This lesson teaches children that Paul thanked God for the Thessalonian believers and that God loves and chooses his people. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, a memory verse, and a short activity.
Big Idea
God loves us, and he helps us love him and each other. When we see good things in other people, we can thank God for them and pray for them.
Memory Verse
1 Thessalonians 1:3
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.
(WEB)
Teach the children to cup both hands together like they are holding a small bird, then lift them up toward the ceiling while saying the verse. Repeat it three times, lifting a little higher each time, to show that our thanks rise up to God.
The Story: 1 Thessalonians 1 for Kids
A long time ago, a man named Paul wrote a letter to a church in a city called Thessalonica. Paul was not writing alone. His friends Silvanus and Timothy were with him, and they all wanted the people in Thessalonica to know God’s grace and peace. Paul wrote, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul loved these new friends. Every time he prayed, he thought about them and gave thanks to God. He saw how they kept working for Jesus, how they showed love to others, and how they kept hoping and trusting even when things were hard. Paul did not forget any of it.
Paul told them that God had chosen them, and that the Good News of Jesus came to them with real power and the Holy Spirit. The Thessalonians had suffered for their faith, but they still felt joy. Paul said they became like examples for others to follow, the way they followed Paul and the Lord.
News of their faith spread far away, to whole regions around them. Paul did not even have to tell people about them, because others were already talking about how they had turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. Their lives showed that Jesus had changed them.
Paul ended by reminding them that they were waiting for Jesus to come back from heaven. Jesus is the one who raised from the dead and who rescues us from God’s anger against sin. The Thessalonians were learning to trust him every day, and they could wait for him with hope.
Read It Together
1 Thessalonians 1:2
We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers…
(WEB)
Point out that Paul says “we always give thanks” and that he prays for everyone. Ask the children who they pray for and remind them that thanking God for people is a good habit they can start today.
1 Thessalonians 1:5
And that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.
(WEB)
Show the children that the Good News came with power and with the Holy Spirit, not just with words. Explain that God helps us know and feel his love, and that he gives us strength when we share about Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
9 For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
(WEB)
Point out how the Thessalonians turned away from idols to serve the living God and wait for Jesus. Explain that turning to God means choosing to follow him, and that Jesus rescues us from God’s anger against sin.
Talk About It
- What is one good thing you see in your friends or family that you could thank God for?
- How did Paul and his friends show that they loved the people in Thessalonica?
- What helps you keep going when something is hard to do for Jesus?
- How can you tell that God is with you when you share about Jesus?
- What do you think it would feel like to wait for Jesus to come back with joy?
Activity Ideas
Thankful Hearts Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child draw a large heart and write or draw one person they are thankful for inside it. Cut out the hearts and let the children take turns telling the class why they chose that person. Encourage them to pray for that person before they take the heart home.
Lift Up the Good News Game
You will need a soft ball or a rolled-up pair of socks. Have the children stand in a circle. When someone tosses the ball to another child, that child must say one thing they are thankful for about someone in the group. Keep going until everyone has had a turn. Finish by saying together, “Thank you, God, for good friends.”
Thank-You Card for Home
You will need a sheet of paper folded in half, pencils, and stickers if you have them. Children draw a picture of their family or a friend and write a short thank-you note on the inside. Ask them to read the card to that person at home and say they are grateful for them. This helps children practice thanking God and others in daily life.
Teacher Notes
Paul’s letter shows that faith, love, and hope are worked out in real relationships and daily life. Adults can see that the Thessalonians were chosen by God and that their faith spread because they lived it out, even under pressure. Paul’s constant prayer and thanksgiving model a steady, grateful relationship with God and with the church.
Avoid suggesting that children can earn God’s love by behaving well. The text presents God’s choice and grace as the foundation, with faith and joy as the response. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and love rather than on the children’s performance.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for loving us and choosing us to be your children. Help us remember the good things in our friends and family, and help us pray for them every day. Give us hope and joy as we wait for Jesus to come back. Amen.
