Sample Text
1. God is like… a fast food hamburger restaurant. (Psalm 18: 1 – 2)
Visual Aid
Take a burger purchased from one of the hamburger chain restaurants familiar to the boys.
Introduction
What do you think of when I say the word, ‘Hamburger’? (Hold out your burger) Who can tell me what this burger will taste like? How do you know so much about this particular burger? How often do you eat at a place like Wendy’s, Burger King or McDonald’s? Illustration McDonald’s began in Chicago USA in 1955. The largest quick service restaurant empire in the world was started by Ray Kroc, a 52 year old milkshake machine salesman who wanted to give his customers a 100% pure beef burger, an extra thick milkshake and french fries. All delivered with the motto QSC&V. Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. When we go to burger restaurants like McDonald’s, we see old people, young children, teenagers, families, people by themselves, sports teams, birthday parties… a real mixture of people. Those fast food hamburger chains keep people going back! We can’t eat enough of their burgers! Even when we say we won’t… we keep going back! Why do people like eating at places like McDonald’s? Why do people keep going back? Why do you go there? You might visit a different town or city, or even one day travel across the other side of the world to places like Beijing. If you eat when you travel you know that your McDonald’s hamburger will still taste the same. That makes you feel comfortable and safe. When everything else is strange, McDonald’s is there! McDonald’s likes to sponsor community projects like sports teams, road safety and health programs. McDonald’s is powerful!
Application
Our favorite hamburger place will not be around forever. It doesn’t give people all the things they need to live. What things do we need that places like McDonald’s can’t provide? McDonald’s is just a place that serves food. If we stopped buying and eating their burgers they’d have to close. That doesn’t seem as if it will happen in a hurry. But, one day, all the burger eating people of the world might decide that we are really sick of burgers and want something different to eat. The power of places like McDonald’s will disappear.
God is like a hamburger chain… to a point. God is interested in every person, in every culture, in every country. God is interested in me and you. God wants us to feel comfortable and safe with him. God is always fair. God is always the same. God is interested in us for who we are not what we want to buy. God is powerful and his power isn’t decided because of how interested we are in him. God has been around forever and always will be. His power will never disappear.
Bible Reading
In the Bible in Psalm 18:1-2 (CEV) it says,
“I love you, Lord God, and you make me strong. You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter.”
Further Information
The Big Mac Index is published each year. This records and compares the price charged for a Big Mac in each country where McDonald’s is sold. This information is used to establish a cost of living for each country and how that affects people across the globe. This information is not just useful to McDonald’s. Other businesses, organizations and governments use this information too.
Follow up ideas
Get burgers for everyone to share at the end of your meeting or alternatively have a ‘make your own burger’ supper.