I Do What I Want 2 It's Your Move Road Work and Trek Groups We're meeting in the Youth & Activity Centers this week. Pizza & Pop Gather on the blue center space carpet. Welcome, & introductions Ask for someone to make the announcements. (See if anyone knows what's going on?) Spring Fling, Caravan Theme Dinner, WoF   Which Way Are We Moving Work Zone & High Way Begin with a large group&ldots;  Honesty Counts For many people, integrity is a foreign concept with few role models. Can someone define integrity? Integrity is a lost value in their culture, where doing the right thing is dwarfed by the need to do whatever it takes to get ahead. The integrity of teens is challenged-and compromised- daily. Will you be true to your word? Will you cheat at sports, games, or schoolwork? Will you deceive others to get out of trouble? Will you embellish events to increase your social stature? The battle to live a life of integrity never ends. Naturally, God sets high standards for integrity. But as high as they are, they are achievable and rewarding-especially when living with integrity becomes a habit. What's right and what's wrong has continued to been distorted by society today. You may have been left with varied and blurred concepts of integrity. For this reason, parents and churches must be more intentional in teaching values. Tonight's lesson offers you that opportunity.   Break into Journey Groups Middle School -Activity Center, High School - Youth Center   Moving In Work Zone & High Way Nut-Uh Needed: Word strips, note cards, pens Play a few rounds of Nut-Uh! Use a list of very obscure words-but real words nonetheless. (These all came from the dictionary) Split your group up into small groups of four or five people per group. Arroyo - water carved gully or channel Bowsprit - post projecting from the front of a ship Chintz - glazed printed cotton cloth Detritus - fragments resulting from disintegration Effete - having lost character vitality strength Flagitious - grossly wicked Gimlet - tool with a screw point and cross handle for boring holes Hostler - one who takes care of horses Inguinal - in or near the region of the groin  Jenny - female bird or donkey Kerf - A slit or notch made by a saw or a cutting torch Lapin - rabbit fur sheared and dyed Say: A player in each group begins by choosing a word strip from a basket/hat. All of the other players in that group then write down a bluff, false answer to the word in the hopes of fooling the other team(s). You should try to make it sound realistic-and be creative. We'll shuffle the real answer in with all of the other phony answers for each group then take turns reading each one aloud one group at a time. The other groups score points for guessing the real answer- and loose points for being duped. We'll award one point for each correct vote and subtract one point for each incorrect guess. It will be possible for a team to have a negative score. The controlling team only scores points for each incorrect guess from the other teams. A few examples might be-     Coquette-a woman who flirts with a man    Fop-a man who is overly concerned with his appearance.    Triskaidekaphobia-fear of the number 13. Sponsors - have a note card ready to keep score. Play one round for each team to have the controlling word. Afterwards: vote with your large group for who made up the most believable, yet false definition for a word.   Moving On Work Zone & High Way Pointing Out The Obvious  (Work Zone split into at least two groups) Ask:    Would you go to a doctor who cheated his or her way through medical school?    Would you trust a president who lied to get into office, an athlete who set a world record while using illegal drugs, or a police officer who took bribes from rich crooks? Why or why not? Say: On a scale of 1-10 indicate with your fingers how honest you think you are. I'm totally honest all the time is -10. I'm the epitome of dishonesty -1. Ask:     Do you think forming bad habits could leave you feeling dishonest?    Do you think laziness or not trying is a form of dishonesty? Why or why not? Say: If you can apply some of these to yourself you aren't alone- nobody is perfect when it comes to maintaining integrity. In fact, if any of you have rated yourself as perfect with no bad habits and never lazy you're probably being dishonest. God has definite ideas and standards for integrity-but He's set a high standard because He values honesty. He does forgive human shortcomings, but he also expects that people will live lives of integrity. Integrity and honesty are one of the pillars of society because trust between people is essential.   Moving up Work Zone & High Way How Do You Rate It? Allow your group to explain why some of the actions listed below are dishonest or not. Be prepared to discuss what could be justified (but still dishonest!) in some of these situations. Allow for some disagreement here-every situation noted doesn't necessarily have a black-and-white answer. Ask:  Which of the following would you consider dishonest. __ Telling your mom to say you're not home when you just don't want to go to the phone. __ Lying about yourself in an Internet chat room. __ Saying a friend's haircut is cool when you really think it's not. __ Saying your friends have changed and now your not interested in coming to youth. __ Keeping the extra money that you've accidentally been given in change after making a purchase. __ Believing that "Some people in the youth group aren't acting in a Christian manner" is a good reason to stop coming.  __ Bootlegging or copying a CD or video for your own use. __ Passing on something that is supposed to be a secret. __ Taking the blame for something you didn't do in order to help another person save face. __ Believing that "Not getting anything out of youth" is not your fault. __ Taking the credit for a report you copied from another source. __ Telling your parents you're going to the mall when you plan to meet someone there and then leave.   Moving out Work Zone & High Way What's the Value of Integrity? Say: Most liars, cheaters, promise breakers, and thieves live in fear that they will be caught or discovered. Fear and guilt are not fun feelings. If you fear your choices and feel guilty about explaining your choices, what can you do? Ask:    When you're dishonest, what do you worry about most?    What is the downside of dishonesty?    What do dishonest people worry about, if anything?    What problems or consequences come from frequently lying?    Is it possible to believe that you are being truthful and still not be telling the truth? Read: Proverbs 10:9. He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. Ask:     Do you agree with the statement? Why or why not?    Do you need integrity to be part of our youth group?    Is it possible to quit something with integrity if you just don't want to try to make it work?     Is there safety or security in having integrity? Why or why not?    What do you think the value of a mind and heart at peace is? Discuss: how this verse applies to you today. Ask:    What is the main message in the following Scriptures? Exd 23:1 "You shall not utter a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man, to be a malicious witness. (Don't spread false stories.) Lev 19:11 "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. (Do not steal.) Psa 37:21 The wicked borrows, and cannot pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; (If you borrow, be sure to repay.) Eph 4:25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (Speak truthfully to each other.) Come back together in the FLC   Closing Work Zone & High Way The Leader Closes: Sit in a circle, use candle light and ask for any prayer concerns. Remain Seated Say: I'm sure you know that honesty really is the best policy-even when it's painful. As we have seen tonight some people think it's easier to lie. We've looked at times when it's hurtful or harder to tell the truth. We have tried to discuss how integrity applies to never quitting and why sometimes people don't even know they are being dishonest. Maybe tonight you have figured out why dishonest people get away with so much. In the past few weeks we have talked about moral issues and raised many questions we have mulled through as a group. Why do we need to talk about these things in youth all the time? It's simple; it's always a temptation. If we talk about honesty and integrity once, believing that once is plenty, we are failing you as Youth leaders. Quitting is not an option. Have you gotten anything out of tonight's lesson? Do you think you helped someone on his or her Christian journey tonight? Do you feel you could invite some of your other friends to our UMYF? If you didn't get anything out of the lesson, if you didn't help someone tonight and you don't think this is a good place for all your friends, you may not have been paying attention or you just haven't made a decision to try. Integrity is worth reaching for. I challenge you to think through your actions and words-and to see how truthful your actions are compared with your words. Learn what it means to have integrity. Go with Christ tonight and try again.   UMYF Benediction and turn out in to the world! Don't for get the sign up sheets!!!!