Integrity - Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
October 2020 • Week 1
Today's Bible story: Rise Up (Daniel's Integrity) • Daniel 1
Monthly memory verse: "The honest person will live safely. But the one who is dishonest will be caught." Proverbs 10:9 (ICB)
Memory Verse for 2's - Pre-K: "The honest person will live safely." Proverbs 10:9a (ICB)
Life Application: Integrity-Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
Suggested songs: Watchin' Over You and Who I Am
Praise & Pray: Sing along with the provided worship videos and pray. Access songs here
What you might pray: "Dear Jesus, you lived the way you knew was the right and true way even when it would have been easier to go along with the crowd. Please help us to learn today how to live a truthful life just like you did. In Jesus name we pray, amen."
Read God's Word together: Daniel 1 (Need a kid-friendly Bible? Check out our suggestions.)
Family Devotional & Discussion
What you do: Watch the complementary video together as a family and discuss today's question.
What you discuss: "In our Bible story today, we learned how little choices Daniel made allowed him to stand strong in a very difficult situation. Daniel was a man with integrity. What does the word integrity mean? (wait for responses). Integrity is choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do. It's not just being honest with your words. It's being honest with your LIFE. "How do you want people to describe you?"
Bible Story Review
What you need: Play-Doh or Kinetic Sand
What you do: Give each kid a lump of Play-Doh or kinetic sand.
- Let the kids shape the dough into a vegetable of their choice.
- As they work, review the Bible story using the questions below.
- Encourage kids to share their creations to see if their family can guess the vegetable they sculpted.
Bible Story Review Questions:
- How did Daniel end up in Babylon, so far away from his home? (King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah, and Daniel was captured and brought to Babylon.)
- Why were Daniel and his friends chosen to serve in the king's court? (Because they were smart and healthy)
- How long were Daniel and his friends supposed to train to serve in the king's court? (three years)
- True or false: The king ordered his servant Ashpenaz (ASH-pe-NAAZ) to teach them the Babylonian language. (True: The king wanted them to forget they were God's people and become real Babylonians.)
- What food did they serve to Daniel and his friends? (Rich food from the king's own table)
- Why did Daniel refuse to eat the rich food from the king? (Because it was different from the traditional Jewish food they ate to honor God.)
- True or False: Daniel asked for permission NOT to eat the king's food. (True)
- What did Daniel ask to eat instead? (Vegetables and water only for ten days)
- What happened after Daniel and his friends ate only vegetables and water for ten days? (They looked healthy and well-fed.)
- True or False: After ten days, Daniel and his friends began eating the rich food from the king's table. (False: Daniel and his friends stuck to their vegetable and water diet and continued to be healthy.)
- Daniel and his friends were A) the king's most trusted advisors, B) sent back to Judah, or C) thrown in prison. (A) the king's most trusted advisors)
- What do vegetables have to do with integrity? (Daniel knew that honoring God meant honoring him with every part of your life, including what you eat. Even in a strange land, he chose to honor God with integrity.)
- Today we're learning to be truthful with what? (Your whole life)
- If you could only eat ONE vegetable at every dinner for the rest of your life, what vegetable would you choose? Why?
What You Say: "I love this story because it reminds me how important it is to honor God with every part of our lives, every part of our day. Daniel was in a really scary position. He was a prisoner, far from home, under the authority of a conquering king who didn't serve God. But he still recognized that he didn't really answer to King Nebuchadnezzar. He answered to God. And by choosing to honor God, even with the food he put in his mouth, Daniel maintained his integrity.
"Integrity is choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do. It's not just being honest with your words. It's being honest with your LIFE. Like Daniel, it's making sure that the words you SAY and the things you DO always honor God. Like Daniel, God will help you to [Bottom Line] be truthful with your whole life."
Pray and bless your family
What you need: Crooked Path if you chose to do the 'Crooked Path' activity
What you do: Guide family members to line up and sit along the straight line.
- Encourage them to think about the week ahead and answer the following question silently on their own: When is it hardest for me to choose integrity?
- Sit in front of their line (between them and the crooked path) and pray for God's help to [Bottom Line] be truthful with your whole life.
What you might pray: "God, thank You for ALWAYS being truthful in what You say and do. We can put ALL our trust in You because You keep Your promises. This week, help us choose the straight path. When we're tempted to do the wrong thing, remind us of this crooked path. Give us the strength to be honest with our words AND our actions so others can trust us, too. In Jesus' name we pray, amen."
Additional Activities
What you need: Integrity Scenario Strips (Download Here), canvas bag
What you do: Place the "Integrity Scenarios" strips in the bag.
- Explain to the family that the bag is filled with different situations and a response. Some responses will show integrity, some will not.
- One at a time, let each person draw a slip of paper out of the bag, and act out the scenario AND response according to what's written on the slip.
- To make this a bit easier, each person MAY talk as they act out their scenario.
- The goal isn't for the group to guess what's happening in each scenario. The goal is to differentiate between responding with or without integrity.
- Family members will call out if the response is "Integrity" or "NO integrity."
- If the response on the slip is "No Integrity," discuss how someone might respond differently in order to [Bottom Line] be truthful with your whole life.
- Continue until everyone has had an opportunity to act out a scenario and response.
- Be prepared to give kids a line to say or an idea for what to do when it's their turn to act something out.
What you say: "You guys did an awesome job with these scenarios. Integrity is about so much more than just the words we say. Integrity involves our actions, too! Because God loves us, He wants us to be truthful in both our words and actions. He wants to protect our relationships with others. When we choose integrity, to be honest in whatever we say AND do, then the people around us can trust and depend on us. This week, even when no one else is looking, I challenge you to [Bottom Line] be truthful with your whole life."
"Remember too, that God can always be trusted. He keeps promises and always does what He says He will do. So when it comes to integrity, we can ALWAYS ask God to help us. It's really not possible for us to be truthful in our words and actions on our own. You will always need God's help to [Bottom Line] be truthful with your whole life."
What you need: Bible, painters tape, yarn or sidewalk chalk
What you do: Use the floor tape, yarn or sidewalk chalk to create a "crooked" line.
- Look up this month's Bible verse, Proverbs 10:9 and read it together a few times.
- Instruct the family members to walk along the tape/sidewalk chalk line, one at a time, as you repeat the verse together.
- After everyone has had a turn walking along the path, ask one kid to help you mark a straight line of tape on the floor or draw a straight line outside on the sidewalk.
- Repeat the verse again as family members take turns walking along the straight path.
What you say: "What is the difference between these two paths? (Pause.) Exactly. One is crooked, and one is straight. When we choose integrity, it's like walking a smooth, straight path. There is no blame or fault and no reason to sneak around when we choose to be truthful with our words and actions. When we choose to be dishonest, when we say one thing but do another, it's like taking the crooked path. And what does our verse say about that crooked path? Eventually, we will get caught! So it's better to choose integrity from the start. This week, when you find yourself in a situation where you're tempted to lie or cheat or do something dishonest, think about these two paths. Think about which one you'd rather be on. Choose integrity so you can [Bottom Line] be truthful with your whole life."