Tempted by the Devil

Short Talk (SHT141) Tempted by the Devil © Jane Hulme 2019 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: Before the service: SHORT TALK: “Tempted by the devil” To teach people that we are all tempted by the devil, like Jesus was, and that temptations often come through thoughts in our minds. 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. Jesus, Temptations, Devil, Thoughts Luke 4:1-13 Year C – The 1st Sunday of Lent You will need a plate covered in a range of very tempting looking biscuits! By the side of the plate prop up a card that says, “Don’t touch!” Place this plate on a table in full view of the congregation. Prime a member of the congregation to respond to your question: “Who would like to share a thought they are having about the biscuits?” by standing up and saying, “I am thinking: take one when nobody is looking.” .................................................................................................................. Look at this delicious plate of biscuits.....mmmm  All my favourites here: party rings, chocolate fingers, jammy dodgers....(name the biscuits on the plate)  I love biscuits don’t you?  But what is this.....a card next to the biscuits that says on it: “Don’t touch.” Don’t touch eh? Now I wonder what you are thinking as you look at that plate of biscuits and you have heard the words: “Don’t touch?”  I have a “thought catcher” with me today. (Hold up your hand with your palm towards the congregation)  Let’s see what thoughts we can catch with it. Who would like to share what they thinking about the biscuits? (At this point your primed member of the congregation says, “I am thinking: take one when nobody is looking.” As they speak you reach out to them with your hand, grab the “thought” and make a fist as if you have caught it)  OK – so the 1st thought we have caught in our “thought catcher” is: “Take one when nobody is looking” © Jane Hulme 2019 2 Did anyone else have that thought?  I think that many of us will have done. Would anyone else like to share a thought they had while they were looking at the biscuits? (Receive a couple more thoughts in your “thought catcher.”) Thank you for sharing your thoughts.  Now let’s see what is inside our thought catcher. (Open your hand out and pretend to investigate.)  Some of the thoughts we had were good thoughts, like.....(Speak out the good thoughts shared)  but some of the thoughts we had were bad thoughts weren’t they, like.....(Speak out the bad thoughts shared) I wonder where those bad, tempting thoughts came from;  those thoughts that cause us to turn away from doing what is right, to doing something wrong. The Bible tells us that those bad tempting thoughts come from the devil, who is God’s enemy and ours.  Even Jesus was “tempted by the devil” as Luke tells us in chapter 4 verse 2. Jesus wasn’t tempted to steal biscuits like we may have been today.  Jesus was tempted by the devil to do God’s work in all the wrong ways that wouldn’t have involved him going to the cross. But Jesus said “no” to those bad thoughts that the devil put into his mind.  He didn’t do what the devil suggested, but He did what He knew Father God wanted Him to do. So today, can I encourage you to be like Jesus?  When the devil puts a bad thought in your head, (Hold up your hand again and “catch the thought”) be like Jesus and throw it away? (Open your hand and pretend to “throw it away”) You can’t stop tempting thoughts coming into your head,  but you can choose not to act on them and do or say wrong things. Instead act on the thoughts that tell you to do the good and loving things that Father God asks us to do,  and you will stay on the safe path of life. At the end of the service, I’m going to rip up the “Don’t touch” sign and let’s share together this delicious plate of biscuits! © Jane Hulme 2019 3