Bible Text: James 3:1-12 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Living Godly Lives
Sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me?
Today we we throw sticks and stones through:
Words (verbal)
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Non-verbal expression
Character development is more important
than cognitive capacity
Teachers will have the greater judgment, greater responsibility
Our words represent Jesus in us and they need to help and support people and not wound and injure them!
James 3:2-6
Bits . . . Rudders . . . Sparks . . .
Bits direct
Rudders control
Sparks destroy
Our words bring blessing and cursing
James 3:7-12
Who can tame the tongue?
Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life.
Our words can be deadly poison
Psalm 140:3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Our words bring life and with our words we praise our Lord and Father
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Our words ought to please the Lord
Our words reveal our hearts
Matthew 12:33–35 A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart.
Powerful Questions
Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? Can a fig tree . . . yield olives?
James challenges us to see the importance of Jesus in our lives and that ONLY by the power of the Holy Spirit. Can we hope to overcome!
Powerful answer:
NO spring yields both salt water and fresh!
God works to change us from the inside out
The Bible teaches us that our STEPS are DIRECTED by the Lord and so are our STOPS!
Psalm 37:23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. 
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Think about before you speak!
1 Peter 3:10 If you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies.
1 Peter 2:22–24 He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was abused he did not return abuse; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.
Most human conflict begins on the verbal level.
Proverbs 15:1-4 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly comes to ruin.
Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of the sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Solomon said
Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
All our communications with men ought to be as in the presence of God, and with God as in the presence of men.
Proverbs and our words
Proverbs teaches, implores us to think before we speak and to be careful about the words we use, how we say them and to be cautious with our non-verbal words as well!
The evil of lying (10:19; 12:19; 12:22; 13:5; 18:7; 19:5, 9; 26:23-27)
The evil of listening to lying (17:4; 29:12)
Prayer to be delivered from lying (30:7-9)
Backbiting (25:18, 21-22)
Babbling (10:8, 19)
Slander (16:28; 21:23-27)
Talkativeness (14:23)
Talebearers (11:13; 17:9; 18:8; 30:10)
Evil whisperers (18:8)
Scorching words (16:27-30)
The evil tongue (12:19; 13:3; 15:4)
The wicked mouth (10:14, 31; 12:5-7; 15:4; 15:26)
The lips and mouth of righteous (10:11, 13, 20, 21, 31, 32; 12:13, 14, 19; 13:2; 16:10-13, 21, 23)
Wisdom of the tongue (15:2; 25:11)
Blessing of speech (12:13; 13:2; 15:2)
Acceptable words (10:31, 32; 25:11, 12)