Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Honesty Lesson 4 of 4 Body Honesty (Honesty must characterize every part of us in every situation, even when it means personal sacrifice.) Scripture: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor." Ephesians 4:25 Preparation Print on cardstock one copy each of the picture pages. Print one copy of the age-appropriate activity sheet for each child involved. Review and Introduction Say: "Who can name the three kinds of honesty included in the honesty block of your character wall?" Hold up the pictures from lessons 1, 2, and 3 as you read the captions with your students. Say: "Your brain must hold only true thoughts. Your heart must hold only true feelings. Your tongue must hold only true words. Today, we'll learn about the fourth kind of honesty. Body Honesty. Hold up the page 4 picture and keep it on display throughout your story. Say: "Listen to our story so you can be sure what we mean when we say Body Honesty. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners' culture and ages. "Ashur," Grandmother said angrily. "You just lied to me with your body. You shrugged to say you did not know your little brother, who is crying, wanted to sit on his blue stool! Why don t you show more honesty?" Grandmother sounded like Mrs. Garcia - always talking about honesty. Ashur thought back to this morning at school. He had been sitting there just doing his work when Carlos whispered, "What's the answer to number six?" Ashur did not say a word. He did not even look at Carlos, but he did tap his toe on the floor five times. Carlos hurried to write "five" on his paper. A minute later, he whispered, "Is a nominator on top or on bottom?" Ashur still did not look at Carlos. He still said nothing, but this time, he rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. He had just looked back down when Mrs. Garcia stopped beside his desk. She looked at his paper. Then she looked at Carlos' paper. "Ashur, you have been dishonest again," she said. You have cheated by giving Carlos answers. "Me?!!" Ashur managed to make a surprised look. "I didn't say a thing! Carlos asked, but I didn't tell him a thing." Mrs. Garcia shook her head. "Carlos has never been able to answer questions like #6 and #7, but he answered perfectly today. You helped him, Ashur." "But Mrs. Garcia, I did not say anything. Honest!" Ashur protested. "You can ask Carlos. I didn't say one word!" Mrs. Garcia frowned. "Ashur, your body was filled with dishonesty. You used your foot and your head to hide your cheating, but you were still cheating. Now you're using your eyes to pretend surprise, but you aren't surprised. Your eyes are lying to me." Mrs. Garcia went to Carlos' desk, and stooped to talk to him. Ashur couldn't hear what she was saying, but he knew she was talking about honesty. Why did she always think he was lying? Ashur was tired of working. He started to wiggle in his seat. He wiggled and wiggled. Finally, he raised his hand and wiggled a lot as he looked toward the door. He knew Mrs. Garcia would let him go to the bathroom.
She did, and Ashur hurried from the room. In the hall, he stopped hurrying. He did not need to go to the bathroom. His body lied when it wiggled to pretend he had to go. He looked at the artwork outside the fourth grade room. Then he went to the canteen and bought a candy bar. He ate it, got a drink, and went back to his classroom grinning. "Well," he told himself, "if Mrs. Garcia is dumb enough to believe my wiggles, it's her own fault." Bible Story: The PKs I want to tell you a story today about a little girl named Deborah. Deborah had a father, a mother, and four brothers, but she was the only girl. Father and Mother had given each of the children a Bible name. They started with A and went from there: Adam, Benjamin, Caleb, Deborah, and Elijah. Those were good names. Those were proper names but the name everyone else gave them was PKs preacher s kids. That was because Father was a preacher. The PKs were just like other children, but people expected more from the PKs! Even when the PKs were the same age as their children, adults expected the PKS to behave much better than their children. Deborah did not think that was fair. Why, just last Sunday, Deborah had opened her eyes during prayer. Display the page 9 picture throughout the remainder of the story. She had opened them only because Katie Kim giggled, and Deborah wondered why. She had closed her eyes again right away, but it was too late. After the service, Mrs. Kim went right to the preacher and told him how naughty his PK had been. Of course, the only reason she could see Deborah was that her own eyes were open. That was not fair, Deborah thought, and she wanted to tell Father that Mrs. Kim was as naughty as Deborah was! She couldn t, of course. Father would never allow that. There was, however, one thing that Deborah and her brothers could do. They flopped on Deborah s big bed that Sunday afternoon and talked about it. They could use body language in church. They could make their bodies talk without using words. Then just let Mrs. Kim and the others tell Father they were not behaving right! But what is body language? asked little Elijah. Older brothers Adam, Benjamin, and Caleb looked at Deborah. Body language is like words you make with your body, Deborah explained. Oh, like this? Elijah gave a huge burp and they all laughed. No. Deborah said. Body language doesn t make noise. It speaks by moving in ways that show what you think. She pointed at a picture of Grandmother, and said, You know how Grandmother s foot jiggles back and forth sometimes? That says she s worried. Grandmother would not say it aloud, but that body action always says, I m worried. Adam sat up and took charge. All right, PKs, he said, here s what we ll do. Hurriedly, he explained his plan until Father called them to the kitchen to eat. They kept their plan secret as they ate and as they left for the church service. The PKs sat quietly in the row of burgundy chairs beside Mother. No one had told Mother the secret. Nevertheless, their quiet behavior told Mother they were up to something. Father announced the first hymn, and everyone stood. The PKs stood also. Most everyone opened their mouths and began to sing. The PKs opened their mouths also, and they moved them as though they were saying the words. But! Not a sound came out of one PK! Their body language said they were singing heartily, but their bodies were lying. Their bodies were being dishonest. The PKs did not show body honesty. After the hymn, Father asked everyone to bow in prayer. The PKs bowed their heads to say they were praying. They folded their hands to say they were praying. They closed their eyes and kept them closed to say they were praying. Their body language said loudly to anyone who was watching that the PKs were definitely praying, but they were not. Their bodies were lying. The PKs did not show body honesty. When Father began to preach, each PK took out a notebook and began writing. They nodded now and then. They made their faces look serious. Their body language told anyone who was watching that the PKs were paying attention to the sermon, but they were not. Their body language was not speaking truth. They were not showing body honesty. Father spoke later about their good behavior. He talked about all the things they had done so well during the service. He told them several people had come to him praising his children s good behavior. Then Father opened his Bible and read this verse: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor." Ephesians 4:25
You children disobeyed that verse during the service this evening, Father said. You did not speak truth with your neighbors in church. You spoke lies. You spoke lies with your bodies. You told everyone who saw you in that row of burgundy chairs that you were being very well behaved children. That was a lie. You were not being well behaved. You lied to the people, but even worse, you lied to God. Pretending to do good is lying. You did not show body honesty. Father looked around the table at his four PKs. You pretended to be polite toward the people in church, but you were rude. You were using your bodies as though you were sticking out your tongues at those people. You were using your bodies to get even with the people who think you should be perfect because your father is a preacher. You displeased God with your actions, and you displeased your mother and me also. Well, but Becky was drinking soda during church, and that isn t pleasing to God either, Caleb said. Mother started to answer, but Father continued. Many people in church are rude to God these days. Some drink coffee, water, or other things while God is speaking through the sermon and that s rude. Some text their friends while we speak to God in prayer and that s rude. Some surf the Internet on their ipads while we read God s Word and that s rude. Some take off shoes, clip fingernails, sleep, and even knit in God s house. All of those things are rude to God, and those people need to change their ways. However, using your bodies as you did to lie to others on purpose! in God s presence is more than rude. Your mother and I will punish such behavior. Father listed off three punishments for each of them. Then he sent them to their rooms to make large, neatly-written wall signs of the verse he had said earlier: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor." Apply the two stories in age-appropriate words. Hold up the page 4 picture, reading the caption: Body Honesty. You show honesty when you fill your body with truth. You have already learned to fill your brain, heart, and tongue with truth. Now you can use all of that to fill your body with truth. Control your whole body, and tell your body to behave always in an honest way. Ashur did not do that, did he? He used his body to tell people things that were not true. How did Ashur lie to Grandmother with his shoulders? Hold up the page 5 picture, reading: Fill Your Body with Honesty". Here we see Ashur sitting in the back of the class beside Carlos. How did Ashur use his feet to be dishonest at school? How did he use his head? How did he use his whole body at once? Hold up the page 6 picture, reading: "Talk about It". This girl and boy are taking a martial arts class. In martial arts, your body says things. When your body bows toward the teacher, it says something. Can it lie when it bows? How? Your eyes also can lie in martial arts. How? How else might you not show honesty with your body in martial arts? Hold up the page 7 picture, reading: "Talk about It". In this picture, the baseball team looks as though they all are showing attentiveness to the coaches. Their faces look as though they all are listening well. How might they be lying with their faces? How else might you lie not show honesty with your body in sports? Hold up the page 8 picture, reading: "Talk about It". These people are in court. Courts usually make people raise their hands to promise they will tell the truth. Can they lie when they raise their hands? How? Can one hand seem to show honesty while the other shows dishonesty? How? (Fingers crossed behind back may negate promise.) You show honesty when you fill up every part of your body with truth. Hold up the page 9 picture. Deborah and her brothers were PKs. What does PK mean? Think about what Deborah and her brothers did during the church service. How did they lie with their mouths without saying a word? How did they lie with their faces? How did they lie with their eyes and their heads? God says this about lies in John 8:44. (Satan) does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. We must not be like Satan! We must not lie in any way, but show honesty with every single part of our bodies. Close by handing out assignment sheets.
First and Last Name: I show honesty when I fill my body with truth. Circle the ones you need to fill with truth. Color the ones you don't need to fill with truth. hand feet face brain mouth eye arm ear leg Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Honesty #4 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name: You may have a parent help you with this page. You heard a story about Deborah, the Little PK. Talk to one of your parents about that story. Tell what PK means. Why did Deborah think people were unfair to her and her brothers? What happened when Deborah opened her eyes during prayer instead of keeping them closed? Talk about some of the ways in which Deborah and her brothers lied with their bodies. Talk about how you can show body honesty every day. When you have had a good talk about this lesson, learn your memory verse well enough to say it every time with no help at all. Ask your parent to sign on the blue line below to show that you did all of your work. Parent s signature Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Honesty #4 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name I show honesty when I fill my with truth. Fill in the blank above. Then spot the differences. Circle 10 ways in which the pictures are different. Using the lines below, write at least 3 ways you showed honesty with your body this week. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Honesty #4 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name Body Language is a way of saying things with movements or the way you hold your body. For example, feet can tap the floor to say something you don t say with your lips. Your Bible lesson this week was about a family of little PKs. One of them was named Deborah, but Deborah had four brothers. The brothers names were Adam, Benjamin, Caleb, and Elijah. Choose one of the brothers and write a story about him below. Make your story show how that brother could use body language to lie. Then tell what he should do instead to show body honesty. At the end of the story, explain your Bible memory verse: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor." Ephesians 4:25 Use the back of this page to complete your story. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Honesty #4 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com