FollowUp 10-18-16

Message Title: Shut Your Mouth! God’s Wisdom and Our Words
Series: Respect the Beard

Key Verses: Matt 12:35-37; 1 Pet 3:9-12

Sermon Notes:

1. What you say matters to God. (Matt 12:35-37; James 1:26)

2. What you say can damage your life.

a. Hasty words hurt others and cost us relationships. (Prov. 21:23; 29:20; James 1:19-20)

b. Lying words break trust and lead to ruin. (Prov. 12:22; 26:26; Ps 34:12-13)

c. Perverted words hurt our souls and draw us under the world’s control. (Prov. 15:4; 17:20; James 3:5-6; Eph. 4:29)

3. What you say shows who you really are. (Matt. 12:35; James 3:9-11)

4. What you say can bring healing to others. (Prov. 12:18; 16:24; 18:21; Eph. 4:29)

Something to think about this week…
“Silence frees us from the need to control others. One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. A frantic stream of words flows from us in an attempt to straighten others out. We want so desperately for them to agree with us, to see things our way. We evaluate people, judge people, condemn people. We devour people with our words. Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on that. When we become quiet enough to let go of people, we learn compassion for them.”
— Richard J. Foster, Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World.