Taming the Tongue: The Power of Our Words

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound impact of our words and the importance of taming our tongues. We began by reflecting on Jesus' teachings in Matthew 12:35-37, where He emphasizes that our words reflect the condition of our hearts and that we will be held accountable for every careless word we speak. This is a sobering reminder of the power of our speech and the need for grace and forgiveness through Christ. We also delved into Matthew 15:11-20, where Jesus teaches that what defiles us is not what enters our mouths, but what comes out of them. This challenges us to examine the intentions and thoughts that drive our words, as they reveal the true state of our hearts.

We further explored the wisdom of Proverbs 18:6-8, which warns us about the destructive potential of foolish words and gossip. Our words can either build up or tear down, and we must be vigilant in choosing to speak life and encouragement. James 3:1-10 provided a vivid illustration of the tongue's power, likening it to a small rudder that steers a large ship. Despite its size, the tongue can cause great harm if not controlled, and it is a restless evil full of deadly poison. This passage calls us to seek God's help in taming our tongues and to take responsibility for our words.

Throughout the message, we acknowledged the common struggle of controlling our speech and the damage it can cause in relationships, both personal and within the church community. We were reminded of the importance of humility, grace, and forgiveness, both in receiving and extending them to others. The "one another" passages in Scripture, such as instructing, encouraging, and praying for one another, highlight the positive ways we can use our words to build up the body of Christ.

Ultimately, we are called to bring our struggles with our tongues to God, seeking His guidance and strength to transform our speech. By relying on the Holy Spirit, we can learn to speak words that reflect God's love and grace, fostering unity and healing in our relationships.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Words: Our words have the power to reflect the condition of our hearts and will be judged by God. It is crucial to seek forgiveness and grace through Christ for the careless words we have spoken. [05:37]

2. Heart and Speech Connection: What defiles us is not what we consume, but what we express. Our words reveal the true state of our hearts, challenging us to align our speech with God's love and truth. [07:29]

3. Destructive Potential of the Tongue: The tongue, though small, can cause significant harm if not controlled. We must seek God's help to tame our tongues and take responsibility for our words. [13:09]

4. Building Up the Body of Christ: Scripture encourages us to use our words to instruct, encourage, and pray for one another, fostering unity and healing within the church community. [29:42]

5. Seeking God's Help: We are called to bring our struggles with our tongues to God, relying on the Holy Spirit to transform our speech and enable us to speak words that reflect His love and grace. [34:18]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:48] - Opening Remarks
- [01:53] - Lighthearted Jokes
- [05:37] - The Power of Words
- [06:31] - Personal Reflection on Speech
- [07:29] - Heart and Speech Connection
- [10:36] - Proverbs on Speech
- [11:16] - Common Struggles with Words
- [13:09] - The Tongue's Destructive Potential
- [16:27] - Personal Struggles with Words
- [18:27] - Praise and Cursing
- [20:00] - Impact of Words on Relationships
- [23:07] - Seeking Forgiveness and Grace
- [26:07] - One Another Passages
- [29:42] - Encouragement and Exhortation
- [31:16] - Tone and Delivery
- [32:49] - Satan's Influence on Speech
- [33:18] - Admitting Our Need for Help
- [34:18] - Bringing Our Struggles to God

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Matthew 12:35-37: "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
- Matthew 15:11-20: "What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them."
- James 3:1-10: "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check."

#### Observation Questions
1. According to Matthew 12:35-37, what does Jesus say about the relationship between our words and our hearts? How does this passage emphasize accountability for our speech? [05:37]
2. In Matthew 15:11-20, what does Jesus teach about what truly defiles a person? How does this challenge common perceptions of purity? [07:29]
3. How does James 3:1-10 describe the power and potential danger of the tongue? What metaphors are used to illustrate this? [13:09]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How might the teachings in Matthew 12:35-37 influence a believer's understanding of the importance of their words? What does it mean to be "acquitted" or "condemned" by our words? [05:37]
2. What implications does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 15:11-20 have for how we view the source of our words and actions? How does this passage encourage self-examination of our hearts? [07:29]
3. In what ways does James 3:1-10 highlight the difficulty of controlling the tongue? How does this passage suggest we seek help in taming our speech? [13:09]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent conversation where your words may not have reflected the condition of your heart as you would have liked. How can you seek forgiveness and make amends? [05:37]
2. Consider the intentions behind your words. How can you align your speech more closely with God's love and truth in your daily interactions? [07:29]
3. Identify a situation where your words have caused harm. What steps can you take to prevent similar situations in the future, and how can you seek God's help in this area? [13:09]
4. Think about a relationship that has been strained by careless words. How can you use your words to foster healing and reconciliation in that relationship? [20:00]
5. How can you incorporate the practice of encouraging and building up others in your church community? What specific actions can you take this week to speak life into someone else's situation? [29:42]
6. Reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in transforming your speech. How can you be more intentional in seeking His guidance before speaking? [34:18]
7. What practical steps can you take to be more mindful of your words and their impact on others? Consider setting a personal goal for this week to improve your communication. [34:18]

Devotional

Day 1: The Weight of Our Words
Our words carry significant weight, reflecting the condition of our hearts and impacting those around us. Jesus teaches in Matthew 12:35-37 that we will be held accountable for every careless word we speak, highlighting the need for grace and forgiveness through Christ. This is a sobering reminder of the power of our speech and the importance of aligning our words with God's love and truth. By seeking forgiveness for our past words and striving to speak with intention, we can better reflect the heart of Christ in our daily interactions. [05:37]

"For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent conversation where your words may have been careless or hurtful. How can you seek forgiveness and make amends today?


Day 2: The Heart's Overflow
Our speech is a direct reflection of our inner thoughts and intentions. In Matthew 15:11-20, Jesus emphasizes that what defiles us is not what enters our mouths, but what comes out of them. This challenges us to examine the true state of our hearts and align our speech with God's love and truth. By being mindful of our words, we can ensure that they are a reflection of a heart transformed by Christ, fostering positive and uplifting interactions with others. [07:29]

"The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil." (Matthew 12:35, ESV)

Reflection: Consider the thoughts and intentions that drive your words. How can you align your speech more closely with God's love and truth today?


Day 3: The Tongue's Potential for Harm
The tongue, though small, has the potential to cause significant harm if not controlled. James 3:1-10 vividly illustrates this by comparing the tongue to a small rudder that steers a large ship. Despite its size, the tongue can be a restless evil full of deadly poison. This passage calls us to seek God's help in taming our tongues and taking responsibility for our words. By being vigilant in choosing to speak life and encouragement, we can avoid the destructive potential of foolish words and gossip. [13:09]

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

Reflection: Reflect on a time when your words caused harm. How can you seek God's help to tame your tongue and speak life instead?


Day 4: Building Up the Body of Christ
Scripture encourages us to use our words to instruct, encourage, and pray for one another, fostering unity and healing within the church community. The "one another" passages in Scripture highlight the positive ways we can use our words to build up the body of Christ. By choosing to speak words that reflect God's love and grace, we can contribute to a supportive and uplifting community that honors God and strengthens our relationships with one another. [29:42]

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: Identify someone in your church community who could use encouragement. How can you use your words to build them up today?


Day 5: Seeking Divine Assistance
We are called to bring our struggles with our tongues to God, relying on the Holy Spirit to transform our speech. By seeking His guidance and strength, we can learn to speak words that reflect God's love and grace, fostering unity and healing in our relationships. This requires humility and a willingness to admit our need for help, trusting that God will provide the strength and wisdom we need to speak with intention and love. [34:18]

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" (Psalm 141:3, ESV)

Reflection: What specific area of your speech do you struggle with the most? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you transform this area today?

Quotes

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him. And an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they've spoken. For by your words, you're acquitted, and by your words, you will be condemned. [00:05:44]

What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them. Then the disciples came to him and asked him, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this? [00:07:15]

The lips of fools bring them strife and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing and their lips are a snare to their very lives. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels. They go down to the inmost parts. [00:09:38]

So it's a common problem with Christians that our mouths get in our way. Let me rephrase that. That's a common problem with people that our mouths get in our way. It has to do with our emotions. It has to do with how we see things. And sometimes it even has to do with how we hear things. [00:11:16]

Not many of you should become teachers my fellow believers because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. I see I hate that scripture well let me just say I don't care for that scripture I take it back I don't hate any of your scripture lord I dislike that scripture how about that because it tells me I'm going to be judged more harshly. [00:13:09]

The tongue also is a fire a world of evil among the parts of the body it corrupts the whole body sets the whole course of one's life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell how about that one set on fire by hell. [00:15:29]

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father. And with it we curse human beings who've been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. [00:18:35]

But other times when things happen, I just get so upset by what I heard. That might not even be what they said or what I said that wasn't necessarily what I meant. So this tongue thing is a really big deal. I mean, I've just touched on, you know, a few scriptures this morning about the warnings, about how bad it can be, about how it can tear relationships up. [00:20:12]

So we got to go back to Jesus. Got to go back to the cross. I'm sorry. Boy, that is one word that I found does not kill you. As a matter of fact, I want you to learn to say that if you don't know how. Everybody, let's say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. [00:23:49]

Be an encourager. It makes a difference in everybody, especially the one who is the encourager. Because they're not looking to be, what, your fault, na -na -na -na -na, if you don't, na -na -na -na -na. So you can be that negative Nelly, or you can be that positive Pete. Positive Pete. [00:28:49]

If I'm dealing with you, it doesn't help me get better with me and my attitude and my talking the way that I say things, my temper, even hurt feelings. You can put all the things in there that impact the way that we speak to each other. Whether it's hurt feelings or money spent or unmet expectations. [00:31:59]

The tongue is a vicious thing. We just read a lot of scripture. There's more. You have trouble with your tongue? Take it to the one who made it and ask him to help you do better. Thank you for taking time to watch this. We'd love to have you come join us in person. God bless you. [00:36:44]

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Transcript
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