FULLY DEVOTED

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The Epistle Of James
FULLY DEVOTED
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Tame the Tongue
James 31-12
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James 31-12

• Not many of you should presume to be teachers,
  my brothers, because you know that we who teach
  will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in
  many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what
  he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his
  whole body in check. When we put bits into the
  mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can
  turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an
  example. Although they are so large and are
  driven by strong winds, they are steered by a
  very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

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Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body,
but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great
forest is set on fire by a small spark. The
tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the
parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person,
sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is
itself set on fire by hell. All Kinds of
animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea
are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but
no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless
evil, full of deadly poison.
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With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,
and with it we curse men, who have been made in
Gods likeness. Out of the same mouth come
praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not
be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow
from the same spring? My brothers, can a big
tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?
Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
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Tame the Tongue

• Key Themes
• Stumbling Everyone is at fault at some point.
• Big Small Big things are controlled by small
  things.
• Tongue and Speech The affects of an out of
  control tongue can be devastating.
• Source and Product James makes certain his
  readers know that every product is affected by
  the source.

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Tame the Tongue

• 31-2
• Not many of you should presume to be teachers,
  my brothers, because you know that we who teach
  will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in
  many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what
  he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his
  whole body in check.

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Tame the Tongue

• Teaching can be very dangerous
• It involves the tongue.
• Teachers can boast their own agenda.
• Teaching must glorify Christ.
• Our attitude must be to impact others positively.
• Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders
  make the most of every opportunity. Let your
  conversation be always full of grace, seasoned
  with salt, so that you may know how to answer
  everyone. Colossians 45-6

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Tame the Tongue

• 33-8 When we put bits into the mouths of
  horses to make them obey us, we can turn the
  whole animal. Or take ships as an example.
  Although they are so large and are driven by
  strong winds, they are steered by a very small
  rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise
  the tongue is a small part of the body, but it
  makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest
  is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also
  is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the
  body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the
  whole course of his life on fire, and is itself
  set on fire by hell.

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Tame the Tongue

• The Tongue can destroy
• the whole person.
• Bit in the Horses mouth
• -Man cant overpower
• the horse with his own
• strength.
• -Mouth is tender. Bit is
• hard and uncomfortable
• to the horse.
• -Must keep
• constant pressure.

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Tame the Tongue

• The Rudder that
• Controls the ship
• -Rudder is small in
• comparison to the
• size of the ship.
• -Rudder doesnt
• decide where the
• boat goes. Pilot does.

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Tame the Tongue

• Constant pressure applied to the bit in the
  horses mouth.
• The Christian must keep constant pressure on the
  tongue to keep it in check.
• Letting up the reins even for a minute can let
  the horse get out of control.
• Letting up on the tongue can let the tongue get
  completely out of control.
• Once it is out of control, it is very hard to
  re-tame it.

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Tame the Tongue

• What is the Forrest Fire of the tongue?
• Gossip.
• A statement
• Just a word
• Innuendo
• A glance
• Anything can cause gossip to start!
• Just like a forest fire chars everything in its
  path, so can a gossipy story.

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Tame the Tongue

• 39-12 With the tongue we praise our Lord and
  Father, and with it we curse men, who have been
  made in Gods likeness. Out of the same mouth
  come praise and cursing. My brothers, this
  should not be. Can both fresh water and salt
  water flow from the same spring? My brothers,
  can a big tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear
  figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh
  water.

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Tame the Tongue

• The Genesis Principle
• Each reproduces after its own kind.
• Fresh water produces fresh water
• Fig trees bear figs
• Grapevines bear grapevines
• The tongue will reproduce after its own kind as
  well.
• A cursing tongue will curse
• A lying tongue will lie
• A deceitful tongue will be deceptive
• A Gossiping tongue will gossip.

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Tame the Tongue

• What practical lessons regarding our speech can
  we develop from these Proverbs? How can
  remembering these throughout the day or posting
  these in conspicuous places help you as you tame
  your tongue?
• Proverbs 1019 When words are many, sin is not
  absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
  (NIV)
• Proverbs 1021 The lips of the righteous nourish
  many, but fools die for lack of judgment. (NIV)
• Proverbs 1222 The LORD detests lying lips, but
  he delights in men who are truthful. (NIV)
• Proverbs 151 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
  but a harsh word stirs up anger. (NIV)

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Tame the Tongue

• What lessons can we learn from these excerpts
  from the gospels? What does it mean to you to
  realize that these teachings are straight from
  Jesus Himself?
• Mark 720-23 He went on "What comes out of a
  man is what makes him 'unclean. For from
  within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts,
  sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
  greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander,
  arrogance and folly. All these evils come from
  inside and make a man 'unclean.'" (NIV)
• Matthew 1236-37 But I tell you that men will
  have to give account on the day of judgment for
  every careless word they have spoken. For by
  your words you will be acquitted, and by your
  words you will be condemned." (NIV)

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Tame the Tongue

• Consider what Paul, John and James had to say
  about the speech of a Christian. What do these
  teachings have in common? If you were to put
  these in your own words, what would you say?
• Ephesians 425 Therefore each of you must put
  off falsehood and speak truthfully to his
  neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
  (NIV)
• I John 420 If anyone says, "I love God," yet
  hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who
  does not love his brother, whom he has seen,
  cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (NIV)
• James 39-10 With the tongue we praise our Lord
  and Father, and with it we curse men, who have
  been made in God's likeness. Out of the same
  mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this
  should not be. (NIV)

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Tame the Tongue