TRUST
WELCOME TO WEEK 3
I promise to always love you! I promise to always be there! I promise to never fail! Have you ever heard any of those promises made to you? Is there any person that you know that could never fail? Those promises seem impossible to keep. They are for us, but not for God. He makes those promises and more. This week we will see that we can trust God to keep His promises.
BIBLE STORY
There are promises we can keep : I promise to feed the dog today… and promisees we can not keep: I promise to always be happy. Unlike our promises, God’s promises are always true and He always keeps them. Think about the following promises people might make and decide if its a promise they can definitely keep or if it’s a promise they might break.
I will always love you
I will always eat all my food
I will always be your best friend
I will wait right here
I will help you
I will never leave you
I will forgive you
I will always protect you
I will always agree with you
I will never lie to you
I will never let anything happen to you
There are promises listed that we can keep and then there are some promises only God can keep. We can find God’s promises to us in His word. The promises Good makes to us He will always keep, they are good for an eternity. God does not change His mind or fail on His promises. This week we will see how God makes a promise to a woman and keeps that promise exactly. Let’s see how Elisha delivers a promise from God to a woman who has shown kindness to Elisha.
Read or listen to 2 kings 4:8-37
What did the woman of Shunem ask Elisha to do every time he was near? (Stay to eat a meal)
What did thee woman of Shunem do for Elisha since he traveled by their home so often?(build a room on the roof for him)
When Elisha asked what he could do for her in return, what did she say? (She had a home among her people)
What did the servant observe she might need? (She has on son and her husband is old)
When the child grew up and worked in the field with his father one day, what did he complain of? (His head hurt)
When he died, what did his mother do? (She laid him on the prophets bed and went to get Elisha)
What did Elisha do when he came to the boy? (He prayed, laid on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, and hands to hands)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
Match these rainbow halves together and decide if these promises from God are true or false. Cut out the rainbows and then cut them in half along the dotted line. Have your child match the promise with the true or false half. Discuss the promises that were read together.
Materials: printed and cut rainbow halves, scissors
Alternate
In the story the woman of Shunem built a room on the top of her house for Elisha to use when he would pass through her town. Using bricks, Legos, or play dough build a room for Elisha. What would you add to your room for Elisha? How big would your room be? Do you think Elisha appreciated the room they built for him?
Materials: large building bricks, Legos, or play dough
Independent activity:
Color the rainbow In the correct order. Read the promises on each ring of the rainbow as you color it. God has given us many promises in His word. They are promises we can trust He will keep.
Materials: printed rainbow, crayons
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
What is a promise God has given use today?
Where can we find God’s promises?
How can we trust that God will keep all of His promises?
How do you think the widow felt when Elisha promised her a child the next year?
Do you think she ever doubted if the promise would come true?
Do we sometimes doubt if God’s promises will actually happen?
What can we do to help us remember and hold on to our faith that God will keep his Promises
Practical Application at Home
Think of another story in the Bible where God made a promise and also gave a symbol to help us remember his promise forever. God promised Noah that he would never again send a flood to destroy the entire world.. He then put a rainbow in the sky as a symbol of His promise. God has kept His promise. We know there are many more promises God has made in His word and we can trust He will keep those as well. God made a promise to the woman of Shunem and he kept that promise and even saved her son years later as well. Even though our prayers may not always be answered the way we wanted, we can trust God will keep His word and be with us always.
Think of how each color represents something from God. For example, Red=the blood Jesus shed for us. Use colorful candy or cereal to discuss each color of the rainbow with your child.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?