Key Scriptures: Joshua 2 and 6:16-17, 22-25, Numbers 23:19, Psalm 37:4-6, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 9:10, Psalm 112:7, Psalm 91:1-2, Psalm 40:1-4, Psalm 20:7, Psalm 118:8, Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 22:3-5, Psalm 13:5, Psalm 37:3, Psalm 62:8, Proverbs 11:13, 1 Timothy 6:26, 1 Corinthians 4:2, Proverbs 6:16-19, Revelation 21:7-8, Proverbs 12:22, Colossians 3:9, Luke 16:10-12, Galatians 5:22-23, Titus 2:7, Proverbs 28:6 and Proverbs 19:1
Guiding Question: What will our lives look like if we are trustworthy?
Optional Introductory Activity: Bring in photos of various “famous” people. Have them be a mix of ages. Include men and women of various ethnic backgrounds. Have people from movies, music, sports, politics, etc. Ask students who they would trust in various scenarios. Why did they believe they could trust the person/people they chose in each particular circumstance?
Lesson: (Questions for students are in bold italics.) What does it mean to be trustworthy? The dictionary defines trustworthy as someone who is able to be relied upon. Someone who is honest, dependable, principled, ethical, virtuous and incorruptible.
There’s a great story about trustworthiness in the Bible. Read Joshua 2 and 6:16-25. This story is interesting because people who were technically enemies had to trust each other. What did the spies have to trust Rahab to do? What did Rahab have to trust the spies to do? Were both Rahab and the spies trustworthy? Why or why not?
Our relationship with God also involves trust. The first question we must ask ourselves is can we trust God – especially to keep His promises to us. In fact, read this description of God in Number 23:19.
The book of Psalms has a lot to say about our trust in God. Read the following verses and have students share what each teaches us about God’s trustworthiness. Psalm 37:4-6, 28:7, 9:10, 112:7, 91:1-2, 40:1-4, 20:7, 118:8, 56:3-4, 22:3-5, 13:5, 37:3 and 62:8.
Perhaps the greatest reason we know we can trust God is because of Jesus. God promised a messiah to Adam and Eve during the Fall. It took hundreds and hundreds of years for things to be ready for the birth of Jesus. God kept His promise though, and sent His son to die for our sins. Can you name other promises God has kept?
The next question is, “Are you trustworthy?”. The Bible addresses our trustworthiness by discussing the topics of trustworthiness and the attributes of a trustworthy person – honesty, faithfulness and integrity. Let’s read some examples of each to see if we can get a better idea of what our lives will look like if we are trustworthy.
- Trustworthy – Proverbs 11:13, 1 Timothy 6:20, 1 Corinthians 4:2
- Honesty – Proverbs 6:16-19, Revelation 21:7-8, Proverbs 12:22, Colossians 3:9
- Faithfulness – Luke 16:10-12, Galatians 5:22-23
- Integrity – Titus 2:7, Proverbs 28:6, Proverbs 19:1
Thinking about what we have learned today, what do trustworthy people think, say and do in their lives?
Skills Activity: Review the main points of the lesson. If you believe your students will struggle with knowing how to be trustworthy in practical terms, give them various real life scenarios from their world. Have them decide what a trustworthy person would do in each. Make sure to discuss why a trustworthy person would make those choices to help them better understand how to be trustworthy in other situations.
If your students are basically trustworthy, challenge them to create a fun game that will teach younger children about trustworthiness. They can work alone or in groups of two or three. If possible, find a time when students can actually play the games they designed with younger children.
Application Challenge: Read Matthew chapter 1. Notice in verse 5, Rahab is a part of a very important “family tree”. She was so trustworthy, God allowed her – a non-Jew – to become an ancestor of Jesus’ family on earth! Notice some of the other names in that same list. Some you may not know, while others will be more familiar. Look up where their stories are found in the Bible. Were they trustworthy? Did they have times when they weren’t so trustworthy? Did they repent when they weren’t trustworthy and sinned? Can you learn any more lessons from their lives about what it means to be trustworthy (or not trustworthy)?