After Reverend Putty teaches Orel that Jesus will one day return to the earth, he believes that his younger brother, Shapey, is the second coming of Christ. Orel's parents plan for their divorce, and Christmas looks set to be an unhappy one.

Orel Puppington learns that God doesn't look kindly on the wasteful. After lessons from Coach Stopframe and his father, he sets out with two goals in mind. Orel must stop his own wastefulness, and ensure he doesn't end up the failure his father predicts of him. Will he succeed, or will he upset the townsfolk once again?

Orel learns that God is present in everyone and everything. He ends up excusing himself from school, and going on a trip across town believing that he is able to stop people from sinning and heal them.

In order to masturbate and still go to heaven, Orel has a scheme that turns Moralton topsy-turvy

Orel befriends a stray dog and Bloberta allows Orel to keep it. After a while, the two grow very attached and Orel becomes worried that he's loving his dog Bartholomew more than Jesus. Bartholomew quickly spreads enough love around Moralton that convinces the adults that he is a danger.

A new family, the Posabule's, move in next door to the Puppingtons, and Orel becomes infactuated with their daughter, Christina. However, after a little altercation between the families, he is banned from seeing her.

A year's worth of the most important weekday in Moralton is explored through the eyes of some very very minor characters.