Evan Almighty

Amazingly, we finished piano practice today - and Madison is getting much better.  And Daddy has to keep practicing to keep up with her too.  As a reward, Stitch had her latest Disney Infinity power disc, a surfboard, upstairs.  He was holding on to it, actually, and Madison was itching to do a bit of surfing before too long.

She did have to take a bath though - Mommy was firm on this point.  So we squeezed that in, followed by dinner - and then the main event for the evening:  "Evan Almighty."

We wrapped up our "Noah at Home" series tonight - Daddy has been reading several different Noah's Ark books to her, with different tones and takes on the big event.  Tonight's version was fun for Madison, who had never seen it before.  Daddy used clips from this movie last Wednesday night, so he had previewed it back then.  Madison, Mommy and Daddy shared a big tub of popcorn and saw a slightly unusual version of the story from Genesis.  Needless to say, Madison was highly amused by all the pratfalls and missed hammer strikes.  And the animals too!  This was one thing that sort of spoke to Daddy with the movie:  alpacas.  He had been looking for an unusual animal to show off on stage this upcoming Wednesday for part two of the "Don't Miss the Boat" series about Noah's Ark.  It was Sunday night that a thought came to mind:  we know someone who has alpacas.  Well, it turns out that alpacas actually have a bit of a spotlight in the movie a few points:

This was somewhat of a confirmation.  Sure enough, our friend is going to bring at least one alpaca to service with us on Wednesday night for the next part.  And... it's her birthday too.  She's excited to show off her "pets," and we're excited to show the kids a pretty unique creation.

It was time for bed after the movie, but it didn't look like it outside.  Madison thought she had more time, but blame it all on Daylight Savings Time.  Early to bed, early to rise.  And man, that "early to rise" bit has been brutal.  Can't wait to adjust to that - it feels like jet lag.  We were all crawling out of bed this morning - Madison was making jokes about how slow she was getting out of bed.  But you know something?  She's never really cranky like we adults can get, that's for sure.  She's a good morning person, actually.  Obviously, when there's an extreme situation and she doesn't get enough sleep, there can be problems - but that's extremely rare, and who can blame her?

So off to bed she went after another full day.  Mommy and Daddy watched some of the new Clone Wars cartoons that came out this weekend, but we were ready for bed pretty early too.  Again, Daylight Savings Time:  brutal!

One more thing before I go:  the "transcript" of the message I did last Wednesday with the kids - part one of "Don't Miss the Boat."

G'night!

KidPak Adventures:  Don’t Miss the Boat!
It’s All Part of the Plan

HOST:  “Hey there!  In just a few weeks, there’s a movie coming out that a lot of folks are talking about – it’s called ‘Noah.”

CUE SLIDE:  “NOAH”

HOST:  “A lot of people are excited about going to see it, and of course with any Bible movie there’s a lot of controversy:  will it be accurate?  Will it tell the Bible story the right way?”

CUE SLIDE:  “DMTB”

HOST:  “We’ll find out soon enough, of course.  But while everyone is talking about Noah, we thought we’d join in and spend the next few Wednesday nights looking back at this amazing story from the Bible.”

HOST: “ Some time ago, my wife suggested doing an entire series dedicated to the story of Noah.  To be honest, I didn’t think there’d be that much to talk about – I mean, there’s the storm, the animals, the big boat, the rainbow… and that’s it, right?”

HOST: “Not at all.  In fact, the more we looked into the story of Noah, the more we realized how rich the story was.  We actually found some incredible things to learn from Noah and his ark.  And tonight, we’ll take a look at just three important truths from that story.  And to help illustrate this, tonight we’ll look at a pretty funny movie.  Anyone ever seen ‘Evan Almighty?’”

CUE SLIDE:  “EVAN ALMIGHTY” 

HOST:  “This is a great story about a modern day guy named Evan.  Everything is going fine for him with his new job as a Congressman in Congress.  That is, until he starts getting the feeling that God wants him to build an ark.  Let’s take a look!”

CUE VIDEO CLIP 1: Genesis 6:14 Scene:  13:59 – 15:47

CUE SLIDE:  “GOPHER WOOD” 

HOST:  “Oh boy.  It’s a good thing he had a Bible there with the family.  Just last night he was praying to change the world, and all of the sudden there’s this crazy delivery.  What’s going on?  God is providing him with something, that’s what.  But all that wood is not the only thing coming.”

CUE VIDEO CLIP 2: Animals are coming!  29:26 – 30:43)

CUE SLIDE:  “Animals” 

HOST:  “So here they come, two by two.  It’s a crazy thing to see happening in this movie, but get this:  it happened in real life!  Just imagine Noah’s expression when all those animals started coming from all over, walking up to him, two by two.”

CUE SLIDE:  “DMTB”

HOST: “At first, it was probably pretty odd to see.  But then it was probably a pretty good hint that yes, you’re supposed to build an ark.  Sometimes we need that little push in the right direction to help our faith.  I’m the kind of guy who gets these all the time – I need it, because God sometimes has to hit me over the head before I move.”

HOST:  “But move Noah did.  And in the movie, Evan moves too.  And he sets out to build himself an ark.  Let’s see how it starts out!”

CUE VIDEO CLIP 3: Build Your Boat  38:21 – 39:55

CUE SLIDE:  “Three Sons” 

HOST: “So things are a little rough around the edges at first.  But in this video we can see some other things that God gave Evan – and Noah, for that matter.  How many people do you see in this picture?”

Let audience answer.

HOST: “Did you know that Noah had three sons just before he was told to build an ark?  Noah didn’t have to go it alone – he had help.  And not only did God give Noah help, He also gave Noah plenty of time to build that big boat.  It was a big task, but God gave him all he needed.  This tells us something big, our first point:”

CUE SLIDE: “Where God guides, He provides.”

HOST:  “Where God guides, He provides.  He will never send you into something without back-up.  Let me read this scripture to you.”

CUE SLIDE: “ Phillippians 4:19”

HOST:  “My God will meet all your needs.  He will meet them in keeping with His wonderful riches that come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.”

CUE SLIDE:  DMTB

HOST: “ What an incredible promise.  And God said it, so you know it’s true.  I’ve been working at KidPak for ten years now, and every single time He has always been faithful.”

HOST: “Let me give you a funny story about how I met my wife.  It was here at the church, and I had heard about this class they were having at the Bible College here.  I didn’t want to take it.”

HOST: “ But I heard a still, small voice that said, “Take that class.”

HOST:  “I ignored it.  Wednesday morning, I’m having a conversation with an old friend I know about Chaco Tacos.  We were sort of talking about how strange the idea is, and yet both wanting one.”

HOST: “I got off the computer and met up with my dad a little later.  Out of nowhere, he gives me a check for some money.  He just felt led to give me some money, and I was like, “COOL!”  Because I was broke at the time, right?”

HOST: “Well, he gave me seventy-five dollars.  And I was thinking – time to party!  But later on that day, we went to church.  And someone asked me if I was going to that class.  And I was like no.  And the inner voice was like, “YES.” 

HOST: “ Guess how much that class was?  Seventy-five dollars.”

HOST:  “The class God wants me to take is seventy-five dollars, and that day someone gives me seventy-five dollars.  No!  I don’t want to take this class.  It’s stupid!”

HOST: “ And that’s when this guy at church tells me – well, you can go out and spend it all on Chaco Tacos, right?”

HOST:  “And I just stared at him.  Was he bugging my phone that morning?  Who even talks about Chaco Tacos anymore?  What’s going on?”

HOST:  “Yes, I took the stupid class.  And I did learn a little, so it wasn’t that bad.  But here’s the thing:  my wife was in that class.  That’s where I met her for the first time.”

HOST:  “It was all a set-up, and you know something?  God provided for me.  He guided me – and in most cases my life, I need a good strong push.  But He used my dad to provide the money to go, and suddenly I was going down my road of destiny.”

HOST:  “Now it isn’t always easy.  And anyone who has ever seen a movie about Noah knows this.  You can imagine people were laughing at him, making fun of him.  Especially if he said he heard from God.  Who does that anymore?”

HOST: “Well, something similar happens to Evan.  Let’s take a look.”

CUE VIDEO CLIP 4:  God Told Me 52:53 – 56:05

CUE SLIDE:  “Evan dragged off”

HOST:  “He talks to God.  And God talks back.  And there it is, the world looking at you like you’re crazy when you say you pray.  Or maybe people are looking at you funny when you say the blessing at the table at lunch.  Of course, they’re all wondering why your fasting – what sense does that make?  Or look, you’re not going to watch that funny movie that everyone is talking about.  Or you don’t want to hear that rap song with all that language.  Do you know how weird you look?”

CUE SLIDE:  “DMTB”

HOST:  “Noah felt the same way.   Seriously, God told you to build a giant boat because there is going to be a huge flood?  If I started to do that today, would anyone believe me?  Of course, no one probably believed Noah either.”

HOST:  “This is what we need to remember, our next point.”

CUE SLIDE: “ It’s all part of the plan.”

HOST:  “Hard times and hard choices are coming to all of us.  But we must remember that it is all part of a plan – one that we sometimes don’t understand.  Okay, it’s one that we frequently don’t understand.  But it’s a plan – and it’s God’s plan.  Look at this scripture here.”

CUE SLIDE:  “ROMANS 8:28”

HOST: “ We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.  He appointed them to be saved in keeping with His purpose.”

CUE SLIDE: “ DMTB”

HOST: “God is looking down on us, just like He looked down on Noah.  Just like He saw Daniel stand up to temptation.  Just like He saw the three Hebrew boys threatened with getting thrown into the fire.  And just like He’s looking at you when temptation comes.   Life seems tough at times, but it helps to know He’s there with us, and working it all out for our good in the end.”

HOST:  “It’s a good thing Noah didn’t give up.  And it’s a good thing Evan didn’t give up either.  Let’s see him finishing that boat.”

CUE VIDEO CLIP 5:  Building an Ark 1:04:15 – 1:07:19

CUE SLIDE:  “Building an Ark”

HOST:  “We’re not building an ark like they are.  But people do scratch their heads and wonder about us Christians sometimes, don’t they?  Some point and laugh, while others just don’t understand.  But Evan’s job was to tell them, and to show them. “

CUE SLIDE:  “DMTB”

HOST: “ That’s our job too:  to show as many as we can that eternity is coming.  That ark was made to save people from destruction, and Evan looked pretty funny building that big boat.   In fact, it didn’t rain that much at all.  But something big was about to happen, and Evan was about to get the last laugh. “

CUE VIDEO CLIP 6:  Building an Ark 1:17:33 – 1:20:38 

CUE SLIDE:  “EVAN’S ARK”

HOST:  “It turns out that Evan was right.  He knew what to do because he spoke to God, and God spoke to Him.  That’s why he knew what to do, and why he had to seek higher ground.  And because of his actions, countless others were saved.   This is our final point.”

CUE SLIDE: “ Seek Higher Ground”

HOST:  “Seek higher ground.  That basically mean, you are above sin.  Don’t lower yourself to do something you know you’re not supposed to.  Look at Paul’s advice in the book of 1 Timothy.”

CUE SLIDE:  “1 Timothy 6:11”

HOST:  “But you are a man of God.  Run away from all of those things.  Try hard to do what is right and godly.  Have faith, love and gentleness.  Hold on to what you believe.”

CUE SLIDE: “ DMTB”

HOST: “In our Bibles, Noah didn't lower himself.  He didn’t give up.  And he didn’t just fall in with the rest of the world, and become like the others on earth.  It's a good thing, too.  That's what kept him above the flood when it came.  It's a sinking feeling, falling into temptation!”

HOST:  “But Noah talked with God.  And God talked with Noah.  And God talks to us when we pray to Him.  And He can help us stay above it all.”

HOST:  “When we can do that, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble – and save others too.”

HOST: “ Let us pray.”