Week of December 26 - God Keeps His Promises

God’s faithfulness is present throughout the Bible, but the theme is prominent in the Book of Exodus. God is consistent and unchanging. Even when the Israelites are faithless, God is faithful. The Israelites regularly celebrated God’s miraculous acts like the Passover and the parting of the Red Sea to remember that God keeps His promises.

As you read and teach from the Old Testament, keep in mind this point on the horizon: God’s keeping His ultimate promise to send a Rescuer to deliver His people from sin. God spoke to His people through the prophets to remind them of His good plan.

When would the promised One come? How would He come? Would God’s people recognize Him? The prophet Isaiah—who lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born—brought a message of hope to God’s people.
Isaiah spoke specifically of the Messiah’s birth: “The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). He described the birth of a “Prince of Peace”—a Son of David who will reign forever. (Isa. 9:6-7) Isaiah said that He would be a King! (Isa. 11:1-5)

Jesus fulfilled God’s promises spoken by the prophet Isaiah. He is the child who came into the world. He is the Wonderful Counselor who leads us with wisdom. He is the Mighty God who fights for and protects us. He is the Eternal Father who loves us. He is the Prince of Peace who brings us into a right relationship with God.

Isaiah’s prophecies from God did not speak just to the people of his time; they also speak to us. Hundreds of years before it happened, Isaiah told of how Jesus would be born and how He would suffer and die to take away the sins of His people.

We respond to God’s faithfulness with trust, remembering His past miraculous acts and looking forward to the day when King Jesus will come back and rule forever. Jesus is the promised Messiah. He makes all of God’s promises come true.
Family Talking points

CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.

  • Younger Preschool: God keeps His promises. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world as a baby. Jesus saves sinners.
  • Older Preschool: God keeps His promises. God promised to send a Rescuer, so He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world as a baby. Jesus saves sinners. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to rescue us.
  • Kids: God keeps His promises. He remembered His promise to send a Rescuer and sent His Son, Jesus, into the world as a baby. Jesus grew up and provided salvation for sinners by dying on the cross and rising from the dead.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.

  • Younger Preschool: Does God keep His promises? Yes, God always keeps His promises.
  • Older Preschool: Does God keep His promises? Yes, God always keeps His promises.
  • Kids: Does God keep His promises? Yes, God always keeps His promises because He is faithful.

KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.

  • Younger Preschool: God keeps His promises. — Numbers 23:19
  • Older Preschool: God is not a man. He will not lie…What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he keeps. — Numbers 23:19
  • Kids: God is not a man. He will not lie. God is not a human being. He does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he keeps. — Numbers 23:19
Family Prayer Time
MORNINGS:
Praise God for His faithfulness. God will always keep His promises. He cannot lie, so we know He will always do what He said He would do. How does God’s faithfulness help your faith to grow?
EVENINGS:
Thank God for sending Jesus as the answer to His greatest promise. God has kept His first and greatest promise. How does this help you to trust Him more?
Family ACTIVITY IDEAS
FOR FUN:
Purchase a small step stool from a hardware store and gather a variety of art supplies. As a family, read Psalm 145:13 and 2 Corinthians 1:20. Discuss how God is faithful in everything He says and does. Remind your kids that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise. Use the art supplies to write these verses on the step stool. Remind your kids that we can always stand on the promises of God because they will never fail.
Supplies: small step stool, art supplies
TO SERVE:
Invite a widow or elderly couple into your home for dinner. Help your kids think of ways to make them feel like honored guests. After dinner, ask your guests to share how they have seen God’s faithfulness in their lives. Consider writing their stories in a notebook to give to your guests as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and to help them continue sharing their stories with others.
Supplies: notebook
LAST WEEK: God Parted the Red Sea (Exodus 13–15)
NEXT WEEK: God Provided Manna (Exodus 16–17)
The Gospel Project is a weekly Bible study that helps kids dive deep into the big story of the Bible—God’s plan to rescue His people through His Son, Jesus Christ. Your child can access free Gospel Project learning games and activities in the LifeWay Kids app reader available in the iTunes or Google Play stores.