Matthew 5:33-37 NIV - “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people

long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have

made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s

throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of

the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one

hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond

this comes from the evil one.

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Point 1: Our Words Don’t Need Extra

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Matthew 5:34-36 NIV - But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by

heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by

Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for

you cannot make even one hair white or black.

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Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV - Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your strength.

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Point 2: Keep it Real - Simple Words, Big Impact

Matthew 5:37 NIV - “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything

beyond this comes from the evil one.”

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Point 3: Integrity Mirrors God’s Character

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Numbers 23:19 NIV - “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being,

that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise

and not fulfill?”

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Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV - There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are

detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a

heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false

witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

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John 8:44 NIV - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out

your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the

truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for

he is a liar and the father of lies.

Proverbs 11:3 NIV - The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are

destroyed by their duplicity.

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Practical Applications: Living the Truth

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1. Pause Before You Promise

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2. Examine Your Words

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3. Simplify Your Speech

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4. Model Integrity

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5. Hold Each Other Accountable

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6. Be Consistent

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