Words Matter Elementary

Opening

Good morning everyone! I’m really glad to be here with you today.

Let me ask you a question, and I want you to answer out loud if you know it.

How many of you have ever heard someone say:

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”?

Yeah… people say that a lot.

When I was a kid, we used to say something else. We would say, “I’m rubber and you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.”

That sounds pretty tough, doesn’t it?

But here’s the truth.

It’s not true.

Bones heal. Bruises go away. But words can stay in our hearts for a long, long time.

Question: Let me see a show of hands, How many of you can remember something someone said to you that hurt your feelings?

Yeah. Me too.

Words can stick.

That’s why the Bible takes words very seriously.

Jesus said something very important in the Bible. Listen carefully to what He said in 

Matthew 12:37 ICB:VCCRU

37 The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty.”

That sounds serious, doesn’t it?

Why would Jesus talk about words like that?

Because words matter.

Let’s say that together: Words matter.

Object Lesson #1: Toothpaste

Let me show you what I mean.

(hold up a tube of toothpaste)

Who knows what this is?

Right — toothpaste.

We all use it.

Watch this.

(squeeze toothpaste onto a plate)

Now I have a question.

Can I put the toothpaste back in the tube?

Everyone say it together:  No!

Once it’s out, it stays out.

Words are like toothpaste.

Once words come out of our mouths, we can’t push them back in.

We can say, “I’m sorry.” We can try to fix things. But the words have already been heard.

That’s why God cares about what we say.

Words can:

help people

hurt people

make someone feel loved

or make someone feel sad

Over time, words can shape how people feel about themselves.

Why God Cares About Words

The Bible talks a lot about our words.

In the book of James, the Bible tells us that our tongue is small, but very powerful. That’s found in James 3:2–10

In that passage, God compares our tongue to:

a small piece that helps turn a big horse

a tiny rudder that helps steer a big ship

a small spark that can start a big fire

James 3:2–10 ICB:VCCRU

2 We all make many mistakes. If there were a person who never said anything wrong, he would be perfect. He would be able to control his whole body, too. 3 We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. We can control their whole bodies. 4 It is the same with ships. A ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship. The man who controls the rudder decides where the ship will go. The ship goes where the man wants. 5 It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about doing great things. A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. It starts a fire that influences all of life. The tongue gets this fire from hell. 7 People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them. 8 But no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil. It is full of poison that can kill. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people. And God made them like himself. 10 Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers, this should not happen.

That teaches us something important.

Even small words can make a big difference.

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 15:11

Matthew 15:11 ICB:VCCRU

11 It is not what a person puts into his mouth that makes him unclean. It is what comes out of his mouth that makes him unclean.”

That means our words don’t just pop out by accident.

They come from inside us.

Words Come From the Heart

Jesus says in Matthew 12:34

Matthew 12:34 ICB:VCCRU

34 …The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart.

That tells us what fills your heart is what comes out of your mouth.

Let’s say that together: What fills my heart comes out of my mouth.

Good.

Now let me show you what that looks like.

Object Lesson #2: The Cup and the Ping-Pong Balls

(hold up a clear cup already filled with colored water)

Right now, this cup looks calm.

Nothing is spilling. Nothing looks messy.

But notice something important.

The cup is already filled with something.

Now I’m going to add these.

(hold up ping-pong balls)

Each of these stands for something that happens in your life.

(drop them in one at a time)

This one is when someone makes you mad. This one is when someone is mean to you. This one is when you feel embarrassed. This one is when something doesn’t go your way. This one is when other kids want you to do something you know is wrong.

As I add them, what happens?

The water rises.

Eventually…

(let it spill)

What came out?

The same thing that was already inside.

Here’s what Jesus wants us to understand.

When things happen in your life, words come out. Those words show what has been filling your heart.

If your heart is full of anger, angry words come out. If your heart is full of kindness, kind words come out.

A Serious Warning (Explained Gently)

Jesus gives a serious warning in the Bible about words.

In Matthew 12:31–32, Jesus talks about people who saw Him do amazing things and still kept saying, “I don’t want Him.”

They used their words again and again to push Jesus away.

Jesus warns them because when someone keeps saying “no” to God over and over, their heart can become very hard.

Now listen carefully.

Jesus is not talking about:

making a mistake

saying the wrong thing one time

asking questions

learning and growing

Jesus loves kids who are learning.

This warning is about people who decide they don’t want God and keep saying it.

Our words show which way our hearts are turning.

God Hears Every Word

Jesus also says something important in Matthew 12:36

Matthew 12:36 ICB:VCCRU

36 And I tell you that people will have to explain about every careless thing they have said. This will happen on the Judgment Day.

God hears every word we say.

That means God hears:

mean jokes

unkind teasing

gossip

words we think don’t matter

The Bible says in Psalm 139:4

Psalm 139:4 ICB:VCCRU

4 Lord, even before I say a word, you already know what I am going to say.

That doesn’t mean God is waiting to punish us.

It means God cares about what we say because God cares about people.

What “Justified” Means (Kid-Friendly)

Jesus says our words can either justify us or condemn us in Matthew 12:37

Matthew 12:37 ICB:VCCRU

37 The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty.”

Our words don’t save us, Jesus saves us.

But our words show what is happening in our hearts.

The Good News About Jesus

Here’s the best part.

Jesus never said anything mean. Jesus never said anything unkind. Jesus never said anything wrong.

And yet Jesus was punished.

Not for His words, for ours.

Jesus died on the cross so our wrong words could be forgiven.

When Jesus lives in our hearts, He helps us speak differently.

Not perfectly. Not all at once. But little by little.

Conclusion

Words matter.

They can hurt or help. They can tear down or build up. They show what is happening inside us.

So here’s the question for you.

When something hard happens, what kind of words come out of you?

And what does that say about what is filling your heart?

Jesus cares about your words because Jesus cares about you.

Let’s say that together: Jesus cares about my words because He cares about me.

Prayer

Let’s pray.

Jesus, thank You for loving us. Thank You for forgiving us when we say wrong things. Please help our hearts be filled with Your love, so our words show Your kindness. Amen.