Make an Impression: a Youth Sunday Skit! Characters: (7 actors & 5-6 puppeteers) N1: Straight laced Narrator N2: Goof ball Narrator Ashpenaz: Babylonian Drill Sargent Daniel (aka: Belteshazzar): Confident Hananiah (aka: Shadrach): Uncertain Mishael (aka: Meshach): Sarcastic Azariah (aka: Abednego): Hard headed Mr. Puppet Man: a puppet N1 & N2 enter from opposite ends, and meet center stage, shake hands, and turn to the audience. N1: This is a trustworthy statement, and everyone should accept it. N2: OK, everyone listen up! N1: Be an example to everyone. N2: MAKE AN IMPRESSION N1: Dude, what are you doing? N2: I m adding dramatic emphasis. Trust me, this will work. N1: OK, where was I God calls us to be an example. N2: (in an Arnold voice) To make an impression! N1: OK, this is ridiculous? N2: (in an Arnold voice) I m making an Impression I ll be back N1: No, you re just sounding like an idiot. N2: (in an Arnold voice) but aren t we suppose to make an impression. N1: Yeah, that s not what that means. It means that we are supposed to live as visual impressions of God to others. Like a wax seal, impressed on our hearts. N2: No one uses those anymore unless you re on Pinterest, and I right? N1: (Ignoring N2) God has impressed his love in our hearts, and we are then to impress his love onto others. N2: (Uncertain) Oh, I get it, kind of..
N1: OK, so we are called to make an impression on everyone in what we say. N2: WORD! N1: How you act! N2: Behave! N1: And what you believe! N2: You gotta have faith, faith, faith. N1: See you ve got it. N2: Actually, it might help to see it acted out, you know like on Netflix, but with real people and all. N1: (Grabs the large Bible and goes to where the pulpit usually is. Then opens the Bible, Clears throat, and begins to speak in a British accent) It was during the third year of King Jehoiakim s reign in Judah, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. N2: Nice impression (exits) N1: (in regular voice) Thank! (In British accent) And the Lord gave victory to Nebuchadnezzar. There he took some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God and placed in them in the treasure-house of his Baal. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah standing in a straight line on center state. N1: And he also took the young men of Judah s royal family and other noble families as captives. (N1 Exits) Ashpenaz enters. Ashpenaz: Ten hut! (Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah straighten up). Welcome to the service of his royal highness, King Nebuchadnezzar. His excellency has decreed that you shall from this day forth be suited to serve in the royal palace. Please state your name for the royal record. Daniel: My name is Daniel. Hananiah: I am Hananiah Mishael: I m Mishael, but my friends call me Mishy. Azariah: And I am Azariah, of the tribe of Judah, of the clan of Josiah Ashpenaz: No one cares from now on your will answer to your Babylonian names. (to Hananiah) You will shall be called Shadrach. (to Mishael) You shall be called called Meshach. Mishael: That s not too bad Ashpenaz: SILENCE! You must learn to control your tongue! Mishael: ahh. Yes sir!
Ashpenaz: (to Azariah) Now you are Abednego. Azariah: Really, how is that any easier. (Ashpenaz glares at Azariah, and he quickly shuts up). Ashpenaz: (to Daniel) And finally, you shall be called hmm (he looks at Daniel s belt) Belteshazzar! Azariah: You ve got to be kidding me? (Ashpenaz glares) these names are great! Hananiah: Yeah, so much better than out Jewish names. How do you spell Shadrach again? Ashpenaz: From now you are servants in the royal home of King Nebuchadnezzar. You will be well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment. You must eat the assigned daily ration of food and wine from the king s own kitchen. For the next three years you are under my command, then you will enter the royal service. Ashpenaz exits Daniel: OK guys, I don t think we can do this. Mishael: What do you mean, it s not so bad. I mean, sure we are living in a foreign country, and we have to work for their king, but at least we have a roof over our head, and 3 square meals a day. Things could be a lot worse. Hananiah: Yeah, and things will get a lot worse if we refuse. Azariah: I m with Daniel. There is no way that we can practice our beliefs and be in service to this pagan king. Daniel: I think we might be able to find a way to live out our faith in this foreign land. Maybe God put us here for a reason. As God s people, we are called to live as examples to the nations. Maybe there is a way to do what God wants us to, while making an impression on these Babylonians. Hananiah: I am certain that whatever food they serve us will be unclean. But we can t refuse, or they will put us to death. Azariah: I guess there are some things worth dying for. Mishael: Wait, what? Daniel: I don t think it has to come to death. What if we tell them that it is against our religion to eat this food. Hananiah: I don t think that will go over well. Mishael: What if we give them an alternative, like if we became vegetarians. Daniel: That s brilliant. If we eat only vegetables and water, then I am sure that it won t go against God s law. Azariah: But that means we have to be vegetarians for 3 years I m not sure I can handle that. Hananiah: I think we are gonna have to test run this thing. Daniel: Okay, we ll have them do a 10 day test run, and if it s successful then we will continue for the next three years. Mishael: Sounds like a plan!
N1: (Returns to story reading spot and continues with British accent.) So Daniel and his friends asked for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than those who had been eating the food assigned by the king. God gave these four an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. When the training period was completed the king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. N2 is over by the puppet stage taking to a puppet. N1: Dude, weren t you listening. I was telling that story for your benefit N2: Yeah, yea, it was a great story! They made an impression on the King in what they say because they were not afraid to share what they believe and they put their faith in action by not eating food what would defile them. N1: I guess you were paying attention. N2: Seriously great story, Loved it. But I was over here talking to Mr. Puppet man. Mr. Puppet Man: What s goin my man. N2: I was telling him about our youth Sunday theme, and he was telling about how his band just wrote a song about it. Mr. Puppet man: Yeah, me and my fellow Black eyed puppets were talking about how God wants us to live in a way that shows people his love. And as we do that, we impress the love of God onto people s hearts. N1: I m pretty sure I said that earlier. N2: He was telling me that being a Christian is More than a feeling, it s about making an impression. Mr. Puppet Man: That s a right on. It s more than a feeling, it s how we should me living. N2: That s awesome Mr. Puppet man. You think you guys would be willing to play us a song. Mr. Puppet man! Most certainly. (to the other puppers) Let s do this (the puppets enter). N2: Ladies and gentlemen, The BLACK EYED PUPPETS! Puppet song: I woke up this morning and the sun was out Opened my bible to start my day I found myself in a familiar verse I closed my eyes and began to pray Let s make an impressions, When I m showing God s love everyday act, believe, and what I say
So many chance have come and gone To be an example as the days go by And I still recall as I wander on that God s love shines like the summer sky. Let s make an impression, When I hear that old song they used to play Act, believe, and what I say All the characters from the skit run run on stage playing guitars and rocking out. When the music slows down they put the guitars down and pull our lights, and say to the music. Then pick back up with the guitars when the rocky part starts again. When you re speaking and believing You make an impression everyday. To know, grow, show is the mission So close your eyes and begin to pray You begin to pray. Actors sing with the puppet band the make an impression lines. Let s make an impressions, When I m showing God s love everyday N2: That was awesome. I haven t rocked that hard since the 70 s. N1: That was cool and all, but don t you think its getting a little stale to do Christian parodys of classic rock songs. N2: Nah man, don t be a hater! that s just gonna cement today s theme in everyones mind, which is. Daniel: Make an IMPRESSION Ashpenaz: On Everyone Shadrach: In what you say Meshach: In how you act Abednego: and in what you believe! Everyone: Be Impressed! Puppet band sings final chorus and actors join in
Everyone exits! Let s make an impressions, When I m showing God s love everyday