Will You Use Your Gifts?

Short Talk (SHT072) Will you use what you have been given? © Jane Hulme 2017 SHORT TALK: “WILL YOU USE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN?” Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: To challenge people to use what God has given them to serve Him and others. 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. Serving, Entrustment Matthew 25:14-30 Year A – Proper 28, CW The 2nd Sunday before Advent Three items wrapped up to look like gifts: 1. Acoupleofschoolbooks 2. Amixingbowlandspoon 3. Adescantrecorder(orothermusicalinstrument) Two pieces of A4 card/paper with a piece of string through them that can be hung around a person’s neck. Written on the cards are the following words: 1. Surgeon 2. Chef ............................................................................................................... Who would like to come and help me today? I need three helpers as I have three gifts to unwrap. (Receive 3 helpers and line that up at the front)  There is a gift for each of you. (Hand out the 3 gifts)  So let’s see what our first gift is. (The school books are unwrapped) Oh look at that....school books!  I bet some of you children here don’t think that was a great gift! Imagine for a moment that these books mean that I am giving you a very gifted brain.  A brain that loves to study and find out new things.  That’s a big gift isn’t it? So how are you going to use the gift that you have received?  You will probably begin by using your brain to work hard at school and do your best in all of your lessons;  even getting your homework in on time! As you work hard so your brain will be able to understand more and more things and you find yourself going on to study at college or university.  If you work really hard at using your brain, perhaps one day you will become a surgeon,  who is able to be used by God to save people’s lives. (Hang surgeon card around person) © Jane Hulme 2017 2 You see as you use the gift, so you are able to do more with it. Let’s see what our second gift is. (The mixing bowl and spoon are unwrapped)  Look at that......a mixing bowl and spoon. Imagine for a moment that the bowl and spoon mean that I am giving you a cooking gift;  an ability to make delicious food for people to eat.  That’s a great gift isn’t it? So how are you going to use the gift that you have received?  You may begin by making cakes using a packet mix.  As you practice cooking so you might then turn to making a meal using a recipe from a book.  As you keep on practicing your cooking so you might begin making up your own recipes. If you work really hard at your cooking, perhaps one day you will become a chef,  who is able to be used by God to feed people nourishing food. (Hang Chef card around person)  You see as you use the gift, so you are able to do more with it. Let’s see what our third gift is. (A recorder is unwrapped)  Look at that......a recorder. Imagine that this recorder means that I am giving you a musical gift;  an ability to lead people in worshipping God.  That’s a great gift isn’t it? What if, instead of using the gift I have given you, you decide that you don’t really want it? (Put the recorder down on the floor.)  Instead of practising the recorder and learning to use all the different notes to play beautiful tunes, you simply watch television or play on the play station?  After a while you even forget how to play a few simple notes. How do you think I would feel about that as the person who has given you the gift? (Receive answers) You see Father God has given each one of us gifts.  We may be given a practical gift, or an academic gift, or a creative gift or a gift of handling people. It doesn’t really matter what we have been given.  What does matter to Father God is that we use what we have been given to serve Him and serve other people. One of the things we will discover is that as we use the gifts we have been given, so we will be able to do more with them.  Can I encourage you today to ask God what gifts He has given you,  and then commit to using them to serve Him and others, for the glory of His name. Thank you helpers. (Send them back to their seats) © Jane Hulme 2017 3