Stop Lying: Guard Your Lips WORSHIP

SUGGESTED WORSHIP SONGS:

God is Here, God is in this Place, Broken Vessels, The Wonder of Your Love, Change My Heart

WELCOME Memorize Ten. Memorize the 10 Commandments using body movements or acrostics for easy recall.

WORD EXODUS 20:16

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Have you ever been lied to? How did it make you feel? Did you confront the person who lied to you?

The ninth commandment tells us, “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” It means do not lie.

A lie is an intention to deceive. Today we call a lie in many different names i.e. a fib, slip of the tongue, bending the truth or a white lie. But a lie is a lie, no matter what you call it.

SOME TRUTHS ABOUT LYING

• Nothing weakens the truth more than stretching it. • When we choose to lie, we choose to suffer. • The truth may hurt for a little while but a lie may hurt

forever. • If we hold on to God's truth, we won't be trapped by

Satan's lies. • “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we

practice to deceive!” – Sir Walter Scott

Of the Ten Commandments of God, the ninth is broken most often. Many people will struggle to steal, kill, or commit adultery, but most will find it difficult to miss a day without lying. Lying seems to be a second nature to so many people. It is like a way of life to the point that we can no longer distinguish a lie from the truth. Many people live a life believing that their lies are truths.

When the lie detector was invented, after numerous tests, the results showed that Man is basically dishonest, as the Bible says it so.

“Man's heart, is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” – Jeremiah 17:9

A lie is not only spoken words but can also be written words, actions and silence. The Greek word for a lie is “Pseu,” which means untrue, insincere, counterfeit.

WHEN AND WHY DO WE LIE?

Withholding the truth is lying. When we tell our boss we will do a sales call but in fact we have some personal errands to make, that is lying. When you tell your parents you will go to your classmate’s house for group study, but you will actually go to a movie with your friends, that is lying.

We lie because of our fear to be disliked by others, or we are afraid to fail or to suffer the consequences for things that we have done. Peter denied Jesus because he was afraid. Abram lied to the king that Sarai was his sister because of fear.

We lie by boasting, exaggerating or understating. Sometimes we get tempted to exaggerate our story to make ourselves look good; or we hide the dark part of a story to make it sound better. In exaggerating we enlarge the matters beyond the truth. In understating we withhold facts that are vital to the whole truth. If you conceal sin, you will not prosper; but when you confess them, you shall find compassion (Proverbs 28:13).

This is usually difficult for followers of Christ who work in advertising, sales and marketing. We should make it our habit to give all the facts as they really are because a half truth is a whole lie. If your job or business is causing you to tell a lie, it might be time to pray to get out of it and move on for another career or business that will glorify God.

SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE

To build healthy relationships, you need these five words: “Speaking the truth in love”

You cannot love and not tell the truth. The Apostle Paul wrote that as we speak the truth in love, we can

September 20, 2015 Vol. 15, No. 38

WORD (cont’d) grow in faith and build relationships (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Love and truth are like oil and vinegar. Oil mixed with vinegar makes a delectable Italian dressing for a salad. If you only put vinegar or only oil in your salad, it will taste awful. Vinegar represents the truth and oil represents love. Together, they are life building combination for our relationships. One without the other can create a lot of serious problems.

If you are a “Truth-er”, you are likely to speak the “vinegar” of truth without the “oil” of love. Pray therefore that God will empower you to add a perfect blend of love in the truth that you speak.

If you are a “Lover” like oil, you may have a tendency to speak love but at the expense of truth i.e. you refuse to confront but you delay or bury the issues. Pray for God to lead you to confront problems as you speak in love.

The tongue is powerful; you cannot tame it (James 3:8). Death and life are in your tongue (Proverbs 18:21), coming from the abundance of your heart (Luke 6:45). Therefore seek the Lord to guard your mouth (Psalm 141:3). Get rid of sinful lips and ask God to create in you a new heart (Ezekiel 18:31). You are not doing this for yourself or to please men, but all for God’s glory.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your members)

1. True Lies. What is the Hebrew meaning of lie in Exodus 20:16 as discussed? How do you treat a lie?

2. Oil or Vinegar. Are you “oil”, “vinegar” or a tasty “Italian dressing” of oil and vinegar? What happens when you only tell the truth without love, or vice versa? Why do you think we need both truth and love?

3. Speaking the Truth in Love. What would you to build up your relationships by speaking the truth in love? What are the truths that you are withholding to speak in love to your loved ones?

WORKS LYING IS SERIOUS

Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us God’s hate list where lying was mentioned twice (v17b, 19). God hates lying tongue and false witness, because lying associates you with the father of all lies.

List down all the lies that you remember you have made. Confess all of these lies to God, and then take a bold step of faith in action to make amends to the people you lied to and lied about.

Ask God to give you a new heart (Ezekiel 18:31; Psalm 51:10.) Remember these:

• Truth hurts – Lies kill

• Truth sets us free – Lying imprisons us

• Truth trusts God – Lies trusts self

• Truth builds relationships – Lies break relationships

WEEKLY PRAYER POINTS

I. Thanksgiving • Worship God for who He is, what He has done,

and what He will do in our lives

II. Country and the World • Upright and moral governance of Public

Servants and a God-centered Philippines • Repentance and Salvation

III. Church • That CCF Members would honor and love God

and make disciples • Elders, Pastors, Leaders, and Families • Ministries and Churches worldwide

IV. CCF Facilities • New Worship and Training Center • Prayer Mountain

V. Personal Concerns • Deeper intimate relationship with God • Righteous living • Salvation of family and friends