Noble Experiment

Integrity does whats right.

● Have you ever been in one of those situations where you weren’t sure what the right move was?

Maybe you had to decide…

● What to wear this morning.

● Who to sit with at lunch at school.

● Whether or not to answer a question in class.

● What to post—or not post—on social media.

whether big or small, our decisions shape our lives in ways we don’t always see right away.

● What if I told you there’s something that could help you make the best choices?

Most of the small decisions - No biggie

As you grow though…

● Where to go after high school—college, career, gap year?

● Whether or not to ask someone to the dance?

● Who to date or not date?

● Whether or not you’ll party like other people at your school?

● Who to be friends with?

● whether to take some risks or play it safe?

Everyone has a different opinion — Social Media - Fitness industry - Whats right?

Every significant decision we want to make or life choice we’re considering can sometimes feel impossible to get right. It leaves us wondering:

How do I know if I’m making the right choice?

Proverbs Intro - Solomon - Integral to Israel’s history

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity (Proverbs 11:3 NIV).

Break it down

 integrity—what does that mean? Integrity is like a combo of authenticity and good character over time. Imagine it as a formula:

Integrity = Authenticity + Good Character.

2. authenticity

Buzz word - Social Media - Contradicts itself

Real authenticity is about being true to yourself and who God created you to be.

Same person in every setting - no matter who is around

Authenticity means you don’t talk bad about your friends behind their back.

Authenticity means you don’t pretend to like music, sports, or games that you actually hate just so someone will like you.

Authenticity looks like being honest about your values and beliefs even if they aren’t popular. You shouldn’t be unkind or arrogant, but you don’t pretend to value things that you don’t really value.

Authenticity even means paying attention to when you get a gut feeling that something isn’t right.

3. good character

Easiest ways to look at good character - fruit of the spirit

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

Paul mentions the fruit of the spirit in Galatians, and He called them the fruit of the Spirit because they are attributes that God’s Spirit, or God’s power and presence in our lives, helps produce.

Ok, so, authenticity is a big part of integrity, but why does integrity matter?

In the verse, Solomon says integrity guides you. When you’re real and consistent, your decisions get a little easier.

You’re not constantly second-guessing yourself.

For example, if you’ve built a habit of honesty, you won’t feel as torn when you’re tempted to lie. Instead, you’ll just stick to the truth.

Build the muscle - pushups, whats the opposite

…The unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity (Proverbs 11:3b NIV).

4. duplicity

acting one way in one place and a totally different way in another

Mirrors

practicing integrity matters because it affects the lives we build, the people we become, and what we reflect to the rest of the world.

Integrity does what’s right.

APPLY

Do what’s authentic.

Do what’s right.

Be consistent.

For now, I want you to imagine what a life full of integrity would look like.

Imagine how integrity would change the way you relate to yourself, others, and even God for the better.

This idea is so powerful, which is why we’ll continue talking about it throughout this series.

For now, when you head to Small Groups, think about your response to this question:

When is the last time you chose to do the right thing even though it was difficult?