Day 1 Day 4

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Day 4

Day 1

Haman was determined to make himself look good and become as powerful as he could. He was prepared to take down anyone in his way, even if that meant lying to the king to have all the Jews in the kingdom killed. He thought his dishonesty would get him what he wanted, but the opposite happened.

If a trusted adult is available, ask him or her to read today’s story with you.

When you’re tempted to be dishonest, don’t forget the lesson we learned from Haman:

you can trust God’s plan for your life and being truthful is always the best choice. Even if dishonesty helps you get ahead or look better in the moment, it causes serious trouble for your heart and your relationship with God in the long run.

If not, try finding a quiet place to read the story aloud to yourself. Pay close attention to Esther 3:8-9. Because Haman was angry with Mordecai, he lied to King Xerxes so that he could kill not only Mordecai, but also all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews. Unfortunately for Haman, his plot was discovered, and he was the one who ended up dead. Yikes, that’s a serious consequence! This month we’ve been hearing a lot about people in the Bible who learned the hard way how serious the consequences of dishonesty can be.

This week, we’ll think about what we can do to avoid their same mistakes!

Week 3 : Preteen

Day 4

LIVE

FOR GOD

Day 1

HEAR

FROM GOD

WEEK 1 : PRETEEN

Day 2 Have you ever been tempted to be dishonest if it would make you look good (like Haman)? What about avoiding getting in trouble (like David)? Or even getting something that you want (like Gehazi)? Spend a couple minutes talking to God about His plans for your life. Think about how accepting God’s plans will help you resist the temptation to be dishonest. For example, maybe you struggle with math. Instead of looking at someone else’s paper during a quiz, you can ask for help when you need it and make sure to study and do your homework. Pray this prayer:

God, help me trust Your plans for my life. Help me show others that they can trust Your plans by being honest and truthful in all that I say and do. Amen

Day 3 Talk with a trusted adult today about how we can hurt ourselves by not being truthful with others. What are some of the consequences? Even if we don’t get caught in our lie, is there a consequence for our heart? What about our reputation? Our relationship with God? Most importantly, what are we telling the world around us if we say we follow Jesus, but we don’t live a life of integrity? Remember, what we say and what we do (even when no one is watching) should match! How do your words and actions stack up?

what you do

what you say

Day 2

PRAY TO GOD

Day 3

TALK

ABOUT GOD

WEEK 1 : PRETEEN