Honesty Sunday School Lesson
Honesty Sunday School Lesson for Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
Telling the truth is always the wise choice.
OBJECTIVE:
Students will learn that a person of integrity avoids the potential disasters that come from lying.
KEY PASSAGE:
Genesis 20:1-18, Abraham Lies About Sarah
MEMORY VERSE:
“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
When you’re in a bad situation, it’s tempting to lie your way out of it, but lying always creates more problems than it solves. In the end it is always better to tell the truth.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Give us the courage to tell the truth, even when it costs us, so that people will know we can always be trusted.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
“‘I know the plans I have for you,’ announces the Lord. ‘I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.’” - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Have the kids read the verse together. Read it normally, then in a whisper, then really, really loud!
SMALL GROUP:
Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.
SKIT
DIGGING A HOLE
ITEMS NEEDED:
Backpacks
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
M/F
CHARACTERS:
Dave and Sherry- Kids
Dave and Sherry enter. Sherry is looking very sad.
DAVE- I'm so sorry you're having a bad day.
SHERRY- It's not your fault.
DAVE- Yeah, but I know what it's like when everything's going wrong.
SHERRY- That's a good way to put it. I'm failing math. I ruined my best friend's favorite shirt. And I forgot to learn the words to that song I'm supposed to sing tonight at church.
DAVE- Yup, that's pretty much everything.
SHERRY- I wish there was something I could do about it. You know, something that would make all these problems just go away.
DAVE- Hmm. You know, there just might be something.
SHERRY- Really?
DAVE- Really. Of course, it might seem odd.
SHERRY- I'll try anything.
DAVE- Why don't you try Lies.
SHERRY- Lies?
DAVE- Yeah, Lies.
SHERRY- What are Lies?
DAVE- Lies are things you tell people that aren't a hundred percent true. Sometimes they have a little truth, sometimes mostly truth, and some times no truth at all.
SHERRY- For example?
DAVE- Okay, let's use your problems as an example. You ruined your best friend's favorite shirt. Instead of telling her the truth, tell her a Lie.
SHERRY- So instead of admitting I was careless and spilled Kool-Aid on it...
DAVE- You tell her it was stolen.
SHERRY- Ohh, I see. What if she asks who stole it?
DAVE- You make up another lie. Tell her it was a gang of monkeys who do kung fu.
SHERRY- Monkeys who do kung fu... I like that. Then if she asks why I didn't get it back, I can say the monkeys used kung fu on me.
DAVE- Yeah! See how easy it is? Now you try.
SHERRY- Okay. I'm supposed to sing a song at church, and I forgot to learn it... I'll just tell my teacher I was sick, and that the dog ate the song lyrics.
DAVE- There you go!
SHERRY- What about math? I have a progress report Mom and Dad have to sign.
DAVE- Don't show 'em, and sign your Mom's name on the progress report.
SHERRY- Wow, that's pretty easy.
DAVE- Yeah, once you do it a few times, lying becomes really easy. I do it all the time.
SHERRY- You do? Like what do you lie about?
DAVE- Oh, this and that.
SHERRY- Who have you lied to?
DAVE- Oh, you know, parents, teachers.
SHERRY- Huh. Well, I know one thing. You've never lied to me.
Dave gets a guilty look on his face.
SHERRY- Or have you?
DAVE- Well...
SHERRY- Dave? Tell me the truth.
DAVE- I've never lied to you, Sherry.
SHERRY- You promise?
DAVE- I promise.
SHERRY- What about my birthday party?
DAVE- What about it?
SHERRY- You called and told me you couldn't come because a spaceship full of aliens who only ate jell-o and Cheetos had kidnapped you.
DAVE- I was, Sherry. It was awesome... even though I had to miss your party.
SHERRY- And today, when I asked where my lunch money was? The money I loaned you yesterday?
DAVE- I told you, it was stolen from me.
SHERRY- By?
DAVE- A grizzly bear.
SHERRY- A grizzly bear?
DAVE- He needed to buy some honey.
SHERRY- And what about when told me you had front row seats and backstage passes to the concert last month?
DAVE- Those got stolen too!
SHERRY- You told me you donated them to charity so some needy kid could go see the concert!
DAVE- I did?
SHERRY- You have lied to me!
DAVE- No I didn't! It's not lying! It's a gift for fiction.
SHERRY- I don't believe this! All this time I trusted you, and you've been lying to me. You've probably lied about everything you've ever told me!
DAVE- No! Not everything.
SHERRY- Tell me one thing you said that was not a lie.
DAVE- Okay. Okay. I really was raised in the woods by a family of tree sloths.
SHERRY- Liar!!
Sherry exits.
DAVE- How about a water buffalo?
Dave exits.
OBJECT LESSON
ITEM NEEDED:
A puppy dog
Introduce the kids to the puppy, and let them play or pet the dog for a minute.
How many of you guys have dogs at home? What kinds of dogs do you have?
Let me ask you something. Is this face the face of a dog that would eat homework?
What if this was your dog, and what if you did lie and tell the teacher that this dog ate your homework? What if the teacher believed you? What if she decided that the dog, your dog, was dangerous because it ate your homework? What if she called animal control, and they showed up at your door to take away your puppy? What kind of trouble would you be in?
My guess is… much worse trouble than if you simply admitted you didn’t do your homework.
Lies don’t get us out of trouble. They cause more trouble. They get us into deeper trouble and after we’re caught, they cost us our reputation.
It’s tempting to lie to get out of trouble, but it’s never the answer. Telling the truth will cost you less in the end and it will help you build a reputation as an honest person. Ask God to give you the courage to tell the truth always, and God will honor your honesty!
LARGE GROUP GAME
DOG FOOD CHALLENGE
ITEMS NEEDED:
Blindfolds
Bowls
A “dog food like” cereal
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose two players for this game. Blindfold both, and hand them each a bowl filled with “dog food.” In truth, the food will be a cereal that only feels like dog food. Ask if either contestant is willing to taste the dog food. Don’t let on that the dog food is actually cereal until at least one of the contestants is willing to taste it.
VARIATION:
You can use dog dishes instead of bowls. You can also do the game without blindfolds and have the kids eat cereal like dogs from the bowls.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Don’t blame your problems on your dog. Tell the truth, be honest, and be trustworthy.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
Telling the truth is always the wise choice.
OBJECTIVE:
Students will learn that a person of integrity avoids the potential disasters that come from lying.
KEY PASSAGE:
Genesis 20:1-18, Abraham Lies About Sarah
INTRO
How many of you guys have a new outfit for the first day of school? Who has new shoes, new shirts, new dresses, and new pants? How many of you are planning to look your best on the first day of school?
Moms and Dads like to go all out for the first day of school. For many kids that means new haircuts, new clothes, new shoes, new book bags, new everything. It’s always nice having new things, but there’s another reason for the new stuff other than just being fashionable: Mom and Dad want you to make a good first impression.
All of you are probably walking into a new classroom with a new teacher. Whatever your past school years have been like, a new year is a chance to start over and make a good impression. Fancy clothes and new school supplies can go a long way to making a good impression, but the real challenge is keeping the good impression.
Having a reputation as a good student, one who is not only good at reading and writing, but also a good person, is just as valuable as a report card full of A’s. We’re going to show you four ways you can build that good reputation, and today we start with honesty.
All of us struggle with honesty from time to time, especially when being honest means getting into trouble. We make mistakes, we make bad choices, and when we get caught, we are tempted to lie to get ourselves out of trouble. The classic example of this is the old line, “The dog ate my homework.” That line might have worked fifty or sixty years ago, but now everyone knows that lie. So if you really have a homework-eating dog, you have a real problem on your hands!
In today’s scripture one of the great heroes of the faith tells a lie to keep out of danger, but God shows Abraham, and us, that it’s never a good idea to lie.
READ GENESIS 20:1-18
MAIN POINT
Abraham lived in a time when kings were the law of the land. If a king saw something, he took it. That went for possessions like gold and silver, but also for people. Even if a woman was married, a king could take her for himself. If the husband caused any problems for the king, the king could have him arrested or killed.
Abraham lied because he was afraid that Abimelek would steal Sarah and kill Abraham. Abimelek did take Sarah, thinking she was Abraham’s sister, but God stepped in and told Abimelek the truth. Abraham was in bigger trouble for lying to the king, and he was very fortunate the king let him and Sarah go.
Abraham learned that God won’t tolerate lying. He also learned that lying only causes bigger trouble. It’s a good reminder as we start this school year to make a commitment to be honest.
DRIVE IT HOME
How many of you have ever lied to get out of trouble? Raise your hands.
Getting out of trouble is probably one of the biggest reasons why people lie. Kids lie to get out of trouble for forgetting homework. They lie about their grades. They lie about things they broke. They lie to avoid trouble. But what happens when you get caught? Not only are you in trouble for the thing you did, you’re in double trouble for lying.
Kids aren’t the only ones who do this. We’ve all seen adults, even famous ones, get in trouble for lying. Athletes lie about cheating. Actors and musicians tell lies if they think it will help their career or make them more popular. Politicians lie to keep their jobs and get away with all sorts of things. When that happens, it ruins their reputation. They get branded as liars, and as people we can’t trust.
How many of you want that kind of reputation in school? I hope no one!
Having a good reputation takes hard work. It also means doing the hard thing, even when it costs you. This year, make the commitment to be honest and trustworthy. Ask God to give you the courage to always tell the truth. Start building a reputation for honesty today, and it will serve you well all your life.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Give us the courage to tell the truth, even when it costs us, so that people will know we can always be trusted.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER
What are you most nervous about for this school year?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Jeremiah 29:11
Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids write down something interesting about themselves. Shuffle the cards, then read them one at a time, seeing if the kids can identify who wrote each card.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read Genesis 20:1-18
Who was Abraham?
What lie did Abraham tell?
Why did Abraham lie?
How did Abimelek find out Abraham had lied to him?
Why is it important to tell the truth, even if it gets us into trouble?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Forgive us for the times when we lie to protect ourselves. Help us to choose the truth and to build a reputation for being honest.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER
What are you most nervous about for this school year?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Jeremiah 29:11
Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids write down something interesting about themselves. Shuffle the cards, hand them out, and see if the kids can identify who wrote each card.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read Genesis 20:1-18
What lie did Abraham tell?
How did Abimelek find out Abraham lied to him?
Why does lying sometimes get us into more trouble?
Why is it important to have a good reputation?
How can telling the truth, even when it gets us in trouble, help us build a good reputation?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Forgive us for the times when we lie to protect ourselves. Help us to choose the truth and to build a reputation for being honest.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Honesty Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).
Here's a video from 5 Minute Family Devotionals that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on Honesty.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching an Honesty Sunday School Lesson:
Bible stories | Honesty | Kids of Integrity
Honesty Sunday School Lesson Plan for kids - Talking with Trees Book
3 Bible Stories to Teach Your Kids about Honesty | Jellytelly Parents
Youth Group Lessons on Honesty | Ministry to Youth