A Thankful Heart Series

Our Heritage Lesson 5

Warm up: Say: What is a favorite food or fruit that you enjoy eating? We will go around the room and let you tell us your name and a food that begins with the first letter in your name. The second person will say what you said and add theres. The third person will say what the first two kids said and add theres Each person will try to remember the name and food of all those before them, then share a food or fruit they are thinking about using the first letter in their own name. Teachers Reading this week: II Samuel 9 Memory Verse: For everything created by GOD is GOOD, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (I Tim. 4:4)

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

Kids Sermon God has given us so many things to enjoy. We have much in which to be thankful. One of the first Thanksgivings happened many years ago when the Pilgrims came across the sea to America. We will be watching a PowerPoint shortly about some things that happened at that time so long ago. God loves all people and we are to treat them in the same way that we want to be treated. I see so many people who do not have any legs and they cannot walk like you can. One time, I went into a patients room at the hospital to visit him, and he lay there so discouraged. He was very small for he did not have any legs at all. I asked him how he was doing and this is what he said, Not good; will you read the bible to me? I did not take my bible with me, but I told him that I would quote some scripture from memory to him. He seemed ok with that, so I quoted Scripture to him that I had learned as a child by memory many years ago. He wanted me to bring him some more literature to read, so I went to get some and took the literature back up to him. He was lying on his stomach fast asleep, and since I did not want to wake him up, I placed the reading material close to his head. Later the next week when I went to see him again, he was a very changed man and said that he got help. You see Jesus loves that man who had no legs as much as he loves you and me. We have so much to be thankful if we have two good legs and can walk to school, to church, and play sports at school.

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

God is GOOD even if we do not have legs like this man found out that day. We are to receive everything that God gives to us with thanksgiving. That means we are to praise him no matter what our circumstances are in life. If things are not going well at school, we praise God. If things are not going well at home, we praise God. If we have lots of clothes so just a few, we praise God. If we sit next to someone in school who talks differently, we praise God. If we have to eat food that we do not like, we show gratitude for all that we have. This is the will of God in our lives. If we say, I do not like that and talk about what we do not like grumbling and complaining all that time, that is the same as rejecting what God has allowed us to have. Listen to this memory verse here: For everything created by GOD is GOOD, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (I Tim. 4:4) God has a purpose in all the GOOD and BAD that comes our way. He does not promise us that all will be good in our lives, He DOES promise to be with us in the good and the bad. All people that God created are GOOD and none are to be rejected. We are to receive different types of people in our activities, our church, our schools and wherever we are. God does not reject anyone. He has given all people a choice in which they can choose to give their hearts to him and go to heaven one day. He did not give this choice just to you or those who are like you. He loves the black the white, the American Indian, the African American and the whole world. God is GOOD.

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

David was treated very unkind by King Saul because God had taken the kingdom away from him. King Saul did not like it when he heard that David would be king instead. Saul tried many times to kill David because of this. During this time, Jonathan who was King Sauls son was kind to David and tried to protect him. Finally, God took King Sauls life, and David was made King. After King Saul died, David wanted to help any of his family members that were still living. They found one who was still living and his name was Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan. Mephibosheth was lame on both feet and could not walk like you and I do. Mephibosheth was brought before King David and told that he would always have food and be provided for. King David told him that he would give him back his land, too. God helped King David to do the RIGHT thing. God will help you to love those who are different than you are. They may smell bad, not take a shower, never have a pencil at school, have holes in their shoes, but God loves them and so should we. God is GOOD and all that he gives us we are to be thankful for all things and all people. Show the slides of Thanksgiving at this time.

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

Our Heritage Treasures from the Word

SMALL GROUP LESSON AND ACTIVITES

Teaching the Memory Verse: For everything created by GOD is GOOD, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (I Tim. 4:4) (Write the verse on the board) Teacher: Worksheets are provided for extra activity. You can do these together, allow the kids to do alone, or let them work with a partner. Some children will need help with spelling words. You may want to write some suggestions on the board for them. Use your own discretion on how much help to give them. 1. Distribute bibles for kids if they can read. Open bibles together helping them find the correct page number. 2. Read the memory verse together.
Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

3. PASS THE CORN. Practice saying the verse several times. Have the kids say one word at a time, and the next kid say the next word until they completed the whole verse. Give them an ear of corn as they say their word, and have them pass it on to the next person to add their word. Do this a couple times. 4. (Try to refrain from reading, but simply talk to the kids.) Say: God is good. Everything that He gives to us is to be received with Thanksgiving. What are some things that you are thankful for? Encourage each child to share one thing. When I was a child I did not like to eat ________ (share something about you here and what you did about it or how you feel about that now). Personal story: When I was a child, I did not like to eat pasta. When my grandmother was not looking, one of my cousins or family members would take it off my plate so I would not get into trouble. My grandmother was very strict with us kids about eating what she served us. To this day, I do not like to eat pasta. I find it hard to truly be thankful for pasta. However, I do thank God that he provides for all our needs. 5. Pass out worksheets - one at a time. Do these together. Write the answers on the board for young children. Help them as needed according to their ages and ability.

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

UNSCRMBLE THE FRUIT

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

PHEAC _______________ Hint: Orange and fuzzy PALPE __________________ Hint: Green, red, and yellow ABNNAA __________________ Hint: Long and yellow RPAGES __________________ Hint: Small purple or green ULPM ________________ Hint: purple with a seed in middle IEPLEPPNA _____________ Hint: Big and yellow with green a top

Draw a basket of fruit

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

Our Heritage Think of something about the story today that begin with the first letter of each line below and write it on the lines provided.

P___________________________________________ I ___________________________________________ L ___________________________________________ G ____________________________________________ R ____________________________________________ I____________________________________________ M _____________________________________________ S______________________________________________

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

Thanksgiving - Circle the Best Answer

1. Who came to the First Thanksgiving________________! Pilgrims & Indians Cats & Dogs Corn & Turkey

2. What does it mean to be thankful? Greedy Get what you want show appreciation

3. What does it mean to receive everything with thankfulness? Take what you can thank God ask for what you want

4. Kind David was kind to Jonathans _________? Wife baby dog son

5. God wants us to be thankful for _______ things? Nothing some all fruit

6. God loves all ____________________? People dogs cats churches

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

Our Heritage

Draw a picture story of the lesson today. Fold and make a book.

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

NOTE: See The Thankful Series Overview for ideas for music, snacks, and crafts. http://www.scribd.com/doc/64022418/A-Thankful-Heart-KidzWorship-PREVIEW-of-Series

SKIT: Make a pilgrim hat for each character to wear as they do this skit. Pilgrim Girl: Lets go down by the creek. Pilgrim Boy: I have to clean up my room. Pilgrim Girl: Come on, your mom will not be home until after they have the dinner all prepared. She will never know. Pilgrim Boy: She always seems to have a way of finding out stuff like that. Pilgrim Girl: I wont tell; so come along. Pilgrim Boy: Ok.but not for long. The last times she got back earlier because they had extra help that showed up. Pilgrim Girl: Oh look here.at this swinging vine. I have never seen this before. (Show a vine) Pilgrim Boy: That is cool. Maybe it fell down when the horses came through last night. There were a lot of them from all the noise we heard last night. Pilgrim Girl: Watch me! Wheee this is fun! Pilgrim Boy: Maybe youd better be careful. We do not know what is beyond that large rock over there. Pilgrim Girl: I am having fun! Come ontry it! Here goes.help! This vine is breaking.I can feel it. Stop it for me.quick. Pilgrim Boy: I cant get a hold of it..you are going too high. Pilgrim Girl: Heeeelp! (Disappears)

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.

Pilgrim Boy: Where are you? I cannot see you. Where did you go? (Looks frantically) Pilgrim Girl: (In a small voice) Over here on the other side of this rock..in a hole in the ground. Pilgrim Boy: Wait.I will go get help. (To himself: Now, I am in BIG trouble) Teacher: Do you think Pilgrim Boy was wise to disobey his mom? Why do you think so? What do you think happened in the rest of the story? God wants us to obey our parents even when we do not feel like it. This is what he says, in the Bible. Children obey your parents for this is right (Ephesians 6:1). When we disobey it can sometimes cost us a great lesson like Pilgrim Boy and Girl in our skit today.

Dr. Jeanne McIntosh October 2011 All rights reserved.