Teaching 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

3-5s

Theme: Jesus is coming so be ready

Aim: That they live each day as if Jesus might return

Intro:

Some sort of game where they need to be ready –eg snap,

Teaching:

Recap – particularly last week. Do you remember we saw that Jesus was coming back on the clouds with the trumpet blasts [if possible show pictures from last week, including Terry the Thessalonian].

[Have a big clock] The question that Terry and the other friends of Jesus in Thessalonica have is when? Will it be in an hour? [move clock on an hour] Will it be in 12 hours? [move clock on a bit more] Will it be when x is 6? [move clock on a bit more]. Will it be when x is 36? [etc]

Paul says we don’t know [shrug shoulders]. Read 5v1. Lots of things we do know. We know when we go to school or preschool – that’s not a surprise. [Set the clock to 9.00] We get up have our breakfast, get dressed and go at the time our mummies or daddies take us. We know when its bed time [yawn]. That’s not a surprise, it often gets dark and we get tired. We’ve had our tea and its 7:00 [set clock to then]

Jesus’ coming will be a sudden surprise! BANG! [make a loud noise] Did that surprise you? Jesus’ coming back will be a big surprise too. We don’t know whether it will be at 9:00 [set clock], 7:00 [etc], tomorrow, next week, next year, maybe not for ages and ages. But when He comes back it will be a HUGE surprise!

Paul warns Terry that there will be lots of people saying, ‘Don’t worry, Jesus isn’t coming back now. Everything is happy and lovely.’ [picture of people relaxing or doing things they shouldn’t] But Paul says, ‘Don’t listen to them. Jesus will come suddenly, BANG!’

These people in the picture, they aren’t living as though they were ready for Jesus coming back at any moment. They’ve forgotten Jesus and can’t be bothered with Him. How would Jesus feel about them if He came back now? He’d be sad.

So, how can we be ready for the BIG surprise of Jesus coming back on the clouds? We live as His friends. So if Jesus came back, would He be happy with Terry if he was doing what Mummy and Daddy ask? Yes. Would our friend Jesus be happy with Terry if he was taking something that didn’t belong to him? No. [continue with other examples – but be careful to put in the sentence ‘friends of Jesus’] [Have pictures of examples]

And if we’re ready when Jesus comes back, then it will be a huge reason to celebrate and have a party because we will go and be with Him forever. Read 5v9-11.

Pray

Craft:

• ·         Clock – we don’t know when Jesus will return
• ·         Surprise craft

Songs:

• ·         God knows from J is for Jesus
• ·         He died upon the Cross (Colin Buchanan)

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5-11s

Theme: Jesus will come suddenly for all so be ready

Aim: That they live each day as if Jesus might return

Intro

• ·         How long is a minute – the children need to stand absolutely still and quiet and sit down when they think exactly a minute is up
• ·         Talk about their best surprises ever (eg birthdays, etc) – talk about a birthday surprise where you were given a chocolate bar and place it on the side

Teaching:

Recap – what Jesus coming back is going to be like – it’s not a problem for those who have died loving and trusting Jesus.

This week their question is when? When will Jesus return? Good question, because if he’s not coming back for another few years we don’t need to worry about living His way, right?

1. 1.       Like a thief in the night

Here is Paul’s answer – child reads 5v1-4. So there will be lots of people saying, ‘Forget about Jesus coming back, life is good. We’ve got plenty of food and money, just enjoy life!’ But Paul says, ‘Don’t listen to them!’ Jesus’ return will come with sudden destruction and they won’t be able to escape.

Paul compares it to a burglar coming and breaking into your house. [At this point another leader comes and tries to steal the chocolate bar from earlier – ham it up panto style!]

If we knew that someone was going to come and steal our stuff, we’d be ready wouldn’t we. We’d have a policeman ready to arrest them. But they don’t warn you. They don’t phone you beforehand and say, ‘Hello x, I’m coming round tonight to steal your stuff, please make sure you’re in!’ No. When they come it’s a big surprise. And when Jesus comes it will be a big surprise too, with no warning. BANG! [pull a party popper or something similar]

Jesus might return this afternoon, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, 100 years. We don’t know, but it will be a big surprise.

1. 2.       Be Awake!

So how should we live as friends of Jesus if He’s coming back any moment? Here is what Paul says: child reads 5v5-8. Do you see what Paul is comparing? We have day and night. [turn out the lights and put a light on one side of the room] What things do we do at night? [take a list and put in dark side] What things do we do during the day? [take a second list and put in light side]

Paul isn’t saying we must never sleep. He is saying that some people spend their whole lives as if it were night time – doing things they shouldn’t as if no-one is watching because it’s dark. And its as if they are asleep because they are not thinking about Jesus and who He is. When you’re asleep, you don’t think. Well, they don’t think about Jesus. And it won’t be good for them when He returns.

But we are to be people of the light. So we are to be awake and alert and ready. If you’re asleep, you’re not ready for the burglar to come. Well, we’re to live our whole lives as if Jesus may return any second. It doesn’t mean we are always to be awake with our eyes open, it just means we are to be living for Jesus always.

Here’s one way he says we are to be awake. What do you do when you wake up in the morning? Get dressed? Well Paul says to get dressed. Read 5v8. What are we to wear? Faith and love as a breastplate [put a breastplate with ‘faith’ and love’ written on] Trusting Jesus and loving each other will protect us when Jesus returns. Hope will be our helmet [put helmet with ‘hope’ written on]. The hope of Jesus’ return will protect our thinking incase we forget. Have we seen these words before in 1 Thess?

Sum up – we are to be ready for Jesus’ coming back any moment. That means living for Him, trusting Him and warning others that He is coming.

Pray

Stick picture to old letter - clock

Table time: [add numbers to a clock as they answer questions]

Knowledge

• ·         When is Jesus coming back?
• ·         What will it be like when he comes back?
• ·         How does Paul say we should live?

Understanding

• ·         Why will some people be taken by surprise?
• ·         What does Paul say we are to wear?

Application

• ·         What does it look like for you to be ready for Jesus’ coming back?
• ·         What do you think it looks like for you not to be ready for Jesus’ return?
• ·         How can you encourage others with this news?

Pray

Memory verse

Teaching 1 Thessalonians 4v13 to 18

3-5s

Theme: Jesus rose from the dead and will come back for everyone who loves Him

Aim: That they look forward to Jesus coming back and don’t worry

Intro:

• ·         Putting pictures of the life of Jesus in order and colouring
• ·         Waiting game

Teaching:

Recap – Paul had only been with the Thess Christians for 3 weeks, so there was lots of stuff they still didn’t know. Although they were Jesus’ friends and really loved and trusted Him they were worried because some of their friends had died.

Do you remember Terry, the Thessalonian? [have picture of Terry] Well, Terry was worried because his friend Toni/Tony had died. Did that mean that she/he wasn’t going to be with Jesus?

So Paul writes to them and says, ‘Do you remember how Jesus died and rose again?’ [use picture from intro] ‘So you, too will die but you will also come to life again.’ So Toni/Tony will come to life again? When? Paul writes [read v16-17].

So here’s what it will be like: Jesus will come down on the clouds [have some ‘clouds’ and get a child to hold them up high]. Then there will be a shout. [get them to shout]. Then the angels will sing [add angels to the picture and get them to sing]. Then there will be the sound of the trumpet [add a picture of a trumpet, if possible use a trumpet, if not get the children to make a noise]. Then all those people who have died will rise to life, so Toni/Tony will rise again. And we will all go and meet Jesus in the clouds [add pictures of people to the cloud]. And we will be with Jesus forever.

So Terry doesn’t need to worry about Toni/Tony – one day all Jesus’ friends will be with Him forever! And you don’t need to worry either – really sad things will happen to us, but one day we will be with Jesus forever and everything will be brilliant!

Pray

Add picture to letters – clouds

Craft

• ·         Mobile – coat hangers: have clouds covering the hanger, then hang off on string people and angels and trumpets.

Songs:

• ·         He died upon the cross, Jesus no.1 and Super Saviour (all by Colin Buchanan)

  

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5-11s

Theme: Because Jesus died and rose again, so His friends will die and rise again

Aim: That they don’t worry about friends and loved ones who die, but encourage each other

Intro:

• ·         Recap game – find the hidden pictures from the letter and explain
• ·         Stuck in the mud – rework to bring in death and resurrection

Teaching:

Recap – Paul at Thess for 3 weeks therefore, although they were doing well, they still had lots of questions and things they didn’t understand.

One of the questions they had was about other Christians who had died. Was that it? All the non-Christians around them thought so. They used to weep and wail and wail and weep because when you were dead you were dead! It was over, no more, nothing.

Do Christians believe that? No! Read 4v13

Paul tells us that it’s about Jesus! Read 4v14. Do we remember what Jesus did? [on screen with pictures] He was born 2000 years ago, grew up to be a man, died on the cross but… he rose again! And so Paul promises that those who have died will rise again. For those who follow Jesus the same thing will happen: we are born, live, die someday too, but we will all rise again.

Jesus will come back some day and it doesn’t matter whether we are alive or whether we are dead when He comes: read 4v15.

So how will that happen? Well Paul tells us [could have ‘Paul’ reading?]. [have some of them lying down] ‘The Lord Jesus himself will come down from heaven’ [have clouds on screen]. ‘There will be a loud command’ [another leaders or two make loud noises]. ‘the voice of the archangel’ [leaders sing!] and with the trumpet call of God.’ [leader or child plays a note on the trumpet]. ‘And those who have died and were in Christ will rise first.’ [children lying down sit up] ‘After that, those who are still alive at that time will be gathered up with them.’ [all children stand up]. ‘We will be taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.’

This is great news! We don’t need to worry about friends or loved ones who have died loving Jesus. And so we should encourage one another of the great future that we have in Jesus, being with Him forever. Read 4v18.

Pray

Add clouds to old letter

Table Time: [younger ones could add clouds, trumpet, etc to picture as they answer the questions]

Knowledge

• ·         What were the Thessalonians worried about?
• ·         What was Paul’s answer to their question?
• ·         What will happen when Jesus returns?

Understanding

• ·         How does Paul’s answer help them not to be worried?
• ·         Why does it not matter if people die before Jesus returns?

Application

• ·         How do you feel about the future?
• ·         Are you worried about people who have died?
• ·         How can you encourage people with the good news of forever with Jesus?

Pray for suffering church

Memory verse

Teaching 1 Thess 4v1 to 12

3-5s

Theme: Make God happy by what you do

Intro:

Sometimes we make our mummies and daddies sad or cross [hold up sad face]. How do we do that? Maybe we do things they have asked us not to do. [take suggestions]

Often we make our mummies and daddies really happy [hold up happy face]. When do we make our mummies and daddies really happy? [take suggestions] When we do what they’ve asked us to do. When we bring them presents or say nice things to them.

Did you know that because of Jesus, God is your perfect Daddy in heaven? So we want to make Him happy, we want to please God more than anything else. We are going to see this morning how to please God.

Teaching:

Recap – do you remember, Paul was writing this letter [hold up letter] to the friends of Jesus in a town called Thessalonica? They hadn’t been friends with Jesus for long but they were doing really well at loving God and loving each other. [hold up Terry the Thessalonian]. Maybe you remember Terry – he had big ears to listen to God’s words, he had big hands to do what God wanted and everyone could see how much he loved and trusted God.

Terry wanted to make God happy and was trying, but Terry had not always loved and trusted Jesus. Not long ago he had never even heard of Jesus and had lived a completely different way, and the things Terry did would have made God really sad. But now he loved and trusted Jesus and that made God really happy! Read 4v1. So Paul writes in his letter, telling him to please God more and more, enjoy making God happy.

1. Terry used to get really cross when someone upset him [give Terry an angry face] and he used to do things he didn’t mean. Have you ever had that? Have you had a time when you’ve ended up hitting someone when you didn’t mean to, because you were so cross? Or breaking something by mistake because you were mad. [act out] Paul says, that it pleases God to be in control, to not completely lose it! And God’s Spirit helps us to do that.
2.  Terry didn’t use to care for other people either. If they needed his help he’d just say, ‘Nothing to do with me!’ [have some pictures of people who need help and act out] But because of Jesus, Terry and the Thessalonians now care for each other. Read v9-10. This pleases God, makes God happy.
3. Terry also used to be lazy, he wouldn’t bother tidying his toys away or brushing his teeth. [act out or use pictures] But Paul says that to make God happy he is to work hard. Read v11-12. Then other people will see how much you love God.

We are to please God, to make God happy, more and more. When we trust Him and love Him wherever we are and whatever we’re doing then God smiles on us, we are pleasing Him.

Pray

Stick Smiley Face onto old letters

Craft:

• ·         Have pictures of pleasing God and not pleasing God from 1-3 above – they need to stick in the right place

·          

Songs:

• ·         He overflows with love and He overflows with Love (from J is for Jesus)

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5-11s

Theme: Try to please God more and more by what you do

Intro:

What makes you happy? – sliding scale in the room from 1-10 [include some of the examples from below, eg school work!]

What makes God happy?

Teaching:

[set out the room like a running race – two lines of masking tape for a track]

Recap – Paul speaking to baby followers of Jesus, had only been with them 3 weeks, but they’re doing really well, so he wants them to keep going.

It’s like being in a race – how do we keep going? By faith, trusting in Jesus and his death for us. How do we keep others going? Loving each other.

And by running this race, trusting Jesus, we’re making God really happy. [have runner on the track] But we want to please God more and more. So how do we do that?

Well a runner stays within the lines of their track, and if they keep running they’ll finish the race. So what does it mean for the Thessalonians and for us to stay within the track? Read 4v2-6. [Place certain words inside and outside the track and explain what they mean, giving examples: holy, self-control, treating others badly, live in sin, wrong and cheat your brother]. When we run in the lines it makes God happy and we want to please God more and more.

But Paul gives a warning – read v7-8. If we ignore this, then we’re ignoring God and that’s a BIG mistake!

What else does it mean to run in the lines, run in a way that pleases God? Read v9-10. Again Paul wants us to love each other more and more. The Thessalonians were doing this really well, but still Paul said, keep doing it more and more.

There’s one more thing: read v11-12. Some of the Thessalonians were being lazy. Maybe they thought, ‘Jesus is coming back soon so there’s no point working hard at school learning to read and write or earning money!’ But Paul said that’s here [place outside the lines ‘laziness’] It pleases God to work hard. When we work hard it helps others to see how great God is.

Table time [younger ones have a track on the table and they have to get their runner to the end by answering questions]

Knowledge

• ·         What did Paul want them to do? (v2)
• ·         How were they to please God?

Understanding

• ·         How might they displease God?
• ·         Why is it a good thing to want to please God?
• ·         What effect will have on others if you live to make God happy? (v12)

Application

• ·         How can you please God more and more?
• ·         Do you want to please God more and more?

Add picture to letter – smiley face [pleasing God]

Pray for ‘people who are not believers’ (v12)

Teaching 1 Thess 3v6-13

3-5s

Theme: Paul is so excited that the Thessalonians are trusting Jesus and loving each other that he wants them to do it more and more

Aim: That they want to trust Jesus more and love each other more

Intro

'What do you want to be when you grow up?' - have some pictures of typical things and get them talking (maybe colouring in said pictures). Paul wants the Thessalonian church to keep growing in trust of Jesus and love for each other.

Or baby animals when they grow up - some look different, some look the same. Paul wants us to keep trusting Jesus and loving each other.

Teaching:

Recap last week - Paul wanted to get to Thessalonica to find out how they were all doing but he couldn't so he sent Timothy instead. [have a picture of Terry the Thessalonian up]

Paul was feeling sad and worried [have a worried face] because the Thessalonians, whom he loved so much, may have stopped following Jesus. Paul had been praying day and night that they would keep trusting Jesus. Then Timothy returns with a message about how they are doing. [leader 2 dressed as Timothy(?) goes across to Terry and returns with a message about the church in Thessalonica]. Paul would have wondered what was in the message; how were the church getting on? Were they alright? Let's find out [open the message]

They've been longing to see Paul just as he's been really wanting to see them! How exciting [turn the worried face over to reveal a happy face]

They are still trusting Jesus, still loving each other! What great news. Paul is so happy.

So he turns and he prays for them [picture of Paul praying]. What does he pray? He prays that they'd keep loving Jesus [stick on a heart with 'Jesus' onto Terry] and that they would keep loving each other [stick arrows flowing out from the heart]. Read 3v10-13.

So the most important thing when you grow up is that you keep loving Jesus and keep loving each other. It would be great to be a fireman [etc.] but its even better to be a follower of Jesus.

Pray that each child would grow in love for Jesus and in love for each other

Stick picture onto the old letters

Craft:

• An outline (or photo) of each child - stick on a heart with Jesus in the centre and arrows out (love for others)
• Prayer cards - 'Dear ___, we prayed today that you would grow in love for Jesus and for others.'
• Flip-stick - one side Paul's worried face, the other Paul's happy face

Songs:

• He overflows with Love (from J is for Jesus)
• Jesus loves the little children

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5-11s

Theme: Paul is so excited that the Thessalonians are trusting Jesus and loving each other that he wants them to do it more and more

Aim: That they want to trust Jesus more and love each other more

Intro:

'When I grow up' game

Baby animal quiz - some look really different, Paul wants us to keep doing the same thing.

Teaching:

Recap from last week - Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica [set one child up as Terry the Thessalonian, another as Timothy and a third as Paul]. While Timothy is away, Paul is busy praying. What's he praying?: Paul reads 3v10.

Paul is desperately praying that they keep trusting Jesus. That's the most important thing for them. Not that they're well, or healthy, or not being treated badly for following Jesus. No, he prays that they wouldn't give up.

Then Timothy returns with a message from them [Timothy returns and open message]. The message says that they are longing to see Paul too and that they are carrying on trusting Jesus and loving one another! Paul is so excited. He writes in his letter: Paul reads 3v6-9.

Do you see what was most important to Paul? That they were carrying on trusting Jesus and loving each other. [Stick a heart with 'Jesus' on Terry, with some arrows flowing out from the heart]. For Paul this was much more important than doing really well at school or getting a great job or being brilliant at football. Trusting Jesus and loving others was his number one priority for them.

So what do you thin he prays for them? That they would be great at football? That they would be healthy and happy and safe? That they would all get great jobs now they trust Jesus? No, that's not what Paul prays for at all. Paul reads v11-13. Paul prays that they would keep growing in faith and love. This is something that we can pray for each other. [Get each child to choose another child in the room and lead them in a prayer based on v11-13 for each other].

Table time

Knowledge

• What was Timothy's message from the Thessalonians?

• What did Paul pray for the Thessalonians?

Understanding

• Why was Paul so excited to hear the message?

• Why did Paul pray what he did for the Thessalonians?

Application

• What do you pray for your friends and family? What does Paul want you to pray?

• What do you want to be in the future?

Prepare a prayer card with 3v12-13, for a friend

Stick heart with 'Jesus' and arrows flowing out onto the old letter

Pray for persecuted church

Memory verse