Especially for Older Students: How Would You Respond?

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will role-play different scenarios to show what it looks like to be grateful to God.

Learning Goal: Students will evaluate their own responses to God of gratitude for the blessings He has brought to their lives.

Explain to the students that we choose everyday whether or not to be grateful to God. Say: Even in everyday boring activities, God deserves our gratitude. We are going to role-play a few scenarios to see how we can train ourselves to respond to God with gratitude.

Explain that you will call out several scenarios, pausing after each one for students to call out ways they could show gratitude to God in those situations. (You may use the list of scenarios below or choose different ones to better fit the students in your group.)

You passed a test when you thought you would fail
You weren’t injured in a car accident
Details worked out so you could take a trip with a friend
You are healthy when many around you are getting sick
You get to mow the yard (In the discussion, have the students focus on their healthiness allowing them to be able to mow and have them focus on God’s creation that they get to experience in the process.)
You are attending your family game night on a night when your friends are getting together
You lead a friend to Christ
You get accepted into the college you wanted to attend

When all scenarios have been discussed, emphasize that being grateful should become a part of our daily lives. Say: Understanding that God is behind all of the good things in our lives is key to this kind of gratitude. Divide learners into groups of two or three to pray for each other to be thankful in God’s provisions, blessings, and deliverance on a daily basis.