Twelve Stones - Lesson 6 - Honesty

Joshua 4:21-22, ‘…When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know…’

The Lord has taken us from captivity and allowed us to enter His Promised Land. We have been in turn handed the awesome responsibility of walking differently of loving differently and teaching differently. Have we forgotten where we came from? Have we forgotten where we are going? Let’s not forget our foundation and let’s certainly not forget to pass the torch to the next generation.


Last week we reviewed faith…
Then John Pertell spoke on faith Sunday evening…
Then Bill spoke of faith Wednesday and I think Dave also touched on it.
I believe the Lord wants us to learn something about faith.

Opening thoughts on faith…





Some synonyms for the word ‘honesty:’
sincerity, truthfulness, integrity, frankness, candor and openness.
The opposite of the word ‘honesty’ is ‘dishonesty.’

Shakespeare said,
‘Ay, sir: to be honest as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of a thousand.’

I would like to hear some opening thoughts on honesty…





Luke 8:15, ‘But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.’

Mushrooms appear to grow overnight.
Weeds and dandelions also appear to grow overnight.

We want our fruit now,
We want to be rewarded for our efforts now,
We want our children to learn their life lessons now.

It seems like in life anything worth having is worth waiting for.
It also seems like the less desirable things come about quickly.

Your thoughts…





Romans 13:13, ‘Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.’

I want to talk about something here that almost always gets me in trouble.
We are talking about honesty.
What about acceptable sins.
Well I never killed anyone.

Talk to us honestly about honesty…





Psalm 41:12, ‘And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.’

So how much of our honesty or our integrity is based on us?





Proverbs 11:3, ‘The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.’

Integrity is a sure guide;
It leads us by a safe path,
and brings us out in a safe place.

What does this verse say to you?





Our true worth should be measured by our character,
and not by our outward circumstances.
A poor person of truth and wisdom is more honorable in the sight of God,
and more useful to their neighbors,
than one of great rank and wealth
whose life is made up of perverseness and folly.

Proverbs 19:1, ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’

It does seem like those with less integrity prosper.

What are your thoughts here?





The best inheritance we can leave to our children is our own holy life.

Proverbs 20:7, ‘The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.’

Maybe we won’t see the reward of us walking in integrity.
Maybe it is for our children to reap the benefit of.

Your thoughts?





Psalm 37:25, ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.’

Sounds like a promise.

Your thoughts on this verse?



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