The Right Words for Today

The Right Words for Today

James 3:1-12

11-1-20

I.    The Importance of Our Words. (James 3:1-2)

James 3:1 – “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

 James 3:2 – “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”

II.  The Influence of Our Words. (James 3:3-6)

James 3:3 – “If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.”

James 3:4 – “Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.”

III.   The Inflaming Power of Our Words. (James 3:5-8)

James 3:5 – “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!”

James 3:6 – “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” 

Proverbs 16:27 – “A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.”

James 3:7-8 – “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

IV.   My Words Reveal My Identity. (James 3:9-12)

James 3:9-12 – “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

Matthew 12:34 – “Jesus said, ‘For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.’”

Ezekiel 18:31 – “Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed…get a new heart and a new spirit!”

Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Going Deeper This Week

1.    How many words do you think you speak daily? What are some of the most important words you have ever heard?

2.    Read James 3:1-12. What do you appreciate about God? What stands out to you?

3.    How dangerous is the tongue according to James?  What is the main issue with our speech? (See also Luke 6:45)

4.    Read James 3:1, Jeremiah 15:16, John 10:27, Hebrews 5:12, 2 Timothy 2:14-19 and Matthew 28:18-20. What truths do you see about teaching others what God says?

5.    Pray for each other to have Gospel conversations this week.