Just Tell the Truth | Student Ministries
Dear Student Ministries Parents-
This email is the first of 3 emails I will be sending today:
- Last Sunday’s Message Recap – Just Tell the Truth (this email)
- Planning for this Sunday’s Fellowship Night
- Camp planning details
Sunday Night Recap
On Sunday night, I preached from Matthew 5:33–37 in a message called Just Tell the Truth. We discussed Jesus’ teaching on honesty and the heart behind our words. The Pharisees turned oaths into empty technicalities, missing God’s real concern and the true mark of righteousness: that our speech should always be truthful because we stand before God in everything we say. Jesus emphasized the importance of having such genuine integrity that we never feel the need to“boost” our words with vows or promises. Instead, our simple “yes” or “no” should carry weight because it flows from a heart committed to truth. We challenged the students to examine their own speech habits and the hearts behind them, confess any patterns of sin revealed, and cling to the gospel for God’s forgiveness and power to grant a new heart that speaks in a way that honors Him.
I recommend you watch/listen to the sermon or review the transcript at our website. The weekly emails and all messages are posted on the main Student Ministries page.
Each week, we also prepare a discussion guide designed to help both discussion leaders and parents engage with students over the lesson. Below are a few key questions to consider discussing with your student this week:
- Why do people feel the need to bolster their words with extra promises or dramatic swearing? Why is this ultimately a heart issue before God?
- How does Jesus’ teaching on honesty contrast with the Pharisees’ use of oaths to manipulate and avoid truthfulness?
- Consider Jesus’ command in Matthew 5:37—“Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’”—what does that tell us about the kind of honesty that should characterize Christians?
- What are some situations where you feel tempted to exaggerate, use half-truths, or hide behind technicalities instead of speaking plainly and honestly?
The full discussion guide is available on our website, and I encourage you to use it as a tool for shepherding conversations with your students this week to help them understand and apply Jesus’ words.
I, along with the other Student Ministries leaders, take very seriously the privilege of helping you evangelize and disciple your students. Let us know how we can help and support you in this.
Your servant for His glory,
-Jacob Hantla