WEBVTT 00:00:00.910 --> 00:00:11.570 good morning this is one of the things that um 00:00:11.570 --> 00:00:14.830 i joke that they don't tell you in pastor school 00:00:14.830 --> 00:00:20.309 is that um you're constantly always revising 00:00:20.309 --> 00:00:25.710 your message always um you're never done writing 00:00:25.710 --> 00:00:28.890 it in your brain so And one more thing that I 00:00:28.890 --> 00:00:30.750 was like, oh, I need to add that in there just 00:00:30.750 --> 00:00:33.789 now. Anyway, good morning, everyone. It's good 00:00:33.789 --> 00:00:37.969 to see you from here, here, with our message. 00:00:38.350 --> 00:00:41.670 We are making our way through the Book of James 00:00:41.670 --> 00:00:44.490 this summer. If you've been here for a few weeks, 00:00:44.490 --> 00:00:46.609 you know that. If you're new here, this is where 00:00:46.609 --> 00:00:50.609 we are, in the Book of James. It is later in 00:00:50.609 --> 00:00:53.299 the New Testament. kind of tucked away in a bunch 00:00:53.299 --> 00:00:55.600 of smaller books. It's right after Hebrews is 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.200 longer, but it's right after Hebrews, and it's 00:00:58.200 --> 00:01:01.520 just like you've got the Peters, the Johns. So 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:05.680 a lot of these little tiny writings and letters 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:09.040 that are easy to read in one sitting. The book 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:11.579 of James is great like that. If you've not ever 00:01:11.579 --> 00:01:14.480 read a book of the Bible in one sitting, James 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:17.739 is a great one to do it with. It takes about 00:01:17.739 --> 00:01:22.099 15 to 10 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes. easy to access. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:25.780 A few weeks ago Alex preached and he was up here 00:01:25.780 --> 00:01:29.340 and he shared that James is his favorite book 00:01:29.340 --> 00:01:36.280 and I had not been in it to study it in a while 00:01:36.280 --> 00:01:39.560 and so in prep for this message I read through 00:01:39.560 --> 00:01:42.359 the book a few times and I had forgotten how 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:45.120 much of James I have very specific history with. 00:01:45.980 --> 00:01:48.519 Again, it's not a long book but it is densely 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:52.790 packed with practical, very practical and sensible 00:01:52.790 --> 00:01:56.049 things. And so, in fact, I was so glad to get 00:01:56.049 --> 00:02:00.390 to preach today's message because I did take 00:02:00.390 --> 00:02:04.129 some time to reflect on the early days of being 00:02:04.129 --> 00:02:06.269 a Christian and what that looked like for me. 00:02:06.310 --> 00:02:11.169 I was 14. I don't know, like when you're coming 00:02:11.169 --> 00:02:14.610 into it not having grown up in it, it can feel 00:02:14.610 --> 00:02:16.530 a little overwhelming because there's a lot to 00:02:16.530 --> 00:02:20.419 know, there's a lot to absorb. constantly learning 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:23.240 things and God is constantly revealing things 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:27.060 to you and teaching you things. And so I remember 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:33.360 James felt very accessible to me. And I remember 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:37.439 thinking that these are really easy things to 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:41.699 attach onto. And even now. Looking through the 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:44.039 book, there's not a whole lot to excavate culturally. 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:48.080 I love digging in historically and culturally 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.580 to a book. I want to know every corner of every 00:02:51.580 --> 00:02:54.439 cultural aspect in a word study. I want to know 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:56.620 all that stuff. I want to know the landscape, 00:02:56.780 --> 00:02:59.960 and I want to know who was there, and what was 00:02:59.960 --> 00:03:01.879 their background, and where did they come from, 00:03:01.900 --> 00:03:04.680 and I want to know all of it. James, you don't 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:06.400 really need to do a whole lot of that with it. 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.289 There's not a whole lot that needs. word studies 00:03:11.289 --> 00:03:14.090 or background, the words as they are meet us 00:03:14.090 --> 00:03:18.669 in our world today very easily. So yeah, as a 00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:20.530 new Christian, this book presented me with things 00:03:20.530 --> 00:03:24.830 to hold on to that I've kept with me for so long 00:03:24.830 --> 00:03:27.990 as I was working on adjusting how I lived in 00:03:27.990 --> 00:03:30.189 the world. So we're going to just jump right 00:03:30.189 --> 00:03:33.430 in. We are in the book of James. We are in chapter 00:03:33.430 --> 00:03:37.830 three. So again, it's right after Hebrews, later 00:03:37.830 --> 00:03:40.680 in the... New Testament, if you are looking for 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:43.199 it in a physical Bible. If you have a digital 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:47.719 Bible on your phone, just look up James. And 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:51.340 you can even Google search James 3, 1 through 00:03:51.340 --> 00:03:55.020 12, and it will bring up the passage in a couple 00:03:55.020 --> 00:03:58.419 different sources. So at the house, we have a 00:03:58.419 --> 00:04:01.060 tradition that as you are able, please take a 00:04:01.060 --> 00:04:03.580 posture of attention. So I invite you to stand 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:06.330 if that is how that works for you. Standing is 00:04:06.330 --> 00:04:10.590 a good way to position or even energize our bodies. 00:04:10.849 --> 00:04:13.710 So I'm going to read to you James 3, 1 through 00:04:13.710 --> 00:04:17.670 12. Not many of you should become teachers, my 00:04:17.670 --> 00:04:20.290 brothers and sisters, for you know that we who 00:04:20.290 --> 00:04:22.449 teach will face stricter judgment. By the way, 00:04:22.470 --> 00:04:24.350 I'm reading from the new revised standard version, 00:04:24.449 --> 00:04:27.310 updated version. For all of us make mistakes. 00:04:27.670 --> 00:04:30.209 Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is mature, 00:04:30.290 --> 00:04:32.509 able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 00:04:32.550 --> 00:04:36.319 If we put bits into the mouth, mouths of horses 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:39.240 to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:42.860 Or look at ships, though they are so large and 00:04:42.860 --> 00:04:45.660 are driven by strong winds, yet they are guided 00:04:45.660 --> 00:04:49.000 by a very small rudder wherever the will of the 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:52.379 pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small 00:04:52.379 --> 00:04:56.540 member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How 00:04:56.540 --> 00:04:59.199 great a forest is set ablaze by such a small 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.680 fire. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:03.939 placed among our members as a world of iniquity. 00:05:03.939 --> 00:05:06.500 It stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle 00:05:06.500 --> 00:05:09.060 of life, and is itself set on fire by hell. That 00:05:09.060 --> 00:05:12.379 all sounds very dramatic. What he's saying is 00:05:12.379 --> 00:05:16.240 the tongue can do some damage. For every species 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:19.339 of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.600 They can be tamed and has been tamed by the human 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.439 species, but no one can tame the tongue, a restless 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:28.339 evil full of deadly poison. With it, we bless 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:31.160 the Lord and Father, and with it, we curse people 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.279 made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:36.540 comes a blessing and a curse, my brothers and 00:05:36.540 --> 00:05:40.879 sisters. This ought not to be so. Does a spring 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:44.699 pour forth the same opening, both fresh and brackish 00:05:44.699 --> 00:05:47.819 water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, 00:05:47.939 --> 00:05:52.459 yield olives or a grapevine figs? No more can 00:05:52.459 --> 00:05:58.000 salt water yield fresh. Let's pray. God, through 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:01.339 your word today, reveal to us some truths, make 00:06:01.339 --> 00:06:04.819 some pathways clear in our mind. Use your word 00:06:04.819 --> 00:06:08.120 to transform us and to speak deeply into our 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:10.660 hearts and minds. I pray that things take hold 00:06:10.660 --> 00:06:13.120 that need to take hold in us. And that's going 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:16.779 to be different for each of us. as we are each 00:06:16.779 --> 00:06:20.740 here to listen to you and to be taught by you, 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:23.740 to be loved by you and changed by you. Speak 00:06:23.740 --> 00:06:27.560 to us in ways that will transform us each individually, 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:31.379 but also as a church as a whole. And we thank 00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:33.819 you for your faithfulness to us. We pray your 00:06:33.819 --> 00:06:38.019 blessing on the word today. Amen. You may be 00:06:38.019 --> 00:06:42.100 seated. So just a quick reminder over the last... 00:06:43.149 --> 00:06:45.170 A few weeks that we've been in this book, James 00:06:45.170 --> 00:06:49.430 was writing to fellow Jews. That was his audience. 00:06:49.569 --> 00:06:52.769 He was a Jewish man. He was writing to other 00:06:52.769 --> 00:06:56.910 Jewish folks. And this was a group. Because he 00:06:56.910 --> 00:06:59.370 knew he was writing to other Jewish people, they 00:06:59.370 --> 00:07:03.410 had a shared cultural history. Also, all that 00:07:03.410 --> 00:07:07.490 James has written up to this point matters to 00:07:07.490 --> 00:07:11.399 this chapter. in reflection of what we have heard 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:15.180 in the last few weeks it matters to what we are 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:18.779 about to hear so when our writer wrote the initial 00:07:18.779 --> 00:07:22.480 text um just keep in mind there were no verse 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:25.060 breakdowns and title summaries and that sort 00:07:25.060 --> 00:07:27.920 of thing like when you write an email you probably 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:31.759 don't put things in it like an exhortation on 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:34.899 the recent meeting Words about finances and then 00:07:34.899 --> 00:07:36.920 list them. Like you just write your email, right, 00:07:37.019 --> 00:07:38.899 in progression, like thought after thought after 00:07:38.899 --> 00:07:40.399 thought. And that's how the original scriptures 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:44.060 would have been written. It is only like, you 00:07:44.060 --> 00:07:47.079 know, modern day. I say modern day as like scripture 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:50.120 in the last, you know, thousand years has been 00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:53.379 like these subdivisions have been added. So when 00:07:53.379 --> 00:07:55.120 you read scripture and you're like, what are 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:57.319 we referring to? There's probably some stuff 00:07:57.319 --> 00:07:59.459 that. would have come before that is helpful 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:01.740 to know, which is why reading a whole book is 00:08:01.740 --> 00:08:07.199 useful. So with this in mind, prior to this, 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:09.800 James had been talking about the temptation to 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:13.839 show favoritism. He speaks to those who are eager 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:16.740 to talk and to teach at the gatherings of the 00:08:16.740 --> 00:08:19.800 house churches. So some of them may see this 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:22.740 as an opportunity to show off and boost their 00:08:22.740 --> 00:08:25.600 status in the community. They want to be up front. 00:08:25.660 --> 00:08:27.810 They want to be the ones that are the the learned 00:08:27.810 --> 00:08:31.430 teachers looked at as the wise ones. And so James 00:08:31.430 --> 00:08:36.429 here is reminding them that there's a heavy burden 00:08:36.429 --> 00:08:40.649 because words matter. James reminds them that 00:08:40.649 --> 00:08:43.070 teachers carry a heavy responsibility for what 00:08:43.070 --> 00:08:46.149 they say. It is one thing to be mistaken about 00:08:46.149 --> 00:08:51.350 something yourself, but it is another to share 00:08:51.350 --> 00:08:55.169 the information, the mistaken information, broadly. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:59.759 and share it far and wide and mislead others. 00:09:00.019 --> 00:09:03.580 There's a heavy responsibility if you're going 00:09:03.580 --> 00:09:08.860 to be one that shares and teaches and lets your 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:15.159 words travel afar. So words matter. So James 00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:17.840 is, to some degree, saying to them, if you want 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:21.340 to be a teacher, let's just know a few things. 00:09:23.070 --> 00:09:26.610 This was a bit simpler at one time. Certainly 00:09:26.610 --> 00:09:28.870 there were plenty of those who desired to teach 00:09:28.870 --> 00:09:32.350 for nefarious reasons or just even self -indulgent 00:09:32.350 --> 00:09:36.250 ones. Enough so that James wanted to speak to 00:09:36.250 --> 00:09:40.029 it and bring it up. I can't imagine even how 00:09:40.029 --> 00:09:42.549 James would approach this topic now in our world. 00:09:43.269 --> 00:09:46.330 You want to teach? I see what you're posting 00:09:46.330 --> 00:09:50.490 online. You think you're a teacher? That would 00:09:50.490 --> 00:09:54.289 have been a wild letter in comparison, but now 00:09:54.289 --> 00:09:57.470 we have public forums of every kind at the reach 00:09:57.470 --> 00:10:00.649 of all of our hands. People who should not be 00:10:00.649 --> 00:10:02.929 publishing themselves to a potentially global 00:10:02.929 --> 00:10:06.690 audience can broadcast some crazy things. And 00:10:06.690 --> 00:10:08.809 they can call themselves teachers or prophets 00:10:08.809 --> 00:10:12.090 or even beyond that they offer medical or economic 00:10:12.090 --> 00:10:15.789 or political advice without accountability or 00:10:15.789 --> 00:10:18.830 any vetting. Social media literally gives you 00:10:18.830 --> 00:10:22.429 the opportunity to have followers. People's opinions 00:10:22.429 --> 00:10:27.889 about everything are out there, and misinformation 00:10:27.889 --> 00:10:32.629 is like a disease. The visual James offers, how 00:10:32.629 --> 00:10:36.009 great a forest is set ablaze by such a small 00:10:36.009 --> 00:10:39.669 fire. We all know what it's like to watch words 00:10:39.669 --> 00:10:44.480 go viral online, but even... in our own worlds 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:48.919 how world words can just get out of our control 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:52.799 in our own communities in our own world sometimes 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:55.700 even in our own families like that's not what 00:10:55.700 --> 00:10:59.659 i said oh but this is what she said he said like 00:10:59.659 --> 00:11:03.519 words travel that's the thing and we know it 00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:06.700 the words that come out of our mouths often have 00:11:06.700 --> 00:11:10.460 a life of their own so to restate this james 00:11:10.460 --> 00:11:14.990 says of you should become teachers my brothers 00:11:14.990 --> 00:11:18.649 and sisters and in my ears it almost sounds a 00:11:18.649 --> 00:11:23.909 little like the southern bless your heart i love 00:11:23.909 --> 00:11:27.210 the whispering of it you know not many of you 00:11:27.210 --> 00:11:29.730 should become teachers my brothers and sisters 00:11:29.730 --> 00:11:33.309 but to that point i offer i'm this is just a 00:11:33.309 --> 00:11:36.009 little personal aside because i this is a bit 00:11:36.009 --> 00:11:40.669 of a a bit of a soapbox for me In regards to 00:11:40.669 --> 00:11:42.970 our words and the information we share and how 00:11:42.970 --> 00:11:45.789 we watch it and how we share it, just a little 00:11:45.789 --> 00:11:48.710 word on social media. Repost and share responsibly. 00:11:49.070 --> 00:11:51.990 Do your own research. Vet your sources. Look 00:11:51.990 --> 00:11:55.269 at the date of a post. Find out who funded the 00:11:55.269 --> 00:11:59.210 research. Okay. Back to this. Thank you for that 00:11:59.210 --> 00:12:02.049 moment for PSA. Because we are talking about 00:12:02.049 --> 00:12:05.429 words and the sharing of them and the vast movement 00:12:05.429 --> 00:12:07.809 of them. Social media is where it happens a lot. 00:12:07.990 --> 00:12:10.470 This isn't a social media message, but it will 00:12:10.470 --> 00:12:15.190 show up throughout this. So the non -teachers, 00:12:15.190 --> 00:12:16.570 like if you're like, well, I'm not trying to 00:12:16.570 --> 00:12:19.330 teach anybody. We still have a word from this, 00:12:19.450 --> 00:12:22.750 right? Like this is still to us because words 00:12:22.750 --> 00:12:27.210 matter. Words travel farther these days. They 00:12:27.210 --> 00:12:29.269 just do. And I'm not just referring to social 00:12:29.269 --> 00:12:34.720 media. There is something about having opinions 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:38.200 that exists culturally in our world, right? There 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:40.600 is pressure to have an opinion. You need to take 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:42.299 a stance, and you need to speak out, and you 00:12:42.299 --> 00:12:45.240 need to do so right now. And sometimes we feel 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:48.919 pressured to say something in the moment, that 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.600 we have to say something right now. And listen, 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:55.940 I'm not disagreeing with that as an entire concept. 00:12:57.100 --> 00:12:59.500 However, remember, let's remember back to Chapter 00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:03.960 1. of james where he just simply says 119 you 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.100 must understand this my beloved brothers and 00:13:06.100 --> 00:13:11.100 sisters let everyone be quick to listen slow 00:13:11.100 --> 00:13:15.879 to speak and slow to anger so this advice should 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:18.740 also find its way into our toolkit for life and 00:13:18.740 --> 00:13:22.460 in partnership with this message because informed 00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:25.490 opinions are sometimes hard to come by So I say, 00:13:25.509 --> 00:13:28.029 we all need to be reminded that our words go 00:13:28.029 --> 00:13:32.570 far and fast these days in whatever forms they 00:13:32.570 --> 00:13:35.149 are. They are tough to contain, and once they're 00:13:35.149 --> 00:13:40.129 said, they are out there. So our question today 00:13:40.129 --> 00:13:42.149 was, have you ever said anything that you wished 00:13:42.149 --> 00:13:47.269 you could take back? And I'm guessing all of 00:13:47.269 --> 00:13:52.950 us said yes. That feels pretty... Pretty guaranteed 00:13:52.950 --> 00:13:56.389 that we have all said something we wish we could 00:13:56.389 --> 00:14:00.210 take back. We've all said something that even 00:14:00.210 --> 00:14:03.350 in the moment of saying it, we knew it was going 00:14:03.350 --> 00:14:07.870 to go south. And we even thought something that 00:14:07.870 --> 00:14:11.929 we knew beforehand that we shouldn't say. And 00:14:11.929 --> 00:14:15.889 somehow, we still said it. I don't know why I 00:14:15.889 --> 00:14:19.570 said that. I knew I was wrong. It does happen. 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:25.440 you've watched the damage of words be immediate. 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:31.419 You've made an intentional targeted attack and 00:14:31.419 --> 00:14:34.620 you meant to wound. And for some, the damage 00:14:34.620 --> 00:14:37.539 was unknown and even unintended, but the thing 00:14:37.539 --> 00:14:40.960 was said and it did hurt. And that's a tougher 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:45.059 scenario. Who has ever said something and it 00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:47.639 did leave a wound and you never intended it to? 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:53.740 That's another part of this, isn't it? So the 00:14:53.740 --> 00:14:55.679 scriptures are full of warnings about managing 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:59.139 what we say, being thoughtful about what we say, 00:14:59.340 --> 00:15:03.360 being careful and mindful. James' words here 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:08.519 are not new instructions for new believers. He's, 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:11.740 again, speaking to a largely Jewish audience 00:15:11.740 --> 00:15:15.519 who had a cultural background that they shared. 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:18.779 They would have known that these things have 00:15:18.779 --> 00:15:21.360 been spoken about extensively in the Psalms and 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:25.190 Proverbs. they would have known that some of 00:15:25.190 --> 00:15:27.649 these wisdom books in the Hebrew Bible featured 00:15:27.649 --> 00:15:32.309 many thoughts on the topic of our words and what 00:15:32.309 --> 00:15:37.549 we say. So when it's the right time to speak, 00:15:37.769 --> 00:15:41.629 the words are the right thing to add. Scripture 00:15:41.629 --> 00:15:46.129 talks about how we offer these words. So with 00:15:46.129 --> 00:15:49.090 the things that we say, blessings and curses. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:53.539 James talks about this in verse 9 and 10. With 00:15:53.539 --> 00:15:56.240 the tongue we bless the Lord and Father, and 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:58.860 with it we curse people made in the likeness 00:15:58.860 --> 00:16:01.720 of God. From the same mouth comes a blessing 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.240 and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:10.659 not be so. When one thinks of cursing someone, 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:14.179 like when I say we have blessings and curses 00:16:14.179 --> 00:16:17.100 towards people, It might take, what do you imagine 00:16:17.100 --> 00:16:18.639 your head, because I'll tell you what I imagine. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:23.480 It takes the image of a hedge witch with a knobbly 00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:29.659 finger saying, a pox upon your house. If anybody's 00:16:29.659 --> 00:16:33.460 seen The Princess Bride, anybody? There's the 00:16:33.460 --> 00:16:37.259 woman in the crowd that's like, boo, boo to you. 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.679 That's what I remember. I'm not actually wishing 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:46.279 a pox on my head. But that's what comes to mind 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:50.179 when you think about somebody cursing you. And 00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:53.720 honestly, in the first century that this church 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.639 was forming, the Greco -Roman world was culturally 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:00.080 filled with a pantheon of gods. Surely you could 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.659 beseech one of them to bring harm or ill will 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:05.500 to someone who did you dirty, right? And though, 00:17:05.660 --> 00:17:08.220 generally speaking, things are different along 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:11.079 those lines, I don't know that our hearts have 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:15.339 changed. The desire... of ill will to be placed 00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:19.319 on people is real. In my heart, I have hoped 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:21.779 not great things for someone that was consistently 00:17:21.779 --> 00:17:25.279 problematic in my eyes. Maybe not as far as death, 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:27.900 but I have certainly hoped that they got what 00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:30.940 they, I think, they deserved. You've heard people 00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:34.359 say, have the day that you deserve. I hope you 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:37.900 have the day that you deserve. This is not how 00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:41.180 a person of God should be functioning. Even verbally. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:44.599 Common curse words have to be taken into consideration 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:48.819 to some degree. How we say and where we direct 00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:52.460 them, what's in our heart fueling them when sending 00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:57.380 them out matters because words matter. What current 00:17:57.380 --> 00:18:00.660 cuss words have you even directed at someone 00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:05.960 with anger or frustration or ill will in your 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:08.740 heart? Those words come out usually when we're 00:18:08.740 --> 00:18:11.640 angry, right? where we're feeling some type of 00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:15.059 way, how you say them and how you direct them 00:18:15.059 --> 00:18:19.880 does matter. So even for those that we don't 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:23.200 like, we have to hold the truth at hand that 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:27.240 those we like and love and those we dislike are 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.740 both made in the image of God. We are now very 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:34.220 familiar with the phrase imago dei here, and 00:18:34.220 --> 00:18:37.640 we are responsible for seeing others in that 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:41.440 way. God loves them, and truthfully, the thing 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:45.160 that is causing someone to stir something up 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:50.259 in you is not actually them. It's not the creation 00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:52.519 of God. It's the thing in their hearts and their 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:55.039 minds that they're hurt, that they're living 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:57.240 from, the narratives they believe are true, the 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:00.099 experiences they have had or not had, and the 00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:03.420 same goes for you. Those are the things that 00:19:03.420 --> 00:19:07.569 stir up that feeling in us. So when you are thinking 00:19:07.569 --> 00:19:10.250 about somebody and you're thinking in your brain 00:19:10.250 --> 00:19:13.529 and even saying some loose things about, I hope 00:19:13.529 --> 00:19:19.049 that they... Consider, are you looking at the 00:19:19.049 --> 00:19:22.230 Imago Dei and really saying that about God's 00:19:22.230 --> 00:19:27.150 creation? Take a moment and understand what you're 00:19:27.150 --> 00:19:30.589 really frustrated with is the brokenness in us. 00:19:31.549 --> 00:19:37.069 Right? And you have it too. So that changes how 00:19:37.069 --> 00:19:40.829 we look at somebody else and what we think that 00:19:40.829 --> 00:19:47.150 they deserve. Folks, what do we do then? Do we 00:19:47.150 --> 00:19:50.970 bless them? That's a little hard to do, too, 00:19:51.009 --> 00:19:52.230 when you're really frustrated with somebody. 00:19:53.950 --> 00:19:56.150 But perhaps it is something to start practicing. 00:19:58.369 --> 00:20:02.690 May God fill you with truth. May God bring you 00:20:02.690 --> 00:20:06.329 joy. I am frustrated with you, but may God bring 00:20:06.329 --> 00:20:09.069 you joy. Because that's going to change you, 00:20:09.130 --> 00:20:11.910 and that's going to change us. May God bring 00:20:11.910 --> 00:20:16.730 me joy. May God bring you healing. And not said 00:20:16.730 --> 00:20:18.930 with an attitude like, oh, God brings you joy 00:20:18.930 --> 00:20:24.049 because I know. But sincerity in your heart saying, 00:20:24.250 --> 00:20:29.569 may God bring you joy. I am frustrated with you. 00:20:29.710 --> 00:20:35.029 I am angry. I am livid. but your creation of 00:20:35.029 --> 00:20:41.549 God, and may God bring you goodness. That's hard, 00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:43.630 but if you practice it, that will be your go 00:20:43.630 --> 00:20:50.210 -to in those moments. We send a whole world of 00:20:50.210 --> 00:20:53.190 contradictions out from this one place, this 00:20:53.190 --> 00:20:56.589 one place in our body. We have seen the posts 00:20:56.589 --> 00:20:58.430 on social media where we think, that person says 00:20:58.430 --> 00:21:02.839 they're a Christian? Or we've overheard someone 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:05.480 outside of the church setting. We know that they're 00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:08.259 a part of, and we may be a little shocked. Before 00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:11.880 we roll our eyes and mutter such hypocrisy, which 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:18.279 feels like we are all talking about, we've done 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:22.400 it too. Because we are human and it's hard. It's 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:25.960 an area of growth for all of us. So I'm not condemning 00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:29.519 us. I'm saying we can work towards being better. 00:21:30.509 --> 00:21:34.170 James 1 .26, if anyone thinks he is religious 00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:37.750 and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his 00:21:37.750 --> 00:21:41.730 heart, this person's religion is worthless. It's 00:21:41.730 --> 00:21:46.549 a strong indictment. So James talks about blessing 00:21:46.549 --> 00:21:49.349 and curses, but there are a few other of these 00:21:49.349 --> 00:21:52.069 dualities that we find in scripture that I think 00:21:52.069 --> 00:21:54.390 are worth talking about when talking about words 00:21:54.390 --> 00:21:57.430 and the words that we choose and when and how 00:21:57.430 --> 00:22:01.500 we say them or don't. So, I want to offer you 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:05.920 truth and lies, escalation and de -escalation, 00:22:05.940 --> 00:22:09.299 and building up and tearing down. The words that 00:22:09.299 --> 00:22:11.380 we use and how they contribute to these things. 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:15.940 Psalm 3413, keep your tongue from evil and your 00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:19.559 lips from speaking deceit. 1 Peter 3 .10, for 00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:21.940 whoever desires to love life and see good days, 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.019 let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips 00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:27.529 from speaking deceit. In Proverbs 6, 16 through 00:22:27.529 --> 00:22:29.490 19, there are six things that the Lord hates, 00:22:29.509 --> 00:22:31.549 seven that are an abomination to him, haughty 00:22:31.549 --> 00:22:34.589 eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent 00:22:34.589 --> 00:22:38.430 blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet 00:22:38.430 --> 00:22:41.210 that make haste to run to evil, a false witness 00:22:41.210 --> 00:22:44.990 who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord 00:22:44.990 --> 00:22:50.470 among brothers. Don't lie. This one starts early 00:22:50.470 --> 00:22:54.740 in our lives. As a child, we do it out of self 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:57.420 -preservation. We're trying to navigate what 00:22:57.420 --> 00:23:02.579 feels safe and right in the world. When we lie, 00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:06.180 it is usually to save our skin. Or we may even 00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:09.180 say a partial truth, hoping that there's enough 00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:12.259 truth in it that it'll float and not come back 00:23:12.259 --> 00:23:17.480 to us. James 3 .11 says, does a spring pour forth 00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:20.039 from the same opening, both fresh and brackish 00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:23.569 water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, 00:23:23.750 --> 00:23:28.230 yield olives or grapevine figs? No more can salt 00:23:28.230 --> 00:23:30.990 water yield fresh. It's not like we can pull 00:23:30.990 --> 00:23:34.089 the ratios together. If I have more truth than 00:23:34.089 --> 00:23:39.089 I do deceit, then I'm telling the truth. We can't 00:23:39.089 --> 00:23:42.049 balance the ingredients. It's one or the other. 00:23:42.250 --> 00:23:46.990 And one affects the other, doesn't it? Introducing 00:23:46.990 --> 00:23:49.630 even a little deceit into truth makes the whole 00:23:49.630 --> 00:23:52.160 thing deceitful. I think we need to do better 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:54.900 with how we view and say things in this area. 00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:00.119 We've become comfortable with lying. We do it 00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:03.799 a lot in the spirit of saving somebody else's 00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:07.039 feelings. That's where it shows up quite a bit. 00:24:07.500 --> 00:24:09.660 There's a million other ways that lying shows 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:12.539 up, but that's one that is very cultural to us. 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:15.859 It's very American. Americans have a lot of feelings. 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:19.640 And we're very worried about offending or hurting 00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:22.960 someone or saving somebody's feelings. We are 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:26.640 obsessed with offense here. But only in some 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:30.380 ways. But we lie to each other as an effort to 00:24:30.380 --> 00:24:32.279 care for each other, but it's not really caring 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:34.420 for each other if we're not being honest, right? 00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:37.099 It's a terrible practice and it doesn't do good. 00:24:37.700 --> 00:24:41.180 More truth, please. Let's be mindful of that. 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:46.670 More truth. The next one, escalation and de -escalation. 00:24:46.690 --> 00:24:50.289 This is not stated as such scripturally, like 00:24:50.289 --> 00:24:52.849 you don't find the words de -escalation in translations, 00:24:52.869 --> 00:24:56.190 but I'm categorizing it as that because of the 00:24:56.190 --> 00:24:58.890 way some of these following scriptures play out. 00:24:58.950 --> 00:25:02.569 And words do impact this. They have such power 00:25:02.569 --> 00:25:08.049 to add fuel to a fire or even put it out. Proverbs 00:25:08.049 --> 00:25:11.630 12 .18 says, There is one whose rash words are 00:25:11.630 --> 00:25:15.890 like sword thrust. But the tongue of the wise 00:25:15.890 --> 00:25:21.269 brings healing. Proverbs 15 .1 says, A soft answer 00:25:21.269 --> 00:25:25.170 turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 00:25:26.390 --> 00:25:30.349 And Proverbs 26 .20 says, For lack of wood, the 00:25:30.349 --> 00:25:33.910 fire goes out. Don't fuel the fire. And where 00:25:33.910 --> 00:25:37.029 there is no whispering, quarreling ceases. That's 00:25:37.029 --> 00:25:42.289 a good one. For lack of wood, the fire goes out. 00:25:42.670 --> 00:25:44.410 and where there is no whispering, quarreling 00:25:44.410 --> 00:25:48.549 ceases. So again, I said I'm referring to social 00:25:48.549 --> 00:25:50.369 media a lot here today because it is relevant. 00:25:50.450 --> 00:25:54.829 It is where our words stay almost forever, aren't 00:25:54.829 --> 00:25:57.950 they? And where we often find people honestly 00:25:57.950 --> 00:26:02.009 being their absolute worst, their worst selves, 00:26:02.109 --> 00:26:04.130 because they don't have to see the people that 00:26:04.130 --> 00:26:07.369 they're engaging with. So this one's really applicable 00:26:07.369 --> 00:26:10.220 here. If anybody ever saw the movie Anchorman 00:26:10.220 --> 00:26:12.599 and Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy says simply, 00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:15.279 well, that escalated quickly. All you have to 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:17.720 do is look at the comments section in a Facebook 00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:21.619 post or on Instagram or TikTok, and that is very 00:26:21.619 --> 00:26:23.440 applicable. You're like, well, that escalated 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:27.380 quickly. It's never been truer. People come in 00:26:27.380 --> 00:26:32.180 hot on those comments. You're like, wow, where 00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:35.880 did we, how did we get here? All sorts of bravado, 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:39.440 smugness, and accusation show up in comment sections. 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:43.220 Again, we all think that our opinions are fact. 00:26:44.119 --> 00:26:46.480 But also, when we are quick to speak and slow 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:49.460 to listen, when we do the opposite of what we've 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:52.779 been instructed to do, escalation enters the 00:26:52.779 --> 00:26:55.779 chat. And rarely is anyone thinking about cooling 00:26:55.779 --> 00:26:59.660 the fire in those moments. And I'm not talking 00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:02.619 about appeasing people. I don't think that we 00:27:02.619 --> 00:27:07.019 need to be placating. Adding words to words just 00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:10.039 to try to calm everything down for the sake of 00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:12.980 being like, oh, is everybody calm? That's not 00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:19.400 always the best. But perhaps this is where listening 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:22.980 is most important. Listening with ears that hear 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:25.440 behind the words to what's at the core of something 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:29.920 so that when you hear and you do take time to 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:34.000 speak, When you do end up speaking, attention 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:38.319 to the person and what's happening in them is 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:43.920 what's spoken to. That often is quite de -escalating 00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:47.619 and is able to bring the temperature down to 00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:52.680 something, on something. The last one, building 00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:56.339 up and tearing down. This is where our words 00:27:56.339 --> 00:28:01.619 can be good or bad. Ephesians 4 .29, corrupting 00:28:01.619 --> 00:28:04.640 talk come out of your mouths but only such as 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:08.980 good for building up as fits the occasion that 00:28:08.980 --> 00:28:13.880 it may give grace to those who hear how is this 00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:17.640 for you when we speak are we intentional about 00:28:17.640 --> 00:28:21.680 building others up are you even good at building 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:24.599 yourself up or do you tear yourself down with 00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:28.019 your words this line in the verse that i just 00:28:28.019 --> 00:28:31.740 read the last part that it may give grace to 00:28:31.740 --> 00:28:35.720 those who hear. Indicating that it's not just 00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:38.759 the one who receives the exhortation, that's 00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:41.619 not the only person that benefits. For those 00:28:41.619 --> 00:28:45.180 around hearing it, it also benefits them. It 00:28:45.180 --> 00:28:49.500 gives grace to those who hear. What a beautiful 00:28:49.500 --> 00:28:54.839 idea. It's quite common right now to hear tearing 00:28:54.839 --> 00:28:59.630 down. It is all around us. We need less discrediting 00:28:59.630 --> 00:29:02.069 for the sake of dislike. We need less belittling. 00:29:02.130 --> 00:29:06.130 We need less destruction. How can you contribute 00:29:06.130 --> 00:29:10.769 to the better? This last week, New York City 00:29:10.769 --> 00:29:17.130 had an election for their primaries for who they 00:29:17.130 --> 00:29:22.670 will put forth in the mayoral race in November. 00:29:23.130 --> 00:29:25.390 And I saw an interview this week that I thought 00:29:25.390 --> 00:29:29.849 was so cool. Zoran Mamdani and Brad Lender were 00:29:29.849 --> 00:29:33.390 two candidates that were applying both to be 00:29:33.390 --> 00:29:37.210 the mayoral candidate, and they were endorsing 00:29:37.210 --> 00:29:40.730 each other publicly. They were sitting side by 00:29:40.730 --> 00:29:43.170 side in an interview pointing out where in each 00:29:43.170 --> 00:29:45.509 other's platforms they saw goodness and hope 00:29:45.509 --> 00:29:48.609 in each other's efforts. That was phenomenal. 00:29:49.349 --> 00:29:53.829 What a revelation. Y 'all, it can be done. Oh 00:29:53.829 --> 00:29:59.170 my gosh. I pastored a church in 2012 up in Chicago 00:29:59.170 --> 00:30:03.470 for a bit and I would often review my sermon 00:30:03.470 --> 00:30:08.289 at Starbucks in the neighborhood before I went 00:30:08.289 --> 00:30:11.390 over to the church. And every week a man would 00:30:11.390 --> 00:30:14.849 wheel in his elderly mother, she was about 90 00:30:14.849 --> 00:30:18.529 years old, and they'd find a table and he'd go 00:30:18.529 --> 00:30:20.569 and get their coffee and they would sit and she 00:30:20.569 --> 00:30:26.730 didn't say much, but he would just pour out coffee. 00:30:26.730 --> 00:30:30.390 compliments and beautiful words over her. Mom, 00:30:30.589 --> 00:30:32.809 you look so beautiful today. You're so beautiful. 00:30:33.009 --> 00:30:35.410 That's a great hat you chose today. I love that 00:30:35.410 --> 00:30:38.690 scarf. That color is amazing on you. I'm so happy 00:30:38.690 --> 00:30:41.670 to see you. I'm so happy we get to spend time 00:30:41.670 --> 00:30:44.269 together this morning. I love our time together. 00:30:44.730 --> 00:30:48.069 It was just, and I'm not kidding, an outpouring 00:30:48.069 --> 00:30:51.630 of that. He just continued to say these beautiful 00:30:51.630 --> 00:30:54.549 things over her. He wasn't loud, but the room 00:30:54.549 --> 00:30:57.200 wasn't big and it was easy to hear him. And I 00:30:57.200 --> 00:31:01.799 loved it. What a thing to be near. It was powerful 00:31:01.799 --> 00:31:06.319 being around so much support and acknowledgement 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:11.420 of beauty and goodness. He was building her up. 00:31:12.220 --> 00:31:16.720 Just doing nothing but building her up. So one 00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:18.579 of the Sundays I stopped by their table on the 00:31:18.579 --> 00:31:21.640 way out and I told them how much I loved hearing 00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:24.680 them. And he went on and on about it. her to 00:31:24.680 --> 00:31:27.920 me while she was there. He was so in the practice 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:30.180 of building her up that even when he was talking 00:31:30.180 --> 00:31:33.480 to somebody else, he was just building her up. 00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:40.180 And so it was like a grace that I got to experience 00:31:40.180 --> 00:31:44.160 as well upon hearing it. It moved me. It affected 00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:50.359 me. Proverbs 16, 24, gracious words are like 00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:54.029 a honeycomb. sweetness to the soul, and health 00:31:54.029 --> 00:32:02.230 to the body. More of that also, please. Proverbs 00:32:02.230 --> 00:32:05.789 18, 21, death and life are in the power of the 00:32:05.789 --> 00:32:08.289 tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. 00:32:08.470 --> 00:32:13.470 We have so much power with the words that we 00:32:13.470 --> 00:32:17.329 say. So much power with the words that we say. 00:32:20.420 --> 00:32:23.720 James talks about humans have tamed all manner 00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:29.160 of things. Animals, they've tamed them. The waves 00:32:29.160 --> 00:32:30.839 on the sea, they haven't tamed them, but they've 00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:32.660 figured out how to work with them. They have 00:32:32.660 --> 00:32:37.500 figured out how to tame things and to work with 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:42.039 them. And yet, he's like, nobody's tamed the 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:48.500 tongue. Nobody has done this. This one is going 00:32:48.500 --> 00:32:51.700 to be a hard one for us all. Forever. That's 00:32:51.700 --> 00:32:57.559 great. This will be with us forever. But if you 00:32:57.559 --> 00:33:03.859 can gain a good practice of mindfulness over 00:33:03.859 --> 00:33:08.019 it, he actually alludes to if you can figure 00:33:08.019 --> 00:33:10.119 this out, you probably have figured out some 00:33:10.119 --> 00:33:12.099 discipline in other areas of your life as well. 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:16.299 Because this one's hard. This one is probably 00:33:16.299 --> 00:33:21.500 the hardest. I would like to be someone who is 00:33:21.500 --> 00:33:23.740 known for the words that they say, and it brings 00:33:23.740 --> 00:33:27.539 good things to mind. It brings grace to those 00:33:27.539 --> 00:33:30.279 who hear it. I would like to believe that my 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:33.460 words are kind and wise and truthful and that 00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:36.019 they are words of blessing, that when things 00:33:36.019 --> 00:33:38.480 are stressful, the words that I immediately go 00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:41.740 to are ones that bless others and are kind and 00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:45.279 thoughtful and lift others up, because that is 00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:50.069 the practice I am in. I hope... Above all, that 00:33:50.069 --> 00:33:53.089 the words that I say reflect a God that is loving 00:33:53.089 --> 00:33:59.430 and reflect a God that reflect that I see God 00:33:59.430 --> 00:34:02.589 in others as well. And I believe you want the 00:34:02.589 --> 00:34:06.210 same thing. I believe we collectively want that. 00:34:07.190 --> 00:34:10.670 And folks, if, when, because it will be a when, 00:34:10.769 --> 00:34:14.329 the words you say cut, when the words you say 00:34:14.329 --> 00:34:16.909 wound and when they misinform and when they deceive 00:34:16.909 --> 00:34:21.039 and when they tear somebody down, And you know 00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:25.000 it, which we usually do. When we do those things 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:30.420 and we are aware of it, y 'all correct it. Just 00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:37.280 correct it. The truth is, when our words do damage, 00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:42.280 it takes a whole lot more to repair. But do something 00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:47.179 towards repair. You know? Work towards repair. 00:34:50.860 --> 00:34:53.079 Say you're sorry to the ones you affected. Set 00:34:53.079 --> 00:34:56.800 it right as you can. Go back to others that may 00:34:56.800 --> 00:35:00.460 have heard the wrong thing, the thing that shouldn't 00:35:00.460 --> 00:35:03.139 have been said. Follow the trail back if you 00:35:03.139 --> 00:35:07.039 can. Take responsibility for the words that you 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:11.320 said that you shouldn't have said. Set it as 00:35:11.320 --> 00:35:13.639 right as you can in spite of the damage you may 00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:16.159 have already done. Work towards a better end. 00:35:17.500 --> 00:35:20.349 And then reflect on yourself. Because the words 00:35:20.349 --> 00:35:22.710 we say tell us what is happening in our hearts. 00:35:24.230 --> 00:35:27.110 If we find that the words we are saying are not 00:35:27.110 --> 00:35:29.590 reflecting a loving God, we need to be slow to 00:35:29.590 --> 00:35:34.250 speak and look at ourselves. Proverbs 15, 28, 00:35:34.469 --> 00:35:36.909 the heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, 00:35:37.110 --> 00:35:40.250 but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 00:35:42.010 --> 00:35:45.110 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer. 00:35:46.489 --> 00:35:49.559 When we're hurting, we hurt others. And if we're 00:35:49.559 --> 00:35:52.480 anxious or feeling cornered, we might find unproductive 00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:54.820 words to be a quick way to resolve those feelings, 00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:58.840 to make us comfortable again. We use words as 00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:01.619 tools for so many different reasons. We so often 00:36:01.619 --> 00:36:04.760 speak without full consciousness to our words. 00:36:05.880 --> 00:36:08.840 So let's be thoughtful, and let's be careful, 00:36:09.059 --> 00:36:13.539 and let's be intentional. Let us think. Let us 00:36:13.539 --> 00:36:17.550 listen. so that when it is time to speak, it 00:36:17.550 --> 00:36:22.869 may give grace to all who hear. Amen. Let's pray. 00:36:26.409 --> 00:36:28.449 God, with these things, may the words of our 00:36:28.449 --> 00:36:30.909 mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable 00:36:30.909 --> 00:36:35.530 in your sight. Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 00:36:37.349 --> 00:36:42.150 God, set a guard over my mouth. Keep watch over 00:36:42.150 --> 00:36:47.179 the doors of my lips. Let these words from the 00:36:47.179 --> 00:36:51.699 Psalms be things that find a deep place in our 00:36:51.699 --> 00:36:55.119 hearts and our minds, that they would be guideposts 00:36:55.119 --> 00:37:01.420 for us. That as we start speaking, we are reminded. 00:37:02.380 --> 00:37:04.300 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation 00:37:04.300 --> 00:37:06.639 of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord. 00:37:08.280 --> 00:37:12.260 And may you set a guard over my mouth. Keep watch 00:37:12.260 --> 00:37:15.119 over the door of my lips so that... The things 00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:18.360 I don't want to say or the things even that I 00:37:18.360 --> 00:37:21.820 want to say that I shouldn't don't escape my 00:37:21.820 --> 00:37:29.960 mouth. Help us speak the good and where we have 00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:34.079 not, help us be brave enough to repair and to 00:37:34.079 --> 00:37:37.280 correct. And may your goodness and your grace 00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:39.159 and your mercy and your love be over all of it. 00:37:40.179 --> 00:37:41.420 I pray this in your name.