SermonStudio

Scripture Reference
... giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-- Ephesians 5:20

Materials Needed
Calendar
Card stock printed with scripture reference and verse

Telling The Story
(Show the calendar.) What is this? (Let the children answer.) That's right! It's a calendar. A calendar helps us keep track of the months, days, and dates during the year. There are twelve months in a year. Let's see if we can name them. Ready? (Show each month as you lead the children in saying the names in order.) Very good!

January is the first month of the year. Now, who can tell me something that happens in January? (Show January. Let the children answer and confirm correct answers. Possibilities include: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

How about February? It's the second month of the year. What happens in February? (Show February. Let the children answer and confirm correct answers. Possibilities include: Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day, Groundhog Day.)

Okay ... how about May? May is the fifth month of the year. What happens in May? (Show May. Let the children answer and confirm correct answers. Possibilities include: Mother's Day, May Day, Memorial Day, the last day of school.)

Very good! You know your months! What is the eleventh month of the year? (Let the children answer. Confirm that November is the eleventh month of the year.) What happens in November? (Let the children answer and confirm correct answers. Possibilities include: Election Day and Thanksgiving.) That's right! Thanksgiving is in November.

One more month. Who knows what the twelfth -- or last -- month of the year is? (Let the children answer. Confirm that December is the last month of the year.) Very good! What happens in December? (Let the children answer and confirm correct answers. Possibilities include: Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day.)

So Thanksgiving, the day we tell God, "Thank you," is in November, the eleventh month. Christmas is really about Jesus, but many people think of Christmas as a time to get presents, don't they? And Christmas comes in December, the twelfth month of the year. Thanksgiving comes before Christmas. In our calendar, telling God, "Thank you," comes before getting presents.

Do you think that maybe we can learn something from the calendar? Every year, we celebrate Thanksgiving before we get gifts. That's a good lesson for us. We should always be thankful, but maybe we need to make an extra effort to be thankful first. We should make being thankful a bigger priority -- and do it first -- and make getting things a later priority. In fact, it should be our last priority.

What does the Bible say? (Hold up card stock printed with scripture reference and verse and read it.) Ephesians 5:20 says, "... giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." We've read this verse before. It reminds us to be thankful for everything, even things we might not think are special or important. It reminds us also to practice being thankful. When we remember to tell God, "Thank you," even when we aren't sure we need to be thankful, God will help us to see all the blessings that we have. Your challenge this week is to practice being thankful. Tell God, "Thank you," more often than you ask God for more things. Make being thankful a priority. When you do, you'll be amazed at how much you already have.

Prayer
Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for loving us and for taking care of us. Thank you, too, that the calendar shows us that being thankful is more important than getting more things. Please help us to remember this and remember to tell you, "Thank you," every day.

In Jesus' name. Amen.