Speaking Life: The Power of Our Words

Summary

Words are not just sounds; they are seeds that shape the realities we live in. God created us in His image, and just as He spoke the world into existence, our words carry the power to create, direct, and transform our lives. Many of us have been taught to underestimate the significance of our speech, or worse, to use it as a tool for manipulation. But the truth is, our words are not meant to manipulate God or force His hand—they are meant to bring us into agreement with what He has already declared. When we align our confession with God’s promises, we harmonize with His will and open the door for His life and blessing to flow into our circumstances.

The Bible is clear: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” This is not a mystical formula, but a spiritual principle. Our words reveal what we truly believe, and they set the direction of our lives. If we continually speak defeat, lack, or fear, we will eat the fruit of those words. But if we choose to speak life, hope, and faith—even in the face of adversity—we position ourselves to receive God’s best. This is not about denying reality, but about declaring a greater reality: the promises of God that transcend our present circumstances.

We are responsible for our words. No one else can steward our speech for us. It’s easy to let the negativity of others, the news, or our own frustrations dictate what comes out of our mouths. But as followers of Christ, we are called to speak faith, hope, and life—not just over ourselves, but over our families, our communities, and even the dead places in our lives. Jesus Himself demonstrated this when He stood before Lazarus’ tomb and spoke resurrection, not resignation. In the same way, God invites us to partner with Him by prophesying life into the valleys of dry bones in our own world.

Ultimately, our words reflect the condition of our hearts. If we want to change our speech, we must first fill our hearts with God’s Word. As we do, our confession will shift from funeral language to resurrection language. God brings us into hopeless situations not to become part of the problem, but to be the solution—to speak life, to declare His promises, and to see transformation take place. The challenge is simple but profound: Are your words building a bridge for God’s promises, or a barrier to your own breakthrough? Choose today to speak life.

Key Takeaways

- Agreement with God, Not Manipulation: Our words are not tools to manipulate God or force His hand. Instead, they are the means by which we come into agreement with what He has already accomplished by His grace. When we confess God’s promises, we are harmonizing our hearts and lives with His will, allowing His power to work in and through us. [01:36]

- Words as Seeds and Harvest: Every word we speak is a seed sown into the soil of our lives. If we are dissatisfied with our current harvest—be it in our relationships, finances, or spiritual walk—we must examine the seeds we are planting. Changing our words is the first step to changing our outcomes, as we cannot expect a different harvest while sowing the same negative or faithless words. [06:21]

- Responsibility and Stewardship of Speech: We alone are responsible for the words we speak, regardless of how others treat us or what circumstances we face. Surrendering our speech to negativity, criticism, or the influence of others is a forfeiture of our God-given authority. True spiritual maturity is seen in those who steward their words wisely, using them as instruments of blessing and faith. [15:36]

- Faith Speaks Beyond Circumstances: Faith is not silent, nor does it merely describe the present reality. It calls those things that are not as though they were, speaking God’s promises even when circumstances seem contrary. Like Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb or Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones, we are called to prophesy life, hope, and restoration, trusting that God’s Word is greater than any situation we face. [34:43]

- The Heart-Word Connection: The words that flow from our mouths are a direct reflection of what fills our hearts. If our speech is consistently negative, critical, or hopeless, it reveals a heart in need of renewal. By filling our hearts with God’s Word and meditating on His promises, our confession will naturally align with heaven, and we will become agents of life and transformation in every environment we enter. [38:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:13] - The Enduring Power of God’s Truth
[00:43] - Confession: Agreement, Not Manipulation
[01:53] - The Necessity of Controlling the Tongue
[02:44] - Speaking and Sowing: Kingdom Principles
[05:18] - Personal Testimony: Learning to Speak and Sow
[06:21] - Words as Seeds: Changing Your Harvest
[07:28] - The Real Problem: Speech, Not Situation
[09:15] - Walking with God Through Agreement
[11:04] - Two Frequencies: Spirit and Life vs. Sin and Death
[15:36] - Stewarding Your Words
[17:28] - Point 1: Words Create Realities
[23:33] - Point 2: Life or Death—We Choose
[33:40] - Point 3: Jesus and the Power of the Spoken Word
[38:27] - Point 4: Words Reflect the Heart
[39:02] - Speaking Life into Dry Bones
[43:52] - Challenge: Are Your Words Building Bridges or Barriers?
[46:25] - Confession and Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Power of Your Words

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### Bible Reading

- Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
- James 3:2-10 – (Controlling the tongue and its power to direct our lives)
- Ezekiel 37:1-10 – (The valley of dry bones: God commands Ezekiel to prophesy life)

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### Observation Questions

1. According to Proverbs 18:21, what two things are in the power of the tongue, and what does it mean to “eat its fruit”?
2. In James 3, what examples does James use to describe the power of the tongue? How does he say the tongue can direct the course of a person’s life?
3. In Ezekiel 37, what does God tell Ezekiel to do in the valley of dry bones, and what happens as a result?
4. The sermon says, “Your words are not just sounds. They're seeds. Seeds produce crops. Crops are what we harvest. If you don't like what you're harvesting, change what you're sewing.” What does this mean in practical terms? [[06:21]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon teaches that our words are not meant to manipulate God, but to bring us into agreement with what He has already declared. Why is this distinction important for how we pray and speak? [[01:36]]
2. How does the idea that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” challenge the way we talk about our own lives, families, or situations?
3. In Ezekiel 37, why do you think God asked Ezekiel to speak to the bones instead of just doing it Himself? What does this say about our partnership with God? [[39:02]]
4. The sermon says, “Our words reflect the condition of our hearts. If we want to change our speech, we must first fill our hearts with God’s Word.” How does what we put into our hearts affect what comes out of our mouths? [[38:27]]

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### Application Questions

1. Think about the words you most often speak about yourself, your family, or your future. Are they words of life or words of death? What is one area where you want to change your confession this week? [[07:28]]
2. The sermon challenges us: “Are your words building a bridge for God’s promises, or a barrier to your own breakthrough?” Can you identify a situation where your words may have built a barrier? What would it look like to start building a bridge instead? [[43:52]]
3. When you face a “valley of dry bones” in your life—a hopeless or dead situation—do you tend to speak about the problem or speak God’s promises over it? What is one specific promise from God’s Word you can begin to declare over that situation? [[39:02]]
4. The pastor said, “If you don't like the harvest, change the seed.” What is one negative phrase or habit of speech you want to stop sowing, and what positive, faith-filled words can you replace it with? [[06:21]]
5. The sermon mentions that we are responsible for our own words, no matter how others treat us or what’s happening around us. Is there a person or circumstance that tempts you to speak negatively? How can you take responsibility for your words in that situation this week? [[15:36]]
6. Jesus spoke resurrection, not resignation, at Lazarus’ tomb. Is there a “dead place” in your life where you need to start speaking life? What would it look like to do that practically? [[34:43]]
7. The pastor encouraged us to fill our hearts with God’s Word so our confession shifts from “funeral language to resurrection language.” What is one way you can intentionally fill your heart with God’s Word this week (e.g., memorizing a verse, listening to worship, reading a Psalm)? [[38:27]]

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Closing Challenge:
Choose today to speak life. What is one declaration of faith you want to make over your life, family, or situation as you leave this group?

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of the Tongue: Life and Death Are in Your Words
Our words are not just meaningless sounds; they are seeds that produce a harvest in our lives. The way we speak can either align us with God’s promises or keep us bound to our problems. If you find yourself continually reaping negativity, frustration, or defeat, consider what you have been sowing with your mouth. Speaking life is not about denying reality but about agreeing with God’s truth over your situation. When you choose to speak words of faith, hope, and blessing, you set yourself on a path toward God’s best for you. Your words have the authority to steer your life in the direction of life or death—choose wisely. [07:44]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been speaking negatively? How can you intentionally begin to speak words of life and faith over that area today?

Day 2: Agreeing with God: Confession Aligns Us with His Promises
Walking with God requires agreement with what He says about Himself, about you, and about your circumstances. Your confession is not about manipulating God or creating something out of nothing; it is about harmonizing your words with His truth. When you agree with God’s promises and speak them out, you open the door for His power to work in your life. Disagreement keeps you distant, but agreement brings you into step with Him, allowing you to experience the fullness of His blessing and presence. [09:56]

Amos 3:3 (ESV)
“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?”

Reflection: What is one promise of God that you have struggled to believe or confess? How can you begin to agree with God in your words and actions about this promise today?

Day 3: Your Words Create Your Reality
Just as God created the world by speaking, you shape your own reality with your words. Silent faith is not biblical faith—what you believe in your heart must be spoken with your mouth. The atmosphere of your home, your relationships, and your future are all influenced by the words you choose to declare. Instead of describing your problems, start declaring God’s promises. Faith calls things that are not as though they were, and transformation begins when you align your words with faith rather than frustration. [21:41]

Genesis 1:3 (ESV)
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Reflection: What is one promise or truth from God’s Word that you need to start declaring over your life, even if you don’t see it yet?

Day 4: The Heart-Mouth Connection: What You Speak Reveals What You Believe
The words that come out of your mouth are a direct reflection of what fills your heart. If your speech is filled with negativity, criticism, or fear, it’s time to examine what you are allowing into your heart. Fill your heart with God’s Word, and your mouth will begin to speak life, hope, and blessing. You cannot draw clean water from a polluted well, and you cannot speak life from a bitter heart. Let your confession be resurrection language, calling forth life, hope, and restoration in every area. [38:44]

Luke 6:45 (ESV)
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Reflection: What are you filling your heart with on a daily basis? What is one practical way you can fill your heart with God’s Word this week so that your speech reflects His life?

Day 5: Speak Life into Dead Situations: Partnering with God for Breakthrough
God invites you to partner with Him by speaking life into the dry, hopeless, or dead areas of your life. Just as Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy to the dry bones, you are called to speak God’s promises over your dreams, relationships, and circumstances. Don’t become part of the problem by rehearsing defeat—be the solution by declaring God’s truth. As you speak life, you will see movement, restoration, and breakthrough, even if it doesn’t happen all at once. God brings you into situations not to be overcome by them, but to change them through the power of your words. [41:32]

Ezekiel 37:4-6 (ESV)
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Reflection: What is one “dry bone” situation in your life that needs resurrection? What specific words of life and promise can you begin to speak over it today?

Quotes

Today I want to talk to you for a few moments on the power of your words. And I I want to say this again that I don't care how many times you've heard this or think you know it. I like what Pastor Keith Moore says. He said, "If a truth bores you, it's not because you've got it. It's because you lost it." Because the truth of God is always exciting. And it doesn't matter whether you've heard it a million times. If it's of God, it's always lifegiving. So there's that part. And then there's also the reality that many of us have heard confession taught improperly. As if through our words we can manipulate God or through our words we can create reality that's outside of his grace. [00:00:03]

So the ability to control our words is necessary. It's not magic. It's not manipulation. It is faith talk. If I'm talking in faith, then I am confessing God's promises, not explaining to you my situation. Okay. So let's go ahead and get started. The power of your word speaking life into your situation. And there are two kingdom truths that over the years, I know I look amazingly young, but I've been at this now for 40 years. And in that time, I've realized that not every Christian agrees with the Bible. Silence. And the reason is a lot of us have been we've had tradition given to us and told it was gospel. [00:02:27]

A man who thinks earthly thoughts looks at spiritual realities and considers them foolishness because they're not logical. They're not rational. They don't make sense to an earth mind. Thank God we don't have an earth mind anymore. We have the mind of Christ. But if we choose to think earthly thoughts, we look at something like sewing and we think that that's a con man's game because if I want to get ahead, I save. Seowing seems to be counterproductive. You don't get it. You can't understand it if you don't look at it and judge it through a kingdom mindset. Does that make sense? The same is with speaking. If we don't understand speaking from a spiritual standpoint, we think our words are merely sounds. [00:03:45]

Your words are not just sounds. They're seeds. Seeds produce crops. Crops are what we harvest. If you don't like what you're harvesting, change what you're sewing. I want to say that again. If you don't like the harvest, change the seed. But you can't keep sewing the same seeds and expecting a different harvest. So your words are not just sounds, they're seeds. Proverbs 18:21 says this, "Death and life, death and life are in the power of the tongue." And now at Real Life Church, we know this, right? If it's written, our uncertainty is unnecessary. We don't have to be like those who are confused and think my words are meaningless. Uh-uh, baby. Your words have power. [00:06:29]

Your problem is not your situation. Your problem is your speech. Okay, I will. Your problem is not your situation. Your problem is your speech. If you change the way you're speaking, your situation will change. And here's how it'll change. Listen again, it's not magical, but if I begin to confess differently, I'm going to believe differently. And if I believe differently, I'm going to behave differently. And if I behave differently, I will change my situation. But it started because I I used my voice, these words God gave me to harmonize with what he's already said. So I'm not creating it in that sense. You understand that? I don't need to create it because his grace already did. I'm just agreeing with what God said. [00:07:28]

How can I walk with God if I don't agree with what God has said? If I don't agree with what God has said about himself, if I don't agree with what God has said about me, if I don't agree with what God has said about my life, then how can I walk with him? I can't walk with somebody and disagree with everything they say. Oh, I can go to church, but I can't walk with God. And the key to victory is walking with God. So if I want to walk with God, I've got to agree with what God has said about himself. So if God says he is the healer, I'm going to agree with it. Now, are my words creating healing? No. I don't need my words to create. I just need my words to agree. [00:08:50]

There's more to being a Christian than just showing up at a church on Sunday. There's renewing the mind to think like God. Yes, sir. And when you renewed the mind to think like God, you'll believe like God. When you believe like God, you'll have the faith of God. When you have the faith of God, you'll speak to mountains. You'll speak to unproductive fig trees. You'll speak to the areas that are clothed in darkness. You'll speak to disease. You'll stand in front of the tomb without explaining death and you'll cry, "Lazarus, come forth." See, you don't always have to tell everyone your problems. That's your problem. You want sympathy, not deliverance. You don't got to explain your problem. Just agree with God. [00:13:07]

The transformation of our reality begins when we begin doing what? Aligning our words, listen to this, with faith rather than frustration. It takes no faith to align your words with frustration. James went on to say, again, I don't have slides for this, but James talked about how with our tongue we bless God and then curse people. He said, "These things ought not to be because you can't draw both sweet and sour water from the same well." So, we're supposed to bless God and bless his people. And that means ourelves too speak blessing over ourselves because we can't use this tongue of ours to talk about how good he is then how rotten you are. Don't use your mouth to describe your situation. Use it to declare your future. [00:21:38]

Complaining. Listen to this. Complaining is describing the problem. Confession is declaring the promise as greater than the problem. God didn't look at the darkness and say, "It sure is dark." He said, "Let there be light." And I like in in in the original Hebrew, he didn't even say, "Let there be light." He just said, "Light be and it was." So again, God doesn't look at the problem and describe the problem. God declares the promise as greater than the problem. Point number two, life or death, we choose. Going back to Proverbs 18:21, it reminds us our tongue has consequences. [00:22:45]

Words of life bless. Words of death curse. Words of bl of life encourage. Words of death criticize. Words of life edify. Words of death complain. Words of life speak faith. Words of death speak fear. You remember when the spies came back from the promised land? 10 of them spoke words of death. Now, here's the question I want to ask you. Did their doubt and unbelief and speaking death, did that change the promise of God? Not in the least. But here's what it did do. It prohibited them from benefiting from the promise of God. I want to say that again. It didn't change the promise. If you and I talk death, that doesn't change the promise of God. It prohibits us from being blessed by it. [00:24:01]

Faith is able to stand in the middle of chaos and declare peace. Faith is is the ability to stand on the storm toss sea at the bow of the boat and declare peace. Faith is the ability to look into the abyss and declare God's presence. Faith is the ability to stand in front of a valley of dry bones and prophesy life. It takes no faith to complain. It takes no faith to criticize. It takes no faith to go, "I ain't got nothing." But it takes faith to put your hands into your pocket and feel nothing and still say, "My God said, he'll supply all of my needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus." That takes faith. [00:26:56]

My words are my responsibility. It doesn't matter whether I don't need anyone else to believe for me to believe. I don't need anyone else to be blessed for me to be blessed. I don't need anyone else to speak properly for me to speak properly. Now, is that going to make me stand out and possibly be ridiculed? Most certainly. But so was my master. And if to be like him means some people are going to mock and ridicule and misunderstand me. So be it. I don't need their applause. Neither do you. You don't need to help me get to my destiny. He is my destiny. Yes, sir. So I don't need anyone else to understand what I'm saying. I just need to understand I'm responsible for my words and I want to use them as tools within the kingdom. [00:16:16]

Now, God creates worlds, but we create realities. And by that, I mean we create our own reality. Have you ever noticed when you're outside looking in, you can look at someone's life and man, they seem like they got it all together. They got the nice car. They got the beautiful husband. You thought I was going to say wife. They seem to get it. Like, they have everything. And yet they're absolutely miserable. But if you listen to them, you know why they're miserable? Because they seem to have it all together, but they all they do is talk misery, doom, despair, agony on me. Then you see someone else and they're living in a shack. They don't even have a car and they're as happy as can be. [00:17:38]

So what you say you believe. So if you say you can, you believe you can. If you say you can't, your soul shrinks. Genesis 1 verse three. Then God Then God Then God, we're going to say it till you get it. Then God God didn't think. God said, The the Bible plays the worst type of insult to silent faith. I've heard people say, "Well, pastor, I don't need to say it. I just believe it in my heart." That ain't faith. Nowhere in the Bible is that faith. Because the Bible teaches us, and we'll get there in just a moment, but if you believe in your heart, you're going to confess with your mouth. And that's what results in salvation. [00:19:27]

What kind of world are you creating with your words? Are you creating a joyfilled atmosphere or are you creating a miserable atmosphere? Are you creating a lifefilled atmosphere or are you creating a life sucking atmosphere? Start speaking what you want to see, not what you currently see. If you can only say what you see, that's not faith. Faith calls those things that are not as though they were. The transformation of our reality begins when we begin doing what? Aligning our words, listen to this, with faith rather than frustration. It takes no faith to align your words with frustration. [00:20:51]

Jesus goes on to say right here, "Your very words will be used as evidence against you. And your words will declare you are either innocent or guilty." Meaning the ledger don't lie. You want to know why the promises of God don't seem to benefit you? Look at the ledger. Why is it that it works for other people and not you? Look at the ledger. Why is it work for Cleave and not Jimmy? Jimmy's got to look at the ledger because I promise you it's not that God loves Cleave more than he loves Jimmy. I mean, how could anyone love Cleave more than they love Jimmy? And I heard that and I'm ignoring that. But the reality is God does not love Cleave more than he loves Jimmy. [00:31:44]

For some of us, I'm telling you, if we would just give God words to work through, We'd be amazed at what he would do. Because again, it's not that he loves Cle. I mean, who could love Cleave more than he loves me? Who? Your words are assets or your words are liabilities. Let's go to the next point. Point number three. As we're going there, don't rehearse the problem. Proclaim the promise. Jesus. Point number three, Jesus and the power of the spoken word. In John 11 verse 43, Jesus is standing in front of a tomb containing a dead man who stank. And yet he said, "Lazarus, come forth." Jesus didn't describe death. He didn't talk about the possibility of a resurrection. [00:33:03]

The word is near you in your mouth where and in your heart. Notice the correlation. It's in your mouth and it's in your heart. That is the word of fear which we are preaching. Verse nine. That if you confess with what? with what? With what? Jesus as Lord over what? Everything. And believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes, amen, resulting in righteousness. And with the mouth he confesses, resulting in which is wholeness. Now, here's the thing that I want to I want to bring out to you. I've never met anyone who would disagree that that is the way into the kingdom. [00:35:30]

So out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The reason some people have a hard time speaking the word is because the word ain't in there. Put the word in there. Your words can call things out of the grave. Just like Jesus's words did. Your words can call dreams out of the grave. Your words can cause hope to come out of the grave. Your words can call relationships out of the grave. Let your confession, listen to this, let your confession be resurrection language, not funeral language. Last point maybe your words reflect your heart. Luke chapter 6 verse 45. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If you don't like the words coming out of your mouth, check the condition of your heart. [00:37:42]

God wants to partner with us in bringing resurrection power to bear in our homes and in our families and on our jobs. God wants to partner with us. God brought the prophet. He asked the prophet a question. He Let me modernize it. Is this right? Is this the way it should be? Because you know who the dry bones were, right? The dry bones were the house of Israel because the Bible goes on to say, they say, "Our hope is gone." And the more they said it, the more they withered until in the spirit they were nothing more than a valley of dry bones. Everything about them was hopeless. There was no life anywhere to be found because they said it's over. They said we'll never recover. [00:40:11]

God doesn't show you anything in order to condemn you. God shows it to you. Hear me when I say this. Because you are the solution to that problem. God brings you to it to fix it. God brings you into that dark place to be the light. He brings you into that tasteless situation to be the salt. He doesn't bring you into the situation, hear me, to become part of the situation. He brings you into the situation to change it. And you change it by prophesying to it. You will live and not die. You will come together. You will be a blessing. [00:42:58]

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