Lesson Objective:
The children will learn that God commands them to be thankful in everything.
Scripture:
I Thessalonians 5:18
Arrival:
As the children arrive, tell them one thing you are thankful for about them, even if it is small (like thankful they are there today). Try to make it personal. Sing some songs about giving thanks.
Prayer:
Pray a prayer of thanksgiving.
Lesson:
What are your Thanksgiving plans? (Take responses, then share your Thanksgiving Day plans.) What is your favorite part about this holiday? Do you have a special memory from a Thanksgiving in the past?
Did you know God talks about Thanksgiving in the Bible? No, He doesn’t discuss the holiday we celebrate called Thanksgiving. That holiday originated over 200 years ago when the Pilgrims feasted with their Native American friends. But the reason that they feasted on that first Thanksgiving Day was because of their belief in the Bible, and it clearly teaches about giving thanks.
In I Thessalonians 5:18, Jesus says, “In everything give thanks.”
Think about that for a moment. What does everything mean? Well, it means, everything. But what about bad things? Give thanks! What about good things? Give thanks! What about hard things? Give thanks!
Let’s talk about some of the good things we are thankful for (take responses and record them on the chalkboard.)
These are all excellent things, but I notice that they are all good things. What about bad things in your life? Can you be thankful for them?
(Insert a personal example where something “bad” happened in your life and it turned out for good in the long run.)
Remember the story of Joseph? Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, he was thrown into prison, and at the end of his story he says, “God meant it for good.”
Even when difficult things happen, stop to thank God. You may never know the reason behind the problem, but God sent it to you for a reason, and you need to be thankful. Try to look inside the problem to find some good to thank Him for. You might be surprised what you see.
Memory Verse:
I Thessalonians 5:18 – Write the verse on the board, erasing a word at a time until the children can quote it with no words left.
Craft/Game:
Make a “Thanksgiving Turkey.” (Either paint the plates ahead of time or do it at the beginning of the lesson so they can dry while you teach.)
Dismissal:
Have each child mention one more thing they are thankful for as they leave.
