Thursday Night Worship James 3:1-12 "Taming the Tongue"

Since I am going to be unavailable tomorrow night, I recorded the sermon for this Thursday night's worship last week.  We're once again in the little epistle of 'James' and this week we run into the verses discussing controlling or taming your tongue.

James warns us about letting our tongue lead us astray, and it certainly is capable of doing just that.  Combine the tongue with pride, ego, and good old stubborn headedness and you get the all too common condition of us making an error or an off colored remark and having to defend that position to the death... all because our ego can't admit that we've made a mistake.

There's a great saying out there that I just love (I don't know who the quote belongs to) that goes something like this: "do you know that point in the argument where you suddenly realize that you're wrong... I hate that point".  All too many of us at that point refuse to admit our error and hold to it doggedly... and there the flames that James talks about start burning.

I have to hurry off today so I'll just close with another old saying that I'm sure each of us remembers (but all too few apply): "Keep your words soft and sweet, from day to day you never know which ones you'll have to eat".

Be a blessing to someone today!  (speak kindly to them... speak kindly to everyone!)

In Christ,
Roy

James 3:1-12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Taming the Tongue
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,[a] for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature,[b] and is itself set on fire by hell.[c] 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters,[d] this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters,[e] yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Footnotes:
a) James 3:1 Gk brothers
b) James 3:6 Or wheel of birth
c) James 3:6 Gk Gehenna
d) James 3:10 Gk My brothers

e) James 3:12 Gk my brothers