The Tongue 

Scripture Reading: James 3:1-12.

Memory Verse: "Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom." Proverbs 18:21.

Weekly Reading: Proverbs 30-31.

Introduction: Whomever it was that began the phrase, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me," must have known sadly little of true life. Fore the Bible tells us the power of words can bring encouragement and healing or discouragement and destruction. Did you know that what you say may be a matter of life and death? Though small, the tongue is a powerful instrument. It contains the inborn ability to speak seemingly independent of the brain. When tempered with logic and feeling it can say timely and eloquent things. We can best understand the tongue as the "spokesman of the heart." The serious problem is that, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). With hearts ever-changing it is difficult to control the little tongue-muscle that is so quick and willing to say whatever is felt for the moment. So often, our talk gets us in trouble. If we track the problem to its source, we'll find it isn't the tongue that is the real guilty party. In fact, the tongue is only an accessory to the crime. The real criminal is the 'attitude-swaying, mood changing' heart, referring not to the chest muscle that pumps blood to the body, but to the "inner man." Otherwise known as the "spirit," the "heart," or the "true self," the inner man is so quickly diverted from feeling to feeling and notion to notion, that we often wonder that man possesses any stability at all. Therefore, it should be plain that if a man can constantly direct his inner self in the proper channel of following after Christ, bringing his thoughts into absolute surrender to the lordship of Jesus, it is possible to control the tongue. That which resides in the heart will end up in the mouth. So the one who can control his tongue, is one who has learned to keep his spirit in subjection to God.

Questions For Study:

1. Who does James say is able to control the whole body? James 3:2.

2. How dangerous is an unbridled tongue? James 3:6-8; Proverbs 13:3; Psalm 101:5.

3. Is it possible to actually destroy someone with our words? Proverbs 11:9.

4. Whose responsibility is it to restrain the tongue? Psalm 34:13; Proverbs 13:3.

5. Can we be religious with an unbridled tongue? James 1:26.

6. What blessings will we receive if we restrain our tongue? 1 Peter 3:10; Proverbs 21:23.

7. In what positive ways should we use our tongue? Romans 15:6; Psalm 37:30; Psalm 51:15,17.

8. How will God help us restrain our tongue? Ezekiel 11:19; Psalm 51:10; Isaiah 40:29.

9. What do we need to do to receive this help? 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4; Isaiah 40:30; Psalm 51:18-20.