Taming the Tongue

TEXT:  James 3: 1-12

THESIS:  “...no man can tame the tongue,” but God can!!!

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I.  “Not many of you should presume to be teacher.”  (vs. 1a)

A.      The Christian teacher must be mature in Christ and desire the Lord’s will over his own.

B.       The Christian teacher must be a student of the Word.

II.  The tongue is small but mighty.

A.      God entrusted us with the most powerful of all tools ~ the tongue.

1.        We can shape our world by making pledges, promises and vows that are binding for life.

2.       The tongue can make war or peace.

B.       The tongue’s size and power have been compared to the relationship of a bit to a horse, a rudder to a ship and a small spark to a forest.

1.        If the tongue is not brought under control it can cause great damage.

‘It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  (vs. 6c)

C.     “...no man can tame the tongue.”  (vss. 7-8)

III.  The tongue can give mixed signals on who you really are. (vss. 9-12)

A.      Praises and curses should not come out of the same mouth.

B.       Surrendering your “all” to god includes your tongue.