LESSON THEME: Thanks Jesus!
Luke 17:11-19 recounts the story of Jesus healing ten lepers, but only one—a Samaritan—returns to thank him. This passage highlights themes of gratitude, faith, and how Jesus’ mercy extends to all people regardless of their social status (as Samaritans were considered outsiders by Jews). Through this encounter, Jesus emphasizes that true healing involves not just physical restoration but spiritual wholeness that comes from recognizing and responding to God’s grace with thanksgiving.
WELCOME SENSORY BINS 6:00-6:15 p.m.
Sensory Bins will be setup for the kids to play with.
FIRST TABLE: “Healing Touch” Sensory Bin
- Assorted textured materials (soft cotton balls, rough burlap, seashells, smooth fabric, yarn, etc.)
- File folders with items to find in the bin
- Kinetic Sand
Children explore different textures (representing how leprosy affected feeling in skin). Adults should talk about how Jesus’ touch healed the lepers and restored their skin. This helps children understand the miracle of healing through their sense of touch.
SECOND TABLE: Jesus Heals the 10 Lepers Activity Mats
Children will practice putting spots on a leper and removing them using Playdoh or Dry Erase Markers. Adults should explain to the kids that during Jesus’ time leprosy was an illness that affected people’s skin, but Jesus was able to take it away.
WORSHIP JESUS THRU MUSIC: 6:20-6:30 p.m.
Worship Jesus Thru Music
- Thanks God Music Video (2:08)
- Lord I Thank You (2:49)
WORSHIP JESUS THRU PRAYER: 6:30-6:40 p.m.
WHISPER A PRAYER SONG & FORM CIRCLE
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time.
Ask each kid to share one thing they are thankful for.
BIBLE STORY & CRAFT 6:40-7:00 p.m.
“The Thankful Heart” – Luke 17:11-19
ITEMS NEEDED
- Bible
- 10 paper cutouts of people (one with a heart drawn on it)
- Carpet Squares
- 10 adhesive bandages
- Cleaning wipes
- Bubble solution and wand
- Small soft ball
- Colorful paper hearts (one for each child)
- Thank You Song (tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
- Masking tape for floor markings
- Hand sanitizer (for teacher use)
WELCOME (5 minutes)
Opening Activity: “Ten and One Game”
- Say: “I’ve hidden ten paper people around our room. Let’s all search for them!”
- Hide the 9 paper cutouts (one with a heart) around the room before class (keep the 10th with a heart)
- Help children find all 9 paper people
- Once all are found, say: “Great job finding all the people! What do you notice about them? (They have spots on their skin). What do you notice about this one I am holding? (He doesn’t have a spot, and he has a heart on him). In our story today, Jesus helped ten people, but only one remembered to say ‘thank you.’ Let’s learn more about what happened.”
TRANSITION TO LESSON (3 minutes)
Children should take a spot on a Carpet Square.
INTRODUCTION
“Ten Fingers “
- Say: “Today we’re going to learn about ten men who were very sick and how Jesus made them all better! Let’s count to ten together using our fingers!”
- Have children hold up both hands
- Count fingers together from 1-10
- Say: “Great counting! In our story today, Jesus helped TEN people, but only ONE remembered to say ‘thank you.’ Let’s use our counting fingers again. Hold up TEN fingers. Now, keep only ONE finger up! That ONE finger reminds us of the ONE person who said ‘thank you’ to Jesus.”
BIBLE STORY
Use simple actions and motions throughout the storytelling:
- Beginning of story:
- Say: “Jesus was walking to a village when He saw ten men who were very sick with sore skin.”
- Men call out to Jesus:
- Say: “These men stood far away and called to Jesus, ‘Jesus! Please help us!'”
- Action: Have children cup hands around mouth and call out “Jesus! Please help us!”
- Jesus heals the men:
- Say: “Jesus told them to go show themselves to the special leaders called priests. Their skin became all better!”
- Action: Have children look at their arms and smile with excitement
- Only one returns:
- Say: “One man came back to Jesus. He was so happy to be better!”
- Jesus responds:
- Say: “Jesus asked, ‘Weren’t there ten men who were healed? Where are the other nine? Only this one foreigner came back to thank God.'”
- Jesus blesses the thankful man:
- Say: “Jesus told the thankful man to go on his way because his faith had made him well.”
ACTIVITY 1: “Bubble Prayers”
- Have children sit in a circle
- Say: “We’re going to say thank you prayers to God with bubbles!”
- Blow bubbles while saying: “Thank you God for our friends!”
- Let each child take turns saying something they’re thankful for while you blow bubbles
- Children can pop the bubbles while shouting “Thank you God!”
ACTIVITY 2: “The Thank You March”
Add verses with other things to be thankful for (family, friends, food, etc.)s you give us. Help us to remember to say “thank you” just like the one man in our story. We love you, God. Amen.
Teach children this simple song to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”:
“I am thankful for God’s love, yes I am! (march in place)
I am thankful for God’s love, yes I am! (march in place)
I am thankful, oh so thankful,
I am thankful for God’s love, yes I am!” (march and clap)
March around the room singing together
BIBLE CRAFT: Thankful Heart Pocket
ITEMS NEEDED
Thankful Heart Pocket Template
Crayons
Have children draw pictures of what they are thankful for on their hearts. Children will place those things inside of the heart. Remind them when they pray to God this week to thank God for those things.
SNACK TIME: 7:00-7:10 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
Coloring Page
Crayons
Snack
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat snacks.
A coloring sheet will be available for kids to color while they eat their snack.
CLOSING GAME: Thankful in Challenging Times 7:10-7:25 p.m.
Tell the children you’ll ask them to try some challenging or tricky movements. Remind them it’s okay if they’re hard!
Call out these simple challenges one at a time:
- Sing “Jesus Loves Me” holding your nose.
- Stand on one foot and count to five.
- Crawl like a bear across the room and back.
- Jump up and down 10 times.
- Stretch your arms out wide like an airplane for 45 seconds.
Say: Wow! You all tried so hard! Some of those movements were tricky, weren’t they? The people in our story had something very hard every day – they were sick all the time and couldn’t get better by themselves. That’s why they were so happy when they got all better! They were so thankful for the help, but only one thanked Jesus. We should ALWAYS thank Jesus.
DISMISSAL 7:25-7:30 p.m.
Prepare for dismissal.
LESSON AT A GLANCE
