Lies, Lies, Lies It's Your Move  Work Zone & High Way Gather in a large group circle: Make any announcements, introductions. Say: When we mess up, it's sometimes difficult to "own up" to parents. When you really want to do something you think your parents won't approve of, you can come up with a plan to do what you wanted anyway. We learn from friends and the media that lying is an easy way to avoid conflict. What we don't learn is that lying builds distrust in relationships. Tonight we will help you to see how lying is irresponsible - and the importance of being honest with family, friends and God. Break into Journey Groups, Fellowship Hall and Youth Center Moving in Work Zone  Needed: Lies handout, black, gray & white paper Prep: Set 3 groups of 4 chairs out in front of the room. Tape a white sheet on one a gray sheet to the middle set and a black sheet to the last. Say: You've probably heard the term "little white lie," but have you ever heard of a gray lie or a black lie? To begin tonight, we'll have an activity where you get to choose the severity of a lie I'll describe. After the activity, we'll open the pop machine for each of you to take your pick, the quickest go first. When I read a lie, quickly determine if you think it's a black lie (very serious), gray lie (moderately serious) or white lie (mostly harmless). Move quickly to the chairs you think represent the characteristics of the lie. If you don't make it to a chair, stand behind the group. After reading all the lies - Ask:  ·What'd this activity tell you about lies? ·Are lies okay sometimes? Explain. ·Why do people lie? Say: I lied to you about the pop machine. How does that make you feel? Discuss: How the youth feel about the pop lie and how those feeling are like the feeling others have when they lie to them. Say: Lying is a dangerous thing. Just as you probably felt bad about my lie, parents, friends and God feel bad when you lie. Tonight we'll examine how telling the truth can help you become responsible. Moving in High Way Famous Liars Needed: Dry erase markers, list of famous liars Form 3 teams and pick/volunteer one to be a drawer. Clean off some of the white board so each drawer has some space to render his or her art. Fold the list so that only the first name can be seen. Show the artists the list at the same time and have them begin. Say: Draw this person for your team to guess, without drawing letters, numbers or symbols. The first team to call out the correct name will win 1 point. We'll play a number of rounds and total the points to determine the winning team.   Ask: ·Why do people lie? Say: Famous people aren't the only ones who lie. You and I have probably lied at least once in our lives. But lying can be dangerous. Just look at the consequences the famous people faced. Tonight we'll take a look at how telling the truth can help you become responsible. Moving up Work Zone & High Way Liars' Club Needed: Liars Club Application, pens Give each youth a copy of the "Liars' Club Application" handout and a pen, then have them complete the handout. When each has finished continue by having everyone gather in as much of a circle as possible. Say: Everyone pass your application one person to the left. Decide if the first written statement is true or a lie mark the appropriate box. Wait for me to say trade and then pass the paper one more to the left and so on until all the statements are filled out. Continue with the exercise. Have volunteers read an unlikely truth on the application they have, then have the owner say weather it is true or a lie. Continue as long as there is interest and time. Ask:  ·How'd you feel as you wrote your lies? ·How's this like constructing a lie to tell your friends or your parents? ·How easy was it for you to make up lies? Explain. ·How was lying to the class similar to lying to others? ·When does lying become destructive? ·What are examples of lies that hurt other people? Say: In this exercise, lying seems fairly harmless. We all knew we'd be lying to each other and we played this as a game. While many people feel it's not so bad to lie once in a while, the Bible has a different perspective. Let's take a look at that perspective. Moving on Work Zone Play the Game, Juggling lies Needed: About 8 balls or soft objects of various size Have the youth stand in a circle. Tell them they are going to throw something across the circle in any order but always in the same order, each player may receive the object only once. The first person receives from the last. After the object has made one full trip around the circle, play again to be sure the pattern is the same. Then on the third trip around the circle add a second object. Once they have that, add another, then another. Ask: ·Have you ever heard the phrase "What goes around comes around"? What does it mean? ·Read Psalm 7:14-16 How do you think this Scripture applies to the game we just played? Psa 7:14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil, and is pregnant with mischief, and brings forth lies. Psa 7:15 He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole which he has made.    ·Have you ever told a lie to someone and then had to continually juggle to support it? What happened? ·If we live our lives causing trouble, how might it come back to us? Moving on High Way True Advice Needed: Scripture passages, pens Form four groups and give each one of the following passages: ·Genesis 3:1-6 (the serpent lies to Eve; evil enters the world.) ·Genesis 27:18-25, 41 (Jacob lies to Isaac; Jacob receives Esau's blessing; and Esau vows to kill Jacob.) ·Genesis 39: 7-20 (Potiphar's wife lies about Joseph; Joseph is thrown in jail.) ·Luke 22:54-62 (Peter denies Jesus; Peter grieves.) Have each group read their passage and list the lies people told and the consequences of each lie in their passage. Come back together and have each group describe their findings beginning with a summary of the passage. Ask: ·What can we learn from these stories? ·What's common in all these stories about lies? (Each suffered consequences, selfish reasons) ·How are these factors valid today? ·What are the long-term negative effects of lying? Moving out Work Zone Play the Game, Lies, lies & more lies Needed: Plastic cups, water Prep: Before the game, set up about 40 cups 20 for each team, place a small amount of water in each cup. Have the youth form two teams. Have teams line up beforehand. Have a sponsor ready with extra water for the inevitable spillage. Say: On "go," the first person in each line should walk to the other end of the room, bring back one cup of water, and hand it to the second person in line. The second person should carry the cup of water to the other end and grab another cup, bring back two cups. Person three brings back three cups of water, and so on. Eventually, you'll be trying to carry eight, nine or even ten cups of water. The team that successfully carries the most cups back to the table wins. Cups may be carried anyway except stacked inside each other. Caution participants to walk -not run- during this game, and to be careful of spilled water. Ask:  ·What are some things in your life that you might be tempted to lie about? ·How likely are you to lie at least once a day? ·How do you know that lies in your live are under control? ·How can God help you keep from lies? Moving out High Way To Tell the Truth Needed: 3x5 cards, pens Have the youth close their eyes and answer the following questions silently. Ask: ·Have you ever lied to God? ·If so, how did you feel? ·How do you think God felt? Read:  Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices Col 3:10 and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Ask: What does this passage mean? Say: When you decide to live as a Christian, we put on a ne3w self. A new self that tries to tell the truth at all times. Let us commit to living a life of truth, not lies to parents, friends and God. Think of at least one way you'll work on telling the truth during the coming week. Let's take another few moments to silently ask God for help avoiding lies and resolving lies you haven't properly dealt with. Give them about 20 seconds. Return to the Family Life Center. Form one large circle. Prayer and Concerns Work Zone & High Way After everyone has gathered in a circle: Say: Congratulations we just finished a series of lessons about becoming responsible adults. We talked about responsibility, independence, authority, and tonight, lies and truth. By asking God's help to always be honest and working together to gain the strength to always tell the truth, we can learn to avoid dangerous lies. The truth shall set you free, as you become more responsible and trustworthy. Ask for concerns & pray Sing "Sanctuary" UMYF Benediction