Share the Good News

Short Talk (SHT047) Share the good news © Jane Hulme 2015 Aim of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Props: Before the service: (SHT047) To encourage people to share the good news about Jesus with their families, friends and neighbours. Evangelism, Gospel, Witnessing Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:8, John 3:16-18 Mobile phone, big tin of chocolates (enough for everyone to have one), cardboard smiley, cross, invitation card. Prime someone in the congregation to ring your mobile phone at the given moment. Position the tin of chocolates on a table somewhere at the front of the church that is easily accessible for people – preferably a little distance from you. SHORT TALK: “SHARE THE GOOD NEWS” ........................................................................................................................ Good morning.....  Now I normally switch off my mobile phone during a service,  but this morning I am expecting a phone call......so please excuse me if my phone rings and I answer it...... (mobile rings) Hi....N speaking. Oh that’s wonderful........a little boy.....8 pounds eh? Both doing well? Great. Have they chosen a name yet? Simon Peter? What a good name! Give them my love......Bye Do you think I just received good news or bad news? (Receive answers)  So what do you think my good news is? (Receive answers) Yes that’s right.....  I have heard that a friend has just given birth to a little baby boy,  who is going to be called Simon Peter,  and that both he and his mother are doing well after the birth....... Now that telephone call wasn’t real.....  but it shows us that we like to share good news doesn’t it?  If something good happens to us, we often like to share it with our family or our friends. I have some good news this morning which I am going to share with a few of you,  and then you are going to share it with everyone else here. So I need four volunteers to hear my good news and then be willing to share it with everyone else. (Tell your four volunteers in a quiet voice, so the rest of the congregation can’t hear that you have a box of chocolates on the table. There are enough chocolates for everyone to have one each. They are to each go and get a chocolate for themselves and then go and tell everyone in the church to go and get one. Leave time for the news to get out and people to react. When enough people have reacted say:) This morning the good news that was just shared was that there was a chocolate for everyone here. © Jane Hulme 2015 2 We like to share good news with others don’t we,  especially if it involves chocolate? Now God has given His church, in other words us, good news to share with the world. The good news we have to share is that: 1) God loves us very very much.........(Show a big smiley on a screen or on card) 2) He sent his Son Jesus into the world to die for us on the cross, so that we can be forgiven for all of the wrong things we have done (Show a cross) 3) and become children of God, invited into a relationship with God, both now and for ever. (Show an invitation card) This good news is to be shared with every boy, girl, man and woman who lives,  and it is our mission to share this good news. We are the messengers......carrying this good news wherever we go.  So let’s think who we could share God’s good news with.......PAUSE  Let’s pray and ask the Lord to help us to share it. Father God, Thank you for the good news you have given us to share with other people. Please fill us with your Holy Spirit and help us to share this good news with our families, friends and neighbours. In Jesus’ name. Amen. © Jane Hulme 2015 3