Here's an analogy. I love this one, and I think it describes those terms perfectly:
Just think of pouring water into a container, and how deep it gets.
You pour some water into a container. How deep it gets depends on HOW MUCH you pour in, but also on HOW WIDE the container is. One cup of water poured into a milk jug will raise the level much more than one cup of water poured into a swimming pool.
Thermal energy ... "Heat" ... is the stuff that pours in and out of something. "Temperature" is how deep the heat energy is in the object.
If you pour 100 joules of heat energy into a metal marble, you'll raise its temperature a lot more than if you pour 100 joules of heat energy into a metal battleship.