Integrity - Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
October 2020 • Week 3
Today's Bible story: A Matter of Trust (Naaman and Elisha's Servant) • 2 Kings 5
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 God, thank you that you are always truthful. Please help me today to have an open heart and ears to today's Bible story so that I can learn how incredibly important it is to always be truthful. In Jesus' name I pray, amen."
Read God's Word together: 2 Kings 5 (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: "Gehazi was not truthful in today's in Bible story. In fact, he flat out lied to Naaman in order to gain material possessions. "Why is it important for people to trust you?"
Pray and bless your family
What you need: No supplies needed
What you do: "In today's story, did Gehazi tell the truth? (No!) No, he didn't, did he? Gehazi was more interested in getting stuff than he was in making the wise choice. He lost his health, AND he lost Elijah's trust. Because [Bottom Line] when you're not truthful, you lose trust.
"God doesn't want you to be like Gehazi. God is trustworthy, and He wants you to be like Him. Being trustworthy means that people can trust you because you tell the truth. And when you tell the truth, you show people Who God is and what He's like. Let's pray and ask God to help us be truthful."
What you might pray: "Dear God, thank You for always being truthful. (Kids repeat.) Help me to be truthful (kids repeat), in all I say and do. (Kids repeat.) So others will trust me. (Kids repeat.) Amen."
Additional Activities
What you need: "Emoji Mojo", "Gehazi's Gaffe" Activity Page (Linked Together), Bible marked at 2 Kings 5, craft sticks, tape, scissors
What you do: Give each kid an "Emoji Mojo" card and a craft stick.
- Guide kids to cut out the emoji faces and tape a craft stick to the back of each face.
- Open your Bible to 2 Kings 5.
- Read "Gehazi's Gaffe," pausing where shown and signaling kids to show the appropriate emoji.
What you say: "Gehazi saw a chance to get some stuff from Naaman and so he chose to be dishonest so that he could get it. But Gehazi's dishonesty had serious consequences. What happened after Gehazi lied to Naaman? (He got the silver and clothes, but he got sick.) How do you think Elisha felt when he knew that Gehazi had been dishonest? (sad, angry, hurt) Gehazi got the stuff he wanted, but it cost him a healthy life. It also cost him Elisha's trust. His lie hurt himself AND his relationship with Elisha.
"When we lie to get what we want, we end up hurting ourselves and others, too. [Make it Personal] (Think back to when you were a kid and tell the group about a time that you lied to get something that you wanted. Tell kids how you felt afterward and also the consequences of your lie-especially if others lost trust in you.) "So, remember to be truthful. Because [Bottom Line] when you're not truthful, you lose trust."
What you need: Bucket, pennies, quarter, water
What you do: Fill a bucket half full of water.
- Drop one quarter into the bucket, let it settle to the bottom.
- Explain that the quarter represents a lie
- Give each family member a few pennies.
- Each penny represents additional lies that are told to try to cover up the original lie (the quarter).
- Ask each family member to one at a time drop pennies into the bucket trying to cover up the quarter.
- After everyone has dropped their pennies, look at the original lie, the quarter.
- If they were not successful in covering the lie, then they got caught telling a lie, and got caught telling all the other lies. If they are successful in covering the original lie, then count how many lies it took to cover for one lie.
What you say: Telling a lie is not a good thing to do, and it is hard to cover up the lie and not get caught. The better course of action is to try to be honest at all times, even if there are consequences for telling the truth. Gehazi told a lie to get stuff, material possessions, but he got caught in his lie. What happened when Gehazi got caught telling the lie? (he lost Elisha's trust, he lost his health). So, remember to be truthful because [Bottom Line] when you're not truthful, you lose trust."
What you need: Bible, markers, yarn or sidewalk chalk (something to mark a path), ping pong balls, straws
What you do: Open the Bible to Proverbs 10:9 and review this month's memory verse together.
- Use the markers, yarn, or sidewalk chalk etc. to create lanes for two different paths-one lane that is straight and one that is crooked. (Enlist kids' help in making the paths!)
- Make sure the two paths are of equal length.
- Divide the family into two equal teams. If you have an uneven number, the smaller team can designate one kid to go twice.
- Line up each team in front of a path and hand out a straw to each family member and a ping pong ball to the first person in line.
- The first two people in line will get down on the floor and blow the ping pong balls all the way to the end of the path, as the rest of the group repeats this month's verse.
- Make sure teams understand that they can only move the ball by blowing through the straw, NO hands!
- Once the ball reaches the end, run the ball back to the next team member so they can take their turn.
- Play continues until one team is declared the winner. (It will most likely be the team assigned to the straight path.)
- If time allows, let teams switch paths and race again.
What you say: "Which path was faster, the crooked or the straight path? The straight path for sure! Just like our verse reminds us, anyone who lives without blame or lives with integrity, walks a safe, straight path. But the opposite is true, too. As we've been learning today, [Bottom Line] when you're not truthful, you lose trust. Anyone who takes a crooked path-that's anyone who chooses to be dishonest with their words or actions--will get caught. Let's choose integrity so others can trust us!"