Living a Life of Worship and Generosity

Devotional

Day 1: Your Words Reveal Your Heart

Jesus teaches that our words are a direct reflection of what is truly in our hearts, not just our outward actions or religious knowledge. It is not enough to appear righteous or to know scripture; what we say, especially when no one is watching, reveals the true state of our hearts. The Pharisees were rebuked because, despite their religious status, their words betrayed pride, judgment, and spiritual emptiness. We are called to examine our speech and recognize that every word we utter is evidence of the fruit our lives are producing. [46:46]

Matthew 12:33-37 (KJV)
"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Reflection: What is one recent conversation where your words revealed something in your heart that needs to be surrendered to God? How can you invite Him to transform that area today?

Day 2: The Power and Responsibility of the Tongue

The tongue, though small, has the power to set the course of our lives and even defile the body if left unchecked. Words can ignite conflict, spread negativity, or bring healing and encouragement. The enemy seeks to use our words to sow discord, pride, and destruction, but God calls us to bridle our tongues and speak life. Humility and self-control are essential, as the words we speak can either align us with God’s purposes or with the world’s destructive patterns. [59:46]

James 3:5-6 (KJV)
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."

Reflection: Is there a situation today where you are tempted to speak negatively or react in anger? What would it look like to pause and let God bridle your tongue in that moment?

Day 3: Generosity and Worship as a Posture of the Heart

True generosity and worship are not about obligation or outward show, but about a joyful, open-hearted response to God’s goodness. God delights in a cheerful giver and in those who worship Him in spirit and truth, regardless of circumstances or feelings. Living generously—whether with resources, encouragement, or time—is a reflection of a heart that recognizes all blessings come from God and desires to bless others out of that abundance. [40:49]

2 Corinthians 9:7 (MSG)
"I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving."

Reflection: Who is one person you can intentionally bless today—not out of obligation, but out of joy and gratitude for what God has given you?

Day 4: Guarding Against the Influence of the World

The world constantly tries to shape our identity, beliefs, and language, often in ways that are contrary to God’s truth. We are called to be separate, to question the source of the words and ideas we adopt, and to renounce anything that does not align with God’s Word. This may require changing relationships, habits, or even the way we speak about ourselves and others. By intentionally posturing ourselves toward God and away from the world, we open ourselves to His transforming power and protection. [32:14]

Ephesians 5:11-13 (KJV)
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light."

Reflection: What is one worldly influence—whether a relationship, habit, or phrase—you need to renounce or distance yourself from this week in order to draw closer to God?

Day 5: The Importance of Posture and Perseverance in Worship

Worship is more than a song or a moment; it is a posture and a lifestyle that requires perseverance, even when we are weary or have not yet seen God’s promises fulfilled. God invites us to change our posture—to sit, rest, and trust in Him—so that we can receive His presence and strength. When we grow tired or discouraged, He calls us to reposition ourselves, renounce generational curses, and declare His truth over our lives. In doing so, we align ourselves with His purposes and open the way for His Spirit to move powerfully in and through us. [29:49]

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to change your posture—whether in worship, prayer, or daily living—to better receive from God and persevere in faith?

Sermon Summary

Worship is not just a song or a moment—it is the very posture and purpose of our lives. No matter what we feel or what our circumstances look like, our calling is to live in worship, to make our lives a continual offering to God. In the presence of God, every need can be met, every heaviness can be lifted, and every broken heart can find healing. God’s nearness is not just a comfort but an invitation to posture ourselves in praise, regardless of our situation.

Generosity, like worship, is a posture of the heart. It is not about giving out of guilt or pressure, but out of joy and recognition of how much we have received from God. We are called to live open-handed, ready to bless others, not because we have to, but because it brings us joy and reflects God’s love.

The heart of discipleship is not just about knowing scripture or holding religious titles, but about the fruit our lives produce. Jesus’ words in Matthew 12 remind us that our words reveal the true state of our hearts. The Pharisees, though knowledgeable and religious, were rebuked because their hearts were not aligned with God, and their words betrayed them. We are warned not to become like them—people who say the right things but whose hearts are far from God.

Idle words—words that are barren, useless, or destructive—have real spiritual consequences. Jesus teaches that we will give account for every idle word we speak. Our words have the power to frame our world, either aligning us with God’s truth or with the enemy’s deception. The tongue, though small, can defile the whole body if left unchecked. We must be vigilant, constantly examining the source of the words and ideas we adopt, ensuring they are rooted in God’s truth and not in the patterns of the world.

Changing our posture before God means separating ourselves from the world’s ways, renouncing generational curses, and refusing to come into agreement with anything that is not of God. It means posturing ourselves in humility, confession, and dependence on God, allowing Him to transform our hearts and our speech. Only then can we truly live as disciples, bearing good fruit, and walking in the freedom and authority God has given us.

Key Takeaways

1. Worship and generosity are postures, not performances. True worship is a lifestyle that persists regardless of feelings or circumstances, and true generosity flows from a heart that delights in giving, not from obligation or pressure. When we live this way, we create an atmosphere where God’s presence can meet every need. [38:52]
2. The fruit of our lives is revealed by our words. Jesus teaches that it is not our titles or religious knowledge that define us, but the overflow of our hearts as expressed through our speech. Every idle word—those that are barren or destructive—will be accounted for, reminding us to guard our tongues and align our words with God’s truth. [54:44]
3. The enemy seeks to defile us through subtle assimilation to worldly patterns, often through language and ideas that seem harmless. We must be discerning, always questioning the source of what we hear and say, and refusing to adopt the world’s vernacular or values when they conflict with God’s word. [69:07]
4. Transformation requires a change in posture—spiritually, relationally, and verbally. This may mean separating from relationships or habits that pull us away from God, renouncing generational curses, and intentionally speaking life and truth over ourselves and others. Our willingness to change posture determines our capacity to receive from God. [91:38]
5. The only real power the enemy has over believers is deception, often achieved through our agreement with his words. By refusing to speak or believe anything contrary to God’s promises, and by posturing ourselves in humility and dependence, we break the enemy’s hold and walk in the freedom and authority Christ has given us. [83:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:54] - Entering Worship: To Worship You I Live
[37:35] - Atmosphere of Praise and Healing
[39:31] - Generosity as a Posture
[40:49] - The Joy of Giving
[42:08] - Community Acknowledgments and Announcements
[44:05] - Upcoming Pentecost Gathering
[45:23] - Prayer and Small Groups: Building Community
[46:01] - Foundational Scripture: Matthew 12:33-37
[48:38] - The Call to Discipleship
[50:40] - Jesus Confronts the Pharisees
[54:44] - The Power and Consequence of Words
[59:10] - The Tongue: Fire or Life
[63:46] - Framing Our World with God’s Word
[69:07] - Discernment: The Source of Our Words
[77:59] - The World’s Language vs. God’s Language
[83:54] - Breaking Agreement with the Enemy
[89:49] - Posture Change: Demonstration and Application
[91:38] - Renouncing and Repositioning for God
[94:56] - Trusting God, Not Deceptive Words

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 12:33-37 — “Either make the tree good and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

- James 3:5-6
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

- 2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Observation Questions

According to Matthew 12:33-37, what does Jesus say reveals the true state of a person’s heart?
In James 3:5-6, what does James compare the tongue to, and what does he say it can do to the whole body?
How does the sermon describe the difference between generosity as a posture and generosity as a performance? [[40:49]]
What does the pastor say about the Pharisees’ knowledge of scripture versus the fruit of their lives? [[50:40]]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus place so much emphasis on the words we speak as evidence of what’s in our hearts? How does this challenge the way we think about “idle” or careless words? [[54:44]]
The sermon says that worship and generosity are “postures” of the heart, not just actions. What does it mean for something to be a posture rather than a performance? [[38:52]]
The pastor warns about “assimilating” to the world’s language and ideas. What are some ways that adopting the world’s words or patterns can affect our spiritual lives? [[01:09:07]]
According to the sermon, what is the only real power the enemy has over believers, and how does this relate to the words we speak or agree with? [[01:23:54]]

Application Questions

The sermon says, “Worship is not just a song or a moment—it is the very posture and purpose of our lives.” What would it look like for you to make worship a daily posture, even when you don’t feel like it? Is there a specific situation this week where you can choose to worship instead of worry? [[38:52]]
Generosity is described as giving out of joy, not guilt or pressure. Think of a time when you gave out of obligation versus a time you gave out of joy. How did your heart posture affect the experience? Is there someone you feel prompted to bless this week, not because you have to, but because you want to? [[40:49]]
The pastor talks about “idle words”—words that are barren, useless, or destructive. What are some idle words or phrases you find yourself saying that don’t line up with God’s truth? How can you be more intentional about speaking life this week? [[54:44]]
The sermon challenges us to “separate ourselves from the world’s ways” and “renounce generational curses.” Are there relationships, habits, or patterns of speech in your life that you sense God is asking you to step away from? What’s one step you can take this week to change your posture? [[01:31:38]]
The pastor says, “The only real power the enemy has over believers is deception, often achieved through our agreement with his words.” Are there any negative labels, lies, or words you’ve agreed with about yourself or your future? What would it look like to break agreement with those and speak God’s promises instead? [[01:23:54]]
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for having the right words but the wrong heart. Are there areas in your life where you say the right things but your heart isn’t really in it? How can you invite God to realign your heart and words this week? [[50:40]]
The sermon encourages us to “intentionally speak life and truth over ourselves and others.” Who is one person you can encourage or speak God’s truth over this week? What will you say or do? [[01:34:18]]

Sermon Clips

God has been teaching us to become disciples how to become not just disciples but disciplemakers we saw in Matthew 10 that we are the eklesia the called ones chosen by God for a specific mission chosen for him it's not easy but we've been chosen and what have we been chosen to do we've been chosen to preach the kingdom tell people that the kingdom is coming to preach the gospel we've been chosen to heal the sick to cleanse the lepers we've been chosen to raise the dead because there's a generation that is dying there's a generation of people that are dead and and dead men walking they don't even know it but we have been chosen to do the very thing that God has called us to do. [00:48:32]

A lot of church people a lot of church people speak good things in front of people a lot of church people they get around people they want to be holy they want to be high they want to be mighty but we always find out what they really think because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. [00:53:18]

We can't be like the Pharisees we cannot be like the Pharisees let's continue to exedute and exposit this scripture and then he goes on to as he's talking to the Pharisees he's also talking to the people and he says "A good man out of good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things but how are they bringing forth good things how are they bringing forth evil things is the question how are the good men bringing forth good things he goes on to describe it he says "But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account of." [00:54:19]

But words are everything words we love words right we live in a society where words are everything what What words do you use every day i'm always hearing a new word for my kids clock it what does clocket mean clock it i'm always I'm always hearing a new no cap what does no cap mean i'm always uh Oh they eating some food that was busting i'm always hearing some words oh you slayed that that's cap no I'm for real like what my my my son use a word that's I rez that i rez i'm like what is rez d you trying to flex you trying to flex that what you talking about words are so valuable. [00:55:59]

The enemy is always trying to get you to be like a Pharisee the enemy is always trying to get you to have a confession of faith but not have the possession of faith how does he get you to do that through what you say that's why Jesus breaks this down and he talks about a good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things a evil man out of evil treasure bringeth forth evil things but I say unto you every idol word that men shall speak men shall give account thereof guess what in the day of judgment when somebody talks and you see they're in their flesh they're gonna give account of that we don't even have to really address it they're going to have to answer for that for by the words thou shalt be justified and by the words thou shalt be condemned. [00:57:25]

The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity the iniquity that the enemy is trying to put in you is a fire you think what you're saying is is small god says Jesus says but James speaking right here Holy Spirit speaking through him says it's a fire it's a world of iniquity the very thing that Jesus died for it's a world of iniquity then he says "So the tongue defileth the whole body." Why did he use that term something so small can defile it what does that mean defile that means you have there is a part of you that is pure there's a part of you that is perfect the enemy is always trying to defile that the enemy is always trying to take that from you the enemy is always trying to pour dirt on you you're like a a pure glass of water and the enemy is always trying to taint that water because what happens when your water is tainted when you see another pure water what do you do you taint it what did the Pharisees do to Jesus what was he doing that was so bad healing the sick raising the dead what was he doing he was doing the thing that they couldn't do we have to be mindful and watch ourselves to make sure we're not talking about somebody because they're doing some things that we're not doing. [01:00:32]

God is saying that when we walk in humility our tongue is bridled our tongue is bridled anybody want to bridle their tongue this is not a popular word today but I I'm going to tell you what what the Lord told me to say this is what God says hebrew 11:3 talks about the worlds were fra the world was framed by the word of God the world was framed by the word of God our world most of our words are not being framed by the word of God most of our word our meditation what I've seen in the body of Christ is our meditation is so far from God most of the time even when we have been sometimes fasting or consecrated our words are away from God because we we have not fully pressed into the river of God into the lifeblood of God as we begin to press into the lifeblood of God he gives you life and you begins to and what happens is he can take over your tongue we give we give him our tongue. [01:02:20]

Your life and many of the lives of others will be framed by the word of God i'm going to speak and declare and prophesy that you will do what God has called you to do that you will be who God has called you to be that you will heal you will deliver you will set free you have a calling on your life and you will walk in that your business will be a godly business your life will be one of godliness your heart will be transfixed by and changed by the word of truth by the word of God and not by social media and not through fixation on your phone people in church can't even focus on the word people came to worship but unable to even focus for five 20 30 minutes on God have to be entertained if the music isn't playing or if something isn't going they can't sit still why is that why what has the enemy done to us i'm gonna tell you he used his words he used words if the word the God framed the world by the word of God what does the enemy do he frames the world by his word but most of the time we are more caught up and we we are more familiar with the enemy and we don't even know that it came from the enemy. [01:03:34]

The problem is you can spend time in the word but your heart not be fully in God meaning that it's not about how many scriptures you can re recite it's about how many scriptures can you live it's not about how much word you can tell a person that you knows that you know it's about what kind of integrity and character do you have when nobody's around what kind of in charact what kind of character and integrity are you trying to impute into others are you just trying to have people replicate you there there's a there is a strategy of evangelism where people say "Well I just want people to get to know me better." They feel like if they get to know them better then they'll get to know the Lord that's not that that will never work evangelism disciplehip is people getting to know Jesus not getting to know you teach them what the Bible says this is not an easy lesson it is true though. [01:06:08]

I believe right now we've replaced truth for popularity i believe right now the culture in the age has become the unconscious authority the culture in the age has become moral authority blurred the lines of authority the lines of where things come from has been blurred so much that people and it's been abused so much that people are literally in most people are in the grave and they don't even know it they don't even know why they feel how they feel where the where it came from people are so lost and that's because we are not studying the word and measuring things against the word of God. [01:09:46]

There are things right now that is tempting you that is trying to pull you into it that is ungodly you need the word of God if God is directing you Holy Spirit will will pull you away from those things and guess what there are even things that that they try to make common in a church do you know there are things that the enemy tries to pull into the house of the Lord and make it normal do you know that that the enemy So I'll give you an example of a of a thing that that the enemy try to pull into the house of the Lord mind the first time the first one of the first times I had a supernatural experience and I won't get too deep into it i'll say that the demon I saw had a white glove on now that don't mean that ushers with white gloves got demons okay um so just to make that clear but the demon I saw it had a white glove and that was when I was like the first one of the first experiences I had not the first but one of the first when I saw them start bringing minds into the house of the Lord my spirit man rose up like "No that's demonic." [01:14:41]

We have to watch our words at a at a level uh when I was growing up when you would see somebody acting a little weird or walking the Oh he just crazy people use that so so frivolously right i just thought about a word my pastor used to use to term people i'm not going to say it but uh it wasn't nice though i love him i love you i love you P i know you hear me right now but uh uh but people right now are using words too i think that it can get offensive like I hear um they're on a spectrum people use that word so so freely now oh they on the instead of now we used to say "Oh they just crazy." Now they say "Oh they on the spectrum." Everybody on the spectrum well they just somewhere on the spectrum and and and society look listen but where did that come from where's the source society would deem everybody on the spectrum it's the enemy what is the source of it the enemy is what is the enemy trying to do change your identity you were born in the image of God so if he can get you to feel like that if he can get you to use his vernacular it it'll change how you think and see things many of us are more accustomed to the world and to the word of Satan than we are to the word of God. [01:17:00]

If you love the world you cannot love God you cannot have both you got to choose you cannot live your life trying to fit in with the world come out from among us it's okay to talk different otherwise you are going to do everything they do say everything they say just put Jesus on in the beginning of it and that's not of God. [01:21:07]

When all this stuff dies you have to make a decision who you will live for because all this stuff will pass away you cannot love the world more than you love God you have to come out from among them you have to come out from the thoughts and the ways of the enemy do you know the only bill ability that Satan has over a a person that is saved is to deceive you that's the only ability that he has so if he can get you to say it with your mouth every time he can get you to say it just say you're sick just say you don't feel good just say it now now now I'm not talking about I'm not talking about lying okay if you broke your arm you can say "My arm is broke." That don't mean it's that's not a bad thing okay okay that's not what I'm saying what I'm saying is you have to begin to change how you speak about yourself. [01:23:26]

These lessons are not easy it's not easy to shut the world off and say "Lord I only want to hear you." It's not easy to to shut the world that you trying to be to live in and be successful in it's not easy nobody said it was going to be easy but God said "If you want to be with me if you want to see his face this has to be your desire you have to become desperate for him every day pick yourself up and say "Lord I need you today i don't want to do this but I need you i only need you to make it i can't make it without you i'm tired." [01:26:49]

One thing you have to do is begin to stop fellowshipping ephesians 5:11 says "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful work of works of darkness but rather reprove them for it is shame to even speak of those things which are done to them in secret but all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest as light first thing we have to do is we have to remove ourselves from and from fellowshipping with things that are not of God we have to change our friends we have to change all those things that pull us away from him that's a posture that's saying that you know what i'm not going to have I don't care if it hurts even if it's been lifelong relationships I'm going to renounce those things i'm going to renounce and get this i'm going to renounce the generational curses in my family my grandfathers both had prostate cancer and my father so what do you think one of the things I renounce for me and my sons I renounce cancer prostate cancer any type of cancer over my me and my sons i'm not listening to what the enemy is going to say they had it i renounce death over a diagnosis that that that the doctors have given you i renounce the accidents that are trying to come and meet you this week i renounce what people will say about you behind your back i renounce those thoughts i renounce you being led astray in your mind and in your body i renounce it i don't come into agreement with it i say that you are free i say that you are delivered i say that you will not go back to your past i say that you will walk in liberty and that you will walk with the spirit of God i say that God is empowering you day in and day out god has not left you you shall live you shall not die this is what I decree for you i decree that you will walk in the river of God that as soon as you wake up and you say "Lord come fill me." that he will rush in like a rushing wind and that he will pour out his spirit on you and that you will your sons and daughters shall dream dreams and your old men shall prophesy you will do the works of the Lord you you will do the works of the Lord this is my decree we have to change our posture we have to change our posture. [01:32:25]

Jeremiah 7:4 we see the prophet Jeremiah talking about how the people have become so accustomed i'm going read it trust ye not in line words saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord are these i'm going stop right there the context of that is people have thought because they have went into the temple of the Lord that they are good the Pharisees thought because they were studying the Bible that they were good. [01:35:13]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does the Bible say about the power of words?

How can believers change their spiritual posture effectively?

Why are idle words dangerous in Christian discipleship?