Under Pressure!

Leader: Today we are talking about how to DEAL WITH...

Mr. Crabbe: (comes up all frantic and hurrying around) What are you doing just standing around? They’re gonna be here any minute! Hurry up! We got too much to do! Hurry it up I tell ya!

Leader: Who’s going to be here, Mr. Crabbe?

Mr. Crabbe: My grandkids! They’re coming to visit. And this place looks like a bomb went off in here. And look at you, you look like you just rolled out of bed! Could your hair be any MORE messed up? You look like a wet poodle who just went through the dryer at the Laundromat! Do something with that hair! They’re gonna get here and we won’t be ready! HURRY! HURRY!

Leader: Mr. Crabbe, I am glad your grandkids are coming, but do you really need to be freaking out like this?

Mr. Crabbe: Well, what do you expect me to do, sit around holding hands and singing “Kumbayah?” I gotta get things ready. I gotta pick up the mess. I gotta (suddenly looks like he slips and flies up in the air screaming) AHHYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAA!

Leader: Mr. Crabbe, are you ok?

Mr. Crabbe: No, I am not OK, and I sure wish the next time you see Silly Willy you can tell him to pick up his cotton picking skateboard when he’s done with it. I nearly sprained my spleen!

Leader: Mr. Crabbe, you sure seem way too stressed.

Mr. Crabbe: Well, of course I am stressed. I have my grandkids coming and the place ain’t ready. What do you expect me to do except run around here like a cross-eyed porcupine? It’s all you can do when you’re as stressed as me.

Leader: Well, actually there is something else you can do.

Mr. Crabbe: What’s that? Run away?

Leader: No. The kids are learning today that when you feel the pressures of life coming down on you and feel all stressed out...the place to go is God’s presence. His peace fills our hearts and he calms our stress.

Mr. Crabbe: Well, I don’t think I have time to pray. I am in a hurry.

Leader: Actually, Mr. Crabbe, you really can’t afford NOT to pray. If you keep going the way you’re going...you might have a heart attack or a nervous breakdown. It’s time to chill out and let God bring His peace into your life.

Mr. Crabbe: (still a bit worked up) Well, OK. I am willing to try. What do I do?

Leader: Just close your eyes...take a deep breath...and let’s pray. “Dear God, I thank You that Your presence is always with us. I thank you that when we feel stressed out, all we have to do is close our eyes and breathe in Your presence. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing. If we close our eyes and just let you come in and fill us with your peace...all the stress just melts away. Help Mr. Crabbe not to be so stressed out. Let his visit with his family be wonderful and not filled with all this stress and pressure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Well, how do you feel now?

Mr. Crabbe: My goodness gracious. I feel so much better. I mean, feel that...my heart’s slowed down and it ain’t beatin’ a hundred miles a minute like a hyperactive jackrabbit. I feel so much more at peace. Thanks for helping me out.

Leader: Oh, it was our pleasure, Mr. Crabbe. Just remember, “If You’re Stressed, Come To God For Rest!”

Mr. Crabbe: I definitely will! Gotta go before my grandkids show up. See ya later, kids!

Leader: Bye, Mr. Crabbe. Kids, when you feel stressed from school, family issues, friends, sports, or whatever...just stop, take a minute to breathe in God’s peace, and watch the stress just melt away.

After the game say, “Kids, sometimes we can feel just like the ball in this game. We feel pushed and blown in a hundred directions because of all the stress and pressure on us. When we feel stressed, we have to come to Jesus and allow Him to fill our lives with peace.

Power Verse Then Jesus said, "Come to me..., and I will give you rest." – Matthew 11:28

Life is hard. There are so many things to do, so many people to please, and so much pressure to “be the best.” Even kids face stress every single day. How many of you have ever felt really stressed out when you are about to take a test? (allow the kids to raise their hands) You wonder if you’re going to make a good grade or if your parents and teachers are going to be pleased with you, huh? How many of you have ever felt stressed when you were playing in a sports game? (allow the kids to raise their hands) You feel like everyone is watching you and if you mess up you are letting your team down. How about when you were about to give a report in front of the class or about to pray in front of a group or about to sing in a contest? (allow the kids to raise their hands)

There’s a lot of things that make us feel stressed out. Just going through life and doing all the things we have to do: school, tests, sports, friends, family, etc. causes us so much stress. Do you know what stress is? It’s that feeling that there is so much to do and so many things going on in your life that you are totally being pressed down and crushed. (pull out the cutting board and the tomato and place them on the table) Pretend this tomato is you. When you are feeling stress, it’s almost as if life is pressing down on you (begin to press the cutting board down on the tomato, making the juice spew out as you crush it) and crushing you. There are so many things to do and so much pressure that you feel like you are being crushed. I want you to watch this video clip about a man who had a VERY stressful time as a child.

Some of you know what he is talking about. You deal with stress all the time at school and at home. What happens when you are stressed? You get angry easier, you complain more, and most of the time you are sooooo tired. There was a woman in the Bible who felt this way, too. Her name was Martha. Martha and her sister, Mary, were having Jesus over for dinner. Jesus was sitting in the living room teaching and spending time with everyone.

Martha was running around the house trying to get everything taken care of: cleaning, cooking, preparing, and stressing out! She was so upset because her sister, Mary, was in the living room with Jesus while Martha was taking care of all the details. Martha was stressed out big-time. She ran into the living room and said to Jesus, “Lord, isn't it so unfair that Mary is in here with you while I am taking care of everything else?” Jesus said something very interesting back to her. He said, “Martha, Mary is exactly where you need to be...with me. Instead of stressing out over all these details, you should be right here with me as well.”

You see, kids, if we try to take care of all the stress of tests, pressures, quizzes, sports, family, and friends all by ourselves we will end up hurting ourselves. (pick up the glass of water and hold it out to your side with your arm straight out) How much do you think this glass of water weighs? (allow the children to guess) Well, the truth is when you hold this simple glass of water for about five minutes, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. But, if you tried to hold it up for an hour, your arm would start to get sore. If you tried to hold it for three hours, you would start to hurt very bad. If you tried to hold it up all day long, we might have to call an ambulance. But, if you set it down for awhile and rest, then come back and pick it up it doesn’t seem so heavy.

If we try to hold up all the stress of life by ourselves, we can do ourselves a lot of harm. So, how do we DEAL WITH IT? We should do what Jesus says in our Power Verse. If you are stressed..

Jesus says that when we are stressed and feel worn down by the pressure and stress of life, come to Him and He will give us rest. He can give us the peace we need to make it through the stress. Just like when you put down the glass of water and come back to it you can carry it so much longer than if you tried to keep going without stopping. Jesus said if we STOP, come to Him, and allow Him to give us rest, we will be able to handle the stress of life so much better. Just watch and see what happened when the man in our video did just that.

So, today, many of you are stressed. You have been feeling like that tomato...crushed. You may feel like Martha...worried about all the things you have to do, what people are thinking about you, and other things. Well, this morning we are going to do exactly what our Power Verse says. We are going to come to Jesus and just sit in His presence and allow His peace to fill our lives.

1. What was today’s Big Idea? Answer: If You’re Stressed, Come To God For Rest!

2. Who was coming to visit Mr. Crabbe? Answer: His grandkids

3. What did Silly Willy leave out that made Mr. Crabbe fall down? Answer: His skateboard

4. What was the woman’s name in the Bible Story who was stressed? Answer: Martha

5. What was Martha’s sister’s name? Answer: Mary

6. Where was Mary while Martha was working on the house? Answer: In the living room with Jesus

7. What did Jesus say Martha should have been doing instead of working? Answer: Spending time with Him

8. If we are stressed, we should come to ______________. Answer: Jesus

9. Can Jesus help us with our stress? Answer: Yes

10. Where was our Power Verse found? Answer: Matthew 11:2