The Show

Every script is the same.

Redundant, brother, you have got to know it's all been done before Ever show is the same.

All it changes the name.

Brother, just accept the truth.

There is nothing left that's new.

It's all been done before, my friend.

It's all been done before.

There'll never be another.

There will never be another.

There will never be another show.

Tell me a show idea, I'll tell you what show it's from.

Wait, I got it.

We could do a show about a woman who's in love with a good man, but secretly loves a bad man.

The phantom of me I'm from.

It's all been done before my friend.

Okay, what about a show where a con man moves to a small town, falls in love, then changes his way.

What about a prequel to a famous show?

We can a French war musical where they sing the whole show.

Something grotesque.

Something burlesque.

Chicago.

What if we did a show where the lead role is an animal?

Pats, war horse, lion king, and every musical adaptation Disney's ever done.

It's all been done to be for my friend.

Hello, ladies! If you're done with the choreography, then I guess you have a new show for me.

Oh, yes, sir.

We have the big one you've been waiting for.

Tell him.

Well, it's a concept is more of a um, I think it's more of a bookstart.

No, it's Oh, have some guts and spell it!

It's a show about how every great show has been done before.

You're telling me this great new idea for a show is to do a show about how there's no great new ideas for a show!

That's it! That's it! We have raised the bottom of the landfill! We have jumped through the draft! Dragged around by some piece of god! Wake up, cycle!

Can't anyone think of something original?

I want something big, epic! I want to produce the greatest show on earth with a tour and act on Mars.

I want it to be called the greatest story of its home, the show to end all shows, not a bunch of regurgitated, has-bit, unprofitable scenes in a box! I want a living, breathing, infectious, Tony Award-winning prints our own million dollar bills each week! Ultra mega certified classic script made of pure gold.

What is this?

I don't know, sir.

Who wrote that one?

Who's just that?

The story of God.

This is it!

Mr.

Producer, sir.

You see, this has been done before.

Well, there's been lots of shows about God.

Jesus Christ, superstar, truthable, God spell.

Oh, but not like this one.

Oh see, this one will be entertaining.

I've seen those Christian shows, and there's lots of room for improvement.

Those religious nuts are dying for entertainment, and that's just what we're gonna give them.

A show about what they believe with a few modifications, and it's big and beautiful, and with actors and a director who would actually be hired by secular companies, people who have real talent.

But even still, why would you want to do a show as politically incorrect or controversial as a show about God?

Why?

He wants to know why.

One word, money.

When I was a child, my papa told me Why is the road that leads the poverty?

He said, if you want to get other people's monies, yes, and we must appeal to their religiousness.

Religion.

Religiosity, sir.

I know Religiosity.

I'm gonna bring God's piggy bank get some deliverance Oh that's divine is gonna boost my bottom line I'm cashing in on the great eye Want to be bigger than a show about God This has never been done before Why didn't we think of this before?

Oh, this has never been done before Want to be bigger than a show about God, this has never been done before.

Never mind.

Excuse me.

No.

No, no, he actually said, I want to reach in and steal the money right out of every Christian's pocket.

I just I know I just I don't know.

I I'm just concerned.

Okay, okay, no, you're right.

You're right.

I will keep an open mind.

Oh, I think he's coming.

I know, honey.

Yes, yes, I will.

Okay, okay, bye, honey.

Bye, honey.

Hi, uh, hi there.

I'm John Bishop.

No, no, no, no, just fucking.

I want to make money.

Just trust me, because no one else has got the gun to do what's wrong with that.

Okay.

Hi there.

I'm John Bishop.

I'm the playwright.

We talked on the phone yesterday.

Yes, there's the genius.

So listen, um, yeah, you know, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot when we was on the phone earlier, and I just want to set things straight.

I'm so glad to hear you say that.

I was thinking maybe there was a.

I didn't think you would really mean that you'd be.

Oh, I want to steal the money from people of all faiths.

There's lots of room for improvement! I'm learning to watch my mouth these days, you know, now that people are so sensitive about religion.

Yeah, yeah.

Certainly would not be similar.

Look, I don't know if this is really the best.

Is that is that Davis Westcott?

Here they are! The Dream Team! The A-list! The Twinklin starlights of our Broadway's Night Sky! This it better be worth it.

I'm here, don't ask for more.

Right.

Well, listen, I wanna thank you all for agreeing to do this show on such short notice, and I'd like to introduce you to Josh.

It's John, like I said, Johnny, he wrote the show.

Nice to meet you.

Can we get started, please?

My daughters are gonna flip.

They're never gonna believe that I got to meet Lala.

It's pronounced Layla, not Lala!

Oh, it's spelled L-A-L-A.

There's no Y in the middle.

And I don't need a Y.

Oh, sorry.

Uh I guess I'm a little out of the current.

So, uh, if you don't mind me asking, why would you want to do this show?

Why wouldn't I want to do this show?

Do you think I'm not holy enough or something?

No, what I mean to say, darling, is why would a person of your reputation, especially your recently well documented uh reputation?

Why would you want to do a religious show?

Well, darling.

Girls just wanna have fun, right?

Save that for the tabloid, sweetheart.

Okay, fine.

My tour just got cancelled.

The sponsors pulled out.

They didn't think that my image was marketable enough to my target audience anymore.

I guess my lifestyle finally scared off the soccer mom.

You think doing this is okay.

Doing this always gonna help your image.

My publicist said the only way that I could repair my damaged reputation is if I act like a saint for a year.

So I'm going to act like a saint.

I'm going to act like a saint in this show.

No, no.

I'm surrounded by people.

Well, who did I cue?

Mr.

Westcott.

Can I just say it is an audience?

Mr.

Westcott was my uncle and a terrible one of that.

You can call me Davis.

Well then, Davis?

Might I ask why you would be willing to do a show like this one?

You're a really big deal director.

You must have tons of opportunities.

You're right.

I do.

No, but even the peasants get to see the king when there's a rural parade, right?

I'm not sure I get that reference.

Do you have any real theater experience?

For real?

I'm just a high school history teacher who's always dreamed of being a part of a big Broadway show.

That's all.

That's really cute.

John, look.

The story of God is how do I put it nicely?

It's boring.

But with my directing, it shall be spectacular.

Don't worry.

Oh.

That would be fantastic.

I was thinking if you could change.

Don't do that.

Leave all the thinking to me from now on, alright?

What I want to bring to the story is a bit broader, more open-minded view of God.

Tell the story the way the culture wants to hear it.

America has changed.

God must change with them.

Just imagine it, John.

People pleasing God.

Wow.

Uh people pleasing God.

Huh?

Um I'm scared to ask.

What exactly are your religious beliefs?

Oh, that's easy.

I don't have any.

We're all just evolved apes.

Get over it.

Yeah, you know, let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

I think all Johnny was asking is what's your um worldview?

Yeah, underscore, please! I've got a monetary worldview.

I don't believe what you do.

I believe we still can get along.

Monetary worldview.

It's better than your worldview.

I think you think I know you know you're wrong.

I call it a financial-based religion.

The doctrine I believe is rather bull.

I take some words.

That's not a bell.

Put it in God.

You got goooo.

I got an atheistic worldview.

I don't believe what you do.

I believe what you believe is wrong.

An atheistic worldview, I don't believe you voodoo.

I'll just do not prove that you are wrong.

Got you and I just took your fear.

Make no mistake, there's no god out there.

All we have is all this tea.

I've got a universal world.

I could believe what you do.

I believe we almost get it wrong.

Universal world.

Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, the Rogers, past the lead of the same guide.

Open your mind to a good fee.

Raise yourself and push off from the shore.

All that surrounds us is telling us that so much more.

Beautiful.

Great everyone.

Carry on, carry on.

Would you excuse me for a second?

Please.

How am I supposed to do a a story about you with these um people?

I mean what's my what are my friends gonna think?

My family?

My family.

I'm never gonna hear the end of this.

I mean, you know how religiously judgmental they can be.

I mean, they're from Texas.

Just tell me what to do.

How can I do this?

I don't think I can.

If you mix oil and water, don't they just separate again?

So many you have said before it faced.

It's harder to mass.

I just need to know, is this your will?

So I do is use I hear logic say and play it safe.

Just say I'm sorry, I must go, but in my heart I know that fate is safe.

Let's get on with the show.

Yeah.

Okay, so we're doing this in faith and obeying what your word says, that the most important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, that Christ is preached.

So I pray that you would give me the strength to present your message through this show.

That's it.

The message.

Thank you.

Everything okay?

Yes, yes, I'm I'm fine.

Before we continue, I'd like to set a ground rule for this show.

Seems fair enough.

It depends.

What is it?

No matter how much liberty you may want to take in telling the story, we will be true to the message.

The message?

What message?

Good go to heaven, bad go to hell.

The message is it's more important than the story.

Even as a history teacher, I can't ignore that all of the events and the historical stories in the Bible, they're they're just the backdrop to the real plot.

You got my attention at least.

So enlighten us, what is this message?

The message is God is sending us a message.

That's the message?

You sound like one of my writers.

The message of God is more important than the story of God.

In the message of God in the story of God, yes.

God is sending us a message.

That can play really well, actually.

No, you're crazy.

And so is anyone who believes in God.

Listen, you can play this however you want.

Just make sure they have the lights focused on me.

Okay, can we just quit focusing on who plays what role and get on with it already?

Time is money, and so far there's lots of room for improvement.

He's right, let's get this started.

Alright, act one, scene one.

We begin with the the Oh, this is my favorite part.

Picture this.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was void and formless.

This story was dull and pointless.

Good dreadful.

I agree.

Look.

We've got to start things off with a smaller bang.

Right from the top, we just need to start it off with something smaller and way less expensive.

Maybe you could think a little bigger, like the Big Bang! Okay, I thought you didn't want us messing with the message, and Christians don't believe in the Big Bang.

Actually, it was a priest named George Lemaitre who first proposed the Big Bang Theory in 1931 to prove creationism.

So the Big Bang Theory actually supports the biblical record of creation.

What?

It doesn't make it true.

Wait a minute, this is important, okay?

I am not saying that the Big Bang is how the universe started, but we all know that something started it.

Well, this is the message in scene one.

God created us.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

We we need to skip right over the whole creation thing.

It's way too expensive.

Let's get right to the good stuff.

And what good stuff, oh producer, my producer, would you be referring to exactly?

This is my favorite part.

Alone and free in nature.

Okay, get in costume.

Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

It's just what?

Thank you.

Your Bible says they were naked.

This is real theater.

I don't care.

I don't.

We'll just hold that, please.

We'll just use our imaginations.

Actually, let's not do that.

Can we just skip this part?

Yeah, sure, why not?

Skip creation, skip the first love scene ever in history.

What else is left in the scene, please tell me?

John, if you will allow me, I've given this a little thought and I've put together a modest presentation.

Now, since they're all made up anyway, let's just combine all the old Bible stories together.

Like the Avengers! Except we'll combine all the biggest Bible stories and characters into one superhero story!

Very profitable! How many Old Testament stories and characters are you wanting to combine?

Oh Johnny.

All of them.

Now listen close and see if you can guess each one I combined.

A long, long time ago in a land far, far away, a basket floated down the river Nile.

Inside it held a little baddy child.

This is old regular child, you see.

This boy had a hero's destiny.

And when he grew into a bed, God spoke to him about his master plan and said, Ask for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.

I want to wrestle.

So down came an angel from heaven above to wrestle with him and only love.

He said, if you win, you get a multicolored kit.

And with that, the wrestling match was on nobody.

And they wrestled, and they wrestled, until finally, he was And from that moment.

Well that was Moses, Solomon, Joseph, and Jacob.

Oh, there's Moa.

Mo's feeling pretty good about himself and said, I wanna wrestle someone else.

He went up to some Philistines and said, You wanna wrestle with me?

They said, No way, Jose.

Uh-uh.

How about you wrestle up, Champion?

God told you more again and said I will make your descendants as numerous as the same.

But first, you must knock over this man.

No problem.

How big can he be?

The wolf took a stone into his sling, and around his head began to swing.

Around and around and released it with a fight!

Ha! You missed completely! I meant to do that.

It was a distraction.

A distraction.

Just watch.

This right here's my favorite spot.

The Philistines tried to steal his heart.

The real quite a lookup.

Try to see how to make Mo Wika with one look.

Oh he opened up the heart just like a fuck.

She rolled in the street with some help.

Then the Philistines had him trapped with help.

He'll be weak if you cut his hair off.

Just a week.

Just pull it off.

And on that day, Mo became a slave.

And he was bought the pill, the tower, a Babble! Babble! Bobble! Bobo! Then God's dead.

Throw down your staff and pick it up again.

Then use the fork and free your kid.

He pulled out his staff.

It takes a quick.

Attacked and took them all away.

And just as the chariots were about to get him, a pillar of fire came down from heaven! He ran away so cowardly till he reached the edge of the Red Sea.

Then God said, Stop running like a little girl.

Lift your staff, and the sea will curl.

No, I'm running away.

Oh, you better run, Ma! Homie Jake's about to catch you! I'm in a whale! I'm sorry, God! God commanded the whale to spit and throw him back to Egypt! Then God commanded Mo!

Build a big boat.

Go tell everyone.

Let my people go.

Be honest.

Honestly.

I've never seen anything like it.

Oh, please.

It was god awful.

Like literally.

What does it matter?

It's all made-up stories and fairy tales anyway.

But they're not.

Listen, there's more evidence that these events actually happened than most others of their time.

He's right, you know.

They had a documentary about it once on the History Channel, and they even had a British narrator, so of course it was very convincing.

Who know?

Obviously, the facts in the scene need to be adjusted, but the most important thing is the message in the scene.

So in scene one, God created us.

Now in scene two, we rejected God.

Am I gonna get to do something or should I just leave?

Yes, my dear, I believe it's finally your time to shine.

We'll just skip ahead a little, alright?

Now, what character in the story sounds appealing to you?

You know, a part that you could really believe in.

None of them.

I don't believe any of it.

That that could be a problem.

Okay, perhaps a part more natural for you than how about Rahab?

The prostitute?

Yeah, that would help my image.

Yeah, yeah, you're right.

I suppose that rules out Esther sleeping with the king and all.

Uh, what about uh Deborah?

No way.

She was a judge.

I'm not playing Judge Judy, okay?

That's daytime.

I am primetime material.

You know, directors don't take too nicely being told no.

Well then why don't you ask me something I can say yes to?

How about Ruth?

I can play Ruth! She's safe.

Brilliant!

Yay! Let's get to it in.

All right, all right.

Ruth has a scene with an old lady called Naomi.

It's Naomi, and I know all about her.

She was an Ephrodite from Judah and lived in Moab during the time of Judges.

Her husband and two sons died, so she was left old and alone.

So her daughter-in-law, Ruth, vowed to take care of her, and she even believed in their Israelite god.

The Talmud claims that Samuel wrote the story.

That's absolutely this is great.

Let's just get to it then, alright?

At least she can see.

It's like a biblical Wikipedia.

Wow, you you really know your biblical history.

Where'd you learn all that?

I got my master's degrees in theology and psychology.

I'm impressed.

Um if you don't mind me asking, you you said you don't believe there is a God.

Why would you want to study theology?

I wanted to convince my parents that they're wrong about God.

Since they're pastors, I thought they would listen if I knew enough to intellectually argue with them.

Yeah, it didn't work.

I'm so sorry.

For what?

It's a meaningless argument.

I'm sorry that they hurt you.

Quiet on the set.

Action.

Please, heave my humble plea in my greatest hour of need.

Please don't desert me when I walk through this dark valley in this dry and land.

I beg you, give me someone to stay in my real hand.

Only hold me, I am here.

You have nothing left to be when you go, I will go, and when you stay, I will stay.

What we know we can never trust in this God to whom you pray.

Who gets you God and trust in me?

I kill care of your father, your dead! Cut, cut, cut! Cut!

For heaven's sake.

Literally.

Where are you getting these lyrics?

Did you get a bad copy of this script?

Are you intentionally trying to waste my time?

I was just trying to show a different perspective in what I believe in.

I don't care what you believe or what you don't believe.

All I care about is what your character believes.

And if you want to play a part in this show, you're gonna have to believe.

Well, you are the devil's handmaiden, aren't you?

We found the money in your room, young lady.

But I did take the money, I did it! Grace, Layla Matthews, you stop that lying! But I'm not lying, Mommy.

You have to believe me.

Please just No matter how many times you say you didn't do it, we will never believe you.

And God will never believe you.

And I will never believe in what you believe.

I will never believe in God.

All of these lines show them inside Trapping me inside and holding me calm millions of times.

Try to break these hands, only to fight the nuts growing to one board that could come on time and bring this slave to freedom.

All I need is for someone to show me your love for me is a real Someone would bathe.

You can melt the stone It made my go.

And if I gave you one up Could you tell me my life was meant to be?

Oh, but no one really cares.

Am I hurting your feelings?

We can just take those feelings again.

Well then, where did we leave off?

Oh, right, I'm supposed to smile and pretend to be unaware of your consistent plans to change the script in order to reflect your personal opposition to Christianity.

That's right.

I'm glad you're saying things, my wife.

Why don't we just jump straight ahead of the mother of all rules, shall we?

That's right.

You guessed it.

You're gonna play the part of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in her most dramatic scene.

Come out, ladies.

Okay, uh, so Mary and Joseph are not yet married.

Uh, she's pregnant with Jesus, just like the angel told her, but Joseph hasn't been visited by the angel yet.

So this is a very turbulent scene for Mary.

And the Bible says that Joseph is considering breaking off their betrothal quietly, probably because people have started spreading rumors about Mary and Joseph.

Now, most Christians never think about this part of the story, so if you could please be careful not to overdo it.

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

Okay, I got it.

Just relax, okay.

I got it.

I even made some changes to the second half.

You're gonna love it.

Just please try to retain some form of reverence.

This is a very sensitive scene for a lot of our paying customers.

I have heard and now I see the promise you have given for this child that goes inside.

It's the chosen one from home.

He is the girl.

Hey, she's doing pretty good.

At least she's staying on script.

Uh what's she doing?

But still they're looking at me, they're judging me.

Asking where'd I get this baby?

Oh no.

Is it divinity or promiscuity?

So I'm saying this one's for the girls who don't know what they belong, they don't know what they've been wrong, so they sing a sad song.

This one's for the girls who are feeling out of face.

They just think they're in the way, so they turn and walk away.

We all know how you got that baby.

Just it, jump, don't shape.

Even now, we're gonna need to give you a bad.

So how do you think it's going so far?

The Virgin Mary was wearing sequins.

Oh, we're gonna make so much money.

Wait, wait, wait, hold on.

What was so important about this scene anyway?

I didn't think there was a message in it.

Well, Mary was pregnant with Jesus.

Jesus, who?

Okay, let's recap, shall we?

In scene one, God created us.

Then in scene two, we rejected God.

Then in scene three, God was preparing a way for us to return to him.

Now, in scene four, God himself, that's Jesus, shows us the way to return.

Oh, oh, oh, Jesus! Oh, yeah, the son of uh Mr.

and Mrs.

Christ.

Yeah.

How can I forget?

And it is for that reason that I suggest that we take the casting of the role of Jesus very seriously.

Oh, I couldn't agree more.

Sophistication, stature.

And maybe he could have thick hair just like yours.

Now, I hate to be accused of typecasting, but let's just say it we're all thinking here.

I'm perfect for Jesus.

I can honestly say Jesus is perfect for you.

And it's one less actor I have to pay! Oh!

I knew there was lots of room for improvement.

Now, John, you strike me as a level-headed man, not one of those close-minded Christians who thinks he knows everything.

I hope I don't pretend to.

I'm not gonna betray your beliefs like our Angenoux did, but I am going to broaden your perspective of who Jesus really is.

He is not just a man.

Oh, I am with you! Isn't that amazing how he can be completely God and completely?

Jesus is lots of men.

Um So you you mean what?

The Spirit of God is in the Spirit of Jesus.

The Spirit of Jesus is inside all of those who've accepted others' spirits.

So, the spirit of Jesus is alive in all colours and creeds and all who live in harmony.

I have absolutely no idea what you just said.

Young butterfly, allow the wings of your mind to come forth from the cocoon of religion.

Fly, fly, fly.

All around the world today, people work and people play.

Everyone just wants to find some meaning in their day.

Jesus is like Santa Claus, bringing good to boys and girls.

If you do it, Jesus is in you are Jesus too.

I am from Africa, and I am a Africa.

Everything that Jesus did, I can do it too.

I give the people medicine, feeling that the Jesus When I take care of the things, I am a Jesus too.

I am from India and I am a teacher.

Everything that Jesus did, I can do it too.

I educate themselves, I never let them be confused.

Then I display people and I am I touched that and I love people.

Everything that Jesus did, I can do it too.

I have hopes, I have love, I have hopes for everyone! When I show the world, I love them, I am Jesus too.

Everything that Jesus did, I can do it, boo! Get them food, give them water, give them cooking chills.

Where the hell do I want to do?

I am Jesus Phil.

My name is like it's gonna be a time, get the culture!

Oh no!

Not that guy, you know, three.

Now that is a Jesus the world can accept.

He's looking at me.

I am all for people accepting Jesus, but Jesus was he was one person, a real person.

He was fully God and fully human.

And I am fairly certain he would never dance like that.

Okay, so you you are narrow-minded.

I get it.

Just fine and dandy.

Bring out the traditional Jesus set pieces, please.

At least those are cheap and easy to find.

Now hold hold on a second.

Just because I want the show to reflect Jesus accurately, it does not mean it has to be boring.

We can still be creative.

Even that wouldn't be accurate enough for you now, would it?

You must stick to the Bible, you must make people angry.

Well, I've done my homework.

Look here.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

He grows up, an orchard hairy guy named John the Baptist baptizes him.

Jesus claims to be the Son of God.

They don't like that very much, of course.

They arrest him, he won't defend himself, so they crucify him.

And now every man, woman, and brainwashed child in the Confederate States of America are convinced believing Jesus is the only way to get to heaven.

I've heard it all before, and it's just as boring as it is unbelievable.

Hold on, hold on.

This is exactly what I was talking about.

You got the history facts right, but you missed the message completely.

I've heard enough about your message, all right?

Save it for Sunday.

I'm done.

Davis.

Please, now look, you you said you wanted to present Jesus to the world in in a way they have never seen before.

So do I.

You just have to believe what the character believed.

I mean, isn't that what you said?

What version of Jesus do you propose I tell?

Pray tell.

In the last scene, God was preparing a way for us to return to Him.

Now in this scene, Jesus came to tell us that it is time to return to God.

But how do I?

I mean, people believe in something if they don't understand it.

Did I see an airplane set backstage?

Uh I believe it was a set piece from the last show.

Why?

Prepare the way! Prepare the way.

It's John the Baptist.

Prepare the way.

No?

I don't get it.

Look, think about it this way.

When you fly, you don't know how an airplane works, right?

You don't know the flight path.

You may have never seen the pilot before, but you still get on board that airplane and you trust that the pilot will take you where you're supposed to go.

I mean, you're literally trusting the pilot with your life, hoping that it'll take you safely to the other side.

I get the metaphor.

Jesus is the pilot.

Just climb aboard.

That's quite creative, actually.

But what about this whole sin thing, you Christians getting such a tiffy-iffy over?

Is that like uh smoking in the laboratory of the plane or something?

That's clever.

And it sort of works.

Um there's a law that says you can't smoke in the bathroom on an airplane, and even if you weren't aware of that law, or you don't agree with it, or if you think it's way too strict, if you break the law, you will be punished for it.

And the punishment is a couple thousand dollar fine, right?

So in the same way, sin, sin is a it's a crime against God's law.

And the punishment isn't a fine, it's well, it's eternal separation from God.

And and everyone has sinned, they've committed crimes that have broken God's law.

But Jesus is innocent, and he said he would be punished in your place so that you can return to God and live.

I've got all that.

Really?

Jesus is cool with me, whoever.

But what about the God of the Bible?

AKA the Father.

Isn't he like crazy angry?

And Jesus is just a calm son, trying not to get dad to take out his wrath on the other kids, saying, Father, forgive them.

They know not what they do.

Don't spank them again.

Living forever with a father like that sounds like hell to me.

That's what it is.

That's what is.

Nothing.

I'm sorry.

I if you still want to play the part of Jesus, maybe you could try going over a few of these lines that I have highlighted here.

I think this may be what you're looking for.

I'll be right back.

Whatever the father does, the son also does.

For the father loves the son.

And he for the father loves the son.

Are you Frank Westcott?

Yeah, that's me.

Brother of Sally Westcott.

Yeah, but I haven't seen her in years.

According to the statutes of the state of New York as her only living relative, you are hereby granted custody of her son.

Davis.

Please, sign here.

But I don't want him.

I don't know the first thing about the kid.

Well, you can start now.

Davis, this is your uncle.

He's gonna be taking care of you from now on.

Nice to meet you, sir.

For what it's worth, I think he's one of the kindest boys I've ever met.

Please sign here.

Good luck, Mr.

Westcott.

Are you going to be my new father?

Now you listen to me.

Your mom's gone, and no one knows who your father is.

So let's get one thing clear.

You can search all your life for someone to love you.

But I never will.

Now come on.

Let's go.

In my mind I dream that he would find me.

But still I live a man without a father.

Can I with always?

Could it be true?

Maybe it's true.

So?

How do we want to end the show?

Well, of course, we have to have a heaven scene where all the angels have blonde hair and play harps.

I probably won't make it in.

Boohoo.

But I do have a sweet little angel costume just in case.

I have been working on a heaven scene, but I just can't figure out how we could show it.

The Bible says we can't even imagine it.

Yeah, don't bother.

We'll just end it with a hell scene.

You would look so much better in a devil costume.

Oh, but there I go, typecasting again.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not gonna be wearing velvet costumes in hell.

It's a place of eternal torment away from God.

I don't know how we're gonna show that either.

Is it even necessary to have a hell scene?

I thought Christians were starting to say that hell didn't exist.

Personally, I prefer purgatory.

You know, it's much gentlemen.

Oh no, Davis, you can't get off that easy.

Purgatory is a man-made tradition.

It is not in the Bible.

And you, sir, are going straight to hell.

See, now that's just rude.

Okay, so now I'm rude, and you're calling me the devil.

What is wrong with you people?

Why don't we in the show by hearing John's testimony?

Testimony.

I'd like to hear John's story.

Okay.

Well, I uh I can't show you any big sets or special effects.

I don't have any tricks to show you that God is real.

But I can show you my life.

And uh how my story was written into the story of God.

Well, I I grew up in a split custody family.

One house was the Christian house and the other was not.

I learned to play the good kid role pretty well.

When I was six, I remember walking down my driveway at night and looking up at the stars and thinking that there's a God up there somewhere and I want to go to heaven.

So I told my stepmom later that night, and she had me repeat some words to a prayer.

She wouldn't woke up my dad.

He was pretty excited.

He gave me a camouflage hat.

He put it on my head and told me I was in the Lord's army now.

And um then like so many, I I grew up and I stopped believing.

I made a lot of a lot of bad decisions by anyone's standards.

Like I can remember looking in the mirror and and just staring at my reflection and thinking how empty I felt inside, like I don't know, like my skin was this shell and I was hollow underneath.

Um then a friend of mine from work, he invited me to see a musical at his church, so I went and I sat there and I watched and I listened and something in the words they said, it just rang through me like like echoes in a in a deep cave, or I don't know, it's hard to explain, but but somehow I felt like I felt like God was calling to me.

When the show was over, this guy came up to the front and he said the entire Bible can be summed up in this one message.

Something just it clicked inside me and I didn't understand much, but I knew right then that Jesus loved me and he was willing to accept me.

Me.

And that was all I needed to know.

And as they were telling us we could come up to the front and pray to accept Jesus into our heart, I could feel my legs begin to twitch, and I was about to stand up and walk to the front or walk out, but my eyes were welling up with tears, and I I knew I needed to make a move.

And and then they started to sing this song.

It's called Will You Believe?

I remember that song.

When they started singing that song, it felt like it felt like I was the only one in the room and and like God was looking right into me and at that moment I couldn't hold back any longer.

I I came running to the front.

I'll never forget that moment.

I'd like to hear it.

Hear what?

Song?

I'd like to hear what you heard.

Yeah, yeah.

Um me too.

Okay.

If I could show you my heart and how we filled it with love, would that be enough to help you understand?

If somehow I could prove that every word he said is true, would that be enough to change your point of view?

There is nothing you can do, and nothing you can say, you can change my mind or take my doubts away.

For when the moments finally come, when all is said and done, there is nothing left to do but just have faith.

Well, you believe.

Will I believe?

See, I didn't really believe a whole lot, and I was kind of like John.

I was in a split home, and my mom was actually Jewish, and my dad really didn't proclaim anything, and so when I grew up, I really wasn't sure.

Then I finally came to the point where I started investigating some things, and I started believing that Jesus was who he said he was.

I think there's many here tonight that believe that he was the Son of God.

But there's a difference in believing in your mind and believing in your heart, and really, what happened to me when I was 17 years old is I transferred my belief from there to here.

And that happens when you come to a point in your life when you say, God, I don't want to just believe some facts.

In fact, the Bible says, I don't know if you know this or not, but the devil believes and trembles.

Isn't that amazing?

So just believing that Jesus was who he was isn't enough.

It's believing in your heart.

The Bible says, if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

Well, how do you do that?

Well, you come to a place in your life when you say, God, I want to give you my life.

I want to give my heart to you.

I want you to come and take over my life.

Forgive me my sin.

Make me a child.

When that choice happens in all of our lives, that's when it changes from believing here to believing there.

And that's what Jesus said when he said, Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

That's how you do that.

So you can join a thousand churches and be baptized a hundred times.

You can believe all you want, but until you really trust him with your life, that's when you believe.

I have a sense that there's a lot of you tonight that have never really believed in your heart.

And so I want to give you a chance to do that right now.

If you would please bow your heads and close your eyes.

Every head bowed and every eye closed.

The way I did that, and I think the way the scripture teaches that, is the choice that you have to make is when you ask him.

So I'm going to lead us in a prayer here in a second.

I'm going to encourage every one of us to ask Jesus to come and live in our hearts and our lives and take over our lives.

If you've never done that, then I want you to just pray this out loud after me.

In fact, I would like for every one of us to pray this out loud.

And as we pray this prayer, mean it with all your heart, and God promises He'll save you.

So let's pray this out loud.

Heavenly Father.

Come on, everyone, pray it out loud.

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you loved me and that you sent Jesus to die for me.

So, right here tonight, I invite Jesus Christ to come live in my heart, take over my life, save me of my sins, and be my Lord and my Savior.

And I thank you for saving me because you promised you would.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Now, before you look up, every head bowed and everybody closed, please.

Let's just be sensitive to the privacy of others.

No one's looking except for me.

I'd like to know tonight, alright?

Don't be ashamed, don't be embarrassed.

I'm not gonna call you out.

But if you're here and you say, David, I really meant that prayer, and I gave my life to Jesus tonight.

Right now, I just did that.

Right then, when I said that prayer, I gave my heart to Christ.

If that's you, I'd like for you to raise your hand up in here.

Real high.

Come on, let me see it.

Come on, that's it.

All over keep it up, keep it up, all over the place.

In the upper level, let me see you.

All right, God bless you.

God bless you here in the center on this side.

Raise your hand up.

Come on, where I can see it.

God bless you, sir.

Over on the right side.

Come on, keep them up, keep them up, keep them up.

God bless you by raising your hand, say, I gave my heart to Christ.

I meant that prayer.

God bless you.

Put your hands down.

No one's looking around.

You that raised your hands, I'm gonna ask you to do one very important thing.

John was telling his story.

He said they invited him to come forward.

And he got up out of his chair and he went forward.

And let me let me tell you what that does.

I'm gonna ask you to do that here in a second.

You don't need to be ashamed or embarrassed.

But by getting up, what you're saying is, is I'm not ashamed.

I'm willing to let the world know I gave my heart to Christ.

In fact, Jesus said, if you confess me before men, I'll confess you before the Father.

Just nail this thing down.

In fact, put it in your heart and your mind right now that the second I get a chance, I'm gonna stand up and go to the front.

In fact, I'm gonna count to three here in just a few seconds.

And when I get to three, I want you who have raised your hands, no matter whether you're in the upper level, the bottom floor, just to stand up out of your seats and come all the way down front.

I know it takes courage.

It took a lot of courage for Jesus to give his life for us.

You ought to be proud to do this.

So I want you to stand up as soon as I count the three.

You ready?

You that raise your hand, stand up.

One, two, three.

Come on, stand up, stand up and come on down.

If you raise your hands, come on.

God bless you.

Don't wait.

Don't wait for someone else.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on down to front.

Come on down to the front.

Come on.

Make your way out of the rows.

Come all the way down.

If you raise your hand up in the upper level, come on.

Don't wait for anybody.

Let the world know you gave your life to Jesus today.

Come on.

Stand up.

Stand up.

Come right down here.

God bless you.

God bless you, bud.

Amen.