Honest to God!

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Marilee Jones was the gatekeeper for students seeking a degree from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She resigned last week when it was revealed that she did not have any of the degrees reported on her resume.

For 28 years in the admissions office, Jones was responsible to ensure that only the most qualified students were granted entry into MIT. But on her own resume, she listed degrees from three schools in upstate New York that she did not earn. In fact, she had not even attended two of the schools.

In a book she co-wrote last year providing advice for high school students applying to college, Jones warned against “making up information to present yourself as something you are not.” She wrote, “You must always be completely honest about who you are.”

Good advice. Too bad the author didn’t follow it herself. In a prepared statement, Jones said she had “misled the Institute about my academic credentials” in applying for her first job at the school in 1979, and “did not have the courage to correct my resume when I applied for my current job or at any time since.”

Can people count on your word? Jesus spoke of the integrity he required of his followers. He said we should be so trustworthy that no one would feel it necessary to make us back up our word with any oath or vow.

In this Sunday’s study, we’ll look at what Jesus says about this issue in Matthew 5:33-37. Its part of our ongoing series called “Extreme Makeover.” On the TV show by the same name, a carpenter named Ty Pennington and his crew rebuild a home for a deserving family. In our study series, we’re seeing how a carpenter named Jesus wants to rebuild our lives. Join us this Sunday at Hillcrest (9:30am or 10:45am) if you're in the Austin area, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

By the way, since this Sunday is Mother’s Day, bring your mom! And moms of adult sons and daughters: tell them that the best Mother’s Day present you could get from them is to have them sitting with you in the worship service! Months ago, I pledged to pray for the adult children of our members. I’m lifting up your “kids” in prayer even as I send out this article!

One more thing. My thanks to Karen Raulie for the video presentation of all those wedding photos this past Sunday! What a touching way to open the sermon!