Elementary // Thankfulness Week 3
Memory Verse:
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
Definition
Thankfulness: A grateful heart that comes from trusting God
Teaching Truth
We can be thankful even through hard times
Questions to Ask Your Child
READ LAMENTATIONS 3:14-26
What are some of the hard things Jeremiah talks about in these verses? (Laughed at, bitter and sad, no peace, poor, hopeless, suffering and homeless, awful time and loss)
When Jeremiah was in the middle of this suffering, what did he remember?
What truths about God was Jeremiah thankful for? (His love is forever. He is faithful and merciful. The Lord is his everything. He is good and dependable.)
Does God change? Is He the same no matter what is going on, whether it’s easy or hard? Why do you believe that? What other things do you believe to be true about God?
Activity
READ 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18
What THREE things does Paul remind us that we need to do? (be joyful, pray, give thanks) How is Paul’s response like Jeremiah’s? (He knew he could thank God, no matter what was happening around him or to him.) This Thanksgiving week, talk about one thing that has been hard as a family this year. Were you, as a family, joyful, prayerful and thankful during this difficult circumstance? What did this situation teach you about being thankful even through hard times?