A Way With Words | Pastor Sam Dittrich

Devotional

Day 1: Fruit from the Heart’s Soil

Jesus stood surrounded by disciples and skeptics when He said, “No good tree bears bad fruit.” He pointed to fig trees and thorn bushes, making farmers nod. His hands gestured to chests as He declared, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” The crowd leaned in. Fruit wasn’t about effort—it revealed roots. [10:31]

Jesus exposed the lie that polished words could mask a rotting heart. Thorns can’t grow figs. A bitter spring can’t produce sweet water. He redirected their gaze from external behavior to internal transformation—a shift only God could make.

Your words today will betray your heart’s soil. Stop trying to prune branches. Let Jesus dig deeper. What fruit—bitter or sweet—have you tasted from your own lips this week?

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
(Luke 6:43-45, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to expose one area of your heart that’s producing hurtful words.

Challenge: Write down three phrases you’ve said today. Circle any that reveal a root needing Christ’s healing.

Day 2: Swords That Pierce, Tongues That Mend

Proverbs warns that reckless words “pierce like swords.” The preacher at Pioneer Seed learned this when his joke severed trust. A joke about stolen soda cost him his job. No laughter followed—only the sting of a blade he’d swung carelessly. [02:25]

Words hold surgical precision. They can slice arteries or remove tumors. Jesus received sword-words too—betrayals, mockeries, lies. Yet His final words healed: “Father, forgive them.” Only a heart saturated in grace could speak mercy while bleeding.

You’ve wielded swords. You’ve bandaged wounds. Which phrase do you replay most: the one that cut you, or the one you wish you could retract? What if today’s words carried healing salve instead of fresh blades?

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
(Proverbs 12:18, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one specific hurtful word you’ve spoken. Ask God to replace it with a healing sentence.

Challenge: Text someone you’ve wounded with this phrase: “I was wrong to say ___. Will you forgive me?”

Day 3: Scattering Seeds in Open Palms

The groundskeeper tossed seed with open hands, not calculating where each grain fell. The pastor filmed him, grinning at the simplicity. No guarantees—just faithful scattering. Weeks later, wildflowers erupted where weeds once choked. [18:08]

Jesus compared God’s kingdom to a farmer sowing seed (Mark 4:26-28). Some sprouts die. Others thrive. Our job isn’t to control growth but to keep scattering. One compliment, one “I see you,” one “God isn’t finished with you” might bloom decades later.

You’ve received seed-words that still feed you. Who needs your intentional sowing today? What keeps you from speaking life over the “soil” you’ll encounter this afternoon?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
(Galatians 6:9, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three people who’ve planted life-giving words in you. Name them aloud.

Challenge: Handwrite a note saying, “I noticed ___ about you this week. It reminded me of God’s goodness.”

Day 4: One Hundred Reasons to Live

Scott slumped in Craig’s office, convinced his life didn’t matter. Craig grabbed paper: “Let’s find 100 reasons you should live.” They scratched out “good writer,” “makes coworkers laugh,” even “looks like Robert Redford.” Twelve years later, Scott returned the list—a creased testament to seed-words. [26:00]

Jesus specialized in resurrecting dead hearts with declarative words: “You are Simon…you will be Peter” (John 1:42). He renamed identities, not just behaviors. Your words can call out dormant potential in the “Scots” around you.

Who seems disconnected or defeated in your orbit? What gold might God want you to name in them before Sunday?

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to highlight one person needing a specific, identity-affirming word from you.

Challenge: Ask a coworker or family member: “What’s something you’re proud of this week that nobody noticed?”

Day 5: Search Me, Know My Anxious Heart

David’s prayer wasn’t safe: “Search me, God…test my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). He invited divine surgery on his heart—the root system feeding his words. Jesus later fulfilled this, letting His body be pierced so our hearts could be cleansed. [15:41]

Regular heart-checks prevent word-wounds. Like a gardener turning soil, God’s Spirit exposes rocks of bitterness, thorns of envy. Healing begins when we say, “Dig here.”

What ache or anger have you buried instead of letting Christ excavate? How might His scalpel bring peace to your next conversation?

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
(Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)

Prayer: Pray Psalm 139:23-24 slowly. Sit in silence for 90 seconds afterward.

Challenge: Write “Search me” on your mirror. Jot down one heart-clutter God reveals today.

Sermon Summary

Jesus frames the power of words as a heart issue, not a mouth issue. Proverbs names the danger and promise right up front. “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Words can cut. Words can heal. Luke 6 then drills beneath the surface. The good tree and the bad tree expose the source. “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” The text refuses quick fixes. Behavior tweaks cannot outrun a heart that is stuck. The kingdom Jesus brings aims at the roots, not just the weeds. Hurt people hurt people, so swords keep swinging. But a forgiven heart begins to speak a different kind of word.

The image of weeds at the soil line makes the point. Snipping the top looks tidy, but nothing really changes. Jesus insists on a deeper pull, all the way to the root, and offers to do that work. His cross is not a word-level adjustment. “Father, forgive them,” is heart surgery. From that grace, the tongue shifts from swords to seeds. Seed-words look small. They often feel ordinary. But creation itself started with God speaking. Life has always multiplied by a word sown in faith.

The Spirit’s invitation sounds simple enough to miss. Engage. Encourage. Discover. Engagement slows a hurried life and turns faces toward faces. Encouragement becomes a hummingbird’s hunt for sweetness, not a vulture’s scan for what is dead. Discovery keeps relationships from going stale by asking better questions and listening for what God is growing. That is how superficial talk can move toward significance, one person at a time, one conversation at a time.

Luke’s image refuses to flatter. A divided life cannot last. A clean mouth with a cold heart eventually leaks. So David’s prayer fits the moment. “Search me, O God.” Let God name the anxious places. Let grace meet old wounds. Then let everyday speech become a field of small, steady sowing. The seed-bag never looks impressive, and the sower may grin at the simplicity of it all. Still, over time, seed-words take, trust grows, and whole patches of ground turn green. Jesus will do the growing. The church gets to scatter life.

Key Takeaways

1. Words reveal the heart’s reality What someone consistently says is not random noise but overflow. Jesus ties speech to identity with the tree and fruit picture, exposing that double lives eventually show at the mouth. Honest repentance begins where words trace back to motives, fears, and desires that need grace. [10:31]
2. Hurt turns tongues into swords Unhealed wounds weaponize language, so even unintended comments can slice. The gospel does more than silence the tongue for a day; it heals the places that keep arming it. As forgiveness lands, the cycle of cutting begins to break, and empathy starts to shape speech. [13:56]
3. Seeds of life are spoken Life-giving words often feel small in the moment, like seed flung into ordinary soil. Faith keeps sowing anyway, trusting God with timing, weather, and growth. Over months and years, those quiet phrases of truth and encouragement become shade, shelter, and bread for others. [18:08]
4. Move relationships toward significance Superficial chatter is easy, but love notices, asks, and lingers. Engagement, encouragement, and ongoing discovery create space where people feel seen and known, not managed. That slow, relational patience becomes the channel for words that actually build a life. [20:33]
5. Invite Jesus to the roots Behavior hacks trim weeds, but Jesus pulls at the root. The bold prayer “Search me, O God” opens the soil so the Spirit can treat the source, not just the symptoms. As the heart softens, the mouth follows, and speech starts to match new life on the inside. [13:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:34] - Pioneer Seed story and LPJs
[01:46] - Honor-system incident and the joke that backfired
[02:57] - Words shape the worlds we live in
[03:49] - One At A Time vision for ministry
[04:45] - Proverbs 12:18 read aloud
[05:33] - Walking wounded from cutting words
[06:36] - Hospital comment that cut deep
[08:49] - Turning to Luke 6 and Jesus’ aim
[10:31] - “For the mouth speaks” and the heart
[12:48] - Heart change, not behavior modification
[13:19] - Roots, not just weeds
[14:58] - From swords to seeds
[15:41] - “Search me, O God” as a practice
[16:23] - The power of life and death in words
[17:44] - Casting seed illustration on the lawn
[20:33] - Engage, encourage, discover
[22:29] - Hummingbird vs vulture analogy
[25:34] - One hundred reasons to live story
[27:37] - One at a time invitation
[28:03] - Closing prayer and commissioning

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 6:43-45 (ESV)
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 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.”

Observation Questions

According to Luke 6:43-45, what does the analogy of trees and fruit reveal about the connection between the heart and our words?
Proverbs 12:18 contrasts reckless words and wise words. What imagery does it use to describe their effects?
In the sermon, what practical steps were suggested to move relationships from superficial to significant? (See [20:33])
How does the analogy of weeds being cut at the soil line (vs. pulled by the root) illustrate the difference between behavior modification and heart change?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus focus on the heart as the source of our words rather than just addressing the words themselves?
The sermon mentions that “hurt people hurt people” and unhealed wounds weaponize language. How might unresolved pain in someone’s heart lead to harmful speech patterns?
The phrase “seed-words” was used to describe life-giving speech. Why might small, ordinary words still have significant power over time? (See [18:08])
Proverbs 12:18 says the tongue of the wise brings healing. What does “healing” look like in the context of relationships, and how does it differ from superficial niceness?

Application Questions

Reflect on a recent conversation where your words either “cut like a sword” or “brought healing.” What might that reveal about what’s in your heart? How could you invite Jesus to address the root?
The prayer “Search me, O God” (Psalm 139:23-24) was highlighted as a way to invite heart surgery. What specific area of your heart (e.g., fear, pride, bitterness) do you need to ask God to examine this week?
The sermon encouraged “engagement, encouragement, and discovery” in relationships. Which of these three feels most challenging for you? What’s one practical way to practice it with someone this week? (See [20:33])
Think of someone in your life who often speaks “sword-words.” How might their hurt be influencing their speech? How could you respond with empathy instead of defensiveness?
The analogy of scattering seeds suggests small, consistent actions matter. What’s one “seed-word” of encouragement or truth you can intentionally speak to a family member, coworker, or friend in the next few days?
How can you create space in your daily routine to slow down and truly engage with others, rather than defaulting to hurried, superficial interactions? (See [21:22])
The sermon warned against “vulture-like” scanning for flaws. What habit could help you shift toward “hummingbird-like” hunting for goodness in others? (See [22:29])

Sermon Clips

40s

“``Have you allowed yourself at the end of the day to say, search me, oh, God. Point out the broken places in me. It's a scary prayer, but it's a prayer that brings healing because it actually gets at the heart of the matter, the heart. And I wanna invite you to even do that this week. Search me, oh God. Because what God wants to do is exchange words that are like sores to words that are like seeds. Seeds have the potential to grow something that is life giving.”

48s

“That so often church, inside and outside the church, we're just taught, just just stop saying the stupid thing. Just stop doing it. You can do better. Be better. And it's like we're cutting off a weed just at the soil line. But Jesus says, what comes out of our mouth flows from what's already where? In hearts. So in order to change what happens out here is an invitation for Jesus to do a work in here. This is why our words have a tendency to be swords. Because as they say, hurt people hurt people. And the cycle continues.”

46s

“There's something that Jesus says to us that begins the healing work first in you and then through you. When he went to the cross, it was him communicating, father, forgive them. That includes you for they know not what they do. He was not working at the word level. He was working at the heart level. I have good news for you church because words not only can cut like a sword, which is bad news, but words cultivate life like seeds. As Jesus does a work on the inside as we invite him in.”

47s

“Jesus is inviting us to recognize that our entire lives are meant to be cohesive. Not speaking and doing one thing and actually being something else. It's an invitation for us to understand who we truly are in relation to who God is. He's inviting us to know that our true identity cannot be faked. He's inviting us to something greater, richer, and deeper, tying what we say and do to who we actually are on the inside. Because good words can't just make the heart good. And a broken, hard, calloused heart cannot make our words or actions long term good.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Shepherd Of The Valley Church This sermon · AI assistant

What does Luke 6 teach about words?

How do words function as swords or seeds?

What steps move relationships from superficial to significant?