During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.
Psalm 41:12
Living with integrity can sometimes be difficult. It can be easy to tell a little lie to cover your mistake. It can be easy for you to overlook a friend in need because you are busy. Yet this verse says that God will uphold you when you have integrity. You do not have to try to have integrity on your own.
And the result of having integrity—of being wholehearted? You are set in God’s presence. Think about that. As you get up each morning, as you work, as you care for your family, right now—you are in His presence. He loves you. He cares for you. He will walk with you and help you each step of the way. Take a moment to sit and thank God for His presence. Just be still and quiet for a moment to be with Him, delighting in Him as He delights in you!
Families are often concerned about who their children’s friends are. They want to know that the friends will help the child make good choices and not lead them astray. Let the families of your children know that today’s lesson talks about good friends who can help us live with integrity.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome your children to class. Ask the children to share how it went practicing integrity this past week. Encourage them to continue working at having integrity.
Tell the class you will begin today’s lesson with a “big tangle” activity that will connect the children to what you are learning today. Ask all of the children to stand in a long line, hold hands and not let go of each other. You will be the leader and weave between the arms of the children in the line with the others following you. Remind the children to not let go. Keep weaving back and forth under each other’s arms until everyone is tangled together. When you are as tangled as possible, pick a new leader and try the activity again. When you have finished this second round, have the children sit down.
This is the third time we have talked about integrity. To live a life of integrity, we need the help of our caring friends—especially Christians who will help us do and say what is right. Life is too hard to live it without friends.
Show the children the picture of the tree roots if possible.
Let me illustrate the importance of friends by talking about the giant redwood tree, the tallest and widest tree in the world. Some are more than 100 meters high. Others have trunks that are wide enough for a car to drive through. The rings of the redwood tree widen in its trunk as it grows year after year. Thick redwood bark forms a protective outer ring. The presence of tannic acid and the absence of resin make the redwood unusually resistant to destructive insects and blazing fire.
You might think the giant redwood must have very deep roots. How else could it stand 100 meters high? If you think this, you are wrong. Redwood trees have shallow roots. The trees stay upright by reaching out as far as 30 meters and interlocking or tangling their roots with those of neighbouring redwood trees. If they did not tangle their roots together, the magnificent trees would blow over in the first big windstorm.
The redwoods are like the game we played to start our class. We were weaving ourselves together just like the redwood trees do with their roots.
People who want to develop integrity can learn several lessons from the redwood tree. First, like the redwood tree, people with integrity stand tall and firm, not blowing over when something bad happens.
Second, the good and the bad things that happen to you in life can be seen in you, like the rings in the redwood tree. Having integrity helps you resist destructive influences and temptations that could hurt and destroy you.
Third, like the redwood tree, we are stronger when we find others to help us in our life’s journey. We weave our roots around those who show that they are trustworthy. We weave together with those who do what is right and say what is true. Like the redwood trees, these people make us stronger.
Do the big tangle again, but explain that this time the children should think about building strong relationships with other people who will help them develop into adults of integrity. Suggest they do this final big tangle as quietly as possible so that they can think about this idea.
Isn’t it wonderful that God uses other people to make us stronger, more honest, and trustworthy people?
Optional, if you are using the Student Pages, have the children write their names and the names of others who can help them grow in integrity on the tree roots.
Optional, if you are using The Action Bible, ask the children to quickly read the story on pages 476–479.
I will tell you a true story from the Bible about 3 friends. Their lives were woven together, and they were able to stand strong in the midst of a difficulty because they trusted God. These 3 young men were friends of Daniel, who you heard about a couple of weeks ago. This story happened quite a few years before the one when Daniel was thrown in the lions’ den.
Remember how Daniel had been taken captive by a foreign king. These 3 friends were some of those who were also taken captive, and they lived in the palace with Daniel. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These were not their real names, but they were the names the king had given them in his language. The king had seen how wise these young men were too. He saw that they were men of integrity. The king promoted the 3 young men to be officials over part of his kingdom, as he had done with Daniel.
With great pride, the king had a huge golden statue built, and he called all of his governors and rulers to come to the dedication of the statue. He commanded everyone to fall down and worship the statue when the music played.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Jews who loved and followed God. They would not bow down to the golden statue. Some men complained to the king about the 3 friends. “King, may you live forever! You made a rule that when everyone hears the music they must fall down and worship the image of gold. You said that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. There are some Jews whom you have made governors—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who do not obey you. They do not serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
The king was very, very angry. He called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come before him. He told them that the music would be played again, and if they would not fall down in worship to the golden statue, they would be thrown into a blazing hot furnace.
They said, “King, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
These 3 friends showed integrity because they stood by their beliefs. They said they worshipped only God and their actions matched their words! They trusted God, no matter what would happen.
The king was so angry he demanded the fire to be heated 7 times hotter than normal. He had guards tie up the 3 friends and throw them into the blazing furnace. It was so hot the guards were burned up when they threw the 3 friends in!
Allow children to offer their thoughts before continuing the story.
The king looked into the furnace in amazement. He could hardly believe his eyes. “Did I not have 3 men thrown into the fire? Yet I see 4 men walking around and none of them are burning up! The fourth one looks like a son of the gods.”
If possible, show The Action Bible images as you tell the story.
The king went closer to the furnace and called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come out of the fire. They came out, and everyone crowded around them in wonder. They were not burned in any way. They did not even smell like smoke!
The king said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”
This figure was evidently either an angel or God Himself.
Let children share their thoughts, and add these ideas if they do not mention them: They knew He is the only True God, He is worthy of all our worship, He is powerful, He is trustworthy.
Just as we have learned, we need God to help us live with integrity. He can be the reason we live with integrity—because we love Him and want to honour Him. He can give us friends to walk through hard times with us, friends who will help us honour Him by what we say and do.
Friends are very important. Good friends encourage us to do what is right and say what is true. Bad friends might encourage us to do things that are not pleasing to God—such as lying, cheating, gossiping, and hurting others. Good friends and bad ones may seem to be in a tug-of-war to see which of them can influence us most. If we listen to good friends and stay away from people who try to influence us to do bad things, it will be easier to have integrity.
Ask the children to make up 1–2 situations where someone may want them to do something that lacks integrity. Then have the children get into pairs to role-play these situations. One child will try to convince the other to do something wrong, and the other will resist and act with integrity instead. After a few minutes, have them reverse their roles and do it again with another situation.
Clap to get your children’s attention. Ask them to spread out around your meeting space and sit down. Share the optional Memory Verse poster if you are using it. Read the verse from your Bible.
Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.
Psalm 41:12
God encourages us that He sets us in His presence when we have integrity in our lives. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew the One True God and worshipped only Him. They believed this so strongly they were willing to lose their lives over it. Think for a minute about something that you believe so strongly you would never compromise on it. Maybe you believe in the One True God like the 3 friends did. Maybe you believe that it is important to always tell the truth. Maybe you believe that being a loyal friend is important.
Give the children a moment to think of a strong belief they have.
Once you have your strong belief in mind, stand up where you are. We are going to bring those strong beliefs to God and ask for His help to be people of integrity. As I pray, if you want to ask for God’s help to be a person of integrity, lift up your open hands.
Close with this blessing based on Proverbs 4:25–27:
Blessing: May your eyes look for the straight path ahead of you. You will watch the path you are on so that your steps are sure and you can avoid evil. Your friends will help you walk with integrity.
Continue to share this song with your children to celebrate how great God is that He made giant trees and each of us to need each other!
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
