The Heart of Our Words

Introduction

In 1939, during the early days of World War II, the British government printed a simple poster designed to boost morale in case of a Nazi invasion. You’ve probably seen it—bold white letters on a red background with a crown at the top: “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

But what most people don’t know is that the poster was never widely distributed. In fact, it wasn’t rediscovered until the year 2000, when a bookstore owner found one folded up in a box of old books. It had been forgotten for decades.

Why bring that up?

Because the phrase “Keep Calm and Carry On” sounds catchy—but it’s incomplete. It tells people how to behave under pressure but not how to prepare for pressure. It assumes people will have the strength, calmness, and inner resolve to carry on—when, in reality, most of us don’t. Especially when life squeezes us.

And here’s the truth: when life squeezes you, whatever is inside of you will come out. Especially in your words.

When someone cuts you off in traffic…

When your spouse criticizes you unfairly…

When your kid pushes that one button again…

What comes out of your mouth isn’t just a random burst—it’s a reflection of what’s already in your heart.

That’s why Solomon gives us a different kind of wartime poster in Proverbs 4:23. Not one to hang on a wall, but one to hang on our souls:

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

In other words: if you want to guard your words, you’ve got to guard your heart.

This morning, we’re not going to settle for surface-level behavior change. We’re going to dig deep—to the source of our speech. Because the condition of your heart determines the content of your mouth.

Let’s open our Bibles to Proverbs 4:23–24.

**Introduction to series**

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

I want you to think about your own life. Words have deep impact on us, don’t they? We remember that cutting word someone said to us/about us a long time ago…and there are words of encouragement that we carry with us our entire lives.

Verbally abusive relationships

James 3:7–10 “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. 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.”

This morning, I want us to look specifically at two verses from Proverbs chapter 4.

Proverbs 4:23–24 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.”

Now, our two verses this morning are loaded. There is instruction and there is _______________. So, I want to take the majority of our time this morning unpacking them.

If we could summarize Proverbs 4:23-24 in one sentence, it would be this:

Main Idea

To speak life-giving words, I must guard the condition of my heart.

The heart is the source, the mouth is the outlet, and our words carry power.

With our words, we lie. We gossip. We slander. But, we also use words to encourage. We express love (other examples).

Words don’t just happen. We don’t just open our mouths and out they come.

Here’s the deal—we wouldn’t be doing this sermon series if there wasn’t a problem. We wouldn’t be doing this series if there weren’t people in your life—maybe in this room—that you don’t speak to anymore. We wouldn’t be doing this series if none of us ever spoke words of anger. If it wasn’t a problem, the Bible wouldn’t even address it!

And, if we’re going to address the issue…then we’ve got to address it the way the Bible does—going deep below the surface.

Iceberg—Underneath the surface of the water is what sunk the Titanic

Before we guard our words, we have to guard our heart.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance…”

What IS the “heart”?

In the Bible, the “heart,” refers to more than just the blood pumping organ in your chest. It was used much in the same way as it’s used today. Maybe you’ve said to someone, “I love you with all my heart.” Or, “my heart goes out to that person.” Or, “that just broke my heart.”

We know what a person means when they say that. I mean…that’s not a super romantic thing to say “I love you with the organ in my chest.” And, your actual/literal heart didn’t break…you’d be dead.

The Bible uses the metaphor “heart” to represent a person’s emotions, their personality, their inner life—the totality of who a person is.

Really, if we narrow it down even further, the Bible uses “heart” to describe a person’s central command center. The heart determines everything about our actions, our course of life, and, especially, our words.

A couple of weeks ago, I flew to Washington DC. There’s nothing more sanctifying for a Christian right now than dealing with airlines. Our flight was over an hour late departing from Montgomery and when we got to DC we came in for a landing, then about 100 feet off the ground, took off straight upward. We circled the airport for another hour then when we landed had to sit at the back corner of the airport because there wasn’t a gate to park at. A recent news report told about how air traffic control at airports all over the US are working with outdated equipment, they’re overwhelmed, and because they’re in a mess…it affects everything and everything is a mess.

There’s a problem. There’s a problem with our control center—our hearts.

What is the problem?

Contrary to Disney theology, following your heart is terrible advice. We have broken and sinful hearts that lead us astray. There are many passages in the Bible that speak to this heart problem that humans have, but listen to the words of King Solomon in Proverbs…

Proverbs 22:15 “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child…”

Proverbs 20:9 “Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?”

Proverbs 28:26 (NASB95) “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.”

You’ve heard it said, “The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.”

So, Solomon, knowing the source and knowing the problem, gives us a command…“Keep your heart with all vigilance…”

The Command

What does “keep” mean and what does “vigilance” mean?

“Keep”—to care for it, to watch it, to tend it…take great care of it

“Vigilance” — extra careful

We’ve got to realize that everything we allow in our lives affects our hearts. It’s either a threat or a blessing.

So, how do I keep watch over my heart with all vigilance?

Proverbs 4:20–22 “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.”

Round-the-clock

1) Protecting my words begins with protecting my heart.

2) My heart is the pipeline to my mouth.

“…for from it flow the springs of life.”

When our lips move, our heart speaks. The condition of our heart determines the content of our words.

Luke 6:45 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

You know, we use our words to express our feelings…to express our thoughts…ideas. We use words to reveal. But…our words actually reveal about us.

3) There is power in my words.

Blessing or Curses

Death and Life are in the power of the tongue. This is what we’re going to be dealing with for the next few weeks.

GOSPEL

Let me make a connection for us/tie all of this together…

In Genesis chapter 2, Adam is given the responsibility of “keeping” the garden—the temple. The Hebrew word used in Genesis 2 for Adam’s role of “keeping” the garden means to watch/care for/guard/protect. He was to guard/protect/care for the garden against the serpent—Satan—and he failed.

The priests were charged with “keeping” the temple—guard it and protect it against anything unclean.

Our “hearts” —the totality of who we are is unclean. It’s corrupted. Its sinful. What we need is cleansing. We need a new heart…a new person.

There’s good news.

Where Adam failed to guard and protect, Jesus succeeded.

Jesus came as the second Adam.

He guarded His heart perfectly.

He spoke no deceit.

He was reviled and did not revile in return.

He went to the cross and died for our sinful hearts and poisonous tongues.

And now, by His Spirit, He gives us new hearts.

John 7:38 – “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

For someone today you need a new beginning. You need new life…to be born again and saved from your sinfulness. Maybe you need to hear and receive the words of life this morning—God: “I love you.” Jesus—John 3:16

You may be here today and you’ve been hurt by words and you need to be HEALED by the words of life—Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Maybe you’re saved and you haven’t been keeping watch over your heart. If you were being honest, you would have to admit that sin and corruption, like weeds, have overgrown the garden of your heart….the evil one has made it unclean.

And, when we’re saved…the Bible says that we become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you’ve let your words hurt/destroy. Maybe instead of pointing the finger in blame (EXAMPLES), you need to examine your own heart. Repentance.

Maybe there is someone you need to be reconciled to.

If we’re going to experience victory over our words we’ve got to have victory over our hearts.