All Age Family Service: Zacchaeus - Before And After Series

All Age Family Service: Zacchaeus - Before and After

Our theme for the year is Discovering Your Destiny and today our topic is Follow Your Dream: More than you could dream or imagine

What is your dream?

What is it that you would like God to do in your life?

Ephesians 3:20 says, “All glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think”

How would your life be transformed if God, by His mighty power, did infinitely more than you might ask or think or imagine or dream?

This morning we are going to be thinking about how Jesus exceeded the expectations of Zacchaeus.

As we start our service this morning I will begin with prayer.

(Prayer)

Ok, it's a family service, so everyone is going to be involved. We are all going to make a joyful noise to the Lord this morning!

== At this point we gave out small noisy instruments to everyone present / tambourines / bells / shakers / bongo drums / etc. ===

Songs:

How Wonderful, How Glorious

God is good we sing and shout it

Our God is a great big God

=====

Many people dream about their lives being changed.

Does anyone enjoy watching “make-over” programmes on television?

Let’s look at some before and after pictures.

There are TV programmes that show the changes that can happen to a garden when a professional gardener works on it.

There are TV programmes that show the changes that can happen to an old house when an interior designer works with builders and decorators.

Other TV programmes show the changes that can happen to people when they spend time with professional make-up artists, personal trainers, or hair stylists.

We can dream of changing our gardens, we can dream of changing our homes, we can even dream of changing the way we look.

Do any of us ever dream about changing our heart?

Can our heart be given a “make-over”?

Can we become more loving, kind and generous?

Zacchaeus was a man who needed a “heart make-over”.

He lived in a place called Jericho and he wasn’t a very nice man at all.

One day Jesus came into town and Zacchaeus’ life was completely changed.

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Scripted Play: 4 Characters - Dave, Shirley, Zacchaeus & Jesus

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Zac: Mmmm….now let me see…. who owes me taxes today?

Ah yes…Mrs Zebedee owes me 2 drachmas. Oh I can’t bear that woman, she’ll probably whine and complain like she did last time I collected her taxes...

(in squeaky voice) “Oh Mr Zacchaeus, I can’t possibly pay you all that money…I have six mouths to feed and my husband is sick”

Don’t these people realise I have to make a living?

Well she can jolly well pay up…that’s what I say…..

and if she has to sell some of her children of into slavery……good riddance from Jericho.

Shirley: Dave, look at that dreadful man Zacchaeus …

There he is again looking at his tax book.

I wonder who his next poor victim is.

I heard that when Pastor Dave had pay his tax bill last week,

to pay all his debt he even had to give his last bar of Chocolate.

You know how Pastor Dave gets when he has no chocolate!

Dave: I don’t think you should call him names Shirley…

really…as musicians we are above that sort of behaviour.

Shirley: But have you not heard all the awful stories about “that man”?

Look at him…he has no heart.

I know he has a job to do….

and very unpopular that makes him….

collecting taxes for Caesar….

but he cheats people.

Dave: How do you know that?

Shirley: Well, when he thinks no-one is looking….

Dave: But of course you are….

Shirley: Oh do try and listen …..well when he thinks no-one is looking…

he slips a few notes under his robe and into a little money belt he wears around his waist. No wonder he can afford to eat at the most expensive restaurants in town….

And do you know what Dave?

Dave: No….

Shirley I heard that his house not only has all the latest gadgets but his camel…

Dave: What about his camel?

Shirley: Well, his camel eats out of a gold-plated bowl.

Dave: How ridiculous.

Shirley. But I suppose in a way you have to feel sorry for the man.

Dave: Changing your tune now are you?

Shirley: From what I have heard people say, he is the most unpopular man in Jericho.

He hasn’t any friends.

In fact no-one can stand him.

He might have the nicest house in town but he must be a very lonely man because he won’t have any visitor at his house.

Oh ….what’s all that noise?