Krispy Kreme doughnuts are delicious! They also make for a great youth ministry sermon illustration. The trick is, knowing where to find the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.
In 2004 I was a Summer Youth Minister for a church just north of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was an exciting time, and I wanted to make a good impression with my first sermon for the youth. In other words, it was time to borrow my friend Jeff Prosser’s Krispy Kreme doughnut sermon.
The gist of the message is that you use Krispy Kreme’s mission statement and illustrate the importance of intentional living for Christ. Furthermore, you can use the doughnuts themselves as an illustration to “Taste and see that God is good” as stated in Psalm 34:8. It is a fun sermon and at the close of it, everyone gets to celebrate with a delicious doughnut. My problem was finding the store’s location.
Not being from North Carolina I had to use MapQuest to print-off directions. Yes, during this time I also used dial-up for the internet and would print off my directions. The iPhone and other smartphones would not be released for another three years.
Finally, with my directions literally in hand, I headed off to the next town where the nearest Krispy Kreme was located. I figured this trip will make for a great adventure. Indeed it did.
Trusting my paper made directions they humorously led me to the 18th hole of a golf course with no Krispy Kreme in-sight. Thankfully there was a nearby drugstore that I thought could help.
Once inside I asked the store associates for directions to the Krispy Kreme. As they provided their assistance it was clear that the doughnut shop was on the other end of town. MapQuest was way off, and the employees struggled to provide clear directions too. After a few attempts, they differed to a customer for better assistance.
The customer – who was in street clothes – was introduced to me when the store associate said, “She can help, she knows these streets well as she is a police officer.” She was in street clothes indicating she was off duty.
Once our introduction concluded my sarcastic mouth spoke before I could stop it. I said, “Oh you’re a police officer. Then you MUST know where the Krispy Kreme is located!”
That comment was a bad, bad, statement for me to make. The look on her face was not favorable either, which I tried to correct by backpedaling, “Oh, I’m just kidding. A little lite humor.” At this point, I was only digging my hole deeper. Still, she gave me some directions.
With my new set of directions in hand, I proceeded to search for the Krispy Kreme. The employees at the drugstore and I had already established that it was across town, but still, the directions the police officer gave me did not seem right. Not only was it far, but I was heading towards an older part of town. That is when it hit me: “I think she misdirected me on purpose due to my sarcastic comment.”
Quickly turning my car around I was not offended by her misdirection. No, I chuckled because I knew I had earned her rebuke.
In the end, I am not sure how I found the Krispy Kreme. Part of me thinks I stopped and asked for direction again (this time more humbly) another part of me thinks I just drove around until I found it. Either way, I left the town with two-dozen doughnuts, and we had an excellent youth service that night.
As Christians, we should really enjoy life to the fullest. God really has given us the ability to pivot any circumstance towards joy. As we live in this joy may we share this joy with others where we include them in the fun. Lastly, since the sermon was about living intentionally for Christ, there is no better place to start than being careful with the words we speak. So let’s speak kindly to another together “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”
