Dec. 15, 2024

A New Tongue

December 14 & 15, 2024

Primary Text:  James 3:3-11                     

This Week’s Teaching:

1)  A Tongue of Fire

James 3:3-8:  When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example.  Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

 DQ 1) How well do you control your words?  Does your tongue spread evil in any way? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2)  Defamation 

2 Corinthians 12:20:  For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.  I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

Exodus 23:1:  Do not spread false reports.  Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.

Leviticus 19:16:  Do not go about spreading slander among your people. 

DQ 2) Why are gossip and slander despised by God?  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3)  Duo Lingua

Luke 6:45:  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

James 3:9-11:  With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring?  

DQ 3) Are your words consistently God-honoring, or are they worldly and blasphemous?

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4)  Gracefully Seasoned

Colossians 4:5-6:  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Ephesians 4:25, 29-31:  Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body….  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

DQ 4) What does it mean for your conversation to be full of grace?

DQ 5) In what ways might your words need to become more wholesome and righteous?  

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