Proverbs 18:21 NIV

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Matthew 12:34 NKJV
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

Watch Your Mouth (sermon title slide)

– “Words are never just words. They reveal who we are, they shape who we become, and they set in motion realities we often don’t see.”
— Tim Keller

James 3:1 (NIV)
1Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

– “We live in a culture where being seen is more important than being formed.” - Rich Villodas

– “The warning here is not meant to stop genuine teachers but to prevent the self-appointed, the immature, or those motivated by ego. The role of teacher carries weight because words shape worlds—and souls.”  — N.T. Wright

- James 3:2-6 (NIV)
2We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is (like Ps Sean) perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
4Or 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.
5Likewise, 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.
6The 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.

- Three Analogies of the Tongue

• The bit in the horse’s mouth

• The rudder of a ship

• The small spark that starts a forest fire

- James 3:5 NIV

“Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”

Four Layers of Meaning in James 3:6

1. “The tongue is a fire”

2. “A world of evil among the parts of the body”

3. “It sets the whole course of one’s life on fire”

4. “It is itself set on fire by hell”

– “What we say is never just communication—it’s creation. With every word, we’re either setting fires that heal or fires that consume.” – Unknown

James 3:7-8 (NIV)

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,
8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Matthew 12:34 NKJV:

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Charles Spurgeon

“Unless the heart is changed, the tongue can never be controlled.”

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.
Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

James 3:9-12 (NIV)

“The answer to misused speech isn’t silence—it’s surrender. Surrender to the Spirit, who alone can purify what we cannot tame.”– Unknown

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord...”

Psalm 19:4