The Power of the Tongue

Let’s Us Not Underestimate the Power of this Tool that We All Have

If the tongue was not such a useful tool for either god or evil then Scripture would not speak so much about it.

There are upwards of 25 different Proverbs that highlight the influence of the tongue

Here are some examples:

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

There are also Psalms that pertain to the tongue’s importance as well.

Psalm 34:13–14 “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”

Go through each on of these and discuss briefly as a group.

Jesus Had to Reiterate This to the Pharisees

Matthew 12:33–37 ““Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 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.””

Jesus calls out the the great leaders of the Jewish faith!

He tells them that you can not truly of pure heart when they are speaking such evil things.

We can learn from this in realizing that what we speak wiht our mouth is a great indication of where are heart is.

Give and illustration of a person who says they are a Christian and speaks an bad about others or vulgar in their vocabulary.

That’s why Jesus says your words will justify you or it will condemn you.

They are the proof of your heart being transformed in Christ.

James (Half Brother of Jesus) Builds on This Truth

James Chapter 3 goes in detail on why we must strive to “Tame the Tongue”

Encourage them to read the entirety of the Chapter on their own time.

Here are three things we can take away from it:

Tough to Tame

James 3:2 “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”

James 3:7–8 “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Tiny yet Toxic

James 3:3–5 “If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!”

Truth or Trouble

James 3:9–12 “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

What Should We Take Away From All This

The tongue is powerful.

It can destroy nations, communities, churches, families, and lives.

Scripture is crystal clear—from Proverbs to Psalms to Jesus to James.

Our words reflect the condition of our hearts.

Though we may mess up, we must consciously strive to speak life.

The world is watching. Our speech can either lead people to Jesus—or push them away.

Invitation