What Is It?

I have something under this cover this morning that I think you are going to like. When I take the cover off and you see it, some of you may ask, "What is it?" It might be something you have never seen before. Are you ready to see it? Okay, here it is. (Remove the cover.)

Yum, yum. That sure looks good, but what is it? It's called Monkey Bread. I'm not really sure why it is called Monkey Bread, but I have heard some people say that it is called Monkey Bread because when you eat it, you pull it off and eat it one piece at a time, much the same way that a monkey eats his food. (Demonstrate it) Would you like to try some? It is really good! (Let all of the children eat a piece.)

When I said that some of you might ask, "What is it?" when you saw the Monkey Bread, it reminded me of a story in the Bible about Moses and the Israelites. The Israelites had been held captive in Egypt, and God had chosen Moses to free the people and lead them to a land that he had promised them. The journey to the promised land was not an easy one. The Israelites had been wandering around in the desert for a long time. Often, they had little to eat or drink. The people began to grumble and complain to Moses. "When we were in Egypt, we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out here into the desert to starve us to death." God heard the people complaining and told Moses, "I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you, and each day the people can go out and gather enough bread for that day. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as they need for that day."

The next morning when the people went outside their tents, the ground was covered with a fine, flaky substance. It was unlike anything they had ever seen. When they saw it, they asked, "What is it?" Moses answered, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat."

Moses told them that God had said that they were to gather only enough bread for one day. Why do you think he told them that? It is because he wanted to see if the people would obey him and trust him to send the bread that they needed each and every day.

God still provides what we need for each and every day, doesn't he? That is why Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."

Dear Father, just as you provided daily bread for your children in the time of Moses, you provide all our needs each and every day. For all of your goodness, we give thanks. Amen.

Monkey Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ten count tubes of canned biscuits
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Stick Butter/Margarine
• 3 Tablespoons of Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix sugar and cinnamon
3. Quarter biscuits and roll each in the above mixture until coated
4. Put all the coated quartered biscuits in a greased bunt pan - just pile them in there.
5. Melt the butter and mix it with the extra cinnamon and sugar mixture
6. Pour the mixture from #4 over the biscuits in the bunt pan
7. Bake for 30 minutes.