Being Honest With Yourself Pays Jam 1:21-25

26th Feb., 2012

Being Honest With Yourself Pays

Jam 1:21-25

There is this popular tale of a man who gave his son the oversight function of a building project; and the son, seeing it as an opportunity to enrich himself, used inferior and cheap building materials to build and finish the project, only to be told, upon completion, that the house was his! We may sometimes find ourselves in similar situations, and like that young man, thinking we are smart, we put forward a false representation of ourselves, but the truth would always catch up with us and we'd wish we had been truthful to ourselves. In our world today, honesty is a scarce commodity; however, God wants us to excel without compromising. David said in Psalm 51:6 that; "You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part, You will make me to know wisdom." Being honest with ourselves makes us happier, and we grow in character, confidence, competence, and credibility. Today, our discussion will focus on being honest with ourselves.

Discussion 1. How difficult has it been for you to be honest with yourself? Share your experience(s).

2. Whether the experience is yours or another's, it pays to be honest to yourself. Below are tips on how we can be honest with ourselves; Accept God's word as the standard for your life. (Ps 119:9-11, Rom 12:3) Trace the origin and development of dishonesty in your life. (Prov 28:13) Confront and confess. (Prov 28:13, 1Jn 1:6-10) Receive new information with an open mind. (Jam 1:21, Prov 13:20,1:5) Practice honesty in little things. (Lk 16:10) Speak the truth in love to yourself and to others. (Eph 4:15) Get a honest and caring friend to appraise your character truthfully. (Prov 13:20) Mention others.

Honesty is accepting the standard as it is, and not trying to twist it to suit our feelings or interests. It might be difficult to be honest with oneself, but when we do, it increasingly becomes easier for us. Honesty makes our goals realistic, helps us grow in character, and makes us dependable to ourselves and others. In fact, the more honest we get with ourselves, the more prosperous, peaceful, fulfilling, happy, and free we shall become. You will succeed in Jesus' name.

26th Feb., 2012

I Am Special

Job 39:27-30 God created every single person with talents - unique gifts and abilities. This is what makes us special and differentiates us from one another. Be thankful for who you are and don't try to be like anybody else, because God loves you just the way you are. You are special! KIDDIES TALK BACK Let's study a special creature - the eagle. The eagle is a bird not commonly found around because of its unique qualities. Unlike other birds, it doesn't waste its energy flapping its wings throughout flight; rather it flaps a little bit then catches the direction of the wind and soars! Isn't that fantastic? Other unique things about the eagle are;

1. Vision- the eagle's eyesight is very good. It can spot fishes in the sea from afar off and it can look directly at the sun. Vision is not only about seeing with your physical eyes; we have inner eyes too. Do you have a vision for yourself? What do you see yourself becoming when you grow up. Talk to God about it.

2. Strength ? The eagle is blessed with physical energy, it can outlast any enemy pursuing it. It also uses its great strength to protect its young children. For you to achieve great heights, you need inner strength (praying, reading the bible, fasting), and physical strength (eating right and exercising); and instead of being a class bully, use your strength to help and protect others. Lastly little children, be yourself always, never copy others. Remember you are uniquely special.

Memory Verse "He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagles'... (Psalm 103:5 NLT) Picture Of An Eagle...

26th Feb. 2012

Honesty As A Life Style Ii

Matt 7:1-5, Jam 1:21-25

Being perfectly honest with yourself is not an easy thing to do. But if you accept yourself for who you really are, stick to your values and make efforts to grow positively based on God's word, especially in character, then you will be laying the right foundation for a life style of honesty. Today we will learn how we can do this.

1. Why do we often cover/deny who we really are inside and pretend to be someone else? (Ps 139:23-24, Prov 28:13MSG) Here are a few tips on how we can be honest with ourselves; See yourself in the light of God's word and accept it as your standard. (Eph 2:10, Jer 1:5) In the areas you have fallen short, find a way to make up. (1Jn 1:9) Practice honesty in simple things. (Lk 16:10-12) Do not show off or "fake" an attitude. (1Pet 5:5-6msg) Get an honest, caring friend who would lovingly point out your flaws.

Mention others.

Conclusion:

Being honest with yourself may be hard but it is worth the effort in the long run, and will attract the favor of God. You will succeed in Jesus' name.

Being Honest with Yourself

Eph 4: 21- 24, James 1: 21- 25

27th Feb - 2nd Mar. 2012

The need to be honest cuts across organizations and individuals. Organizations, sometimes, understate their transactions just to evade tax, while individuals, even Christians have gotten themselves into a web of dishonesty thereby living with a dead conscience. The consequence of dishonesty is not palatable to anyone. Organizations that have been in existence for many years have come crashing down due to an incidence of dishonesty which became public. Likewise, a career or reputation built over the years can be lost overnight over a case of dishonesty. The focus of our study today is on how organizations and individuals in the market place can stay on course for honesty and stand for it thereby preserving their destiny both for today and the future.

1. A. Mr. Bolanta is the Head of Procurement in a multi-national oil company. As part of his responsibilities, he negotiates business deals with several vendors. Is it right for him to receive a percentage of the value of those deals as his own gain?

Also at Christmas some of the suppliers have brought different kinds of gifts ranging from hampers, electronic gadgets like i-pads, phones etc. Do you think he should receive these gifts from them even though their motives are unclear to him?

B. The MD of XYZ Nig. Ltd has decided to declare the correct figures at the end of the year; several people have advised him that this might not be good for the face of the business since they did not make so much within the year. He has asked you as a friend for advice on what to do, what advice will you give him in this context?

2. Being honest with oneself helps to realize ones goals with better results, achieve excellence at a faster rate. Trust and credibility will be developed with oneself and others. In order for these benefits to be realized, find below practical steps to take

a. Make the word of God and principles your standard in all dealings. Prov. 4: 20-22 b. Trace the origin of dishonesty in your life. Ps 139:23-24 c. Confess and confront any act of dishonesty in your life. Prov 23:18 d. Receive new information with an open mind. James 1:21 e. Practice honesty in simple things. Luke 16:10 f. Speak the truth against dishonesty around you in love. Eph 4:15 g. Get a honest and caring friend to point out your inadequacies to you. Prov 27:17

The consequence of dishonesty can be unbearable and can destroy the destiny of an individual or an organization. Careers of individuals have also been lost due to an act of dishonesty. Honesty is still the best policy; ask God for the grace and enablement to abide by these principles today. You will succeed.

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