Here is our FREE Lying Sunday School Lesson! This lesson is great for every Children's Ministry, Kids Church, and Sunday School!  Teach kids that there's no such thing as a harmless, little lie. Some people think lying is okay. They see no problem with little white lies or tiny fibs. In God’s eyes there’s no such thing as a little white lie. God wants us to be honest, and there’s no excuse for bending the truth - even just a little. Telling the truth isn’t always easy. It may cost you a grade on homework. It may mean you have to pay for a window. But telling the truth up front will keep you out of bigger trouble. The kid who lies about breaking the window may have to pay for the replacement. The kid who lies about homework may get a zero that day. But is it better to lie up front to try to cover yourself - or is it worse when the lies unravel and you DO get caught? Kids will learn that a lie is a lie, no matter how small. Be sure to check out our Honesty 4-Week Children's Ministry Curriculum. And, if you like this lesson we have over 100 more free Sunday School Lessons for Kids!

Lying Sunday School Lesson For Kids:

BOTTOM LINE:

There’s no such thing as a harmless, little lie.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn that a lie is a lie, no matter how"small."

KEY PASSAGE:

2 Kings 5:20-27. Gehazi lies to Naaman.

MEMORY VERSE:

“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” - Proverbs 24:26

SUMMARY:

Some people think lying is okay. They see no problem with little white lies or tiny fibs. In God’s eyes there’s no such thing as a little white lie. God wants us to be honest, and there’s no excuse for bending the truth - even just a little.

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Help each one of us to be truth tellers. When the pressure comes to tell a lie, I pray we will all find the courage to tell the truth.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

MEMORY VERSE

“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” - Proverbs 24:26(NIV, NIrV)

LARGE GROUP:

Divide the room in half. Pick one side to start and have them all shout the first word, then the other side shouts the second word, and so on until they finish the verse.

SMALL GROUP:

Work as a group to create motions to accompany the verse. Say the verse several times while acting out the motions. (K-2nd)

Give all the kids a Bible. After you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible. (3rd-5th)

SKIT

 

LITTLE WHITE LIE

ITEMS NEEDED:

Tables and chairs that can be quickly arranged into a courtroom setting, a cookie

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

4M, 3F

CHARACTERS:

Todd and Mike - Elementary school boys

Carla - A prosecutor

Darrell - A defense attorney

Little White Lie

Judge

Announcer

Todd and Mike enter. Todd is eating a cookie.

TODD: So then she was like, “Will you vote for me for student council?" And I was like, "Sure." And she said, “Cool!” And she gave me this cookie.

MIKE: Wait a minute. You said you’d vote for her for student council?

TODD: Yeah.

MIKE: I thought you were voting for Steve. You promised him!

TODD: Mike, the votes are all secret. She’s never going to know.

MIKE: You mean you lied to her?

TODD: It's a little white lie. They never hurt anyone.

MIKE: Like the one you told Mrs. Miller about your homework?

TODD: Mike, where's the harm? I stayed up watching a baseball game; I forgot to do my homework. It's not like Mrs. Miller is going to call the hospital to see if my grandma checked in last night.

MIKE: I know, but saying your grandma had a stroke was kind of—

TODD: Too far? You think I should have gone dog bite again?

MIKE: I just think you should tell the truth sometimes.

TODD: It's a little white lie. No harm, no foul.

MIKE: Whatever. See you at baseball practice.

TODD: Not today. I have to go help my uncle move.

MIKE: For real?

TODD: What do you think?

Mike exits.

TODD: Come on, it's just a little white lie!

The stage is quickly set like a courtroom. Darrell and Carla enter. Darrell takes Todd by the arm and leads him to the defense table. The People's Court theme plays.

ANNOUNCER: This is the defendant, Todd Higgins. He is accused of being a habitual deceiver, untrustworthy in anything he says or does. He claims he has done no harm by his little white lies. Without his consent, we have decided to try his case in our forum.

TODD: What's going on here?

DARRELL: Shh! Just keep your mouth shut, and I'll get you out of this.

The Judge enters.

JUDGE: Please be seated.

Everyone sits.

TODD: Hey, what's going on here?

DARRELL: Shh, speak when you're spoken to. You're in enough trouble.

TODD: In trouble for what?

JUDGE: Madam Prosecutor? You may begin.

CARLA: Thank you, your honor. The State intends to prove that the defendant, Mr. Todd Higgins, is a young man who cannot be trusted. Over the course of his short life, Todd has proven to be a habitual liar, deceiving those closest to him as well as mere acquaintances and total strangers, and causing irreparable harm to those he deceived.

TODD: Come on, who have I ever hurt? Huh?

JUDGE: Mr. Higgins, you will speak when spoken to. Does the defense have a reply?

DARRELL: Yes, your honor. My client is not a malicious liar, as the prosecution claims. He's a young man who cares about others. And if he's told a few white lies, well, they were spoken out of love, not malice. Because we all know, a little white lie never hurt anyone.

JUDGE: Thank you. Madam Prosecutor, you may call your first witness.

CARLA: The prosecution calls Little White Lie.

Little White Lie enters, a HUGE guy in a white suit.

TODD: That's Little White Lie?

DARRELL: Oh man. These cases never end well.

TODD: Maybe he won't remember me.

LITTLE: Hey, Todd! How's it going? How’s your grandma? Ha ha!

CARLA: Little White Lie, how long have you know the defendant?

LITTLE: Oh, a long time. Long, long time. At least since he was three.

CARLA: Really?

LITTLE: Oh yeah. We got along great back then.

CARLA: What did you do together when he was three?

LITTLE: Oh you know. Steal crayons we said we found in the parking lot. Cheat at games. One time we pushed his sister down the stairs and blamed it on the dog.

CARLA: And you believe that wasn't harmful?

LITTLE: Do I believe it? No way. She was really hurt by that one.

CARLA: So you admit to doing harm?

LITTLE: Of course. Boy, we've wrecked all sorts of things. He's been through, what, four or five best friends already?

CARLA: Why is that?

LITTLE: Nobody trusts him!

CARLA: But I thought you were just a harmless little white lie.

LITTLE: Hey, a little of me goes a long way. And when you pile one on top of another, it gets pretty thick.

CARLA: What else has he damaged?

LITTLE: Oh, let's see. Well, his little league career for one. Lie to get out of practice enough times, you'll get kicked off the team.

TODD: Wait, I was never kicked off the team.

LITTLE: You will be today!

TODD: I what??

CARLA: Anything else?

LITTLE: Well, he's lied to his grandpa about why he can't go fishing enough times, the old man's in a depression. He lied about taking the dog for a walk everyday. Thing's so out of shape, he can't squeeze through the doggy door anymore. Poor Shep. And this whole student council vote thing is really going to get messy.

CARLA: One thing I don't understand, Little White Lie. You're supposed to be harmless. You're the one they tell when they don't want to hurt feelings. After all, as the defense already said, a Little White Lie never hurt anyone.

LITTLE: That, my dear, is the biggest lie of them all.

OBJECT LESSON

 

ITEMS NEEDED:

M&M candies

Choose a few kids to help with a demonstration. Give each of the kids one each of the different colored M&Ms. Ask them to taste each one. Do any of them taste at all different from the others? Is there any difference between yellow, red, brown, etc. M&M other than the candy shell’s color?

Some people believe that the “color” of a thing makes it different. A little white lie, for example, is not really a lie. If it gets you out of trouble, gets you a little something extra, or protects someone’s feelings, then it’s not a “black” lie.

My friends with the M&M’s this morning discovered that there’s no difference between one M&M or another. No matter what the color, it’s still a chocolate candy in a thin candy shell.

Lies are lies, no matter what color we paint on them. If we’re not telling the truth, we’re lying. There are no big lies or small lies, and definitely no harmless little white lies. If we’re not telling the truth, we are disobeying God.

Telling the truth takes courage, but it’s always easier to tell the truth the first time than to admit you lied later. Make a resolution this week to be a truth teller. Stop using little white lies to get what you want. Be the kind of person who can always be trusted.

LARGE GROUP GAME

 

MOVIE TIMES

ITEMS NEEDED:

Four framed pictures of movie posters

Four music stands

INSTRUCTIONS:

Set the four movie posters on the music stands facing back.

Choose two players for this game. The two kids will have one minute to put the four movies in chronological order of when they were released. Choose four movies the kids will know, preferably ones that were very spaced out. (Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Despicable Me, for example.) If they can get all four right, they win a prize.

VARIATION:

Let the younger kids take suggestions from the audience, including adults. Remove the time limit.

LARGE GROUP LESSON

BOTTOM LINE:

There’s no such thing as a harmless, little lie.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn that a lie is a lie, no matter how "small."

KEY PASSAGE:

2 Kings 5:20-27. Gehazi lies to Naaman.

INTRO:

Not everyone knows all ten of the Ten Commandments, but even those who only knew a few remember this one: “Thou shalt not lie.” When God gave the Ten Commandments, he made it clear that dishonesty was a sin. And yet every one of us, no matter what our age or our beliefs about the Bible, has told a lie. Kids tell lies to keep out of trouble. Parents tell lies to cover mistakes they made. Some professions - like lawyers and politicians – even have a reputation of being liars; people actually expect them to lie!

Most people, if asked, would tell you that there’s a difference between big lies and little ones. Little white lies, they say, are necessary to protect people’s feelings - and to protect ourselves. If no one gets hurt, what’s the harm, right?

God’s Word leaves no room for little white lies. God makes it very clear that dishonesty is a sin, no matter how harmless we think it may be.

Today we’re going to read a story about a dishonest man. His name was Gehazi, and he was a servant of the prophet Elisha. Elisha had just healed a man named Naaman of the disease leprosy. Naaman tried to pay Elisha for his kindness, but Elisha refused. Gehazi saw an opportunity to get a little something for himself in this, so he went after Naaman when he thought his master Elisha wasn’t looking.

READ:

2 Kings 5:20-27

MAIN POINT:

Poor Gehazi, right? The man wasn’t really doing anything harmful - or was he? Naaman had just been healed of a terrible disease. As far as Gehazi was concerned, Naaman owed Elisha something. Naaman obviously agreed. When Gehazi arrived, he gladly gave Gehazi the money and sent him back on his way. Gehazi got some extra cash, Naaman felt better thinking he had paid Elisha. No harm done, right?

Wrong. When Gehazi got back to Elisha, his lie cost him dearly. God knew Gehazi was lying, and God was the one who informed Elisha. His punishment may seem pretty severe, but God wanted to send a message to Gehazi and to us.

There’s no such thing as a big lie, a small lie, a bad lie, or a little white lie. Either you are telling the truth, or you are lying. If you lie, even a little white lie, you are guilty of breaking God’s commandment!

DRIVE IT HOME:

Not a day goes by we aren’t tempted to lie. We’re tempted to lie to get ourselves out of trouble. “I lost my homework.” We lie to protect the feelings of others. “No, no, that shirt looks great on you.” We lie to protect ourselves. “No, Mom, I don’t know how the window got broken.”

Sometimes lies can get us out of trouble. They can get us a reprieve on homework or keep us from having to pay for a new window. But very often, one lie leads to another, and the more lies we tell, the more likely it is we will be caught. When we are caught, we ruin our reputation in the sight of others. We lost trust with our parents, teachers, and even our friends. No one will trust us because they know we’ve misled them before.

Telling the truth isn’t always easy. It may cost you a grade on homework. It may mean you have to pay for a window. But telling the truth up front will keep you out of bigger trouble. The kid who lies about breaking the window may have to pay for the replacement. The kid who lies about homework may get a zero that day. But is it better to lie up front to try to cover yourself - or is it worse when the lies unravel and you DO get caught?

Gehazi learned the hard way what God thinks of lies. Lies destroy our reputation before others. They become a real stumbling block in our walks with God too. Ask God to give you the courage, and the wisdom, to always tell the truth. It may not be easy in the moment, but it’s always worth it in the end.

CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Help each one of us to be truth tellers. When the pressure comes to lie, I pray we will all find the courage to tell the truth.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)

ICEBREAKER:

What is something almost everyone lies about?

MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:

Proverbs 24:26

Work as a group to create motions to accompany the verse. Say the verse several times while acting out the motions.

SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:

Have each of the kids introduce themselves and tell an interesting truth about themselves.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Read 2 Kings 5:20-27

Who was Gehazi?

What lie did Gehazi tell Naaman?

What did Naaman do when Gehazi lied to him?

What happened to Gehazi when he returned to Elisha?

Is there ever a time when it’s okay to lie?

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Forgive us for the times when we lie. Give us the courage to tell the truth the first time and resist the temptation to tell little white lies.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)

ICEBREAKER:

What is something almost everyone lies about?

MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:

Proverbs 24:26

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:

Pass a roll of toilet paper around the group and have everyone tear off as little or as much as they want. For every sheet they take, they need to tell one truth about themselves.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Read 2 Kings 5:20-27

Why did Gehazi lie to Naaman?

What did Naaman do when Gehazi asked him for payment?

Why did God punish Gehazi?

What are some things people lie about?

Why is it important to always tell the truth?

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Forgive us for the times when we lie. Give us the courage to tell the truth the first time and resist the temptation to tell little white lies.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Lying 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 Lying.

Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Lying Sunday School Lesson:

Bible stories | Honesty | Kids of Integrity

Children's Message: Lies and God's Eyes - Children's Ministry Magazine

Youth Group Lessons on Honesty | Ministry to Youth