Focus on Words

Our theme for 2026 is “Embrace Transformation”

We are in a series on the Book of James, “Faith that works.”

Faith has to work.

It’s not enough to believe it, you have to do it.

It has to change you in fundamental ways so that you embrace transformation.

First, we talked about how faith is a process.

We know it is a positive spiral of turning our tests into endurance.

Keeping God at the center of our spiral keeps us headed in the right direction.

Secondly, we need to become observant listeners and responsive followers.

This turns our whole understanding of faith or religion around.

Instead of doing what we do to try to become something.

We internalize what God says about us, and that becomes the source of both our thoughts and our actions.

We then had a report from the team that went to Honduras about their experiences of putting faith into action.

False religion judges people.

You are either in or out according to what you do or don’t do.

We talked about how the church has been divided into those who prioritize right belief and those who prioritize right practice.

And what is the problem with either of those positions?

If you separate faith and works, saying one is more vitally important than the other, you lose the integrity of both!

Real Christianity is not faith versus works - it’s faith and works.

James is making his point pretty clear- but we’re not done yet.

Words lead to actions, and actions validate words.

As I said last week, many Protestant believers, beginning with the reformer - Martin Luther - perceived James as emphasizing works over faith.

Not at all! He is simply saying that the two cannot and must not be separated.

When it comes to words and actions - James takes time to focus on words.

Why? Because that is how we get a handle on our actions.

Complex life controlling behaviors can be turned around, but it begins with words.

The twelve step recovery program has become a standard for all kinds of recovery, not just from alcohol. There are also many versions of the model. Celebrate Recovery is a Christian version that has made a huge impact on many lives.

DO you know what the first step of virtually every twelve step program? The first step is to admit that you have a problem. and it’s out of control. That requires words.

“Hi, my name is Joel, and I have a problem that is out of control.”

That is the first step. Later, you need to admit to yourself, to God and to someone else exactly what that problem is. And after a few more steps later, you will need to name the people who have been impacted by your problem.

The twelve step program is essentially words that are then followed by actions. Appropriate action begin with recognition and thus, appropriate words.

We already said that words without action are not enough.

Well neither are actions without the appropriate words.

Words are very important.

Words are how we determine what we are going to focus on.

Words set a course for our actions.

Most of what we end up doing is first processed through our words.

Our words give expression to our thoughts and help us to see what that thought can look like in reality.

We see how people react to our words, and it gives us an indication of their impact.

Sometimes just hearing our own words is enough to convince us of the rightness or wrongness of our own thoughts.

As long as they are rolling around in our head they make sense, but when we hear ourselves say it, something goes - whoa! - that sounded better in my head.

A faith that works needs to be very intentional about how we use words.

Words are like the sights on a gun. You aim a gin by aligning, usually a single sight called a “bead” at the tip of the barrel with a double sight called a “crook” a least half way back on the barrel. When the sights are properly adjusted and they align, that is how you hit your target.

The same is true of our words and our actions.

If our words align with our actions and they are properly adjusted to what God says is true about us - that will hit the target every time.

So are you ready to focus on a very specific area of you life which has huge importance?

If you get this one thing right, everything else is going to go so much better.

“One thing?” you say, “that sounds easy!’

Yes it does, but it’s not, because that one thing is your words.

If you are following along on your bulletin insert outline or on your e-bulletin, we are in James chapter 3.

Which way does the spiral go?

James 3:1–2 ESV

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 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 say here, that if you get your words right, that is the path to perfection.

Do you remember that word “perfect” from chapter one.

It doesn’t mean you have arrived - it means you are in process.

You are on the right track - a positive spiral.

Chapter one talks about the positive spiral being tests which lead to a pattern of endurance and that being a sign of completion/ perfection/ maturity.

Not that you are done, but that you have the right trajectory - an upward spiral.

Then he also describes a downward spiral which is desire leading to sin which produces death.

That is why we rejoice in our trials, because each test is an opportunity to act intentionally - not according to our base desires.

Every choice we make is either contributing to the upward spiral or the downward one.

“Hey, wow! I didn’t know that my choices were that important!”

Most of us have more power and influence than we realize.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, we often view ourselves as powerless.

We compare ourselves to others who we perceive as more powerful.

People in our lives who are more assertive or even intimidating.

The truth is, that people who do that are often insecure themselves and overcompensating for it with their words and actions.

So James begins his focus on words by addressing those who presume to speak confidently and assertively expecting other people to listen - the teachers.

Keep in mind, James is not just talking about people with a job to teach.

He is taking about the ones who speak up in public meetings.

People who get up on a soapbox and have an opinion that they think needs to be heard.

These are the social “influencers” of the first century.

Like todays’ social media, there is no real system of credentials - just people who seem like they know something and thereby created a following.

Anybody can call themselves a teacher - you just have to get other people to call you “rabbi” and viola! your a rabbi!- a teacher.

It’s like getting a lot of likes and follows on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.

So James opens with a statement as a reality check to all the people who aspire to become rabbis or influencers...

With great power, comes great responsibility.

That is a quote attributed to either the French philosopher Voltaire or to Spiderman, depending on where you do your reading.

But it appears that the idea was articulated long before them both by the Apostle James and even Jesus before him.

If you presume to speak as one who is enlightened or someone possessing authority

If people are quoting you as their source of inspiration

Then just know that you can also be held liable for the actions that result.

Is that also true legally?

I had to look this one up - because generally, people are held responsible for their own actions regardless of who or what caused them.

However, if it can be shown that a person is speaking from a position of authority or having some duty of care - then they can be held legally responsible for the harm caused by their words.

If a persons words are recklessly misleading or that they intentionally chose harmful words intended to cause damage - that might just hold up in court as defamation.

But then consider that James is not talking about the standards of a human court, but God’s judgement.

He already knows what we are thinking.

He knows what was behind those words.

And God expects us to care for one another.

Especially those who serve as role models.

That suddenly adds a lot of weight to our words.

But, just as everywhere else in the book of James - he is not saying anything new - this all comes from Jesus’ teaching.

Matthew 12:33–36 ESV

33 “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. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

This is Jesus’ teaching on the power of our words - does it sound a little like James?

Not only does Jesus say we will be held accountable for our words -

He is saying that our words - just like our actions - are evidence of what is really in our hearts! - Ouch!

I don’t always like what my words say about my own heart.

If this is true- and coming from Jesus, I have to believe it is- then watching our words becomes the primary way we can know what is in our own hearts.

It’s much easier to intercept words than it is to undo an action.

When we watch our words, we are monitoring our own behavior closer to the source.

It all begins with your words.

The second verse of this chapter makes a really big claim:

James 3:2 NLT

2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

Do you want to know how important your words are?

If you get this one thing right - then everything else falls into place.

Do you think he is overstating his point?

Proverbs 21:23 ESV

23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

I don’t know about you, but I am hard pressed to think of a situation where wrong action isn’t preceded by a careless word.

Proverbs 18:13 NLT

13 Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

The reason that words are so important is because they stand at a pivotal point in the progression of thoughts to behaviors.

Our thoughts come from any number of sources - things we hear or events that happen to us.

They produce in us feelings which are also shaped by our beliefs.

At some point, these thoughts and feelings form into words as a means of expression.

Words don’t alway express precisely what we are thinking, but they are a necessary tool for communicating with others.

It is at this point when thoughts are expressed in words that we get a different perspective on what we are thinking.

In fact, in psychology we call this perspective-taking.

Why do people pay money to talk to a therapist?

Therapists don’t get paid to talk - they get paid not to talk - and to listen.

Because just hearing yourself say what you are thinking can help you recognize and gain a new perspective on those thoughts.

Some thoughts make sense in our own heads, but as soon as we hear it and are able to view it from an outside perspective we can see what needs to be corrected.

Word are small things but they can feel really big, especially when they express big feelings.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that no matter how big things feel in our minds and hearts, God is bigger.

And He puts it all in perspective.

Little things, big consequences.

James 3:3–6 ESV

3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 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. 5 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! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

James uses three different illustrations to say essentially the same thing.

Our tongue which is illustrative of our words may seem like small things, but they have big consequences.

A small bit in a horse’s mouth can control a big horse.

A small rudder on a boat can steer a big ship.

and a tiny spark can set a whole forest on fire.

The lesson: don’t underestimate the power of your words to do good or evil.

Our words represent the beginning of a potential action.

And small beginnings can have a huge impact.

This happens in two different ways according to these illustrations.

Our words set a direction for our lives.

Both the bit and the rudder are used to steer a much larger vessel.

The bit does it by putting pressure on the very sensitive areas of a horses mouth and nose.

A rudder works by deflecting the flow of water past the stern where the ocean currents have the least impact, producing a sideways motion which initiates a turn.

Both of these together illustrate how our words can set a direction for our actions.

Words apply pressure to sensitive situations which can result in a change of action.

Word can direct or deflect the flow of conversation manipulating the current of opinion and changing the course of action.

Proverbs 18:21 CEV

21 Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.

Once you realize the power your words have, you become more intentional as to how you use them.

If our lives are aligned with God’s purpose, then our words become a primary means of serving the Lord.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Words are a means of conveying God’s grace.

God is in the process of rebuilding and restoring humanity.

Paul is instructing believers to use their words in a way that supports what God is doing.

God is all about building people up - helping them to become who He made them to be.

We don’t want to tear people down and destroy what God is doing.

If we want God’s plan and purpose to prevail in our lives and in those around us, the place to start is by restraining that little muscle attached to one end of our oral cavity.

You will be amazed at what a little adjustment can do.

The other way our words are magnified is through how they affect others.

Our words are multiplied through our influence.

James talks about our words being like a fire.

Each year in the US there are an average of over 60,000 forest fires consuming over five million acres. The year 2020 saw over ten million acres burned.

Most of these 80-85% are attributed to human activity. Most of these are preventable. Campfires not extinguished properly. Chainsaws or motorbikes throwing sparks or the carelessly discarded cigarette.

The point is that it is not the size of the flame. any fire can turn into a wild fire if it is not properly contained.

The same is true of our words.

Sometimes the damage is completely unintentional, not because of what was said but because of what was heard.

And sometimes because of what was not said - no clarification.

Word lead to actions - and sometime those actions aren’t even our actions.

We use words to simply express what is in our own minds but what is the effect of our words on others?

Our words are what we bring to the occasion.

They help shape our relationships and our interactions.

Life is like a church potluck. Each of us contributes something to the experience and everyone else tastes what we bring.

What kind of words do you bring?

How do they taste? Are they nourishing?

Do people come back for seconds?

Colossians 4:6 ESV

6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Try thinking about he impact that your words have on others?

Just like with preventing forest fires; you have to think about what is around you.

Is what you say going to start any fires?

Consider the source.

James 3:7–12 ESV

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

James is giving the analogies rapidly - Most of them would already be known to his audience because they are directly from the teaching of Jesus and the Old Testament.

Like your words being compared to a spring of water.

Proverbs 10:11 ESV

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

or like trees bearing fruit.

Proverbs 15:4 ESV

4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Between the tree analogy and the references to good and evil, it seems that James is calling to mind the garden of Eden and the choice that was made there.

Our words provide each of us with the same choice.

We are all capable of both good and evil.

Adam and Eve were the only humans that never knew sin until they chose it.

The rest of us have always had a sinful nature since the day we were born.

However, we were also created in God’s image.

Are people basically good or evil? - The answer is both.

Our new nature comes alive in Christ and empowers our right choices, but some good traits have always been there.

Humanity is a mixture of good and evil and Christ is the key to sorting it all out

But when it comes to our thoughts and our words we can have conflicting thoughts, intentions and even words going on at the same time.

This must seem rather odd from heaven’s perspective.

I wonder if that is why Paul taught that we should take our thoughts captive?

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 MEV

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, 5 casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

How do you take a thought captive?

First of all, don’t let it out of your mouth!

But even before that, the basic idea is that we are restrained our thinking.

We don’t just let our minds run wild.

We put things into perspective.

Specifically, we look at it from the perspective of the truth revealed in Christ.

Do you ever talk to God about your thoughts?

Seriously, try rehearsing your thoughts with God like people do with their therapist.

It’s not weird - lots of people do it - it’s called prayer!

Keep a running conversation going in your head with the Holy Spirit.

What would happen if we formulate our thoughts into words expressed to God before they ever leave our mouth?

First of all, it brings an outside perspective into the equation much sooner.

And that enables us to more often make corrections before the damage is done!

You may say, “I don’t think God wants to hear some of my thoughts!”

My point exactly!

Why risk anyone else hearing it then?

But tell me, is there anyone else besides God who can handle it?

Each word represents a conscious choice.

James 3:9–10 CSB

9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.

This world is engulfed in a spiritual battle and humanity is at the center of it.

Each of our lives has great potential for good or for evil.

We can join God in his restoration of humanity.

Or we can go our own way and live life on our own terms.

By default, we become part of the rebellion.

And our words are our most powerful weapon.

We had an example in the news this week of a local officer who, probably accidentally, discharged his weapon before he had followed all of the protocol steps. It was a tense moment in the early morning hours. The exact circumstances were only known after the fact. It could have happened to anyone. But a life was needlessly ended as a result. And now also an officer’s career.

Have you ever done that with your words - let one slip and suddenly there is damage that you can’t undo?

In a tense moment?

When you’re tired?

When you are feeling threatened, even though it may just be a misunderstanding?

This is why we must view every word as a choice?

We can have a lot of conflicting thoughts and feelings go through our minds and our hearts, but our words represent a choice.

Our words pull the trigger.

And once they are out there, you can’t get them back.

In the same way, when we are interacting with other’s it is good to recognize and affirm their words as a choice.

You can tell when someone is struggling, but their words represent a decision.

You may be prophetic and perceive that someone is experiencing a spiritual battle - but their words are going to tell you which side is winning.

Always encourage people to use their words and affirm them when they do.

And for all of us, on the positive side - never underestimate the power of a word for blessing and encouragement.

Questions for reflection:

Do your words have power? Have you ever been impacted greatly by one word from someone else? How would you know if what you say was impacting someone else? Wouldn’t it be better to choose every word as if someone were impacted by it?

Maybe you have thought of some word that are already spoken that you which were not? You can’t unsay them, but have you dealt with source of those words in your own heart? If you have, then what does your heart want to say that might bring healing?

How do you handle your conflicting thoughts and emotions? Have you learned to put them into words spoken to God before anyone else hears them? Or are you more careful with the words you pray that the words you speak? With which of those should you be more concerned?