Use this children’s Sunday School lesson to show kids the importance of thanking God and how to do that.
Needed: Bibles, a ball
Intro Game: Thanks Toss
Students stand in a circle and randomly toss a ball back and forth. Whenever someone catches the ball, they have to name one thing they’re thankful for, but it can’t be anything anyone else has said.
Lesson
Ask students, Who is someone that you like to do things with? (Mom, Dad, friend, grandma, grandpa, big brother or sister, etc.)
Now, I want you to think of a time that you were sick and didn’t feel good.
(Read Luke 17:11-19 or summarize it with the following story.)
Summary Story
A long time ago, when Jesus was a man on earth, 10 men caught a disease. They were very sick. The disease made ugly, hurtful spots on their skin, and they couldn’t be around anyone. They couldn’t be with their mom or dad or brother or sister or grandma or grandpa or their friends because if they got close to people, those people might catch the disease too.
The disease was called leprosy. And the people who had it had to live out in the desert by themselves, and they were very sad because they didn’t feel good and couldn’t be around anyone.
But one day, Jesus met 10 men out in the desert who had leprosy. And He healed them! He told them to simply go to the church and show themselves to the priests, and they would be all better. And that’s what happened. As the 10 men started walking to the church, their disease suddenly vanished. The leprosy went away, and they were all better.
Now, I want you to think; If you were one of those ten men and you had been sick and not able to see your family for a long time, what is the first thing you would do when you saw that you were better?
All of the men went off. We’re not sure where they went. Maybe they went to see their families. Maybe they went to do something else.
All of the men except one.
One man came running back to Jesus and fell down, kneeling at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Jesus.
Jesus was proud of that man because the man thanked Him. But Jesus was sad that the other men didn’t come back to thank Him.
Review Questions
What was the good thing that one of the sick men did in the story? (He came back and thanked Jesus for making him better.)
Do you think Jesus likes it when we thank Him for things? (Yes.)
What are some things that you can thank Jesus for? (Giving you your family, dying on the cross for you, loving you, etc.)
What are some ways that we can thank Jesus for the good things He does for us? (Thank Him in prayer, give an offering, sing Him a worship song, do something good that He wants you to do, do something nice for someone else as a way of thanking Jesus, etc.)
So, when something good happens to you, always remember to thank God and Jesus for that good thing, and that make will Jesus happy.
Game: Ten Leper Relay
Divide students into two or more teams. Have one student from each team stand at the opposite end of the play area as the others. That student is “Jesus” for their team.
When you say, “Go!” the first player from each team will run toward their “Jesus” at the opposite end. “Jesus” tags them, and then that player runs back to their team.
The second player then runs toward “Jesus” and does the same. Play continues until the last player reaches “Jesus” and return to their team’s starting position. At that point, the last player then returns to “Jesus,” and “Jesus” and that player run to the rest of the team together.
The first team to have all of their team members, including “Jesus,” reach their starting area wins.
Activity: Acting It Out
Divide students into groups of two or three. Have each group decide on and act out a scene depicting how they can give thanks to God.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, thank You for everything You’ve done for us and everything You do for us. Help us always to remember to thank You. Amen.
You can also find this lesson for Kindle or in print in my book, The Miracles of Jesus.