*Making
Friends*
AUTHOR: Craig Ledbetter
PUPPETS: Gerry, and Sally
GOAL: To Make Jesus Your Very Best Friend
Sally: Oh Wow! Wow! Oh Wow! Would you just look at all these potential FRIENDS! Let’s see, if I just have enough, I could make him, and her, and her and him and her, Oh, I could have all these people following me, and liking me, as my NEW FRIENDS.
Gerry: Hi Sally, uh, what are you doing?
Sally: Just a minute Gerry… Let’s see, at 10 euros each, I could buy 10 new friends today!
**Gerry: **Sally?
Sally: Hi Gerry! I am running kind of low on friends lately, and I have started saving my money so I could replace them!
**Gerry: **How do you expect to replace your old friends?
Sally: Easy! Offer each one 10 euros each to like me, and play with me, and do the things I like to do - you know, be my friend!
**Gerry: **Are you kidding me Sally?
Sally: Uh, is that too low a price? Ok, how about 15 euros?
**Gerry: **FIFTEEN Euros!!!?
Sally: Oh, all right - I’ll make it 20, but that’s my final offer!
**Gerry: **Sally! You can’t BUY friends!
Sally: Really? It’s worked all the other times!
**Gerry: **It has?!
Sally: Funny though - every time I ran out of money, they always seemed to disappear. But this time, I have a new job babysitting, so I shouldn’t run out of money.
**Gerry: **Wait just a minute Sally. This is NOT going to work!
Sally: Oh yes it is - at 20 euros a piece, I can afford 5 new friends today! Let’s see, I want the lady with the blue dress, the guy with almost no hair (I think he NEEDS a friend), and the…
**Gerry: **Stop right there Sally! There is better way to get friends - in fact, it is the ONLY way!
Sally: How’s that Gerry? Oh, I know, with a new hair-style - maybe green, huh? What do you think?
**Gerry: **The Bible says, TO SIMPLY BE FRIENDLY! Listen to Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.” To get a friend, you first have to be a friend!
Sally: I don’t understand - you mean, no trading, no boasting, no waving money in people’s faces?
**Gerry: **No Sally! You could have more friends than you can handle if you’d just BE a friend to people!
Sally: BE a friend?
**Gerry: **Look around, and starting finding out what somebody else likes to do, and then do it with them - don’t always expect them to do things only with you!
Sally: Hmmmmm. Sounds rough. I like my idea better. What if I paid 25 euros?
**Gerry: **Tell me again Sally - how many friends do you have today?
Sally: (sighing) None. I guess my way isn’t working. Is there a THIRD option here?
**Gerry: **I’m afraid not Sally. But the Bible has more to say about the friends we choose. You see, the best kind of friends, are those that love Jesus most of all - it is they who will love you, even when you are bold, and selfish, and have no money!
Sally: Wow! I would like a friend like that?
**Gerry: **Jesus died to show you He wants to be your friend, and your Saviour from sin. He loves you.
Sally: I know He does Gerry! I asked Jesus to save me a few years back, but I never thought of Him wanting to be my friend! Wow! I already have a friend - one that loves me more than anything!
**Gerry: **That He does Sally! And because of Jesus, you can have a lot of new friends! Real friends!
Sally: You’re my friend too Gerry, aren’t you? And you never cost me anything!
**Gerry: **Well, you WERE supposed to buy me that ice cream last week, remember!?
Sally: Wait a minute! It was YOU who was supposed to buy the ice cream!
**Gerry: **I know! Just kidding - how about you and me going and getting that ice cream right now!
Sally: Ok - and tell you what! After that, I want to play what ever YOU want to play! Thanks Gerry!
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church
Blarney, Co. Cork
Mallow, Co. Cork