ISSUE No. 75 | November 2026
WELCOME
If you’re new to CULTIVARE we welcome you! CULTIVARE is a monthly field guide for life and faith, brought to you by TEND. Each month we explore a specific “field” – a topic or theme through which we seek to cultivate contemplation, engagement, and deeper understanding. Our guiding questions are:
What are you cultivating in your life?
What fruit do you want your life to bear?
Each issue of CULTIVARE is structured into three parts:
Cultivate: Examines a specific “Field” or facet of life and offers questions to unearth and challenge our held perspective; along with concise kernels of truth which we call “Seeds.”
Irrigate: Explores the ways we nurture our understanding, which varies from individual to individual. We offer six means of irrigation: Art, Poetry, Profile, Film, Essay, and Books.
Germinate: Encourages practical ways to engage in becoming more fruitful and free in our lives.
Our name, CULTIVARE, in Spanish means “I will cultivate.” We hope each issue of our field guide will encourage you to do just that – cultivate new thoughts, actions, faith, hope, and fruitful living. We invite you to dig in and DIG DEEP!
FIELD
For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field.
(I Corinthians 3:9)
Our theme this month is PROMISE. What comes to mind when you think of a promise? How have promises shaped and formed your life? What has been your experience with promises made by others? What about the promises of God? And how would you describe your own faithfulness in keeping the promises you make?
Webster’s Dictionary defines “promise” in three ways:
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A declaration that one will do, or refrain from doing, something specified.
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A legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made the right to expect or claim the performance of a specified act.
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A reason to expect something.
Promises are foundational to all relationships, including our relationship with God. At their best, promises offer encouragement, provide assurance, and cultivate trust and confidence in the future. The Bible is filled with promises—and I do mean filled! Depending on how they are categorized, estimates range from 3,500 to 8,800 promises recorded in Scripture. That is an astounding number!
Such an extraordinary abundance of promises should be a profound source of encouragement to us. Yet, if we are honest, our personal experiences with broken promises, coupled with the realities of our cultural environment, can leave us feeling cynical and skeptical. Many of us have experienced the disappointment and even heartache of someone failing to fulfill a promise made to us. And in a month when the United States is engaged in an election, we are reminded that political campaigns have a long history of making promises that ultimately go unfulfilled. It is easy, then, to become distrustful, doubtful, and disillusioned.
Yet distrust, doubt, and disillusionment are precisely the opposite of what God's promises are intended to cultivate in us. God knows how easily we become discouraged and disappointed. Throughout Scripture, He continually reminds us of His goodness, His presence, and His provision. These three realities are at the heart of His promises. They are intended to serve as a firm foundation for every dimension of our lives—spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
In this month’s issue, we explore the meaning and significance of promises from several perspectives. We feature artist Mark Lawrence, whose abstract paintings are inspired by the promises of Scripture. We introduce Alex Sheen, founder of the movement Because I Said I Would, which he established to honor the memory of his father and his commitment to keeping his promises. We also feature a podcast by Tim Keller titled Let Your Yes Be Yes and an essay entitled Two Reasons You Keep Breaking Promises to Yourself.
Our hope is that this month's issue will inspire you to become more intentional about both making and keeping promises. We pray that the resources we’ve gathered will invite you to pause, reflect more deeply on your own experiences with promises, and consider anew the enduring truth and life-giving power of God’s promises.
May you discover afresh that God's promises are numerous and noble, encouraging and enlivening, reassuring and reliable. May they dispel whatever cynicism or skepticism you may carry and strengthen your confidence in the One whose promises never fail. And may you be inspired to embrace the conviction so beautifully expressed by William Carey: The future is as bright as the promises of God. (DG)
***
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said,
and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. (Genesis 21:2 NIV)
Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy,
and you have promised these good things to your servant. (2 Samuel 7:28 NIV)
For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!”
And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
(2 Cor. 1:20 NLT)
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
(James 5:12 NIV)
***
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SEEDS
A handful of quotes to contemplate and cultivate into your life
God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself. (Dietrich Bonhoffer)
I just want to do God’s will. And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. (Martin Luther King Jr.)
From the opening pages of Scripture to their close, the story of God’s redemptive activity is structured by promises made and promises kept. (Michael Lawrence)
God never made a promise that was too good to be true. (Dwight L. Moody)
The central promise in the Bible is not “I will forgive you,” although of course that promise is there. It is not the promise of life after death, although we are offered that as well. The most frequent promise in the Bible is “I will be with you.” (John Ortberg)
Promises provide the internal framework for every relationship and every community—they function like the “hidden supports in a well-built house.” We don’t generally notice or call attention to them when they are providing structure to our relationships, though we certainly notice when they collapse…Commitments and promises that have been tested and proven are at the root of our ability to trust one another, and without some measure of trust, it is difficult to do much of anything. It is hard to put ourselves and our energy into something if we can’t count on fellow participants to do what they have said they will do. No team can work effectively when people are fearful about betrayal by fellow team members or when deep hurts resulting from broken promises have not been addressed. (Christine Pohl)
Without being bound to the fulfillment of promises, we would never be able to keep our identities; we would be condemned to wander helplessly and without direction in the darkness of each man’s lonely heart, caught in its contradictions and equivocalities—a darkness which only the light shed over the public realm through the presence of others, who confirm the identity between the one who promises and the one who fulfills, can dispel. (Hannah Arendt)
The biblical fondness for genealogical lists is not dull obscurantism, it is an insistence on the primacy and continuity of people. Each name is a burnished link connecting God’s promises to his fulfillments in the chain of people who are the story of God’s mercy. (Eugene H. Peterson)
If God’s asking you to do something, He’s also promising to go with you.
(Amanda G. Stevens)
In short, the Bible promises life through death, and it promises life on no other terms.
(John R.W. Stott)
ART
Artist of the Month
Mark Lawrence:
Painting for a Promise
by Greg Ehlert
Painters often begin with a visible subject such as a landscape or a face. Mark Lawrence, a Christian fine artist in Georgia, works in his studio with one sentence from Scripture at a time. His abstract expressions of the truths of Scripture illuminate the power, beauty, and dynamic truth of God’s love and promises. By his own admission, he has never run out of verses and by the looks of things, he never will. His journey to the easel began in a place of ruin. Lawrence was a poor student whose only refuge was the art class. Although he had gone to church as a child, faith was not a part of his life until things became unbearable. At the age of thirty, with a wife, a daughter, and another child on the way, his business failed. He lost his house, his car, and according to him, he couldn’t understand why he didn’t also lose his wife. It was at that point he prayed, “Lord Jesus, here I am. I've run my life my way for 30 years and I've got nothing to show for it. You said you take care of your sheep. If you'll have me, I want you to be my Lord.” He remembered God’s promise to care for his sheep and asked to be taken into his fold. He began to read the Bible every day and has not stopped since. The artesian well of Scripture has been flowing through his paintbrush from that point on.
From Lawrence’s perspective, faith is something felt before it is explained. Even though words carry truth to the hearer, his visual palette comes with its own vocabulary: golds for glory, reds for redemption, blues for peace. The harmony of strokes and hues invite the viewer to stop, consider, and behold the life being offered in each piece. In his Manifesto, Lawrence calls his works “living Scripture made visible.” The promise he stands on and the promises God makes to all who would trust him run through his work at every level. A whole collection expresses God’s heart towards creation: mercies new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), a kindness that outlasts the mountains (Isaiah 54:10), a rest that remains for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9). His piece on Isaiah 55:11 covers it all affirming that the words out of God’s mouth will not return empty.
Lawrence’s technique itself is like a sermon. On his collector canvases, he brushes clear gel over the finished image; this does not add color but impacts light. As the lighting changes, the surface shifts, causing even the casual viewer to see nuances and layers of fresh interpretations. Like a promise worth trusting, the painting illuminates the viewer’s vision uniquely each and every time she comes upon it. Like God’s abstract painting of promise in the rainbow, Lawrence’s visual interpretations of scripture bring hope and light to those who take a long, receptive look at the promises found in and through his work.
POETRY
All Truth
By Mary Oliver
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
He will guide you into all truth.”
– John 16:13a (NIV)
I can’t get past
those red-letter words Jesus spoke—
The promise is all bold,
only a divine could have etched it.
The fountain of truth —
all truth, not fragments —
all truth the Teacher will teach,
the wisdom of the Christ,
all truth, All Truth, ALL TRUTH —
too rich a bounty to neglect.
Exulting,
I begin to comprehend,
to gather
ALL.
PROFILE
Alex Sheen
By Olivia Mather
When Alex Sheen’s father died in 2012, he decided to honor his father’s legacy of promise-keeping by helping others keep promises. At his father’s funeral, Alex handed out small cards that were blank on one side but printed on the other side with the words “because I said I would.” He wanted guests to think of a promise, big or small, that they could write on the blank side as a commitment to keeping a promise. His dad had been an average person whose commitment to keeping his word had made a difference in his son’s life; instead of attempting an epic achievement in memory of his dad, Alex saw the potential in the simple act of promise keeping.
Alex offered to send “promise cards,” free of charge, to anyone who requested them. Requests mushroomed into the thousands, and Alex started a nonprofit called Because I Said I Would (https://becauseisaidiwould.org/). The core idea of the organization is very simple: accountability. As Alex explains it, there are four steps in using the promise cards:
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Write your promise on the card.
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Give your card to the person you’re making your promise to or who you want to keep you accountable.
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Fulfill your promise.
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Get your card back. Keep it as a reminder that you are a person of your word.
Alex distinguishes between promises that can be kept and achievements that might rely on others. For example, a person can promise to go to sports practice every day but can’t promise to win a championship. What he’s found in his research is people make good on their promises more often when they are discrete, concrete, written down, and shared with someone else.
The cards started a social movement that spread to 178 countries through over 15 million cards. Users write Alex to report promises of all kinds and update their status. For instance, a man who almost drowned promised to teach others about water safety, and his promise led to him starting an organization in the Great Lakes. Some have made simple, short-term promises like a lunch date or a phone call. Others have committed to life change by promising to take a next step in addiction recovery or not taking revenge on someone who’s hurt them. Because I Said I Would still sends free promise cards to anyone who writes them. The organization also offers free downloads and resources for school programs, prison programs, parenting, and more.
We recommend this TedX talk by Alex to learn more: View Now
To visit the website and read promise stories, visit View Now
FILM
Each month we recommend films focused on our theme
Feature
The Prince of Egypt
(1998)
In this animated retelling of the biblical Book of Exodus, Egyptian prince Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer) discovers his Hebrew heritage and learns that he was born into slavery. Determined to free his people from bondage, he confronts his brother Rameses (voiced by Ralph Fiennes), the newly crowned pharaoh. When Rameses refuses to release the Israelites, Egypt is struck by a series of devastating plagues. Ultimately, Moses leads his people out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea to allow them to escape while the pursuing Egyptian army is swept away. Following their deliverance, Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God, providing the Israelites with laws to guide their lives.
Directed by Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, and Steve Hickner, the film features songs written by Stephen Schwartz and a musical score composed by Hans Zimmer. Its distinguished voice cast includes numerous prominent Hollywood actors, while professional singers provide the singing voices for many of the characters. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Musical Score and won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1999 for “When You Believe.” Available on various streaming services.
Short Film
The Promise
(6 minutes)
The short film The Promise is adapted from the award-winning children’s book by Nicola Davies. This visually breathtaking, lyrical film begins in a cold, mean, concrete city where a young thief steals an old woman’s bag. The woman lets go under one condition: a promise to plant what is inside. Upon discovering the bag is filled with acorns, the thief spends years greening the world, proving that a single kept vow can heal an entire community.
Podcast
Let Your YES be YES
Tim Keller
Jesus thought it was important to talk about promises—truthfulness in general and promise-keeping in particular. In Matthew 5 he talks about swearing and oaths, which are really just promises.
The whole Bible is built on covenants, public promises, observed words, and accountability. So what does Jesus teach us specifically in Matthew 5? He is saying if you think you can create levels of truthfulness, you’re wrong. He is saying that “every yes and every no must be as truthful as if you just swore it on a stack of Bibles on network television.” Every yes and every no is observed, because God is the creator and is present with us. This is a radical principle of truthfulness that Jesus teaches us. Listen to pastor Tim Keller’s sermon on the following podcast:
ESSAY
Two Reasons You Keep Breaking Promises to Yourself
By Mark Travers
In this article from Psychology Today, psychologist Mark Travers spotlights the two reasons we fail to keep promises to ourselves. He makes the distinction that, psychologically speaking, we view promises to ourselves differently than we do in making promises to others. He writes:
Breaking promises to yourself while keeping them for others isn’t a moral failing or a lack of discipline. It’s a reflection of how human motivation and accountability systems evolved. Understanding the psychology behind the phenomenon can give you the tools to change this tendency.
We encourage you to read the entire article here: View Now
BOOKS
Each month we recommend a book (or two) focused on our theme
NON-FICTION
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
By Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor
I often think that God must have been looking for someone small enough and weak enough
for Him to use, and He found me. (Hudson Taylor)
The formation and growth of the China Inland Mission remain a marvel to behold. The impact of one man’s obedience to God is a stirring call for each of us to consider our own potential in His kingdom. Yet more than Taylor’s accomplishments, it is the faithfulness of God—borne out time and again—that stands as a testimony to all who have ears to hear.
There is no doubt that the secret referred to in the title is Taylor’s absolute trust in God. We witness his early struggles, followed by a deepening reliance that seems to transcend doubt. God’s provision—repeated and remarkable—nurtured a faith among Taylor and his fellow laborers that could truly move mountains.
HISTORICAL NON-FICTION
Master Slave Husband Wife
By Ilyon Woo An
This month, we feature a historical narrative about Ellen and William Craft, a married couple who escaped slavery together in 1848. The light-skinned Ellen disguised herself as a wealthy and disabled man and William traveled with her, pretending to be her manservant. Together, they started in Georgia and traveled over 1000 miles in broad daylight, eventually making it to freedom in Boston. The promise of freedom and their identities as children of God (they were Christians who saw the incompatibility of slavery with Christianity) were what drove them. While living in Georgia as slaves, Ellen and William could not have a legally-binding marriage, yet they vowed to be husband and wife and to flee together. They wanted to have children, but made another promise to each other: they would not bring children into a state of bondage. They kept their promises to each other, even after their freedom in the North was threatened by the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Act imposed a responsibility upon all people in free states by legally requiring them to assist authorities in catching runaway slaves. The Crafts’ story is one of their belief in God’s promises, their vows to each other, and the clash with oaths that Americans in free states had made to uphold slavery.
VIew Now
CHILDREN’S
The Carrot Seed
By Ruth Krauss
Illustrated by Crockett Johnson
When a little boy plants a carrot seed, everyone tells him it won't grow. But when you are very young, there are some things that you just know, and the little boy knows that one day a carrot will come up. So, he waters his seed, and pulls the weeds, and he waits...
This beloved classic celebrates patience, determination, and believing in yourself. First published in 1945 and never out of print, the timeless combination of Ruth Krauss’s simple text and Crockett Johnson's eloquent illustrations creates a triumphant and deeply satisfying story for readers of all ages.
DIG DEEPER
Practical suggestions to help you go deeper into our theme
1. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Devote some time and thought to these reflective questions on our theme:
a. When you make a promise to someone else, do you treat your word as a statement of intent (what you hope to do) or a transfer of trust (a debt you are binding yourself to)?
b. Think of a time you had to wait a long time for a promise to be fulfilled (by someone else or by yourself). Did the waiting test your belief in the person, or did it expose your own lack of patience?
c. When someone breaks a promise to you, do you mourn the lost outcome (the thing you didn't get), or do you mourn the fractured reality of who you thought that person was?
d. What is a promise you made to yourself months or years ago that you quietly abandoned? Why was it easier to break a pledge when no one else was holding the receipt?
e. How do you handle the silence or the long stretch of time between a promise being given and its fulfillment in your life?
f. When current circumstances look contradictory to what you believe God has promised, what anchor keeps you from slipping into discouragement?
g. Are you waiting on God to fulfill His actual word, or are you waiting on Him to fulfill a specific expectation or timeline you constructed yourself?
h. In what ways is God using the process of fulfillment—or the delay of it—to change your character rather than just changing your situation?
2. SONG: PROMISES by MAVERICK CITY MUSIC
We encourage you to watch the video below from Maverick City Music of the song Promises.
The song begins with these lyrics:
He's faithful through the ages
God of Abraham, You're the God of covenant
And faithful promises
Time and time again
You have proven
You'll do just what You said
Though the storms may come, and the winds may blow, I'll remain steadfast
And let my heart learn when You speak a word, it will come to pass
3. GOD’S ASSURING PROMISES
In this article from Modern Reformation, author Chris Vogel reminds us that:
If you doubt whether God can or will accept you, remember that his favor rests not on anything you offer but on his promise and oath. Your acceptance is secure because it rests on Christ’s completed work.
Read the entire article here: View Now
4. THE PROMISES OF GOD: BIBLE VERSES FOR REST, REFLECTION, and REASSURANCE
Are you in need of God’s rest and reassurance? We encourage you to listen to this video which contains numerous Bible verses which convey God’s promises for peace and comfort, wisdom and guidance, presence and provision, protection and forgiveness (and many other promises from scripture). View Now
5. PRAYER
LORD, You promise never to grow weary. You supply limitless power to the weak, and You increase the strength of those who need it. Thank You for renewing my strength each day as I trust in You. Lord, teach me to wait on You. Lift me up on the wings of eagles so that I can soar above my circumstances. My to-do list is long, and my trials are great. But You give me strength. You have no rival, no equal. You are the Creator of heaven and earth. Nothing is too much for You! AMEN
ROOTED
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
(Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV)
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FIELD NOTES
Images used in order of appearance:
1. FIELD: Gabriel Dawe, “Wonder” in his Plexus series, Renwick Gallery.
https://www.designboom.com/art/gabriel-dawe-video-interview-09-03-2020/
2. SEEDS: Erastus Salisbury Field, Ark of the Covenant (1865). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
3. ART: Mark Lawrence, 2 Peter 1:4 Precious Promises. https://marklawrencegallery.com/hi/products/2-peter-1-4-precious-promises?srsltid=AYCX9vJsygZxVQgQ3jNpGvmouEBH7Cn6MYernCFKdBs1cDX4jGg6aEOa
Mark Lawrence, James 1:5 Promise Of Wisdom. https://marklawrencegallery.com/products/christian-modern-art-promise-of-wisdom?_pos=3&_sid=f315fd299&_ss=r
4. POETRY: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, The Return of the Prodigal Son (1667-70).
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
5. PROFILE: Photo of Alex Sheen. https://www.executivespeakers.com/speaker/alex-sheen
6. FILM: Prince of Egypt Still. https://carlyvalancy.substack.com/p/why-the-prince-of-egypt-is-perfect
7. ESSAY: Flora Yukhnovich, Fever Pitch (2025). Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA.
8. BOOKS: Mehmetography (2026). https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-couple-holding-hands-with-rings-36338343/
9. DIG DEEPER: Peter Doig, Milky Way (1989–1990). Michael Werner Gallery, London, UK
10. ROOTED: Raphael, The Transfiguration (1516-20). Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City
TEAM CULTIVARE: Duane Grobman (Editor), Greg Ehlert, Bonnie Fearer, Lisa Hertzog, Shinook Kang, Elizabeth Khorey, Michelle Lum, Olivia Mather, Andrew Massey, Rita McIntosh, Jason Pearson (Design: Pearpod.com)
WE'RE LISTENING:
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and suggestions for future issues.
Email us at: info@tendwell.org
