WEBVTT 00:00:09.299 --> 00:00:12.240 Well, it is great to be back here with you today. 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:16.320 Sometimes I just have to say, okay, now what 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:19.789 day is this? What church am I in, okay? I love 00:00:19.789 --> 00:00:21.309 being at Mount Eaton. I've got to tell you, I 00:00:21.309 --> 00:00:24.809 love Joe Cain. He is the real deal. He and I 00:00:24.809 --> 00:00:27.829 sat together at the Pregnancy Resource Banquet 00:00:27.829 --> 00:00:30.550 a month ago or so, and we just had a great time 00:00:30.550 --> 00:00:33.570 together. And I need to tell you, I did a baptism 00:00:33.570 --> 00:00:38.789 here January 3rd for three people who know me 00:00:38.789 --> 00:00:42.530 from kind of a previous life. And the church 00:00:42.530 --> 00:00:45.549 was gracious enough, Jody and Joe worked together, 00:00:45.590 --> 00:00:47.530 the church was gracious enough to open the baptistry 00:00:47.530 --> 00:00:51.829 for us. After worship practice, we were under 00:00:51.829 --> 00:00:53.969 there looking for why it was cold and the water 00:00:53.969 --> 00:00:57.049 was not. We had 40 people here for a private 00:00:57.049 --> 00:01:01.429 baptism, and Joe was here that day cleaning up. 00:01:01.549 --> 00:01:03.810 He's the real deal. I've been to churches all 00:01:03.810 --> 00:01:07.030 across this country. I was in our church, which 00:01:07.030 --> 00:01:10.090 is a church of about 300 for 38 years. Started 00:01:10.090 --> 00:01:11.810 a bunch of churches. I have kids all over the 00:01:11.810 --> 00:01:14.969 country. God has blessed you with a really good 00:01:14.969 --> 00:01:18.900 man. Period end. There's nothing I get from this, 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:22.980 although you can think about that. He is the 00:01:22.980 --> 00:01:26.819 real deal. I want to tell you that. So I love 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:29.379 Mount Eaton. I love coming here. Did a lot of 00:01:29.379 --> 00:01:32.099 work here in 22 until Joe at the installation 00:01:32.099 --> 00:01:34.140 service. Some of you remember that. And then 00:01:34.140 --> 00:01:38.739 he was here. I would be here to come to church, 00:01:38.859 --> 00:01:41.969 but I live in Stroudsburg. And we go to Mount 00:01:41.969 --> 00:01:43.849 Bethel Church down in Mount Bethel. That's my 00:01:43.849 --> 00:01:46.489 Scandinavian church, my wife's background. And 00:01:46.489 --> 00:01:49.909 I love what they're doing down there, but that's 00:01:49.909 --> 00:01:52.670 not my community. Just like I love what you're 00:01:52.670 --> 00:01:55.909 doing here, but this is not my community. I'm 00:01:55.909 --> 00:01:58.409 still committed to Stroudsburg and to all kinds 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:01.329 of people there. I teach, I speak, I mentor a 00:02:01.329 --> 00:02:04.689 private foundation, visit a lot of older people. 00:02:05.340 --> 00:02:07.420 do more than my share of funerals at this point, 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:09.819 but I'm really glad to be here with you. We're 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:12.280 going to be talking about the mouth this morning, 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:15.400 and there is an outline in your bulletin. I put 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:18.759 the title on it as verbal tattooing. You could 00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:21.680 talk about it as words have power, whatever you 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:23.960 kind of wish, but that's what we're going to 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:26.759 be talking about. I'd like to read for us, before 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:29.680 we go any further, kind of a parallel piece to, 00:02:29.860 --> 00:02:33.349 Owen, you didn't read Proverbs, did you? You 00:02:33.349 --> 00:02:37.110 did. I don't recall that. Okay. Maybe I was talking 00:02:37.110 --> 00:02:40.050 to Jody. I don't know. I'd like to read from 00:02:40.050 --> 00:02:44.789 James 3 and contrast that to the power of life 00:02:44.789 --> 00:02:46.909 and death is in the tongue. Compare and contrast 00:02:46.909 --> 00:02:49.969 it. James chapter 3, reading verses 1 through 00:02:49.969 --> 00:02:53.409 12. Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, 00:02:53.550 --> 00:02:56.169 knowing that as such we will incur stricter judgment. 00:02:57.069 --> 00:03:01.069 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does 00:03:01.069 --> 00:03:03.189 not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect 00:03:03.189 --> 00:03:06.310 man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now 00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:09.189 if we put the bits into horses' mouths so that 00:03:09.189 --> 00:03:11.750 they will obey us, we direct their entire body 00:03:11.750 --> 00:03:15.069 as well. Look at the ships also. Though they 00:03:15.069 --> 00:03:17.930 are so great and driven by strong winds, are 00:03:17.930 --> 00:03:20.789 still directed by a very small rudder whenever 00:03:20.789 --> 00:03:24.469 the inclination of the pilot desires. So also 00:03:24.469 --> 00:03:26.770 the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it 00:03:26.770 --> 00:03:31.370 boasts great things. See how great a forest is 00:03:31.370 --> 00:03:34.449 set aflame by such a small fire? And the tongue 00:03:34.449 --> 00:03:37.830 is a fire, the very world of iniquity. The tongue 00:03:37.830 --> 00:03:40.870 is set among our members as that which defiles 00:03:40.870 --> 00:03:44.050 the entire body and sets on fire the course of 00:03:44.050 --> 00:03:47.090 our life and is set on fire by hell. For every 00:03:47.090 --> 00:03:49.389 species of beasts and birds and reptiles and 00:03:49.389 --> 00:03:52.050 creatures of the sea is tamed and has been tamed 00:03:52.050 --> 00:03:54.930 by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue. 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:58.020 It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 00:03:58.340 --> 00:04:01.120 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:03.819 it we curse men who have been made in the likeness 00:04:03.819 --> 00:04:06.879 of God. From the same mouth come both blessing 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:08.680 and cursing. My brethren, these things ought 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.560 not to be this way. Does a fountain send out 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:13.900 from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 00:04:14.219 --> 00:04:16.319 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives? 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:21.040 Or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:25.100 fresh. May God add his blessing. to His Word. 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:28.680 Can we bow for just a word of prayer? Oh Lord 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:34.319 God, we believe that this is in fact Your truth, 00:04:34.579 --> 00:04:38.620 Your Word, Your ideas put into written form. 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:41.879 Lord, I thank You for that. I need that. I thank 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:44.420 You for my friends here. Lord, I ask that You 00:04:44.420 --> 00:04:49.759 might take these faltering lips, this inadequate 00:04:51.159 --> 00:04:52.920 message, and Lord, that you might direct it by 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:54.720 your Holy Spirit and use it in people's lives. 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:57.300 I thank you for this church, and I thank you 00:04:57.300 --> 00:04:59.560 for the people. I pray you protect it and encourage 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:02.899 it and use it as a lighthouse continually. For 00:05:02.899 --> 00:05:06.420 it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Have you ever 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:09.680 said something, and right after you said it, 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:13.180 you wish you could take it back? Nobody, right? 00:05:13.939 --> 00:05:17.259 Ever sent an email or a text, put the send button, 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:20.420 and you, oh no! Yeah, I know you can wipe it 00:05:20.420 --> 00:05:22.399 away, but guess what? It doesn't always happen. 00:05:22.819 --> 00:05:26.699 I was at an event recently, and I was talking 00:05:26.699 --> 00:05:28.500 with my wife and another woman, and a person 00:05:28.500 --> 00:05:31.319 came up who is severely challenged ethically. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:34.839 He wanted to connect, and I verbally kneecapped 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:38.160 him. And then I was proud of myself, and then 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:43.199 I was grieved. And now I have to apologize. I 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:45.680 don't want to do that. Any one of you would say, 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:48.730 if I gave you the background of this, off. He 00:05:48.730 --> 00:05:51.569 deserved it. He got what was coming to him. But 00:05:51.569 --> 00:05:54.170 that's not true because the Bible says, vengeance 00:05:54.170 --> 00:05:57.490 is mine, saith the Lord. And when you or I take 00:05:57.490 --> 00:05:59.589 vengeance on somebody, guess what we're doing? 00:05:59.730 --> 00:06:02.430 We're stealing from God. And I don't want to 00:06:02.430 --> 00:06:05.550 be in that category. We can remove tattoos. I've 00:06:05.550 --> 00:06:07.930 called this verbal tattooing. You can see that. 00:06:08.370 --> 00:06:12.329 We can remove tattoos, but we can't remove words. 00:06:12.589 --> 00:06:15.889 Not easily. Words express how we feel and how 00:06:15.889 --> 00:06:18.790 we think, don't they? They can hurt, and yet 00:06:18.790 --> 00:06:20.709 they can also heal. And today I would like to 00:06:20.709 --> 00:06:22.850 talk more about healing than hurting, but we're 00:06:22.850 --> 00:06:25.850 going to start with the first. Job said to his 00:06:25.850 --> 00:06:28.750 comforters in chapter 19, How long will you vex 00:06:28.750 --> 00:06:32.730 my soul and break me in pieces with words? Words 00:06:32.730 --> 00:06:34.750 matter, and being in the Lord's work all these 00:06:34.750 --> 00:06:37.730 years has made me acutely aware of the significance 00:06:37.730 --> 00:06:42.439 of not just people's words, but my words. Phrases 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:45.379 assembled in my mind are understood by those 00:06:45.379 --> 00:06:47.759 who hear them through the grid of thousands of 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:51.120 experiences, all sorts of backgrounds and personalities. 00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:55.660 A word, a tone, a gesture can mean so many different 00:06:55.660 --> 00:06:58.339 things to various people, things that maybe I 00:06:58.339 --> 00:07:01.000 don't want to communicate at all. If it were 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.000 not for the truth of the Word of God and the 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:05.560 presence of the Spirit, I couldn't speak. Friends, 00:07:05.579 --> 00:07:09.480 I know the power of words to wound. And maybe 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:11.939 you have been wounded really badly or really 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:14.120 recently. I don't know. But I also know the power 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:16.540 of words to heal. And I'm so grateful for that. 00:07:16.699 --> 00:07:20.199 I have heard words so appropriate, so gracious, 00:07:20.420 --> 00:07:25.220 so timely, so loving, which have so wonderfully 00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:29.360 addressed the need of the moment that I'm speechless. 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:33.139 That's why words are so important to God as well. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:38.180 Because our words carry impact, God holds us 00:07:38.180 --> 00:07:40.939 accountable for them, not only for the harmful, 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:44.500 hurting ones that wound, but also for those that 00:07:44.500 --> 00:07:47.860 lack of them when they could heal, or their presence 00:07:47.860 --> 00:07:50.459 when they heal. Now there's a teaching outline 00:07:50.459 --> 00:07:52.720 in your bulletin, and here's the idea. Living 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:55.699 wisely means speaking wisely. And this is taken 00:07:55.699 --> 00:07:58.040 from James, because James is the only book of 00:07:58.040 --> 00:08:01.310 wisdom in the New Testament. And I would like 00:08:01.310 --> 00:08:03.730 to consider this morning how James contrasts 00:08:03.730 --> 00:08:09.269 and compares to Proverbs 18 .21. The power of 00:08:09.269 --> 00:08:12.290 life and death is in the tongue. So think with 00:08:12.290 --> 00:08:16.889 me. James 3 is a primer on, first of all, the 00:08:16.889 --> 00:08:20.529 seriousness of negative words. And he outlines 00:08:20.529 --> 00:08:23.589 five principles, if you look at those first six 00:08:23.589 --> 00:08:26.589 verses, to show their gravity. I'm going to take 00:08:26.589 --> 00:08:29.509 this from James 3, verses 1 through 5 and 6, 00:08:29.610 --> 00:08:35.330 okay? He says, we all stumble. Yeah, we do. I 00:08:35.330 --> 00:08:40.330 do, regularly. Stumble indicates that the words 00:08:40.330 --> 00:08:43.250 that I use when they're negative are immature. 00:08:44.070 --> 00:08:47.250 That's the idea. If any person does not stumble, 00:08:47.350 --> 00:08:51.730 he is a full or complete or mature person, not 00:08:51.730 --> 00:08:55.149 sinless. And who has not felt the piercings of 00:08:55.149 --> 00:08:58.490 negative words, right? Maybe false words, maybe 00:08:58.490 --> 00:09:02.740 even true words. but certainly unkind and inconsiderate. 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:06.399 Stumble indicates that these words are words 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:10.840 of immaturity. Words may seem small, and he uses 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:13.059 the idea of a horse's bit or a rudder for a ship, 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:17.299 small in comparison to a larger situation, but 00:09:17.299 --> 00:09:20.820 that masks their significance. That's the missing 00:09:20.820 --> 00:09:23.759 word. Words seem really small, but that masks 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:26.019 their significance. Termites are really tiny 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:28.860 too, but they are a terror. Someone was telling 00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:32.659 me that the pillars on the support beams down 00:09:32.659 --> 00:09:34.500 in the basement of the church over there were 00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:37.279 taken out because of powder beetles. How about 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:41.379 that? Words can shower sparks, missing word, 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:45.759 that create big problems. Maybe it's a lust for 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:48.960 gossip. Maybe it's a shading of the conversation 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:52.460 show you or I come across as being better, more 00:09:52.460 --> 00:09:54.340 significant, and more appropriate than we are. 00:09:54.779 --> 00:09:57.100 Shading conversations can really lead to trouble. 00:09:58.160 --> 00:10:01.639 In James 3, verse 6, the source of sinful speech 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:06.659 is indicated as evil or hell. Jode Stoll, a great 00:10:06.659 --> 00:10:09.759 exposer, calls them the dynamite in our dentures. 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.720 And you know what? And I've done this. Maybe 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:15.899 you have. Our words can switch from poison to 00:10:15.899 --> 00:10:20.500 pious in a moment, can't they? But God is not 00:10:20.500 --> 00:10:23.179 fooled. Matthew 12, verse 34 says, Out of the 00:10:23.179 --> 00:10:26.629 abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Proverbs 00:10:26.629 --> 00:10:28.929 12, 18 expands on this at the top of your outline. 00:10:29.350 --> 00:10:31.350 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue 00:10:31.350 --> 00:10:33.409 of the wise brings healing. How many of you have 00:10:33.409 --> 00:10:36.350 ever gone on a fishing boat out of New Jersey, 00:10:36.429 --> 00:10:39.269 beyond land, getting bass or bluefish or something 00:10:39.269 --> 00:10:41.350 like that? Anybody done that? All right, a few 00:10:41.350 --> 00:10:43.230 of you. You know what happens when you get the 00:10:43.230 --> 00:10:45.350 fish, you give them to the mate afterwards, and 00:10:45.350 --> 00:10:48.110 he fillets them, right? And the boat is pitching, 00:10:48.250 --> 00:10:50.230 sometimes a lot more than you want it to. The 00:10:50.230 --> 00:10:52.090 boat's rocking, and the mate's filleting the 00:10:52.090 --> 00:10:55.590 fish on the back end. And that knife is, and 00:10:55.590 --> 00:10:57.409 you think, oh man, this guy's, he's got his hand 00:10:57.409 --> 00:10:59.750 like this and he's cutting like that. That knife 00:10:59.750 --> 00:11:03.370 is really, really, really sharp. And that's better 00:11:03.370 --> 00:11:05.370 than not because you don't want to try to do 00:11:05.370 --> 00:11:07.350 that twice or struggle with it. You want to do 00:11:07.350 --> 00:11:09.610 it cleanly and neatly and not cut your finger. 00:11:10.049 --> 00:11:12.830 Words can cut like knives or like box cutters 00:11:12.830 --> 00:11:16.190 or like a sharp knife slicing open flesh. That 00:11:16.190 --> 00:11:19.720 gains our attention. The truth is that all too 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:21.940 many people, and all too many of us, me included, 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:25.340 have spoken at times with daggers, who have box 00:11:25.340 --> 00:11:28.379 cutter -like conversations, people who would 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:30.440 never think of drawing a knife and slashing it 00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:32.980 across a stomach or a face or a hand. And God 00:11:32.980 --> 00:11:34.700 gives that picture in order to draw our attention 00:11:34.700 --> 00:11:37.500 to it. It's an image. It's an image the Bible 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:39.759 wants us to have as it speaks of the seriousness 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:43.539 of false, maybe brutally honest, or slanderous, 00:11:43.539 --> 00:11:47.039 or malicious speech. and I am personally grieved 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:50.440 at my own part in this, and yet personal discomfort 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:52.860 should not prevent me from speaking it just because 00:11:52.860 --> 00:11:54.360 I'm uncomfortable. Someone asked me, I won't 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:56.580 tell you who it was, but someone asked me, are 00:11:56.580 --> 00:11:58.259 you preaching to us or are you preaching to yourself? 00:11:58.460 --> 00:11:59.759 And you know what the answer is? I'm preaching 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:03.179 to myself. And if God uses that in your soul, 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:05.639 great, glad to hear it. But this message is a 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:09.559 message for me, and I believe for you. And it's 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:11.480 what God laid on my heart several months ago 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:14.110 when Joe asked if I'd speak today. Now the Bible 00:12:14.110 --> 00:12:16.649 does not say that no man can tame the tongue 00:12:16.649 --> 00:12:20.929 to make us miserable and hopeless. But so that 00:12:20.929 --> 00:12:24.629 we might know this, that self -effort cannot 00:12:24.629 --> 00:12:27.970 cure us. We must have the indwelling control 00:12:27.970 --> 00:12:30.990 of the Lord. In other words, as you see here, 00:12:31.149 --> 00:12:35.610 our evil cannot be self -managed. That's the 00:12:35.610 --> 00:12:39.090 idea. Either Christ controls us or the venom 00:12:39.090 --> 00:12:44.139 of self will. It's not to make us hopeless. And 00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:45.759 I would say right away, right at the beginning 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:47.759 of the message, if you're here this morning and 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:51.259 you don't know where you stand with Christ, where 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:53.779 you stand with God, then I would urge you, take 00:12:53.779 --> 00:12:56.220 a few minutes and come to the place that I did 00:12:56.220 --> 00:12:58.320 when I was a sophomore in college, 20 years, 00:12:58.419 --> 00:13:02.500 a lot more than 20 years ago. Hey, watch that. 00:13:03.019 --> 00:13:07.820 I'm talking about speech here. That's not nice. 00:13:09.639 --> 00:13:15.860 Oh, man, what a crowd. I was 20 years old. And 00:13:15.860 --> 00:13:18.360 a friend of mine had become a believer. Great 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:21.240 guy. He'd been a wild man. Great guy. And we 00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:22.879 got together the next year, sophomore year, and 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:25.700 I said to him, hey, we're both athletes. And 00:13:25.700 --> 00:13:29.279 I said, hey, Don, what's with you? You're different. 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:32.200 You're still a great guy. He said, Dave, I've 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:34.059 begun a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:37.620 Can I share that with you? I said, yeah. And 00:13:37.620 --> 00:13:40.039 he shared with me a gospel pamphlet. I wasn't 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:42.919 ready to sign on, but I thought about it. I thought 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:45.659 about it a long time, months. Finally, one night, 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:47.759 I became convinced that the resurrection of Jesus 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:51.940 was real. And if I was trying to manage and direct 00:13:51.940 --> 00:13:55.539 my life myself, I was a fool. And so that night 00:13:55.539 --> 00:13:57.620 where I lived, I knelt down where I lived and 00:13:57.620 --> 00:13:59.279 I said, Lord, I believe that you rose from the 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:02.980 dead. And I want to entrust my life to you. I 00:14:02.980 --> 00:14:06.379 believe you died for me and rose from me. Nothing 00:14:06.379 --> 00:14:07.940 special happened that night except that I became 00:14:07.940 --> 00:14:10.940 a Christian, a follower of Christ. And if you're 00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:12.840 not sure where you are, where you stand with 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:15.879 God, before this day is out, take some time and 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:18.620 say, oh God, and mean it. If you don't mean it, 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:21.440 God won't take it. Oh Lord, I want to trust my 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:23.980 life to you. I want to make sure that I'm rightly 00:14:23.980 --> 00:14:27.779 related to you. You will not regret it. We must 00:14:27.779 --> 00:14:30.580 have the indwelling control of the Lord. And 00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:34.240 while transforming our tongues requires supernatural 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:37.480 strength, God has made some real solid resources 00:14:37.480 --> 00:14:40.240 available to us. These resources are called the 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.820 truth or the armor of God. The first piece of 00:14:42.820 --> 00:14:45.659 armor that God gives us is truth. The Bible teaches 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:49.100 that truth is our source of spiritual energy. 00:14:49.220 --> 00:14:51.559 That's why Joe is a great Bible teacher. I've 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:53.320 got to tell you, he's wonderful. I love listening 00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:55.639 to him. He knows the Word, and he's committed 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:57.259 to giving it to you. And by the way, he leaves 00:14:57.259 --> 00:15:00.360 it all out in the field. He deserves that break 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:02.480 that you as a congregation have given to him. 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:05.419 I hope he comes back refreshed. And as we discover 00:15:05.419 --> 00:15:08.159 and process God's word, the indwelling spirit 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:11.639 of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, transforms truth into 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:14.379 growth and growth into a pattern of managing 00:15:14.379 --> 00:15:17.440 life by the strength of God. And so God has blessed 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:20.080 us with a wealth of truth when it comes to having 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:23.139 positive speech and managing the tongue. And 00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:25.580 here is the good news. That little member of 00:15:25.580 --> 00:15:28.720 our body, that's going to eat the pizza, is just 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.379 as able to heal as it is to wound. And that is 00:15:32.379 --> 00:15:35.620 what I think we want to focus on today. How do 00:15:35.620 --> 00:15:40.279 I have that? I'd like to emphasize speaking helpfully, 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:43.200 not negatively. Many of the best instructions 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:45.379 for us are given in Proverbs, and so I'll quote 00:15:45.379 --> 00:15:48.919 liberally from that. So what does Scripture say 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:51.419 about the power of positive words? We're going 00:15:51.419 --> 00:15:53.820 to take a look at their marks, number one, and 00:15:53.820 --> 00:15:56.720 their makings, number two. So first of all, their 00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:00.259 marks. What are they? Well, they are honest. 00:16:01.139 --> 00:16:03.139 Righteous lips, Proverbs says, are a delight 00:16:03.139 --> 00:16:05.440 of kings. What does that mean? It means right 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:08.179 means straight. I'll be straight with you, honest 00:16:08.179 --> 00:16:11.759 with you. Healing words may be words of reproof. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:13.539 You know what? I had a guy in my church, about 00:16:13.539 --> 00:16:14.879 every year and a half, he'd come to me and say, 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:16.879 Dave, I need to talk to you about this. And it 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:19.919 stung, but he was right, and it helped me. Righteous 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:22.379 words may be words of reproof, or words that 00:16:22.379 --> 00:16:25.700 excise, cut out the problem, or spiritual infection 00:16:25.700 --> 00:16:28.919 in our lives, and then allow real growth to occur. 00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:32.320 Proverbs 27 .6 says, Faithful are the wounds 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:34.820 of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of 00:16:34.820 --> 00:16:38.779 an enemy. That is really true. A true friend 00:16:38.779 --> 00:16:43.360 will carefully but occasionally say, you know 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:45.200 what? You need to understand this. You need to 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.740 hear this. I'm risking our relationship. You 00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:50.460 need to hear this. Proverbs 17 .10 says this 00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:53.580 as a balancer, though, a counter. A rebuke goes 00:16:53.580 --> 00:16:56.419 into a wise man a hundred times deeper than into 00:16:56.419 --> 00:16:59.960 a fool. That means be really careful if and when 00:16:59.960 --> 00:17:03.480 you rebuke somebody. Be careful. Secondly, not 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:06.319 only will they be apt, they will be few. Proverbs 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.740 17 .8 makes the point. Even a fool can be mistaken 00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:12.380 as being wise if he says nothing. In other words, 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:14.660 the less said, the less that can be used against 00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:18.400 you. And for a neighbor's good, fewer words may 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.319 maintain a friendship. In other words, don't 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:22.140 show up in their house, call them on the phone, 00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:25.059 text them and email them all the time. Did I 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:26.779 hurt anybody's feelings with that? I don't know 00:17:26.779 --> 00:17:29.819 of anybody here doing that. I don't. When words 00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:32.619 are many, Proverbs 10 .19, transgression is not 00:17:32.619 --> 00:17:36.019 lacking. James 1 .17 says, let everyone be quick 00:17:36.019 --> 00:17:38.400 to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. That is 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:41.440 the best counseling verse I know. Thirdly, they 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:45.819 will be calm. Healing words are calm. Sparing 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:48.519 use of words is commended as the mark of a cool 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:52.259 spirit in Proverbs 17. And that often denotes 00:17:52.259 --> 00:17:55.480 a person of understanding, wisdom, and grace. 00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:59.119 Why? It allows for a fair hearing. Your parents, 00:17:59.220 --> 00:18:02.509 I have six children. I know something about being 00:18:02.509 --> 00:18:04.369 a parent and something about making mistakes. 00:18:04.750 --> 00:18:10.250 I learned hard you better not accuse your kids 00:18:10.250 --> 00:18:14.890 of something if you don't have all the facts. 00:18:16.690 --> 00:18:19.569 It's very easy to come to a prejudicial conclusion. 00:18:20.250 --> 00:18:23.089 Calm words allow for a fair hearing. They allow 00:18:23.089 --> 00:18:25.910 tempers to cool, and its influence is potent. 00:18:26.390 --> 00:18:29.349 Comfort is a ministry of the Holy Spirit. and 00:18:29.349 --> 00:18:31.710 the people in which he lives, those who belong 00:18:31.710 --> 00:18:37.809 to Christ. Comfort or soothing has a sense of 00:18:37.809 --> 00:18:41.369 to soften or loosen to it. You can read about 00:18:41.369 --> 00:18:43.950 that in Ecclesiastes and in Revelation 22 too, 00:18:44.089 --> 00:18:46.750 where it says, and the leaves of the tree were 00:18:46.750 --> 00:18:49.430 for the therapy or the healing of the nations. 00:18:50.170 --> 00:18:53.410 Proverbs 15 .4 says, a wholesome tongue is a 00:18:53.410 --> 00:18:56.509 tree of life. It bears and supports lots of good 00:18:56.509 --> 00:18:59.920 things, but a false lying tongue wounds. Think 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:02.839 about what you would like in a friend. I've had 00:19:02.839 --> 00:19:04.819 some great friends across my life. I still have 00:19:04.819 --> 00:19:08.200 a bunch of them. Think about what you'd want 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:09.859 in a friend. You want someone who's encouraging, 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:13.460 right? Someone who shares solid perspective when 00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:17.960 asked. By the way, don't give advice unless you're 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:20.720 asked, or unless you're asked to preach. Paul 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:23.220 Tournier, a great old Christian medical doctor 00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:25.950 from Switzerland, said this. Unsolicited advice 00:19:25.950 --> 00:19:29.990 is really criticism in disguise. That's a potent 00:19:29.990 --> 00:19:32.569 statement. Think about what you'd like in a friend. 00:19:32.789 --> 00:19:35.390 Someone who shares an encouraging perspective, 00:19:35.650 --> 00:19:39.869 a solid perspective when they're asked, who perceives 00:19:39.869 --> 00:19:43.930 need when it's present, who restrains themselves 00:19:43.930 --> 00:19:47.210 even when provoked. You know what? There's not 00:19:47.210 --> 00:19:51.049 a lot of good said about passion. in Scripture. 00:19:51.309 --> 00:19:54.210 In fact, it says passion is rottenness to the 00:19:54.210 --> 00:19:56.809 bones. I know it's a big cultural word now. Everybody 00:19:56.809 --> 00:19:58.730 has passion. There's a passion for that, a passion 00:19:58.730 --> 00:20:00.849 for the next thing. Not a lot of good said about 00:20:00.849 --> 00:20:03.710 passion. A lot of good said about calmness and 00:20:03.710 --> 00:20:06.970 comfort. What does a friend like that feel like? 00:20:07.069 --> 00:20:09.250 It feels really good, especially in a time of 00:20:09.250 --> 00:20:12.230 need. Not a sharp tongue, but a soothing tongue. 00:20:12.750 --> 00:20:15.190 Sharp is made to cut. Soothing is made to comfort. 00:20:15.809 --> 00:20:19.009 Fourthly, they'll be apt. They are honest, few, 00:20:19.269 --> 00:20:22.720 calm, and apt. A right answer is crafted with 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:26.400 love and thought to the need of the moment and 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:30.339 given with grace. Like apples of gold and settings 00:20:30.339 --> 00:20:33.240 of silver, as the proverb says, which is quoted 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:35.400 by Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address 00:20:35.400 --> 00:20:38.640 and carved in stone in Washington. Aptness, the 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:41.640 words of a good person, a good friend, a good 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:45.140 companion, a good Christian are a tree of life. 00:20:45.849 --> 00:20:48.890 Think about what a large fruit or nut tree, like 00:20:48.890 --> 00:20:51.250 a hickory tree. A lot of shagbark hickory around 00:20:51.250 --> 00:20:52.470 here. I mentioned this is the first service. 00:20:53.289 --> 00:20:57.109 Hickory nuts, great food, good for you. Terrific 00:20:57.109 --> 00:21:00.349 wood for building or supporting or beams, mine 00:21:00.349 --> 00:21:04.529 timbers, houses, etc. And great for burning fires. 00:21:05.190 --> 00:21:09.190 It's supportive, nourishing, encouraging, warm. 00:21:09.589 --> 00:21:13.289 Proverbs 15, 4 say, a good man finds his words 00:21:13.289 --> 00:21:16.710 bearing fruit. both in the good that comes back 00:21:16.710 --> 00:21:19.670 to him as well as the benefits which accrue to 00:21:19.670 --> 00:21:22.930 others. Fifthly, they'll be timely words. Oh, 00:21:22.950 --> 00:21:25.309 this is really important. To speak a word in 00:21:25.309 --> 00:21:27.470 season to him that is weary. In season means 00:21:27.470 --> 00:21:30.789 at the appropriate time. Feelings can be lacerated 00:21:30.789 --> 00:21:34.250 by a clumsy or a cruel thrust. Chapter 18, verse 00:21:34.250 --> 00:21:36.910 14. On the other hand, they may be revitalized 00:21:36.910 --> 00:21:39.670 by a timely word. Their sweetness to the soul, 00:21:39.789 --> 00:21:43.819 Proverbs 16, 24. Timely. I wouldn't be a bit 00:21:43.819 --> 00:21:46.420 surprised if every one of us has someone come 00:21:46.420 --> 00:21:49.880 across the orbit of our life this week who gives 00:21:49.880 --> 00:21:53.240 to us that sense of this person really needs 00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:57.480 a lift today. God allows that in his sovereignty, 00:21:57.660 --> 00:22:01.779 and God uses us in our preparedness for that. 00:22:02.170 --> 00:22:04.829 Next, they are grace -filled words. Colossians 00:22:04.829 --> 00:22:07.730 4, 6 says, let your speech be seasoned with grace 00:22:07.730 --> 00:22:10.329 as it were with salt, that you might know how 00:22:10.329 --> 00:22:13.009 to respond to the need of the moment. You know, 00:22:13.109 --> 00:22:15.750 you'll come across people, maybe this week, they've 00:22:15.750 --> 00:22:19.710 lost their job. Their child has really strayed. 00:22:19.869 --> 00:22:23.130 There's an impending divorce. The ex is doing 00:22:23.130 --> 00:22:25.930 awful things. Maybe they lost a family member. 00:22:26.230 --> 00:22:29.630 Maybe their finances are shattered. How do you 00:22:29.630 --> 00:22:31.670 speak? How do you speak when you come across 00:22:31.670 --> 00:22:33.829 a situation like that? Do you say, oh, you know, 00:22:33.849 --> 00:22:36.230 whenever God closes a window, he opens a door? 00:22:36.329 --> 00:22:38.750 You know what that is? That's Christian blather. 00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:43.029 Yeah, blather. In other words, something trite, 00:22:43.029 --> 00:22:46.890 which sounds like Christian speak or Christianese, 00:22:47.069 --> 00:22:50.390 but it literally has no thought behind it at 00:22:50.390 --> 00:22:54.109 all. Or do we pause? Do we digest the importance 00:22:54.109 --> 00:22:56.589 of this moment to that person and then try to 00:22:56.589 --> 00:22:58.980 be supportive? in that moment, in a way that 00:22:58.980 --> 00:23:02.079 gives them more hope and strength than they had 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:04.299 previously. You know, I know Joe's going to be 00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:08.880 gone this week and going to be out of town. If 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:10.819 you'd like, I can come over and take care of 00:23:10.819 --> 00:23:12.380 the baby so you can go food shopping so that 00:23:12.380 --> 00:23:14.119 when he comes home, you don't have to do that. 00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:17.660 You can spend that time with him. Okay? Those 00:23:17.660 --> 00:23:20.220 are the marks of healing speech. How are they 00:23:20.220 --> 00:23:24.380 made? How are they produced? Well, having Christ 00:23:24.380 --> 00:23:28.980 in your life, Lord of your life, your God, Savior, 00:23:29.180 --> 00:23:31.920 is the starting point because then the moment 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:34.359 you trust Him, His Spirit comes to indwell your 00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:37.180 life. And He wants to use your life and my life. 00:23:37.819 --> 00:23:41.200 Speak through us and use us. He wants people, 00:23:41.380 --> 00:23:43.519 He wants the world to recognize that we're children 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:46.200 of our Heavenly Father by the way we act, by 00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:48.559 the way we speak, by the way we be, by the priorities 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:50.680 we set, by the way we use our money and so forth. 00:23:50.940 --> 00:23:53.779 So I need to have Christ in me, His Spirit living 00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:56.160 within me. And second line, need to live out 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:59.279 Colossians 3 .8. Put aside anger, wrath, malice, 00:23:59.299 --> 00:24:01.799 slander. Let no abusive speech come from my heart 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:04.220 through my mouth. It comes from my heart. It's 00:24:04.220 --> 00:24:06.859 an ongoing process. And I blow it regularly. 00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:09.839 Typically in my life, I like to make funnies. 00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:12.160 And sometimes they don't come across as funny. 00:24:12.660 --> 00:24:16.859 They're useless. So the old timers, that's more 00:24:16.859 --> 00:24:20.180 than me. For all those of you who have left. 00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:23.910 Middle ages and on. Used to call this the mortification 00:24:23.910 --> 00:24:26.650 of the flesh. The putting to death that flesh 00:24:26.650 --> 00:24:29.250 that I want to put me first. And wisdom is the 00:24:29.250 --> 00:24:31.650 guiding principle. And wisdom comes from putting 00:24:31.650 --> 00:24:34.410 the Lord first. The fear of the Lord is the beginning 00:24:34.410 --> 00:24:38.029 of wisdom. The deep respect. Not my feelings. 00:24:38.289 --> 00:24:40.230 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 00:24:40.329 --> 00:24:43.589 That means I want what I say to please the one 00:24:43.589 --> 00:24:46.769 who I call God. And so I'm aware that the words 00:24:46.769 --> 00:24:50.509 I utter will be recorded. Then when I set aside 00:24:50.509 --> 00:24:52.869 my feelings and ask God to do the driving of 00:24:52.869 --> 00:24:55.410 my life, his wisdom helps to discriminate whether 00:24:55.410 --> 00:24:58.009 to speak and when to speak and how to say it. 00:24:58.349 --> 00:25:00.990 It's not enough, friends, just to refrain from 00:25:00.990 --> 00:25:04.130 speaking, to zip the lip, right? That's not good 00:25:04.130 --> 00:25:05.769 enough. That's kind of like the citizen. You 00:25:05.769 --> 00:25:08.230 know, you don't go to prison if you are a citizen 00:25:08.230 --> 00:25:09.990 and you obey the laws. As long as you don't break 00:25:09.990 --> 00:25:12.130 the law, they're not going to arrest you, I don't 00:25:12.130 --> 00:25:14.309 think, and put you in jail. But in God's kingdom, 00:25:14.390 --> 00:25:16.410 that's not enough. It's not enough just to not 00:25:16.410 --> 00:25:19.950 do the wrong. In God's kingdom, James says, Him 00:25:19.950 --> 00:25:22.470 who knows what to do, what is right to do, and 00:25:22.470 --> 00:25:26.309 does it not, it's sin, right? We're to do what's 00:25:26.309 --> 00:25:28.750 right in God's sight as well. It's not enough 00:25:28.750 --> 00:25:31.250 to simply refrain from speaking, to not show 00:25:31.250 --> 00:25:34.390 the poison that's under my tongue. Rather, the 00:25:34.390 --> 00:25:36.549 mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, 00:25:36.589 --> 00:25:39.670 Proverbs 15, 28. But the mind of the wicked pours 00:25:39.670 --> 00:25:43.670 out evil things. Bad, harmful, miserable, troublesome 00:25:43.670 --> 00:25:47.109 things. Isaiah 50, verse 4 says, The Lord has 00:25:47.109 --> 00:25:49.920 given me the tongue. of the trained or the disciple, 00:25:50.119 --> 00:25:52.140 that I may know how to sustain the weary one 00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:54.940 with a word. All this being said, words have 00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:57.380 weaknesses also. Words are no substitute for 00:25:57.380 --> 00:26:00.720 deeds. They cannot alter facts. Brazen denials 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:04.279 and emotional excuses will have no impact to 00:26:04.279 --> 00:26:07.539 God. They cannot compel a response. The Bible 00:26:07.539 --> 00:26:11.180 says in Proverbs 29, 19, a servant is not disciplined 00:26:11.180 --> 00:26:14.640 by mere words. Though he understands what you're 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:16.400 saying, he will not give heed. You know what 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:21.349 that sounds like? My kids. And yours. There's 00:26:21.349 --> 00:26:25.109 got to be some discipline behind it. Sorry, that's 00:26:25.109 --> 00:26:29.289 old school. Okay, lastly, what hinders healing 00:26:29.289 --> 00:26:31.849 words? What contributes to a scorching tongue? 00:26:32.150 --> 00:26:34.690 If the tongue of the wise brings health, it's 00:26:34.690 --> 00:26:36.930 the unregulated and undisciplined that scorch 00:26:36.930 --> 00:26:40.170 and hurt. So here's what hinders it. Number one, 00:26:40.289 --> 00:26:44.440 speaking without thought or consideration. Number 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:47.619 two, giving momentary relief to our feelings, 00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:51.500 making feel good for the minute, for piercings, 00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:55.500 to speaking cautiously without thought. There 00:26:55.500 --> 00:26:58.500 are some of us who do not bridle our verboseness 00:26:58.500 --> 00:27:01.200 and probably should. That means too talkative 00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:04.140 if you don't know what verboseness is. Versus 00:27:04.140 --> 00:27:06.160 the tongue of the wise is gentle and brings comfort. 00:27:07.059 --> 00:27:11.160 Thirdly, here's a nourishing my inner martyr. 00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:14.819 Do any of you have an inner martyr? Oh, man, 00:27:14.859 --> 00:27:17.240 I can't believe what they did to us, what he 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:20.740 did to me, what she did to me. An employer, a 00:27:20.740 --> 00:27:28.440 church, leadership, spouse, child, parent, you 00:27:28.440 --> 00:27:34.599 name it. Nourishing your inner martyr won't help 00:27:34.599 --> 00:27:38.839 you produce healing words. What prevents me from 00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:41.660 having a healing tongue? What experience? Is 00:27:41.660 --> 00:27:43.660 it the scars that I bear that are too difficult 00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:46.240 to touch and make me unpleasant? You know what 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:50.799 they say? Hurt people hurt people. Is it painful 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:53.299 discomfort with myself that causes me to constantly 00:27:53.299 --> 00:27:55.579 compare myself to others? What is the healing 00:27:55.579 --> 00:27:57.519 the Bible speaks of and do I really want it? 00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:00.579 Or do I recklessly want what I want regardless? 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:03.160 Do I want to think about the one who controls 00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:07.119 my tongue and controls what I write about online? 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:11.329 Who is in control? really shows where I am with 00:28:11.329 --> 00:28:15.369 God. Ephesians 4 .21 says, let no unwholesome 00:28:15.369 --> 00:28:18.950 word, that word is the word sapros, S -A -P -R 00:28:18.950 --> 00:28:22.410 -O -S. We get our word sap from it. Now other 00:28:22.410 --> 00:28:24.950 than maple syrup and maybe birch bark, have any 00:28:24.950 --> 00:28:26.769 of you ever tasted the sap of a tree when you 00:28:26.769 --> 00:28:29.930 were kids? Broken twigs? It's bitter. That's 00:28:29.930 --> 00:28:32.849 where you get this word sap from, sapros. Let 00:28:32.849 --> 00:28:36.849 no bitter word, no unwholesome word proceed out 00:28:36.849 --> 00:28:39.460 of your mouth. How many of you have gardens and 00:28:39.460 --> 00:28:41.480 you raise tomatoes? Anybody? Got any tomatoes 00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:44.700 yet? Any ripe tomatoes yet? What happens when 00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:47.160 you get a nice, big, fat, juicy beefsteak, ripe 00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:49.559 tomato, and you put it somewhere in the kitchen, 00:28:49.660 --> 00:28:54.880 who knows where? And you put it there, and you 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:59.740 forget about it, and it begins to... What does 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:04.000 it smell like? It stinks! That's what God's talking 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:07.579 about. Let no unwholesome... bitter word. It's 00:29:07.579 --> 00:29:10.240 literally used as spoiled fish, decayed trees, 00:29:10.420 --> 00:29:13.579 and rotten fruit. Something that smells and tastes 00:29:13.579 --> 00:29:16.660 bad. In each case, it's something which should 00:29:16.660 --> 00:29:19.619 nourish or be helpful, but which has quietly 00:29:19.619 --> 00:29:22.240 rotted its way into being garbage and being thrown 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:25.380 out. Here's the last one, mental laziness. Too 00:29:25.380 --> 00:29:27.500 often we want to give the least costly answer 00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:30.529 in terms of time and thought. an emotional connection. 00:29:30.809 --> 00:29:33.289 And so we give a Christianese answer, like I 00:29:33.289 --> 00:29:35.990 talked about earlier, something that sounds spiritual, 00:29:36.150 --> 00:29:40.329 but holds little substantive truth. Well, I have, 00:29:40.470 --> 00:29:44.069 I've run out of gas. And I would say to you, 00:29:44.130 --> 00:29:48.430 that's of God, because you've heard enough. Now 00:29:48.430 --> 00:29:52.109 you're faced, and I am faced with a choice. I 00:29:52.109 --> 00:29:55.819 need to consciously say, Lord, I want you to 00:29:55.819 --> 00:29:59.279 be the Lord of my mouth, not just to prevent 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:02.619 the venom from coming out, but so that you can 00:30:02.619 --> 00:30:05.779 use my mouth to bless people. Will you do that? 00:30:06.539 --> 00:30:09.460 Let's pray. Lord, I thank you for this church. 00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:11.819 I thank you for these people who have come on 00:30:11.819 --> 00:30:14.940 a hot Sunday to listen to your word. And I pray, 00:30:15.019 --> 00:30:17.779 Lord, I ask you to help these ideas and these 00:30:17.779 --> 00:30:21.200 words resonate, ricochet through their minds, 00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:24.119 Lord. And I ask you, Lord, that for the people 00:30:24.119 --> 00:30:27.619 who right now are asking you to take control 00:30:27.619 --> 00:30:32.839 of their responses so that they are apt and calm 00:30:32.839 --> 00:30:38.660 and few and timely and grace -filled. Oh, Lord, 00:30:38.819 --> 00:30:41.980 might you bless their lives. And through that, 00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:44.579 bless lots of others in this church and out of 00:30:44.579 --> 00:30:47.059 it. And we'll give you all the glory in Jesus' 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:48.460 name. Amen.