june 1-7 the dangerous tongue

The Dangerous TongueThe Dangerous Tongue

Proverbs 10:18 NET The one who conceals hatred

utters lies, and the one who spreads slander is

certainly a fool.


19 When words abound, transgression is

inevitable, but the one who restrains his words

is wise.


20 What the righteous say is like the best silver, but what the wicked think is

of little value.


Has your tongue ever gotten you in trouble? Perhaps you have said something that you wish you had

not. Or perhaps you have been on the receiving end of a biting or

thoughtless comment, and have felt wounded or slandered.


If so, you probably can appreciate the great damage

that can come from an uncontrolled tongue. Hatred,

slander, and wickedness thrive because of words we speak.

The Dangerous TongueThe Dangerous TongueJesus' brother James recognized this destructive pattern in the early church. He realized how easy it can be to blurt

out comments without weighing the value of what is said, and he warned first-century Christians about lack of

restraint when it comes to the tongue:


• He urged them to be quick to listen but slow to speak.

James 1:19 NET Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let

every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.


• He cautioned them not to think themselves religious if they could not control what they

said.


James 1:26 NET If someone thinks he is religious

yet does not bridle his tongue, and so

deceives his heart, his religion is futile.


• He told them not to claim to have faith unless their deeds

matched their words.


James 2:14 NET What good is it, my brothers and

sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not

have works? Can this kind of faith save him?


15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in

peace, keep warm and eat well,”


but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is

dead being by itself.


18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith

without works and I will show you faith by my

works.


19 You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that –

and tremble with fear.


20 But would you like evidence, you empty

fellow, that faith without works is useless?


21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works

when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?


22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by

works.


23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now

Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for

righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.


24 You see that a person is justified by works and

not by faith alone.


• He wanted them to understand that the tongue boasts great things despite its tiny

size.


James 3:5 NET So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how

small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze.


• He warned them that the tongue is "a fire, a world of

iniquity,“James 3:6 NET And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of

wrongdoing among the parts of

our bodies.


It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human

existence – and is set on fire by hell.


“an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,”

James 3:8 NET But no human being can subdue the

tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

The Dangerous TongueThe Dangerous Tongueand a fountain of grumbling.

James 5:9 NET Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge

stands before the gates!


• He pointed out that speech can be an unpredictable source of

either blessing or cursing, like a spring that gives

either fresh water or bitter, or a fig tree that bears olives, or a

grapevine that bears figs


James 3:10 NET From the same mouth come blessing and

cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters.


11 A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter

water from the same opening, does it?


12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and

sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce

fresh water.

The Dangerous TongueThe Dangerous Tongue• He noted that some were using

speech as a means of maligning one another.

James 5:12 NET And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by

any other oath.


But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into

judgment.


As we today reflect on the teaching of Proverbs and

James concerning the tongue, it becomes evident that we

need to pay attention both to what we say and to how we say

it.


We may need to make changes in our patterns

of speech in order to avoid the outcomes of

the foolish.


Prov. 10:21 NET And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by

heaven or by earth or by any other oath.


But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into

judgment.

Talk Is Cheap! Talk Is Cheap!

Proverbs 18:2 NET A fool takes no pleasure in

understanding but only in disclosing what is on

his mind.

Talk Is Cheap!Talk Is Cheap!

Some people have a comment to make on virtually every subject.

They never say, "I don't know." or just listen in order to learn

something. They just spout off their uninformed opinions to any

willing listener. Proverbs calls such persons fools.


Talk is cheap partly because it is easily available. The Book of Proverbs offers

some principles to help us evaluate the worth of our

words:


• Sometimes the wisest course is to keep quiet. We need to weigh our thoughts and words

carefully if we intend to be helpful.


Proverbs 11:12 NET The one who denounces his

neighbor lacks wisdom, but the one who has

discernment keeps silent.


Proverbs 17:27 NET The truly wise person

restrains his words, and the one who stays calm is

discerning.


28 Even a fool who remains silent is

considered wise, and the

one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning.


• The one thing we never want to talk

about is a confidence with which we have

been entrusted.


Proverbs 11:13 NET The one who goes about

slandering others reveals secrets, but the one who is trustworthy conceals a

matter.


• If we know how to use words, we can

accomplish noble ends—for example, defusing a

heated situation.


Proverbs 15:1 NET A gentle response turns away

anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.


2 The tongue of the wise treats knowledge

correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out

folly.


• We need to watch what we say Our

mouths can get us in deep trouble.


Proverbs 18:6 NET The lips of a fool enter into strife, and

his mouth invites a flogging.


7 The mouth of a fool is his ruin, and his lips are

a snare for his life.


• If we give our opinion on a matter before

hearing the facts, we will tend to bring

shame on ourselves.


Proverbs 18:13 NET The one who gives an answer

before he listens – that is his folly and his shame.


• Talk is cheap, but easy talk can be expensive.

Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time can lead

to unfortunate consequences.


Proverbs 18:21 NET Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those

who love its use will eat its fruit.


For which are you known—lots of talk and self-important

opinions, or the ability to listen and words of wisdom? To find

out, you may want to ask others for an honest opinion.


Another way is to ask yourself when the last

time was someone came to you and asked you for

your counsel.


It may seem risky and even painful to learn the truth

about yourself in this area, but you will be much better off if you know your errors

and can change them.


Proverbs 12:1 NET So remember your Creator in the days of your youth – before the difficult

days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;


Proverbs 15:32 NET The one who refuses correction despises himself, but

whoever hears reproof acquires understanding.

(Word in Life Study Bible)

Proverb 10:1-32Proverb 10:1-32

Situation: This chapter begins a

collection of proverbs attributed

to Solomon.


Observation: The actions of wise and good people are contrasted

with the deeds of foolish and evil people.

Solomon emphasizes the need for honesty and the wise choice

of words.


Inspiration: Insensitivity makes a wound that heals slowly.

If someone hurts your feelings intentionally, you know how to react. You know the source of

the pain.


But if someone accidentally bruises your soul, it's difficult to know how

to respond. Someone at work criticizes the new boss, who also happens to be your dear friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry—I forgot the two of you were so close."


A Joke is told at a party about overweight people. You're overweight. You hear the joke. You smile politely while your heart

sinks.


What was intended to be a reprimand for a decision or action becomes a personal attack, "You have a history of poor decisions, John."


Someone chooses to wash your dirty laundry

in public. "Sue, is it true that you and Jim

are separated?"

Insensitive comments:Insensitive comments:

Thoughts that should have remained thoughts.

Feelings which had no business being expressed. Opinions carelessly tossed like a grenade into a crowd.


And if you were to tell the one who threw these thoughtless darts

about the pain they caused, his response would be "Oh, but I had no intention.... I didn't realize you were so sensitive!" or "I forgot you

were here."


In a way, the words are comforting, until

you stop to think about them (which is not recommended).


For when you start to think about insensitive slurs, you realize they

come from an infamous family whose father has

bred generations of pain,


His name? Egotism. His children? Three sisters: disregard,

disrespect, and disappointment.


These three witches have combined to poison countless relationships and break innumerable hearts.

Listed among their weapons are Satan's cruelest artillery: gossip,

accusations, resentment, impatience, and on and on....


God's Word has strong medicine for those who carelessly wag their tongues. The message is

clear: He who dares to call himself God's ambassador is not afforded the luxury of idle

words.


Excuses such as "I didn't know you were here" or "I didn't

realize this was so touchy" are shallow when they come from

those who claim to be followers and imitators of the Great

Physician.

Application:Application:

We have an added responsibility to guard our tongues.

(From God Came Near by Max Lucado)

Application: Evaluate the words you have spoken in the past week. What statements have

been sinful or harmful?

Application:Application:

Did your words build up or tear down? Were they critical? Were they vulgar? If so, ask for God's

forgiveness and seek the forgiveness of anyone you have offended. Ask for God's help to

use your words wisely.

Exploration:Exploration:

Exploration: Helpful WordsProverbs 16:24 NET Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to

the soul and healing to the bones.


Proverbs 25:11 NET Like apples of gold in

settings of silver, so is a word skillfully

spoken.


Ecclesiastes 10:12 NET The words of a wise person win him favor, but the

words of a fool are self-destructive.


Isaiah 50:4 NET The sovereign Lord has

given me the capacity to be his spokesman, so that I know how to help

the weary.


He wakes me up every morning; he makes me

alert so I can listen attentively as disciples

do.


Ephesians 4:29 NET You must let no unwholesome word

come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for

the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace

to those who hear.


Colossians 4:6 NET Let your speech always be

gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should

answer everyone.(Max Lucado Devotional Bible)

Controlling Our TongueControlling Our Tongue

I’m sure we all need to work on controlling our

tongue in one way or another. I’ll be the first to admit I say the wrong things at the wrong time!


The old saying rings true; “If you can’t say

anything good about a person, don’t say anything at all.


Do we all see from this little lesson how much what comes out of our mouths means to God?