Week 1 Wrenches Family Garage

A Promise Is A Promise
Genesis 15:1-5; 18:1-15; 21:1-3; 22:1-9; 24

Promises Made and Kept:
How many times have you discovered that something you
bought was not as great as you expected? Perhaps the box
said, ”easy assembly,” but when you emptied the contents
an “easy assembly” became days of grueling work. Adults
are not the only ones to encounter disappointment or
disillusionment. Broken or unfulfilled promises are frustrating
for children, too. Misleading advertising and the promise of
instant gratification is so prevalent in society, children may
grow to believe that promises are not meant to be kept.
However, God keeps His promises written in His Word and
expects Christians to honor their commitments and promises
to each other. Here are some suggestions for helping
children deal with promises and disappointments.
• Discern the truth. Guide your child to look at things
realistically. Help her evaluate the truth in promises
made in commercials, advertisements, and so forth
to minimize the disappointment of misleading media
promises. Help her see the goal or motivation behind
the message (to sell merchandise and make money).
• Deal with disappointments. Stress the fact that while
people or things may disappoint, God will never leave
or fail you.
• Guide your child to use her words carefully. Help her
understand the importance of speaking the truth and
following through on her promises.
• Honor your promises. If you say you will do something,
do it! You will teach your child that you mean what you
say when you consistently follow up on your words.
Remember this promise: “The LORD is good, a stronghold
in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in
Him.” Nahum 1:7. God will guide you as you try to be an
example to your children and in the world.

Act On It!

Lead your family to think of promises
God has made. Remind everyone that
God’s promises are His Words from the
Bible. On a sheet of paper, make a list of
every promise you can recall. Here are a
few examples to jump start your list: God
promises to never leave us. He promises
to love us. God promises to guide us.
Post the list in a prominent location, like
the refrigerator, so family members can
add to it throughout the week.
Praise God for His promises. Begin a
prayer of praise. Each person may join in
the prayer, praising God for one or two
of His promises. Continue praising Him
throughout the week as something enters
your mind. This may occur in the car,
around the table, at the park, and so forth.
Remind family members of the
importance of keeping their promises,
too. Assign different colored stickers to
each family member. Encourage family
members to write a description of promises
kept this week on the same list with God’s
promises. They may then add a sticker to
represent the person who kept his promise.
For example, if Molly promises to pick up
her toys and does, place one of Molly’s
colored stickers on the list and write
“picked up toys” next to it.
A Promise Is A Promise

The word of the LORD is right, and all His work is trustworthy.
Psalm 33:4