Package Thief Gets Instant Karma

Main Point:   When you compromise your integrity, you open yourself up to outcomes God has never intended for you to experience.

The Discussion Starter:

Would our integrity be any different if we knew were being filmed?

In this viral video, a woman gets out of the car to steal packages that had been delivered to someone’s front step.  As she makes her escape, she slips and apparently injures her leg badly.  Her accomplice comes out of the car, carries her back, and then still steals the packages!  This was captured on home security cameras.

In this discussion we are going to talk about God’s warning that when we compromise our integrity, we open ourselves up to outcomes He never intended for us to experience.

Introducing the Clip- You Say:

Would your integrity be any different if you knew were being filmed? Integrity is about who you are when nobody is looking.  Well… here’s a YouTube video you might have seen where someone didn’t realize they were being watched!

The Video Clip:

Transitional Statement: 

This video went viral because of the woman falling after she takes the packages, proving that sometimes bad things do happen to people who seem to deserve it.  Notice how confidently she walks up to the house, but when she injures herself in the fall the packages no longer are her priority.  When we open ourselves up to consequences of wrong actions, sometimes we end up injured in one way or another.  In God’s incredible love, He warns us against things that are going to cause us harm.  God works to grow integrity in us so we can avoid hurt that we were never meant to experience.

Divide into Small Groups: 

Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format – a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

1. AROUND THE CIRCLE: What is one of the best viral videos you have seen?
2. ASK A FEW: Why do you think this video went viral?
3. ASK A FEW: Do you think your generation values integrity?  Why or why not?
4. ASK A FEW: This article here says 42% of people under 21 share passwords for online streaming services.  Does doing this violate a person’s integrity?  Explain why you think the way you do. (link to article: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/19/millennials-are-going-to-extreme-lengths-to-share-streaming-passwords-.html)
5. ASK A FEW: In the video, what you think went through her mind when she fell?  Do you think her injury made her regret trying to steal the packages?
6. ASK A FEW: What do you think her male accomplice was thinking when she fell?  Do you think he was more concerned about her or the possibility of getting caught?
7. ASK A FEW: Why do you think he went back for the packages instead of just leaving with his female accomplice?

Read the following passage:

Proverbs 26:27; Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.

8. ASK A FEW: What do you think the writer of this proverb is trying to communicate?  Explain the sayings he uses to make his point.
9. ASK A FEW: Why do you think God chose to include this proverb in the Bible?  What does God want you to know through reading this?
10. ASK A FEW: How do you see God’s love through this proverb?
11. ASK A FEW: Sometimes people do wrong things and it doesn’t seem to come back on them.  Do you think people can truly get away with things?  Explain why you think that way.

Proverbs 10:9; Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

12. ASK A FEW: What do you think it means that a person who walks in integrity walks securely?  Why is this important?
13. ASK A FEW: The word integrity is mentioned in the bible more than twenty times.  Why do you think God values integrity so much?
14. ASK A FEW: Integrity can be pretty cool when we see it lived out.  What is an example of integrity that you have seen in someone’s life?
15. ASK A FEW: Unfortunately, integrity can be hard to find in today’s world.  What do you think keeps people from walking in integrity?
16. AROUND THE CIRCLE: Think about your own life right now.  In what area of your life is integrity the most difficult?

Wrap Up: 

During our time together, we have talked about God’s loving warning for us to not do wrong things and compromise our integrity, or else we will face hardships He never intended for us.

In a survey done by Rutgers university, results showed that 64% of high school students admitted to cheating on a test, 58% admitted to plagiarism, and 95% said they participated in some form of cheating, whether it was on a test, plagiarism, or copying homework.

God has called His people to a higher standard, a better way.  When God says “don’t” what He really means is “don’t hurt yourself.”  God loves us and we can trust that His way will produce results that we never thought possible.  It seems that at times we get focused on what is right in front of us whether it be that grade, or that need.  In the video, the two thieves could only see their own need or desire for these packages.  Would it surprise you to learn the packages they stole in the video were valued at $5000?  It’s easy for us to only see what is in front of us, but faith is about believing God’s Word and acting on it, no matter how we feel, because we know God promises a good result.

When we fail to trust God and choose wrong things, we end up facing consequences.  Both thieves from this video were caught and are facing criminal charges for their crimes.  For you and I, we may not see the consequences, but we can believe God’s Word to be true.  With each sinful compromise we make, we give up our security and open ourselves up to consequences physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Jesus told us in John 10:10 there is an enemy who works to steal, kill and destroy the things God is building up in us. However, Jesus has come that we might have life to the fullest amount possible.   Let’s be people who believe His way is best and let Him form His character in our lives.  Let’s look past the temporary things that we think will get us where we want to go, and instead choose to trust God and avoid the results that He never wanted us to experience.