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A Matter of Manners & The Seven Deadly Dwarves

Album: 34: In Your Wildest Dreams

Episode: 446

Lesson/Theme: Truth in Love / The seven deadly sins

Bible Verse: James 5:19

Characters: Alex, Mandy, Whit

Writer: John Fornof

Sound Designer: Rob Jorgensen

Original Air Date: May 13, 2000

Last Air Date: September 29, 2009

Description:
In "A Matter of Manners," Alex and David are being excessively rude at Whit's End, so Whit asks them to leave. In order to impress Whit and get back into his good graces, the two of them concoct a plan which names them as "manners experts." Judging everyone on a point system, correcting their fellow students and distributing "Good Manners Badges," the boys become obsessed with their new roles. Back at Whit's End, Mandy and Whit confront the two of them. Whit agrees that he wants them to police Whit's End for good manners, but not before they test their ability at eating ice cream politely. The two try their best, but end up failing miserably since Whit has set so many rules. Whit has made his point, explaining that manners are important, but correction should be done in a loving manner. Then, in "The Seven Deadly Dwarves," Aubrey explains to her parents that she learned about the seven deadly sins in Sunday School. On their way home from church, she dreams that she is Princess Snow DeWhite and is confronted by the Seven Deadly Dwarves. They persuade her that she should be queen over her father, but then enslave her. When her father comes to set her free, he gives himself in her place. Snow confronts the dwarves with the power of love and she and her father save the day.

Questions:
What does "loving your neighbor as yourself" have to do with manners? Matthew 7:1 says not to judge-or else we will be judged in the same way we judge others. How does that apply to today's show? Did the Deadly Dwarves follow through on the promises they made to Bethany? How do you think this part of the story relates to your own life? How did Princess Snow DeWhite and the Good Stepladder Father escape the power of the Seven Deadly Dwarves? How can we be set free from the power of sin in our lives? At the end of this episode Tom says that Bethany got the story "completely right." What did he mean by that?