Hey, everyone out there. Welcome back to another episode of Carpooling with Jesus. I'm Pastor Justin. And today we're talking about integrity again. Why? Because integrity is such an important thing to learn. And Jesus talks about it all the time. Integrity is choosing the right path, even when it's hard. So let's imagine Jesus is riding in the car with us. What more do you think he would say to help guide us through the day? In the book of Luke from the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, the third book, it says in chapter 16, verse 10, whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. Let's break that down because it can be really confusing. Jesus is teaching us that if we do the right thing in small everyday situations, we can be trusted with bigger things. But if we don't do the right thing in small situations, it will be harder to do the right thing when something big comes along. Imagine you're at home and you're playing a game with your siblings. You accidentally knock something off the table, but no one saw. You have two choices. You can leave it there and pretend it never happened. Or you can own up to it, clean it up, and show integrity. Jesus wants us to make the right choice even in the little moments. Imagine you ask your parents if you can go ride your bike around the neighborhood and they say, sure, the only rule is you can't go into anyone's house unless we know. Well, you're out there and your friends come riding their bikes too, and invite you over to their house to see the new video game they just got. Now, you know your parents told you don't go into anyone's house, even your friends', without telling them first. But you think, well, it's going to be really quick. I'm just going to see their video game. That is one of those small moments where you can either build integrity or you can lose it. You can tell your friend, I'd love to see your game. I just need to go let my mom and dad know first before going into your house. They may think that is lame. They may think you don't need to do that. You're only coming in for a moment, but you know that the bigger goal is to have a life of integrity, in the small things and in the big things. Jesus wants us to have integrity all the time. Let's think about another situation at school. Maybe someone in your class isn't being treated fairly, or maybe someone is telling a lie. You can choose to ignore it or even laugh along with the joke, even though it's hurting someone's feelings. Jesus wants you to stand up for what's right. Integrity means doing the right thing even when it's tough, even if you're the only one standing up to do the right thing. Choosing the right path shows others that you belong to Jesus and your decisions matter. Always choose love, honesty, and kindness, no matter what others are doing. So how can you practice integrity today? Maybe you can choose to speak up when something unfair is happening, or be honest even when it's hard. Every time you do, you're building a life of integrity, even in the small things, which can lead to big things that'll help you make right choices in the future too. Sometimes we think integrity is only when making big choices, but here's my challenge for you. When you go throughout your day, when you face a choice, big or small, ask yourself, what would Jesus want me to do? And then do it. Integrity is all about doing the right thing no matter who's looking. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus, and 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 to talk about together before you get out of the car. What's an example of a small way of showing integrity and a big way of showing integrity? We'll see you tomorrow.
