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.
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
Proverbs 10:9
Christian author C.S. Lewis once said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” As Christians we know that Someone is always watching. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” True integrity is obeying God and His commands.
As you think about sharing this important truth with your students, remember that integrity is not about following rules. It is about a change of heart, which produces the desire to consistently do what is right.
Think of a time when your integrity was tested. Many people in the Bible who lived with integrity stumbled at times. Noah got drunk and shamed himself. King David had a man killed so he could take his wife. Peter denied knowing Jesus. While there are always consequences that come with choosing sin, all of these people were given another chance to make better choices the next time.
Think of a time you have made a choice that does not reflect your integrity. How did God use this situation to change your heart? How can you use this knowledge to shape your decisions in the future? Pray that God will help you and your students to learn from your mistakes as you all embrace this truth.
Encourage the students to ask a family member, “Have you ever set a good example for someone else? What happened?” The students can then share what they have learned about integrity.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet your students as they come into class. Ask them to share a good thing that happened since you last saw them—even a small thing. Celebrate these good things with your students to help them recogniZe the good things in their lives and to let them know you care about them.
Today we are going to learn about integrity.
Ask the students the following questions. After each question, give them some time to think about their answers before they share.
Share the following information about integrity with your students. As you talk, you can write the following words on the board or on a large piece of paper if they are available: integrity, honesty, uprightness, trustworthiness, truth, sincerity, purity, fairness. If a board is not available, you can share them with the students at the appropriate time.
A person of integrity has standards of right and wrong and tries to live by those standards every day. A person of integrity is trustworthy, honest, sincere, pure, and fair.
Someone who does not know God can still be a person of integrity. You do not have to believe in God to do what is right. But God calls His people to live with integrity—and not just because it is the right thing to do. Christians should not just do and say what is right because it makes the world a nicer place or because it makes us feel good to follow the rules. Christians should do what is right and say what is true, even when it is difficult, because they want to please God and show Him how much they love Him.
In the Bible, we learn about Daniel. Daniel worshipped only the One True God, and he tried to live his life according to God’s laws. Daniel had given the king wise counsel and had always acted with integrity. The king trusted him. Because of this, Daniel became an important leader in government. In fact, King Darius planned to set him over the whole kingdom! The other government officials were jealous of Daniel, so they tried to find reasons to complain about him to the king. But the Bible tells us Daniel was not like these other leaders.
Ask a student to read the following verse aloud from the Bible.
At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.
Daniel 6:4
Now ask the students the following question and share the 3 possible answers for each. Once you have read all the choices, repeat them and ask the students to raise their hands and indicate the number of their choice with their fingers.
1. They would give up their plan to complain about Daniel.
2. They would make up something to complain about.
3. They would make a plan to catch Daniel doing something that would upset the king.
Men of integrity would have given up their plan to complain about Daniel. In fact, they would not have even tried to complain about Daniel in the first place. But these officials were not men of integrity, so they made a plan to catch Daniel doing something that would upset the king.
Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
Daniel 6:5
The officials convinced the king to make a law that the people of the kingdom could only pray to the king for the next 30 days. All those who disobeyed this law would be thrown into a den of lions. They knew that Daniel prayed only to God and that he prayed 3 times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem, where God’s people lived. So they planned to watch his house and catch him praying to God.
Now ask the students the following question and share the 3 possible answers. Once you have read all the choices, repeat them and ask the students to raise their hands and indicate the number of their choice with their fingers.
1. He kept his prayers a secret so the other leaders would not know that he was praying to God.
2. He continued to pray to the One True God, as he always had, knowing that God would protect him.
3. He stopped praying to God for 30 days. After all, God would not want him to be hurt.
The Bible tells us what Daniel did.
Ask a student to read the following verse from the Bible.
Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel 6:10
Daniel was faithful to God and to his integrity. He continued to pray to God, even though he was breaking the king’s law. The king cared for and trusted Daniel. He wanted to prevent Daniel from being punished. But the other officials reminded him that a king’s laws cannot be broken. So Daniel was cast into the lions’ den. It was a pit with a small opening at the top. A large stone was used to block the entrance. There was no way for Daniel to escape. But Daniel trusted in God.
All night, the king fasted and worried about Daniel. When morning came, he went quickly to the lions’ den and called out to Daniel. Daniel was safe and unharmed. The king asked Daniel how he had been saved. Daniel told King Darius that God had saved him.
1. He would free Daniel.
2. He would punish the officials who had tried to force Daniel to compromise his integrity.
3. He would make a law stating that the people of the kingdom would worship Daniel’s God.
King Darius showed his integrity. He did all of those things! He freed Daniel, punished the officials, and made a law stating that the people of his kingdom must worship the God of Daniel.
I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.
Daniel 6:26
Imagine a world where everyone lives with integrity. What would the world be like if everyone was honest, upright, trustworthy, sincere, pure, and fair?
Integrity matters to the world, because integrity makes the world a better place. It would be more pleasant to live in an area where people were honest and trustworthy and where people always did the right thing. But, unfortunately, many people lack integrity. That is why communities have laws—to help people do what is right, since they often do not choose to do the right thing on their own. But being “good” is not the only reason integrity matters.
More importantly, integrity matters to God. He wants us to show integrity in our lives because it shows that we love Him—and it shows the same thing to others. When we love God, we want to live in a way that pleases Him. God wants to use your lives to bring glory to Him so others will worship Him also. If you follow God and lead a life of integrity, He can do great things in your life, just like He did with Daniel.
Have the students find partners. Allow a few minutes for them to discuss each of these questions.
When you face challenging situations in your life, it is often helpful to ask someone you trust for help. An older person who shows integrity might be able to give you advice about how to act with integrity, even in situations when it might seem too difficult.
One place you can always go for advice on integrity is the Bible. Jesus is a great example of a person with integrity.
Allow the students to share their thoughts. They may or may not have examples, depending on their familiarity with the Bible.
Jesus was always honest and true, even when telling the truth put Him in danger. He always did what was right and pleasing to God, even when it was difficult and made people angry. The reason Jesus was always able to show integrity is because He always followed God’s will. His motivation to do what was right was not just about following the rules. Instead, He was following the One who knows what is right and allowing Him to rule His heart and His life. Listen to what Jesus said about integrity.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14–16
Jesus wants us to be truthful, sincere, and trustworthy. He wants us to be pure in our thoughts and deeds. He wants us to do what is pleasing to Him, even when it seems impossible. If we do, we will shine with integrity.
Ask the students to sit down—either on the floor or in chairs. Then give them the following directions:
I would like each of you to share a thought about integrity. It may be something you have learned or something you are still learning. It may be something you are good at or something you would like to do from now on. If someone says something about integrity that you want to practice in your own life, please stand.
Allow the students to briefly share their thoughts until all those who want to share have had an opportunity.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, students can use the page to write down ways to practice integrity in their own lives.
Showing integrity in your life makes you a light in a world that is sometimes dark with dishonesty and deceit. When you face a situation that requires you to make a difficult decision about doing what is right, think of what God would want you to do. In every situation, His way is always the best way. We will talk more about integrity next week.
Close your time with a blessing over your students based on Proverbs 10:9:
Blessing: May our righteous God help you to walk securely in integrity and protect you from crooked paths that lead to harm. May your love for Him grow as you commit to live by His ways.
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.
