Ask and You Will Receive

Short Talk (SHT161) Ask and you will receive © Jane Hulme 2019 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: To encourage people to ask God for what they need; asking especially for the Holy Spirit. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Father, Prayer, Asking, Perseverance, Promise, Holy Spirit Luke 11:1-13 Year C – 6th Sunday after Trinity You need a table at the front of church. On it place a packed lunch box that is not see through! • Inside the lunch box place a large plastic snake1 and a plastic scorpion. • Hidden from view, have a bag of Haribo “fried egg2” sweets, or Maynards Bassetts “Fizzy Fish Sweets3 You also need the McDonalds “M” sign (see Appendix), either on SHORT TALK: “Ask and you will receive” a Power Point slide or drawn on a large piece of card. .................................................................................................................. I wonder if any of you have been driven somewhere by a parent and you have been starving hungry? • I wonder what you would say to your parent if you saw this sign (Project or show the McDonalds sign) at the side of the road? • Would you ask them to stop and buy you some food? (Receive responses) If they didn’t take any notice of you when you asked them to stop at McDonalds, would you keep on asking them until they eventually agreed to your request? (Receive responses) • We know that when we ask our parents for something that we need, like food, we normally receive it..... • even if they decide to give us something healthier than a McDonalds burger! 1 You can purchase a rubber snake and scorpion on ebay (www.ebay.co.uk) by putting “rubber snake” or “rubber plastic toy scorpion” into the search bar. They cost around £2 each. Alternatively, you could make a snake and a scorpion out of card. 2 You can purchase Haribo “fried egg” sweets on ebay 3 You can purchase Maynards Bassetts “Fizzy Fish Sweets” on ebay or at Asda © Jane Hulme 2019 2 Imagine for a moment that I am your mum/dad and I make your packed lunch each night. • One night you ask me to give you fish fingers and a hard-boiled egg. • Who likes fish fingers and eggs? (Receive responses) OK come and enjoy an early lunch that I have packed up for you. (Receive a volunteer) • It is inside this lunchbox. (Dramatically open the box, pull out a snake and throw it at the child) Instead of fish-fingers, I have given you a.... snake....ha ha! • Watch out, it might bite you! • That isn’t very nice is it? Look what else I have packed up for you. (Dramatically pull out a scorpion and throw it at the child) • Instead of a hard-boiled egg, I have given you a...... scorpion! • That could give you a terrible sting. • Now why would I, your parent, do that to you? The thing is that even though dads and mums aren’t perfect, they would never do what I have just done. • They would never give their children a snake if they were asked for fish, • or a scorpion if they were asked for an egg, would they? Parents normally give their children good gifts.... • so, when their children are hungry, they give them good food. • Here you are, enjoy these egg/fish sweets. (Give volunteer the bag of sweets) Jesus told His listeners over 2000 years ago that God is not like a bad parent who would give His children a snake if they asked Him for fish, or a scorpion if they asked Him for an egg. • Rather, God is the most loving and good Heavenly Father who delights to give good gifts to His children. Jesus told us that we can ask Father God for what we need, and He will give it to us. • Do you believe that? Now that doesn’t mean that we can ask Him for things that we don’t need, like lots of money, or a Ferrari, or a cruise in the Caribbean. • It does mean that we can ask our Heavenly Father for what we really need, and He will give it to us. • What we may not realise is that one of the things that we need most of all is the gift of the Holy Spirit, who comes to live within us to help us follow Jesus each day. So today, can I encourage you to ask our Heavenly Father for what you really need, • especially for the gift of the Holy Spirit. © Jane Hulme 2019 3 Sometimes we may need to keep on asking our Heavenly Father for what we need, • a bit like when we keep on asking our parents to stop at McDonalds for food! • Other times we simply receive from Him His good gifts. Jesus said: “Ask and it will be given to you.” (Luke 11:9) • Let’s take Him at His word. © Jane Hulme 2019 4 Appendix – McDonalds Sign 5 © Jane Hulme 2019