VBS Scripture:

Theme:

This year, VBS will take kids on intriguing missions through the vibrant streets of London and throughout the colorful British Isles. While on special assignment, sleuths (formerly known as kids) will be led by inspectors (also known as adults) to find and investigate clues that will help them discover how to live with Christian character. Cases, codes, and clues will lead kids to learn how to live with compassion and kindness, humility and gentleness, patience and endurance, forgiveness, and love. As kids work through real-life cases, they will uncover the fact that to live with Christian character requires having Jesus as one's Savior and Lord. The weeklong caper will be an exciting escapade that will motivate people of all ages to know Christ, accept Him as Savior and Lord, and live with Christian character in God's Kingdom family.

VBS? I hadn't thought of Vacation Bible School since I was a kid. "And what's all this talk about character?" I said to myself. As I stepped from the phone booth and started to cross the street, a black taxi swerved to the curb and squealed to a stop. "Hey, Mate!" the taxi driver called to me. Expecting trouble, I stepped back from the curb. "This is for you," he said as he thrust an envelope out the window. The envelope was like the one I found in my office. I took it, ripped it open, read it, and jumped into the cab shouting instructions to the driver as we sped away. The driver had no explanation for the stranger who had given him the envelope. So when we reached my destination I leapt from the cab, paid the driver, and stood looking at the Marble Arch. The last message had told me to find a third envelope in the basket of a bicycle near the Marble Arch. But where? In London, looking for an envelope in a bicycle basket would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Looking across to Hyde Park I saw a row of at least 50 bicycles. "No time like the present," I said to myself as I started toward the bicycles. Moments later I had angered several bicyclists, had found the third envelope, and was reading the message it contained.

CHRISTIANCHARACTERISWITHINYOURREACH.
THISISTHEMOTTOWEWILLTEACH.DISCOVERIT!BELIEVEIT!LIVEIT!

I used my pen to draw lines between the words of the message. I had barely finished reading the message when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to face a Bobbie in his full police uniform. "Are you the man who has been looking through bicycle baskets?" he asked. "Yes," I managed to answer. "Then your next stop is the north-facing lion in Trafalgar's Square." Before I could ask a question, the Bobbie had sprinted into the street, blowing his whistle, and waving his arms to direct traffic. I took the Underground from Marble Court Station to Charing Cross Station. I sprinted up the escalator and out to street level, then across to Trafalgar's Square. As usual the square was full of tourists, picnickers, uniformed students on field trips, and pigeons. The fountains surrounding the monument were shooting water high into the air as I examined the four huge, brass lion statues standing at corners of the monument. Children climbed up the high walls to get to the lions, and here and there tourists stood below the lions to have their pictures taken. I felt ridiculous climbing up onto the monument, not to mention sticking my arm into the mouth of the lion! But I did it anyway, reaching deep inside but feeling nothing. A wave of disappointment swept over me. Then, standing on my toes, I thrust my arm as far as I could into the statue. My fingertips touched on a cardboard tube which I grasped and pulled out. Sitting between the feet of the lion statue, I opened the tube and pulled out the pages it contained. Each page was type written, but in reverse. I held each page backward and up to the light so I could read it. I read and reread the pages, trying to digest the information they contained

Day 1 File 001: The Case of the Unwavering Widow Bible Story Title: Ruth Shows Compassion and Kindness Background Passage: Ruth 1—2 Life Application Statement: Because God enables believers to develop Christian character, I can show compassion and kindness to others. Memory Verse: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Day 2 File 002: The Case of the Crucial Choice Bible Story Title: Abram Shows Humility and Gentleness Background Passage: Genesis 13 Life Application Statement: Because God enables believers to develop Christian character, I can show humility and gentleness to others. Memory Verse: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

Day 3 File 003: The Case of the Stolen Wells Bible Story Title: Isaac Shows Patience and Endurance Background Passage: Genesis 26:12-33 Life Application Statement: Because God enables believers to develop Christian character, I can show patience and endurance. Memory Verse: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

Day 4 File 004: The Case of the Missing Body Bible Story Title: Jesus Provides Forgiveness Background Passage: John 19:17—20:18 (Babies—Pre-K will study John 21:1-13) Life Application Statement: Because God enables believers to develop Christian character, I can accept Jesus as my Savior and Lord and show forgiveness to others. Memory Verse: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Day 5 File 005: The Case of the Runaway Servant Bible Story Title: Paul Encourages Philemon to Show Love Background Passage: Philemon Life Application Statement: Because God enables believers to develop Christian character, I can show love to others. Memory Verse: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35 (NIV)

Several hours passed before I was able to put the pages down. By now Trafalgar's Square was nearly empty and rush hour traffic filled the surrounding streets. I mulled over all that had happened and reviewed what I had learned. A Vacation Bible School adventure was about to unfold for boys and girls, teenagers, and men and women. The adventure was going to be steeped in mystery and suspense requiring kids of all ages to become sleuths uncovering the truth about Christian character. And the whole adventure would be set in the United Kingdom. The one mystery I couldn't solve was why. Why bother with such an adventure? Why care about living with Christian character? Why a week of Vacation Bible School? I climbed down from the monument just as the chimes of a nearby church started to ring. As I walked out of Trafalgar's Square I passed a street musician sitting on a bench playing his guitar. As I walked by I heard his voice mixed with the chimes from the church: He sang, "The chimes they ring for thee. A book within contains the answer you see." I was down the block before the words registered in my brain. I looked at the church in front of me, then back at the musician. He nodded in my direction and I turned and ran to the church. Once inside the dark, cool church I made my way to the front of the sanctuary where the light from the stained glass windows seemed to converge. On a table sat a Bible and next to it a piece of paper on which was written another code—COL31214. I turned through the pages until I found the passage to which the code referred. I read it aloud, my voice echoing in the growing darkness. . .

Therefore as God, chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

"Virtues and Christian character. That's what it's all about," I said aloud. The why of this Vacation Bible School adventure was now obvious to me. People needed to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but they also needed to live in a way that reflected the character of Christ. "I suppose this case is closed," I thought to myself. "Or maybe it's just beginning."

(Article by Rob Sanders. Taken from the February 2003 issue of The Sunday School Leader.)


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