The Power to Control

our Tongues

James 3

Teachers will receive a stricter judgment (v.1)

• Teachers are well aware of their message

• Teachers remind everyone else all the time, and they should remind themselves

• We must be careful about what we say while leading Bible classes and giving exhortations!

“We all stumble in many things”We all make many mistakes (RSV)

If we stumble in one point of law, we are guilty of all (2:10)

Be careful ourselves,

and give each other some

slack!

We use little bits in horses’ mouths so they will obey us

We can control big, powerful horses!

Pilots use little rudders to drive big ships

We can control huge ships!

U505

It spreads through the whole forest!

It only takes one match

start up a fire!

The tongue is a fire: it is spokesman for our hearts

"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the

abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matt 12:34)

It can easily start ecclesial fires!

Tongue boasts great

things

It reveals our pride and can stir up trouble

God put our tongues in

our faces (6)

It is a focus of attention and can defile our whole body!

It can be stimulated and

fueled by garbage and

waste

Don’t start the fires:Help to put them

out

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of

God

Humans can train all these!

We cannot tame our tongue! (8)

• It is an unruly or restless evil• It is full of deadly poison• “tame” used of Legion in Mk 5:4• “unruly” is translated “unstable” in 1:8• “poison” used in James 5:3 of the “corrosion” of

gold & silver that will consume flesh like fire

No one can tame their tongue!

No one can tame

their tongue

But the word of

God can!

Same tongue blesses God

(v.9)

And curses men created

in God’s image

We can try to keep our mouths shutWhen there are many

words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. (Prov. 10:19) [NASB]

And give God’s word time to work on our hearts

Our tongues reveal what’s in

our hearts

We can bless God our Father

My brethren, these things ought not to be

so!

We can curse men in God’s

image

Verse 11

Does a spring send forth fresh water and salt water from the same opening?

Will…

Yield Yield

Will….Verse 12

Listen to your tongue

It tells you what your heart really desires

If we really want to be God’s children and live like him, His word

will influence our hearts and control our tongues

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be

also” (Matt 6:21)

Our conduct is evidence of the wisdom that motivates us (13)

We must show by good conduct that

our works are done in the

meekness of wisdom – not for the glory of the

flesh

The wisdom from the earth

Earthly, sensual & demonic

Bitter envy Self-seekingBoast & Lie against the

truth

Two kinds of WisdomFrom earth• Sensual• Demonic

Manifests:• Envy• Self-seeking

Leads to:• Confusion• Every evil thing

From Above:

1st Pure

Then Peaceable

Gentle

Willing to yield

Full of mercy

Good fruits

Single-minded people let the wisdom from above change their

lives

Let’s practice speaking the fruit of the Spirit

Next Class:We’ll look at how

the wisdom of God can peacefully

grow the fruit of righteousness in

our hearts