Ropin' with Jesus

Lessons are taken from the relationship of the cowboy with his horse. Our purpose as Christians is to work as a team with Jesus for the furtherance of His kingdom. The purpose of the cowboy is to team up with his horse in order to get work done (eg., rounding up, branding, bringing in strays). If the horse is disobedient, the cowboy will put him aside and use another horse. If we are disobedient to God, He will choose someone else to work with Him, and we will lose blessings.

There are many parallels used to illustrate the Christian life. Here is a few:

• the horse being properly shod to prevent lameness. The horse's shoes are like the Holy Spirit, enabling a walk without stumbling
• the girth and the breastplate are also like the Holy Spirit: they keep us straight and upright in the saddle, preventing slipping!
• the reins and bit are used to steer the horse, as God steers us through the path of our lives. Using the horse's bridle, children are also encouraged to "bridle their tongues" (James 3:1-12), and be careful what they say, because words can sometimes hurt, and cannot be "unsaid".

We can teach about other articles, such as saddlebags, spurs, canteen, hat, and chaps, as time allows.

We have special songs that are biblical and convey a message about living the Christian life and sharing the Gospel. For the week long VBS, we can consult with your church's music leaders about actually teaching the children to sing them. During past Vacation Bible Schools the children have been singing along by midweek, and are ready to sing them for parents and visitors on Finale Day!

An optional activity is the creation of "Wanted" posters. This requires some adults to pose for a photograph, and that photograph is made into a wanted poster. These are given out to the children during registration, with instructions to look for the "bandit". When they recognize their "bandit", they may approach them and have them mark their poster. The poster may then be shown at the Sherriff's office, and the child will receive a deputy's badge. They can keep the poster as a souvenir.

Four skits convey the Ropin' with Jesus messages:

• The Courtroom - a basic Gospel message is given by a man who wants to forgive a group of thieves who robbed and beat him.
• The Gospel - a bounty hunter loses his prisoner because he is set free by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The children are encouraged to lead the bounty hunter to salvation.
• Hiring Hands for Roping - There's news that a pack of bandits is headed to town, and the Sheriff (whose deputy isn't too smart) hires the children from the audience to help him. The "bandits" are the adults who were on the wanted posters, and the deputies are those children who have a deputy badge. The children rope them in, and give them the message of salvation. Children learn that Jesus will save the worst of sinners.
• The Fallout - two cowboys, unable to get along, have a shootout, but their shootin' ain't too good. Gives a visual of the effect that sqabbling and not getting along has on others.

Children love to try and rope the calf's head! This is a

good opportunity for workers to chat with children about

some possible friends they can invite to Vacation Bible School,

and some people in their lives that they can pray for.

These games give the children the opportunity to move around and "get the kinks out"!