Today’s Scripture Reading James 3:9-12

Real Christians Are CLEAN TALKERS James 3:9-12

A Cursing Epidemic We are living in the midst of a “cursing epidemic”We are living in the midst of a “cursing epidemic” Pardon my FrenchPardon my French The LawnmowerThe Lawnmower Movies and other mediaMovies and other media

No Cursing Signs? We need to remind people that the words we use mark us as either children of God or Children of the devil.We need to remind people that the words we use mark us as either children of God or Children of the devil.

Is Nothing Sacred? These days I hear: Husbands cursing their wivesHusbands cursing their wives Wives cursing their husbandsWives cursing their husbands Parents cursing their childrenParents cursing their children Children cursing parentsChildren cursing parents Christian families cursing one anotherChristian families cursing one another

What Does God Think Of This? We seem to have forgotten that our tongues were created by God – only for GOOD!We seem to have forgotten that our tongues were created by God – only for GOOD! We need to remember that real Christians are CLEAN TALKERSWe need to remember that real Christians are CLEAN TALKERS

Our Dangerous Tongues James 3:2-12 Perfect control of our tongues means perfect control of everything: (vs. 2)Perfect control of our tongues means perfect control of everything: (vs. 2)

Small Tongue – Big Problems! vs. 3-5 How we use our speech determines the direction of our lives.

Flaming Tongues! Vs. 6 – “ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

Wild Tongues! No man can tame the tongueNo man can tame the tongue It is a restless evilIt is a restless evil It is full of deadly poisonIt is full of deadly poison (vs. 7-8)(vs. 7-8)

Forked TonguesVs Praise the Lord and curse our brethren? Fresh and salt water from the same stream? Figs from an olive tree? Grapes from a fig tree? Our tongues are not supposed to be forked!

Wicked Speech: What is it? Cursing Curses Everything Hosea 4:1-3 – No faithfulness No love No acknowledgement of God in the land Only cursing, lying and murder The land mourns and the beasts, fish and birds are dying

The Universal Curse of Cursing There are none who are righteous, not even one. Their throats are an open grave The poison of vipers is on their lips Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness Ruin and misery marks their ways Romans 3:10-18

The Deceitful Smooth Talker Psalm 55:20-21 – My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords. Proverbs 5:3-4 – The lips of an adulteress drip honey Proverbs 26:24-26 – A malicious man may sound charming, but don’t trust him!

The Boastful Flatterer Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips —who is our master?" that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips —who is our master?" Psalm 12:2-4

Beautiful Speech 1 Timothy 4:12 -- Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Let your speech mark you as a Christian

Pure Speech Contributes to a Good Life 1 Peter 3:10 -- For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Righteous People Use Their Speech For Justice Psalm 37:30 -- The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

A Simple Tongue – A Simple Answer Matthew 5:37 -- Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

The Edifying, Beneficial Tongue Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

REAL CHRISTIANS ARE CLEAN TALKERS God created our tongues to give praise to HimGod created our tongues to give praise to Him He intends us to edify, instruct and encourageHe intends us to edify, instruct and encourage He did not intend us to curse, lie, slander or otherwise use our tongues destructivelyHe did not intend us to curse, lie, slander or otherwise use our tongues destructively Every word we speak (and even what we think) either commends us to the Lord, or suggest that our real father is Satan.Every word we speak (and even what we think) either commends us to the Lord, or suggest that our real father is Satan. We must control our tongues and use them as God intended.We must control our tongues and use them as God intended.