Cheater, Cheater Pumpkin Eater

"Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater." We've all said this phrase, especially when playing games against our friends. Or maybe someone has said this to us. I know I have cheated in my life before. I can be very competitive, so when I was younger, I know I would move pieces when people weren't looking, or quickly re-rolled a dice to get a different number.

People cheat all the time. They cheat on: tests, games, relationships, and even in business. People cut corners, break rules, and fix games all so they can get ahead and ensure their success. When people cheat, they are being selfish. They are exploiting, manipulating, deciving, or defrauding (or all three at the same time) others for personal gain. This does not sound like loving others, which is what God called us to do.

Proverbs 11:1 says, "The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are His delight." Back then price would depend on weight. People would fix their weights so that it says something weighs 1/2 lbs, when infact it would weigh 1 lbs, in an effort to get more money from you. Basically what this proverb is saying is to be honest. When someone is cheating they are not being honest, they are being selfish.

Tonight we begin a series called A Matter Of The Heart. Cheating is something that really, at it's root, is a matter of the heart. All Jr. high students are welcome to join us tonight as we really explore how cheating is a matter of the heart.