Any ideas or suggestions for Gospel oriented sponge magic?

Thanks!

Duane Laflin has some DVD's that may be helpful. You can find them at http://www.lockfamilymagic

Sponge Rabbits....be fruitful and multiply

Hi Preston,

There is a real good routine put together by Kif Anderson over at the FCM website forum (Magic). Not sure if you are a member, but if you are you should check it out. I'd reprint it here but it's not mine to do so. It's called, "Gospel Routine(s) for Sponge Balls to Heart". Hope this helps a bit.

If and when I become a member I'll check it out. Thanks Dan!

Thanks also to Rick and Terry!

I'll try to get in touch with Kif to get permission to share it with you.

Hey...don't forget the rabbits...because every bunny needs some bunny sometime.

Don't forget the sponge cross (see the other thread titled "The Cross by Dean Dill"). I saw Duane Laflin present his handling of the sponge squares to sponge cross on "The Art of Gospel Magic, Vol. 1".

- Donald

You can reach Kif Anderson at http://www.ozandwilde.com
He's a member here too so if you search for his name, you'll probably find a post by him and then can PM him..... ah, let me just shoot off an email to him to read this post. Then you'll get a reply from him directly.

I can believe you have 920 posts Joe...I can believe

Thanks guys. I have a little routine that ends with a sponge #4 in the spectator's hand, which might be cool for discussing the four Gospel accounts. I really surprised my mom-in-law with this one! lol

But- I've really been having fun learning with actual balls; and, as the above routine uses little cubes, or polygon shapes, I appreciate all your help with routines that use the traditional sponge ball.

The heart or cross will be fun too.

I also appreciate the Duane Laflin advice. I will be getting some of his stuff.

Thanks Joe- I can't wait to hear from Kif.

Thanks again to all-

I did see some green small sponge balls that were portrayed as seeds that multiplied. Can't remember the supplier though.

Also how about one disciple (1st sponge-ball) tells another (2nd sponge ball), the Gospel spreads (other sponge balls). You could also incorporate sin using another colour, then change the colour when Jesus enters their life.

Also look at sponge hearts (2 sizes leading to "big heart"), stars (Nativity)etc. They are pretty cheap and I'm working on a few Gospel linked ideas. Try http://www.practical-magic.com

But at a loss how to use the sponge ice-creams from Alan Wong or bananas (although God sending manna to Moses is at the back of my mind).

Wow. Those are some good ideas. Thanks!

The routine they that as been alluded to is the follows. Hope it is helpful.

Amazing Love

Effect: Two sponge balls after some play transform into a larger sponge heart.

I'd like to demonstrate how love is such an important part of the Christian experience. To do this I have two balls...one for you...

(give one to the spectator)

and one for me. Now here’s what we are going to do.

(close hand around the ball)

Hold the ball in your closed hand and I'll do the same. The Bible tells us to love one another. So we will demonstrate that. Ready? Did you feel it? Well open your hand. Yes, our balls have changed places....well from your silence (or "laughter"...depending on the response)...I can see you are not that impressed. You know the Bible talks about in Luke chapter 6 that if you show love for those who love you…it really isn’t impressive. And apparently, I’ve been able to effectively demonstrate that. However, it goes on to say that when we love those who are our enemies…well that is when we get a reward from above. See...

(take the two balls and switch them for the heart and put them in the spectators hand)

...when you and I are willing to show love for those who are mean to us, who do us wrong, who try to harm us, we are doing something that is hard for the world to understand. Because we are not showing “our love” but His love through us.

(have them open their hand and reveal the heart)

And that is a whole lot more impressive…don’t you think?

Bible reference: Luke 6:32-36 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Having just posted the routine that I posted on the FCM forum last October, It has me thinking about a different effect using four different colored balls, one yellow (representing God), one red (representing Christ blood), one green (man – His creation), one blue (sin), and you tell the story of creation. In the beginning, God (show yellow ball) created man (appear the green ball magically somehow…perhaps show the yellow ball in your left hand and with the green secretly palmed between your fingers, rub them together and have it appear that the green ball just appeared. Explain that they lived together until one day sin (blue is brought out) entered the world because man BLUE (blew) it…(Hey…worth the entire routine just to say that).

Then place the (Yellow ball in helper’s hand – secretly adding a green along with it) and then show and place blue ball in your hand, and then the green (stealing it away) as you close your hand thus appearing to have both in it. Then going to you pocket to produce a red ball and ditching the green in your pocket in the process. Then through an opening in your fist, push the red ball in saying something to the effect of Christ came and died for our sins, meaning He (open hand to reveal the blue and red ball, and apparently the green ball has vanished.) Then say, if we accept that, and admit that we are sinners (pick up blue ball) and believe that Christ came and died for our sins, he will take those sins (vanish the blue ball with slight of hand somehow) and cast them as far as the East is from the West.

And when we do that, we can be with God. Have them open their hand revealing the green ball is with the yellow.

Reading the above over, perhaps using a slightly larger yellow ball would be good, it will be visual that you are implying God is bigger than we are…and it makes hiding the green ball behind it a little easier too.

So obviously to do this, you would need an extra green ball.

Four effects take place in this routine…green appears, green vanishes, blue vanishes, green appears in spectators hand.

Anyway…this really is just off the top of my head and would need to be developed and scripted. Maybe you can find something in this rambling that you can build upon.

><> J

Oh...and I suppose I should have said this before so you don't think I'm posting someone's routine without permission. I'm the Kif Anderson Gospel Dan and Joe Marotta was talking about.

Thanks Kif for taking the time to share that routine with us. I think it's a great routine that gets real good reactions. And most important, the message is clear and concise. God bless!

Yeah Thanks! Ditto on dan's comments!

Ditto Preston's Ditto to Dan's Comments of Kifs Contributions. Now say that 3 times, fast!

Thanks Kif! Always appreciate your thoughts and suggestions on everything.

Of all the Kif's I know...he's one of them. Thanks again Kif!