Walk It, Talk It
Liz and Spike want to figure out how to buy fancy shoes so they can be cool. When their plans to raise money flop, they joke about stealing the shoes. But it isn’t long before their joke causes big problems.
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Speaking Truthfully.
1. Proverbs 26:18-19 points out how dangerous it is to lie, even if you’re just kidding around. Why do you think this is so? What problems can lies cause?
2. In Genesis 20, Abraham and Sarah told a lie. The couple were traveling in a foreign land and were afraid of Abimelek, the king of that land. Sarah was very beautiful, and Abraham was afraid that Abimelek would kill him so he could have Sarah for his wife. So Abraham and Sarah lied. They told Abimelek that Sarah was Abraham’s sister and not his wife. Things quickly got out of control. Abimelek, thinking Sarah wasn’t married, decided to make her his wife. God himself stepped in and stopped the marriage from happening. Abraham and Sarah’s lie angered God and almost caused Abimelek to commit a great sin. As you listen to this episode, think about how even little lies can cause big problems for yourself and others.
After you listen
Memory Verse
“Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking’”
Quiz
Reflect
In this episode, Liz and Spike learn that they can’t say just anything, even if they’re kidding. Their joking around gets a friend in a lot of trouble.
In Romans 14:13-18, the apostle Paul wrote about stumbling blocks. If you saw a blind person walking down the sidewalk, would you sneak up and place a log in front of them to make them trip? Of course not. Paul uses that as a picture of how Christians should act toward each other. For example, if there’s a movie that your parents let you watch, that’s fine. But if you have a friend over, and that friend’s parents don’t want them watching that movie, don’t watch it. If you do, you’re causing your friend to disobey and probably lie if their parents ask what you did. Even though the movie is OK in your house, it’s a stumbling block that causes your friend to trip. It is much more important that you help your friend do the right thing than it is to do whatever you want.
Want to dig deeper and learn what God says about causing others to sin? Read Leviticus 19:14, Matthew 18:6, and 1 Corinthians 8:9.
Challenge
Do you and your friends like to joke around about things that are wrong, even though you never intend to do those things? Talk with them about what you’ve learned today. Make a plan with them to stop doing it. Whenever any of you fall into old habits and joke about sin, the others should pretend they’re shooting an arrow—like the one in the memory verse. After a few days of this, you’ll all be aware of how often you make those kinds of jokes. Keep track and see how long it takes before none of you are shooting any arrows.
