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.… 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 body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
- The Tongue is Disruptive!
- Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers; because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
- Matthew 12:36-37 – I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
- The Tongue is Destructive!
- 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.
- Proverbs 15:4 – Kind words are good medicine, but deceitful words can really hurt.
- The Tongue is Deadly!
- It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison
- Proverbs 12:18 – There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
- The Tongue is Depressing!
- With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
- Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
You can download the PowerPoint presentation: Tangle of the Tongue
