But anyone who takes acrooked path will get caught.
Proverbs 10:9, NIrV
M O N T H LY L I F E A P P
Integrity—Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
B A S I C T R U T H
I can trust God no matter what.
SMALL GROUP
SOCIAL: Providing time for fun interactionEarly ArriverOpening Activity
LARGE GROUP
STORY: Communicating God’s truth in engaging ways WORSHIP: Inviting people to respond to God Welcome/OpenerWorshipBible Story Bottom LinePrayer Closer
SMALL GROUP
GROUPS: Creating a safe place to connectBible Story Review: Sight UnseenApplication Activity: Name DropMemory Verse Activity: Hot VegetablePrayer Activity: Pray and Dismiss
HOME: Prompting action beyond the experience GodTime Devotional for KidsStudio252.tvParent Cue App
But anyone who takes acrooked path will get caught.
Proverbs 10:9, NIrV
M O N T H LY L I F E A P P
Integrity—Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
B A S I C T R U T H
I can trust God no matter what.
PROVIDING TIME FOR FUN INTERACTION15 MINUTES
PRELUDE SOCIAL STORY WORSHIP GROUPS HOME
Before kids arrive, take a few moments to pray for them. As you prepare to lead kids on the topic of integrity, take a moment to think about how integrity plays out in your own life. Ask God to guide you as you think about your own experience and how that could be useful as you introduce integrity to your few. Pray that God would give you the words to say and guide your conversation as you dive into
an abstract concept today.
1 . E A R LY A R R I V E RW H AT Y O U N E E D : No supplies
W H AT Y O U D O : • Greet kids as they arrive.• When a few kids have arrived, circle up for a game of “Who Stole the Cookie
from the Cookie Jar?”• This is a common playground call and response game, and it goes like this:ú The group calls out together, “Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?”ú One person answers with the name of someone in the group, for example,
“Becky.”ú The group says, “Becky stole the cookie from the cookie jar!”ú And Becky responds, “Who, me?” The group confirms, “Yeah, you!”ú Becky replies, “Couldn’t be!” And the group asks, “Then who?”ú Becky names another player, and the game continues.
• Play until everyone has been named and named another player.• The group can add fictional players and designate someone to respond
in their voice, such as Mickey Mouse™ or some other character with a distinctive voice.
M A D E T O P L A Yan activity that encourages learning through following guidelines and/or
But anyone who takes acrooked path will get caught.
Proverbs 10:9, NIrV
M O N T H LY L I F E A P P
Integrity—Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
B A S I C T R U T H
I can trust God no matter what.
PROVIDING TIME FOR FUN INTERACTION15 MINUTES
PRELUDE SOCIAL STORY WORSHIP GROUPS HOME
2 . O P E N I N G A C T I V I T YW H AT Y O U N E E D : Individually wrapped snacks and tray or sheet pan
W H AT Y O U D O :• Gather the group in a standing circle and place the tray
of snacks in the middle.• Tell kids that you’ll be playing a game with the snacks, and they’ll get to eat
them once Small Group time is over.• Ask the kids to look closely at the tray.• Once they’ve had a few moments to study the tray, instruct the group to turn
their backs to the tray.• Change one thing on the tray (switch the position of the snacks, remove one,
etc.), then tell the group to turn around.• Ask one kid to tell you the difference.• If they get it right, they get to make the change on the tray for the next round.• If they can’t spot the change, ask another kid.• Play a few rounds, so that each kid gets a chance to change one thing on
the tray.• Just before it’s time to head into Large Group, have them all turn around like
they’ve been doing, then open and quietly start to eat one of the snacks.• With your mouth full, call them to turn around and guess.• Let them “catch” you eating the snack.
W H AT Y O U S AY:“I’m sorry I ate the snack, after I said we shouldn’t! It looked so good, and none of you were actually watching me. [Transition] I probably need to listen closely in Large Group to hear about something that would help me stick to doing what’s right, even when no one is looking.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
M A D E T O P L A Yan activity that encourages learning through following guidelines and/or
But anyone who takes acrooked path will get caught.
Proverbs 10:9, NIrV
M O N T H LY L I F E A P P
Integrity—Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
B A S I C T R U T H
I can trust God no matter what.
CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT25 MINUTES
PRELUDE SOCIAL STORY WORSHIP GROUPS HOME
M A D E T O I M A G I N Ean activity that promotes empathy and facilitates concrete application through
role-play and reenactment
1 . S I G H T U N S E E N[ TA L K A B O U T G O D | B I B L E S T O RY R E V I E W ]W H AT Y O U N E E D : “Sight Unseen Prompts” Activity Page, pillowcase, plastic vegetables, toy crown, toy car, empty frozen dinner box, jump rope, travel size pack of tissues, plastic coffee mug, party hat, toy soldiers, name tags
W H AT Y O U D O :• Before the activity, place all of the items except the “Sight Unseen Prompts”
into the pillowcase.• Gather kids in a circle, and pass the pillowcase to the kid on your left.• That kid must close their eyes, reach into the bag, grab the first item they
touch, then take it out of the bag.• Keeping their eyes closed, they have to guess what it is.• If they are stumped, the group can give them hints.• Once they’ve figured out what they hold (or after a few guesses), they can open
their eyes and share an idea for how that item relates to today’s Bible story. • If some kids have a difficult time relating their item to the Bible story, check the
“Sight Unseen Prompts” for a list of questions you can ask to jog their memories.• When everyone has had a chance to pull out an item and talk about it, put
all the items in the middle of the group’s space.• If time allows, let the group retell the story together using the items.
W H AT Y O U S AY:“This is such a great Bible story! It has action and drama, friendship and royalty, and best of all, FOOD! I like food a lot, and I would probably have a hard time saying no to a king’s banquet, wouldn’t you?
“Daniel and his friends had kept God’s law their whole lives while they lived in their own country with their family, but they were far away from everyone who knew about God and His law. No one at the king’s palace would have known if they broke God’s laws about food! Why do you think they chose to act the way they did and keep God’s law anyway? (Invite responses, i.e. because they knew that God still cared, they wanted to be true to God, they wanted to respect God’s law, or they wanted to remember their families.)
“I’ve never been kidnapped and taken to a strange country like Daniel, but . . . [Make It Personal] (share a time when you had to decide to do the right thing even when no one was looking. Maybe you returned change to a cashier who gave you too much back, or you didn’t lie about your age to get on a cool website, etc.)
“Daniel and his friends faced a choice that everyone faces at some point—will I choose to do the right thing even when no one is making me do it and no one will really know? If you know what’s right, you should do it, no matter what. That’s how you can be truthful with your whole life. Your words about following Jesus and your actions to follow Jesus will line up.”
But anyone who takes acrooked path will get caught.
Proverbs 10:9, NIrV
M O N T H LY L I F E A P P
Integrity—Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
B A S I C T R U T H
I can trust God no matter what.
PRELUDE SOCIAL STORY WORSHIP GROUPS HOME
M A D E T O P L A Yan activity that encourages learning through following guidelines and/or
working as a group
CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT25 MINUTES
* 2 . N A M E D R O P[ L I V E F O R G O D | A P P L I C AT I O N A C T I V I T Y ]W H AT Y O U N E E D : Blanket or other long piece of fabric, (optional) name tags and markers, paper plates or brown grocery bags and scissors
W H AT Y O U D O :• Divide your group into two teams and have them sit facing each other.• If your group has a lot of new members or hasn’t been together very long,
use the optional name tags. Make sure everyone has the correct name tagon their shirt.
• Ask for a volunteer to hold one end of the blanket with you.• If you have an older kid who wants to do this for the whole game, great.
Otherwise, switch off helpers so everyone can play.• Hold up the blanket with your helper so that neither team can see the other.
(Guide teams to scoot closer together if needed.)• Then, ask each team to send one member to sit close to the blanket, facing it.• Count to three and drop the blanket.• The two kids facing each other have to call out the name of the person
across from them.• Whoever calls out the correct name first, wins. The other player joins the
winner’s team.• If you have older kids, or kids who are very familiar with each other, use the
optional plates or bags and scissors to make masks with eyeholes cut out. When kids “face off” at the blanket, instruct them to put on their mask or hold it up in front of their faces.
W H AT Y O U S AY:“You had to figure out who you saw so quickly! Your opponents were able to recognize you by looking at your face or reading your name tag. Our brains don’t just recognize someone by the way their face looks, but by how they stand, walk, talk, move, and even smell! All of these things together go into our brain, and we immediately know who we’re looking at.
“You are recognized not just by your name, but by your actions and words. The things you say and do are the things that show others you can be trusted. That’s why it’s important to be truthful with your whole life. God wants us to be people who are truthful even when we don’t have to be or when no one will find out.
“We want to be like God, because He has the ultimate integrity. God does what He says He will. God keeps His promises. How can you ask for God’s help to be truthful with your whole life?” (Ask Him to give you strength not to give in to temptation to do something wrong. Ask Him for wisdom to know the right choice. Ask Him to give you good friends who will help you have integrity.)
( * 2 . N A M E D R O P, C O N T I N U E D ) Optional Discussion Questions for Older KidsIf you lead 4th, 5th, or 6th graders, consider asking these discussion questions: • Have you ever seen someone say or do one thing in front of one group of friends, then do something completely
opposite around another group of friends? How did that make other people feel about them? (Help kids sharestories without stepping over the line into gossip. Steer the conversation more toward how it feels to interact withsomeone who acts differently at different times. Do you trust that person?)
• What if you were guaranteed not to get caught lying or being dishonest about something? Why would it beimportant to still be truthful?
• How do you know if somebody has integrity? What kinds of things do they do and say?
But anyone who takes acrooked path will get caught.
Proverbs 10:9, NIrV
M O N T H LY L I F E A P P
Integrity—Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
B A S I C T R U T H
I can trust God no matter what.
CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT25 MINUTES
PRELUDE SOCIAL STORY WORSHIP GROUPS HOME
M A D E T O M O V Ean activity that increases the oxygenin the brain and taps into the energy
in the body
3 . H O T V E G E TA B L E[ H E A R F R O M G O D | M E M O R Y V E R S E A C T I V I T Y ]W H AT Y O U N E E D : Sturdy vegetable, music player, upbeat music, Bibles
W H AT Y O U D O :• Gather the group and read Proverbs 10:9 from the Bible
out loud, using the tips below, if needed.• Ask kids to sit in a circle.• Play a game of Hot Potato, but with whatever vegetable you have, the more
unusual the better!• While the music is playing, kids pass the veggie around the circle, each kid
saying a word of the verse.• When the music stops, the kid holding the veggie is “out” and moves out of
the circle.• The kid to their right takes the veggie and starts the verse all over again.• If they finish the verse, including the reference, while the music is still
playing, the next player starts with the first word of the verse and the gamecontinues as usual.
• Periodically stop the music. Try to stop the music at different points in theverse so that it’s never quite said all the way through until the last two orthree players.
• Play as many rounds as time allows, and be sure to collect the vegetable atthe end. It can be fed to pets, used for compost, or planted in a garden, butit will probably be too bruised to eat.
Finding verses with a multi-age group: Guide all kids to open their Bibles to the front and find the table of contents. (Hold up a Bible opened to the table of contents to show the kids what the page looks like.) When the kids find the table of contents, ask a middle elementary kid (2nd -3rd grade) to find Proverbs in the list under “Old Testament.” When the kid finds Proverbs in the table of contents, lead them to look at the page number beside the word and say it aloud. Explain that the number tells them on what page they can find Proverbs. Ask older elementary kids (4th-5th grade) to help younger ones find the correct page in their own Bibles. When they all find Proverbs, explain that the big numbers on the page are the chapter numbers. Ask a kindergartner or 1st grader to find chapter 10, and give time for all the kids to turn the pages to find it. Explain that the small numbers are verse numbers, and ask a middle elementary kid to find verse 9 in chapter 10. Then, slowly read the verse aloud, especially for your pre-readers; or ask older elementary kids to read it to the group.
W H AT Y O U S AY:“Our verse reminds us to walk a straight path in life. What do you think that means? (Invite discussion.) Yes! It means to follow Jesus closely, with integrity, and not . . . (take vegetable and put it on the ground as if walking) let’s go over here and take a candy bar from the store without paying. (Move veggie to the
( 3 . H O T V E G E TA B L E , C O N T I N U E D )right.) Then over here and cheat just a tiny bit on my homework. (Move veggie to the left.) Then, yikes! Let’s get back to following Jesus. (Move veggie in a straight line.)
“Be truthful with your whole life. It’s like walking a straight line. The straight line is easier to follow; there are fewer obstacles and things to get in your way. It won’t always be easy to have integrity. A lot of times it’s harder to do the right thing than it is to do the wrong thing. Those wrong things come with consequences! But doing the right thing come with the consequence, or reward, of a smoother path and a closer relationship with God.”
But anyone who takes acrooked path will get caught.
Proverbs 10:9, NIrV
M O N T H LY L I F E A P P
Integrity—Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do
B A S I C T R U T H
I can trust God no matter what.
M A D E T O C O N N E C Tan activity that invites kids to shareand collaborate with others while
growing their understanding
CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT25 MINUTES
PRELUDE SOCIAL STORY WORSHIP GROUPS HOME
4 . P R AY A N D D I S M I S S[ P R AY T O G O D | P R AY E R A C T I V I T Y ] W H AT Y O U N E E D : Snacks from “Opening Activity”
W H AT Y O U D O : • Give each kid a snack and let them eat it now, or save it
for later.• Ask an older kid to explain what it means to have integrity, based on what
they’ve learned today.• Let other kids respond with ideas of how they’ll be truthful in everything
this week.
W H AT Y O U S AY:“Remember way back in the beginning of our time, when I snuck one of the snacks that were supposed to be for later? And I did it while your back was turned? That was part of the plan to get ready for our Bible story about integrity, but it brings up an important point. We all should do our best to do the right thing, even when no one is looking. You can be truthful with your whole life. It’s hard, but I know that if we ask God to help us, He will. Let’s do that now.
“Dear God, thank You for always having integrity. We can trust that You are who You say and You’ll do what You promise. Please, help us be truthful in what we say and do, and stick to following Jesus, even if it’s hard this week. Amen.”
As adults arrive to pick up, if you used an unusual veggie for “Hot Vegetable,” see if adults can guess what it is!
