Truth or Dare? (Part 1)
Lesson 4: Ethics and Morality (Part 2)
Lesson Workbook (PDF) Click here
Ethic Scenarios - Part 2 (Activity) Click here PDF Version
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Goals
1. Expose students to the controversy over ethics
2. Create an atmosphere where the tension of right and wrong is felt
3. Help students determine how to make the right choice
Topics
Character, Choices, Discernment, Morals, Truthfulness, Virtues, Wisdom
Scripture Memorization
Romans 6:16
OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)
GROUP BUILDING (15 minutes)
Get in small groups of 2 or 3. With your partner, talk about the following questions:
1. What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make?
2. Tell about a time when you lied and got busted.
3. Tell about a time when someone lied to you and it hurt your feelings.
GETTING STARTED (5 minutes)
Last week we disguised some Biblical stories as ethical dilemmas and asked you to come up with an answer for each. Then we looked at the actual Scriptures and tried to figure out what the right thing to do was.
This week we’re going to do something similar, but with a spin. Instead of Bible stories, we’re going to throw out some real-life situations that you face each day (or may face someday) and try to make Biblical decisions for each.
Ready? Let’s dig in.
DIGGING IN (30 minutes)
Ethics Scenarios (Workbook Activity)
(If you are not using the workbook, you can print copies of the Ethics Scenarios, Click here PDF Version)
(Have the students read each scenario and take several minutes to write down their answers. Read each scenario aloud and allow the students a chance to share their opinions. There may be controversy, that’s okay. You’re teaching them to think as much as you’re teaching them to do the right thing.)
Scenario #1
(You and a friend are planning to go out and see a movie on a Friday night. As you’re getting ready to leave, another friend calls and asks what you’re doing that night. You know that the friend you’re talking to on the phone can sometimes be jealous when you go out with other people. The friend calling is not friends with the person you’re going with, so inviting the person on the phone to tag along is not an option. You can either tell the friend on the phone the truth or you can make something up that will get you off the phone and off the hook for the night. What should you do: Tell the truth and hurt your friend's feelings, or tell a lie and have a fun night?)
Discussion Questions:
1. Is it wrong to lie to someone if it means not hurting that person's feelings?
2. Is “the truth hurts” a true statement? Why/why not?
See: Leviticus 19:11; Colossians 3:9; Proverbs 6:16-19
Scenario #2
(You turn on your television one night to find that you have started getting the premium cable package instead of basic cable. You’re not sure why, because you don’t pay for cable at all. What should you do, call the cable company and fess up or start popping popcorn and enjoy?)
Discussion Questions:
1. Is the above situation an example of stealing?
2. If someone left a wallet in your car or house accidentally and never asked if you had it, is it wrong to never give it back? What’s the difference with the above story?
See: Exodus 20:15; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 4:28
Scenario #3
(A nuclear bomb is dropped on our country and it is taken over by a violent dictator who hates Christians. The armies of our new government march toward our city and arrive at night. Sitting at home, you and your family are drug from your home and into the street. A general points a gun at your family, looks right at you, and asks if you are a Christian. If you say yes, you will be spared, and your family will die. If you deny Christ, you will be killed, and your family will be spared. What should you do?)
Discussion Questions:
1. Is denying Christ ever okay? What about to save people’s lives?
2. Would your family want you to deny Christ in this case?
3. This may seem like an extreme example. What is an example of a more common “deny Christ or pay the price” scenario you face? Share examples.
See: Matthew 16:24; Matthew 10:32-33; Luke 14:26
MAKING IT REAL (5 minutes)
Again, we could go on and one with scenarios that keep us guessing. The reality is, living the right way, in Truth, can be a hard thing to do. It means you have to stop and think. It means you have to know what God wants from you.
Discussion Questions:
1. How can you know God’s Will for your life? How can you know right from wrong?
2. What steps are you taking in your life so you can live in Truth?
3. Do you dare live without knowing right from wrong? What would be the implications of living that way?
There’s a verse we need to all memorize together. It’s Psalm 119:11. (Have someone look it up and read it. Then recite it as a group together.)
The only way you can know how to live is by studying the Scriptures. While they may not have specific instruction on every problem you face, it’s important that you shape the way you think through the lens of Scripture.
In the coming weeks, we’re going to break down this idea of Truth even more. We’re going to talk about the truth concerning money, self-esteem, how to respond to authority, and more. Each study will be Scripturally sound. Knowing what God says about certain things is the first step in knowing how to live in Truth.
For tonight, let’s pray and ask God that as we face choices between right and wrong each day that His Word will be in our hearts so we can choose wisely.