THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS

The Good Life #9

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

March 10, 2024

(Exodus 20:16, NLT) “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.”

(James 3:1–12, NLT) “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

1. MY WORDS MATTER

(James 3:1–2, NLT) “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”

(Matthew 12:36, Message) “Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously.”

LAP – Truth without love or love without true means neither are true

2. MY WORDS INFLUENCE THE DIRECTION OF MY LIFE

(James 3:3, CEV) “By putting a bit into the mouth of a horse, we can turn the horse in different directions.”

(James 3:4–5, LB) “And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.”

LAP – My words have power over my life

3. MY WORDS CAN KILL OR GIVE LIFE

(James 3:5, NLT) “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”

(James 3:7–8, NLT) “It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.”

(Proverbs 18:20–21, MSG) “Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”

LAP – To confess means to agree with God

(Luke 12:8, NKJV) “Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.”

(Matthew 12:34, NLT) “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”

4. I NEED A NEW HEART TO TAME MY TONGUE

(2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT) “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

a. Everyday ask God to help you

(Psalm 141:3, CEV) “Help me to guard my words whenever I say something.”

b. Think before you speak

(James 1:19, CEV) “My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.”

c. Say what is good and helpful with a goal to encourage

(Ephesians 4:29, NLT) “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

LAP – Ask for the fire that came down at Pentecost

(Acts 2:11, NLT) “We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”