Thanksgiving 2024
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
1/ Hello, friends! Welcome to Sunday School!
Do you know what month it is? (Allow for responses)
That’s right, it’s November! What are some fun things that happen in November? It gets colder, and the leaves fall down… and at the end of the month, we have a special holiday! What do you like to do for Thanksgiving?
(Allow for responses)
2/ Ooh, yes! I like to make yummy treats, put up fun decorations, eat lots of food, and sometimes play games with my family.
3/ Do you know who first had a big Thanksgiving feast? (Allow for responses—they might not know the answer.) It was the Pilgrims.
A long, long time ago, about 400 years ago, the Pilgrims came to America from England. Their first year was really hard.
4/ They came to America too late to plant their food, so they were very hungry. Many of them got sick and some even died. But when fall came and they were able to grow food, they were so happy! They had lots of food to eat, and they wanted to thank God. So they decided to have a big feast! Their neighbors, the Wampanoag Indians, brought deer they had hunted, and everyone ate and celebrated for three days.
5/ Most people know this story about the first Thanksgiving, but there’s another story.
In 1623, the Pilgrims had a big problem: there wasn’t enough rain, so their food didn’t grow well. They were scared they wouldn’t have enough food. Do you think they complained?
You know what? They still had Thanksgiving!
6/ But it wasn’t a big feast this time. They decided not to eat for a day. They did this to focus on God and say thank you for everything they had. They thanked God for all He gave them, even when they didn’t have much. And they thanked God for sending His Son, Jesus.
7/ The Bible says:
Let’s say the verse together. Ready? 3, 2, 1.
“Be happy always. Pray all the time. Give thanks to God in everything, because that is what God wants you to do.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
You see, God gave us Jesus to take care of all the bad things we’ve done. So, even when our tummies are hungry or full, or when things are good or a little scary, we can still say thank you to God!
God has given us so many wonderful things, but the best gift of all is Jesus.
Let’s pray together.
Dear God,
Thank You for all the good things You give us.
Thank You for Jesus, our Savior.
We can always thank You because You love us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
