When the Sermon Is a Scam: Why Too Many ‘Good People’ Lie to Us—and Themselves

Aren’t we tired?

Tired of leaders who sound holy but act dirty.

Tired of mentors who speak truth but live a lie.

Tired of being told to “do the right thing” by people who’ve mastered how to hide the wrong things they do.

The question that keeps ringing in my head is simple:

Why are people no longer real?

Why do we say one thing and live another?

Why has “integrity” become something we perform in public but abandon in private?

Years ago, I led the negotiation team for a multi-million-dollar healthcare project.

We sat across from a retired two-star general—strong voice, noble posture. The kind of man who could inspire a room.

He spoke glowingly about honesty, patriotism, integrity, and nation-building—so much so that we almost forgot we were in a boardroom and not a revival.

But something didn’t sit right. I quietly ran a background check. What I found was heartbreaking.

This same man had been involved in multiple shady military deals. Worse, he was indicted under President Buhari’s anti-corruption probe.

How can a man speak so boldly about integrity while drowning in scandal?

Sadly, it’s not just generals or politicians. The pulpit too is stained—often reeking of secrets cloaked in scripture.

Pastors who thunder about holiness but fall in sex scandals.

Imams who lead prayers with passion but compromise truth behind closed doors.

Bishops laundering money through ministries wrapped in ritual.

Even professors of ethics—those who lecture on honesty—sometimes live wrapped in lies behind academic gowns.

One of the saddest examples? Francesca Gino once a star professor at Harvard Business School.

She built her career studying honesty and ethical behavior. Her TED Talks went viral. Her books sold in thousands. She was seen as a global authority on workplace ethics.

Then in 2023, one of her students flagged suspicious data. Harvard launched an investigation.

The result? A 1,200-page report concluded she had faked research—intentionally. Not once. Not by accident. Repeatedly.

By May 2025, she was fired by Harvard.

Let that sink in:

A global expert on honesty… was lying.

So again, we ask:

Why do people who preach virtue fall so far from it?

Here’s what I’ve come to understand:

• People love the idea of goodness—just not the inconvenience. It’s easier to talk about integrity than live it when no one is watching.
• Charisma is rewarded more than character. If you sound confident, dress well, and drop the right buzzwords, you can coast on credibility.
• Some people believe their own lies. They preach to others to distract themselves from their own contradictions.
• Power creates a bubble. The higher you rise, the fewer people challenge you. Eventually, you start to believe the rules no longer apply.

So what should we do with all this?

Simple:

Stop clapping for speeches. Start checking for fruit.

The loudest voice in the room isn’t always the cleanest hand in the room.

Don’t be fooled by the suit, the title, or the tears on the altar.

Integrity isn’t about what people say when they’re being watched—it’s about what they do when they think no one will ever find out.

And for those of us who’ve ever stood on a stage, held a mic, or been given authority—this is a mirror.

Before we correct others, let’s make sure we’re not just preaching… but practicing.