Hey there, everyone. Welcome back to another week of Carpooling with Jesus. I'm Pastor Justin. And today we're talking about integrity. Integrity means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. Imagine Jesus sitting right here in the car with you, ready to share how you can make great choices today when it comes to your integrity. So as you're in the car driving to school, you're probably thinking about your day ahead. Maybe you have a test. Maybe you're presenting a project. Maybe there'll be a new kid in your class. Or maybe all of your friends are going to continue the game from last week during recess. But there's one thing we all have to remember. Integrity. Integrity is when we do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, not because someone is watching. Here's a verse from the Bible that shows us just how important integrity is. In the book of Proverbs from the Old Testament, chapter 10, verse nine, it says the one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever has no integrity, his ways will be found out. That's a big verse that has some pretty big implications for our life. Let's break it down. First, when we walk with integrity, it means we are doing the right thing even when no one else knows it or sees it. It's like when you do your homework by yourself, because you know it's the right thing to do, even though no one's watching and you'd rather be reading a comic book or playing a video game. The second part says that if you have no integrity, if you're sneaky or try and cheat, eventually it will be known because you can't hide it forever. Imagine Jesus is there with you right now. He's looking at you and saying, I want you to walk with integrity today. It's the right thing to do, and it will make you feel good about your choices. So how can we practice integrity today? Well, think about school. Imagine you're taking a test, but you can still see on your neighbor's paper. Or you can see the answers on the teacher's desk. You could look at those answers and fill in yours, or you can let your teacher know or just look away. That is integrity. Jesus wants us to choose the honest and right path, even if it's harder. Imagine this. Your teacher asks if anyone saw what happened to her missing pencil case. Now you saw it on the ground and put it in your bag, but no one saw you. Everyone in the class just looks with quiet, confusing looks. No one knows that you have it. You could not say anything and take it home with you. Or you could tell the teacher that you saw it, picked it up, and put it in your bag. Choosing honesty is what Jesus wants for us, because it shows our integrity. Jesus would sit beside you in the car and say, remember, it's not about getting ahead by tricking others. It's about choosing to do the right thing, no matter what. You don't need to worry about what other people think if you're making good and honest choices. So let's think about a few ways you can apply integrity today. Maybe your friend asks if they can copy your homework because they forgot to do theirs. Even though it's hard to say no, you know that you probably should. Tell them to just let the teacher know, and offer to help them on their homework later. Or maybe someone says something unkind about a classmate and you choose to speak up and tell them that's not how Jesus would want us talking about our friends. Remember, doing the right thing builds trust, even when it's hard. And people will respect you for it, even when it's not always easy. Here's a really small challenge for you today. When you're going through your day at school, or even at home, if you feel torn on the decision to make, just say a quick prayer. God, what's the right thing to do? How can I have integrity in this situation? And God will help you see the right thing to do, even if it's hard. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus, where we turn every car ride into a faith-filled moment. Parents, if you love this podcast, share with your parent friends so they can turn their car rides into faith-filled moments too. Here's today's question. Talk about it together before you get out of the car. How can you practice integrity in your friendships today at school?
