you serve them this week?

Paul wrote Timothy a special letter. Do you know what it says? Paul encouraged Timothy not to argue with others, but to be kind to all. Being kind is a way to serve others. He also said that the Bible is God’s Word so we can understand what He’s done for us, and that it will help us be ready to do good things (equips us for every good work).When we serve other people, we are serving God too.