Week 5 - Struggling with Joy

 Objective: The objective of Slap Ball is to score points by slapping a ball from a table into the field and running around all the bases before the fielding team can tag the bases and place the ball into a designated bucket.

 Equipment: Standard kickball diamond with 4 bases (home plate, 1st base, 2nd base, and 3rd base), One standard kickball, A sturdy table at home plate, A 5-gallon bucket placed in front of the table at home plate

 Game Setup: The game is played between two teams: one batting and one fielding. The ball starts on the table at home plate. The bucket is placed on the ground in front of the table, within easy reach for fielders.

 Gameplay:

1. Batting (Slapping the Ball): The first player on the batting team approaches the table at home plate. The player slaps the ball off the table towards the outfield. Immediately after slapping the ball, the player must run the bases in order (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and back to home). To score a point, the runner must make it all the way around the bases and touch the table at home plate before the ball is placed into the bucket by the fielding team.

2. Fielding (Getting Outs): Once the ball is slapped into the field, the fielding team works to retrieve the ball. To get the runner out, the fielding team must tag all three bases (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) in any order and place the ball into the 5-gallon bucket before the runner returns to home plate. Fielders can work together to quickly tag the bases and return the ball to the bucket.

3. Outs and Scoring: If the fielding team successfully places the ball in the bucket (after tagging all bases) before the runner completes their circuit, the runner is out. If the runner touches the table before the ball is placed in the bucket, they score 1 point for their team. Each team is allowed 3 outs before switching sides (or once the entire lineup has had a chance to slap the ball for younger children).

4. Innings: The game continues in innings, with each team alternating between batting and fielding. The number of innings played is determined by the available time, or can be agreed upon before the game begins.

 Additional Rules:

• Foul Ball: If the ball fails to go towards the field either to wide or too short, it is considered a foul, and the batter gets another attempt.

• Overthrows: If the ball is thrown past the bucket, the runner may continue running, but the fielding team must retrieve the ball and place it in the bucket to record an out.

• Safety: No sliding into bases. Runners must avoid collisions with fielders.

• Outfield: fielders must stay out of the path of the bases and stand either behind or in front of bases.

 Winning:

The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. If time is called, the inning in progress is completed and the score is finalized.

This simple, fast-paced game encourages teamwork, speed, and strategy for both runners and fielders!

Visual 1 - Show pictures of things that might make kids happy but that could eventually be broken or lost, like R/C cars, money, a friend, and a football game

There was a man who lived in Africa who worked for Queen Candace. He was an official in charge of all her money and was a really important person. But he wasn’t satisfied with his life. He knew He needed something else to make him really happy. Stuff can make you happy for a little while, friends might make you happy a little longer, but eventually those things might get broken or lost. And this guy wanted the type of happiness that lasts forever. He wanted joy.

Visual 2 - Show a picture of the Temple

So he traveled to Jerusalem where the Jewish people worshipped God. There, he watched as people brought God animals to be killed. He didn’t understand. He bought a scroll of the Bible to help him learn, but he didn’t understand it either. So he started to travel through the desert to get back to his country. On the way, he kept trying to understand his scroll of the Bible.

Visual 3 - Isaiah 53:7 “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep . . . he openeth not his mouth.”

The verses made no sense. Who was the Bible talking about? He had seen sheep killed at the Temple, but nobody was acting like a sheep. Was this something that had happened a long time ago? Why was it important. Then, suddenly someone came up and started to talk to him. He said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

Visual 4 - Show picture of Philip and the Ethiopian in the chariot

The official was so excited! He asked this guy to get up in his chariot with him and help him understand the Bible. So he did! Philip (that was the man’s name) started to tell the official all sorts of things about someone who had just left. His name was Jesus! The Bible said all sorts of things about him. God told Adam and Eve that He would defeat Satan. God told Abraham that He would bless the world. God told Isaiah that He would be killed like a sheep. And then Jesus came and did all of those things! He wasn’t an ordinary man: He was God! And because He said so, He was killed on a cross. But then He came back to life! And anyone who believed would be saved by Him. And then Jesus flew up to heaven and is still there taking care of Christians and waiting to come back for them.

Visual 5 - Show picture of Philip and the Ethiopian in the water

As they were riding along in the chariot, they came to a place where there was some water. The official asked Philip if he could be baptized, since he believed in Jesus! And so Philip took him into the water and baptized him. Baptism shows what happens in your heart when you get saved. Just like Jesus died and came back to life, when you believe on Jesus, He makes your soul come to life so you can know God. You go down (to show that you’re dead to sin) and you come up (to show that you’re alive to God). And when they came up, Philip had disappeared. God took him away to go do other things for Him.

Visual 6 - Acts 8:39 “And when they were come up out of the water . . . he went on his way rejoicing.”

God had changed the official’s life. Now he had joy because Jesus came into his life. So he went back to his country in Africa and told everyone about who Jesus was. He told them that Jesus had died, like a sheep, in their place. He told them that Jesus was still alive and wanted to give them all joy. Many people were saved, and even now there are Christians in Africa because of the message that the official took to them.

Visual 7 - Not friendship, winning, money, or toys; nothing but Jesus can bring me to joy.

Some of you are not happy kids. Some of you think that winning or money or friends or toys can make you happy. But it doesn’t. The money gets spent and it’s gone. Friends might get mad at you. You might lose or get hurt so you can’t play. Your toy might break. The only way for you to have real joy is by believing in Jesus and getting saved.

Sometimes even those who are saved forget that Jesus gives them joy. We look for happiness from other things, and we become angry or sad. We need to remember that we’re saved and Jesus is alive! We need to remember that Jesus loves us and wants us to love Him. When we remember that, we will have joy.