Remember Who is Walking with Us

Short Talk (SHT139) Let’s not forget who is walking with us © Jane Hulme 2019 SHORT TALK: “Let’s not forget who is walking with us” Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: To encourage people that when they are going through storms in life, Jesus is with them and can bring them His peace if they turn to Him in faith. 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. Storms, Fear, Jesus, Power, Faith, Peace Luke 8:22-25 Year C – The Second Sunday before Lent You will need the following props:  A blue sheet (single bed size or larger), or a large piece of blue material  3 large pans and 3 metal tablespoons  2 scarves .................................................................................................................. Today I am going to tell you a story and I need 7 volunteers of any age to come and help me with the sound effects. (Ask 2 volunteers to hold either end of the blue sheet stretched out across the front of the church. Give 2 volunteers a scarf each and get them to stand behind the blue sheet. Give 3 volunteers a large pan and spoon each and position them to one side of the scarf wavers. Tell all of them that when you say, “Quiet, be still” they have to stop what they are doing and stand completely still) One day the Bible tells us that Jesus got into a boat with his disciples to go over to the other side of the lake.  To begin with the sea was calm...  so those of you holding the blue sheet see if you can make some gentle waves by gently moving the material up and down. (Volunteers move the sheet gently)  Jesus was tired and fell asleep in the boat. But then suddenly out of nowhere a storm started.  The wind got up and began blowing hard  so those of you holding the scarves, wave them around showing us some wind! (Volunteers wave scarves around) The rain came down....so those of you with pans and spoons let’s have some rain.... (Volunteers start hitting their pans with the spoons) The waves got bigger and bigger as the sea became rough.  So let’s have some big waves (Volunteers move the sheet up and down to create a rough sea) © Jane Hulme 2019 2 Water started coming into the disciples’ boat and they were terrified!  They thought that their boat was going to sink and that they would drown. They woke Jesus up and shouted above all of the noise: “Master, Master, we're going to drown!” (Luke 8:24) But: Jesus got up and said: “Quiet, be still,” (Mark 4:39) (Volunteers all stop what they were doing)  and to the disciples amazement the storm stopped and there was calm. The disciples had been so focused on the wind, the rain and the waves that they were utterly terrified.  They had forgotten who was in the boat with them. They had forgotten that The One:  who had filled their boats with fish,  made paralysed men walk again, and  raised people who were dead to life again,  was in the boat with them. When the storm had died down Jesus asked them where their faith was,  in other words, who were they really trusting with their lives. Now you and I may not be in a boat in the middle of a big hurricane, but we can all face different kinds of storms in our lives, that make us feel like we are going to sink.  Maybe you are facing the storm of a big illness or an accident. (So volunteers would you give us some wind, rain and waves again)  Maybe you are facing the storm of having little or no money,  or perhaps the storm you are facing is a big row with your best friend,  your family going through difficulties or something else altogether. Whatever the storm is, it can feel noisy in your head and you can feel afraid or anxious.  But let’s think for a moment. Who is with us in our storms? (Receive responses)  That’s right. Jesus is with us.....the Lord of heaven and earth.  Can we trust Him with our lives even when bad stuff happens? So instead of being afraid that our lives will be destroyed by what is happening to us, let’s turn to Jesus in faith and cry: “Help me Jesus,” “Help me Jesus.”  When we cry to Him in faith, Jesus is then able to speak His words of peace into our lives,  His words of “Quiet, be still” (Volunteers all stop what they were doing) The storm of difficulty may still be there but we will know peace in it because He is with us.  So let us not forget who is walking with us, Jesus, the Lord who loves us and who is the Lord over all things,  and let us choose to trust Him. © Jane Hulme 2019 3