James: Week 6

Our words can be either a blessing or a curse to the people around us. Believers must learn to control their tongues and to use their words for good, not evil.

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What point did these illustrations make about our speech?

Which illustration stood out most vividly to you? Why?

How have you personally felt the destructive power of words?

When have you hurt someone with your words?

How have you personally felt the power of words to bless?

When have you comforted someone with your words?

How do words reveal the progress of our faith?

Part 1: Blessings

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Look at paying attention to God’s Words

What words are used in to indicate speech?

Why is it important to understand that God is both powerful and personal, transcendent yet intimate?

God has made Himself known to us. He has entrusted us with His Word. As image bearers and ambassadors of our King, we should be intentional about spreading the good news of reconciliation with our Creator.

Your words are powerful. You can’t speak stars and planets into existence, but you can speak in a way that spreads light or darkness.

Think about the most recent words you spoke to somebody. Were they generally positive or negative?

Positive Negative

In general would you consider your speech to be negative and discouraging or positive, encouraging, and life-giving? Mark you response on the scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Always negative Always positive

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Your words and your tone of voice- what you say and how you say it- create an environ ment that’s either more or less conducive to the Gospel. What you say in general contributes to the likelihood that someone will listen to what you have to say specifically about abundant, eternal life through faith in Christ.

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Why is encouragement an integral part of Christian community?

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Part 2: Curses

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Cursing is a verbal attack, hatred, a violence of heart toward people who bear the image of our Creator. It’s a deification of ourselves and a dehumanization of someone else, elevating ourselves to a judge by condemning another person. The sin isn’t a rude word necessarily, but hatred for another human being created in the likeness of God. Ultimately, it’s contempt for God.

In the think of the phrase “people who are made in the likeness of God.” How might our comments and jokes harm or dehumanize people made in the image of God?

James uses the tongue to a horse’s bit, a ship’s rudder, a fire’s spark, a deadly poison, and a salty pond. These images highlight the fact that one tiny comment can have a wildly disproportionate damaging effect.

Just as environmental conditions contribute to the spread of a wildfire, a host of factors are at play each time you open your mouth to speak. One hateful word can destroy a fragile heart. One careless words can spark intense hurt that you never imagined. A wound is no less painful when it’s inflicted unintentionally.

How have your wounds affected your view of your self-worth, they way you relate to other people, and the way you relate to God?

How do careless words spoken by Christians harm the reputation of the church and, by extension, Jesus Christ?

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Summarize this sobering warning in your own words.

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When do you get angry? What does your answer reveal about your heart?

What type of sinful speech seems hardest to control (cursing, crudeness, boasting, lying, gossiping) What does your answer reveal about your heart?

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We don’t just avoid evil, we must replace it with something else. Behavior modification is not the goal, but genuine life-change through Jesus Christ.