The Fruits of the Spirit Part 1: Love
Props: Bandage for Duke's eye.(Begin with Duke on stage by himself. He has a patch on his eye.)
Duke: Dude! What was I thinking. Oh, my achin' head.
Robbie: (Enters.) Hey Duke! How are you doing? Ooh, that's quite a black eye you've got there. What happened?
Duke: (Way more subdued and humble than usual.) Oh, hey Rob. Dude, it is a long, long story.
Robbie: Well, I'm not going anywhere so go ahead and tell me.
Duke: Well, ok... since you insist. You know how in the Bible there's that part about the fruits of the spirit?
Robbie: Sure, that's in Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 and 23! There are nine of 'em. The Fruits of the Spirit.
Duke: Yeah, well I think my fruit is rotten. At least so far I'm not doing too good at growing fruit if you catch my drift.
Robbie: What are you trying to say Duke? Start from the beginning.
Duke: (Proudly) "In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth!" (pauses) Genesis 1:1
Robbie: No, no no. Start from the beginning of how you got the black eye.
Duke: Oh. That. Well, there I was, ok? Readin' the Bible about the fruit of the spirit. It listed em all out. There was love and joy and peace and patience and all the rest. So I figured I would try to show a different one to my friends each day.
Robbie: Well, that sounds like a great idea Duke. How could that give you a black eye?
Duke: Well, the first fruit of the spirit was like, LOVE. So I went to school and I said to myself "Duke! You need to show some love to the first person you see today!" So I did. The first person I saw at school was Lori "The Bruiser" Bruncatchio.
Robbie: The only girl allowed to play on the boy's football team?
Duke: Because she is bigger than all of the boys put together! Yep that's the one.
Robbie: Uh-oh.
Duke: Ch-Yah! It took all my courage but I says "Here goes nothin'!" and I puckered up and kissed her on the cheek.
Robbie: Kissed her? What for?
Duke: Isn't that what love is? Kissing and hugging and being mushy?
Robbie: Well, not really. What happened after you kissed her.
Duke: Isn't it obvious, Sherlock? She decked me! She punched me out! Dotted my 'I'! Cleaned my clock!
Robbie: She hit you?
Duke: Yeah buddy. That's the last time I try to show love to someone.
Robbie: Duke, Duke, Duke.
Duke: What, what, what?
Robbie: Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke.
Duke: What, what, what, what, what?
Robbie: Duke, Duke, Duke...
Duke: WHAT?!!!!
Robbie: Sorry. It's just that I think you might have misunderstood what the Bible was saying about love. Love is a fruit of the spirit but sometimes people get confused about what love really is. On TV, it seems like love is always some man and woman kissing. But love the way God means it is really different.
Duke: Oh, yeah? How is it different?
Robbie: Well, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is Patient, Kind, not proud or rude, that it always forgives and never gives up. It says that love never brags or puts others down. It says that the greatest love is shown when someone puts their life on the line for their friend.
Duke: Whoah. I didn't hear anything about kissing or hugging Lori the Bruiser in any of that stuff you said!
Robbie: Nope. Love is a lot of things and God had lots to say about it in His book the Bible. But the most important verse about love is John 3:16. You know that one, Duke?
Duke: Yep, I do. But I want to know if any of the kids know it. Do any of you know John 3:16? (If so, have them say it with Duke. If not, have him say it himself) It goes "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life. God so LOVED! I get it. It's not about being mushy. It's about doing things for others and expecting nothing in return.
Robbie: You got it Duke.
Duke: Cool! Well, I gotta go.
Robbie: Where you going?
Duke: To apologize to Lori and see if she needs help with her math homework. She is good at football but has a hard time with math. Dude, I totally rock at math.
Robbie: That's the spirit Duke!
Duke: Nope. That's a fruit of the Spirit!
THE END