Thanksgiving kids message: Is the cup half full or half empty?–

(Note this is pretty simple but it still works)

Thanksgiving food basket

Idea overiew: This is really basic but I think it works. Ask the kids to imagine they are out on a hot day. Hold up and present to them a half-filled glass of water. Would they be thankful for that water? Explain how silly it would be to complain that it was only half full. Discuss how some people see the cup as half full and others see it as half empty. Explain how we can have thankful hearts if we focus on what is there rather than what is not there. Yes, there may be things we don’t have, but we want to say thankyou to God for all the good things we do have.

Object lesson items: A half filled glass on water

Children’s Sermon: Good morning children! I want you to use your imagination this morning and pretend that it is a very hot day. Pretend you have been out in the heat all day and you are very thirsty. (Ask them to show you what they would look like – tongue hanging out, sweating, panting etc.)

Now, what if I came and offered you this glass of water (Hold out the half-filled glass). Would you want it? Would you be thankful? (Interact a bit) Yes! Of course, you would be thankful for the water. Now, you may have noticed that it was only half full. Wouldn’t it be silly to complain to me that the glass was only half full. It seems strange but some people see this glass as half empty! They see what is not there rather than what is there. They see the cup as half empty rather than half full!

All of us have disappointments in life. There are things we would like to have but we don’t have. Or, maybe we have some toys that are broken. (No one has everything they want.) However, it is important to be thankful for all the good things we do have. In the same way that it’s best to see this glass as half full rather than half empty, it’s best to be thankful for all the good thing we do have. We wouldn’t be very thankful if we went around saying to ourselves (or to God) “I only have half a glass of water,” or “there are so many toys I don’t have,” or “I only have three friends” etc. We wouldn’t sound very grateful to God, and we wouldn’t be very happy either.

Children, let’s see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Let’s be thankful to God for what we do have rather than complain about what we don’t have.

Children’s prayer: Dear God, we have so many good things in our lives (loving parents, food, friends etc). Help us always to pay attention to the good things we have and to give thanks to you as the source of many blessings in life. In Jesus’ name – Amen!