WEBVTT 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:08.320 Welcome to Celebration Baptist Church Podcast, where we help people connect with God and others. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:16.800 Each week you'll find biblical teaching, practical encouragement, and conversations designed to help you follow Jesus in everyday life. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:24.879 To learn more about Celebration Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida, visit iCelebration.org and let's get started. 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:33.439 Welcome to Drivetime Devotionals, a look at Scripture to help get your school or work week started with your focus in the right place. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:36.960 I'm Katrina, the Director of Communications at Celebration. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:39.840 Our words are powerful things. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.520 I think every single one of us can probably remember something someone said to us that had a lasting impact. 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:49.200 Maybe it was an encouraging word spoken at exactly the right moment. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.039 Something you still remember because it carried you through a difficult time. 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:56.320 Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. 00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:04.799 Maybe someone said something cruel or careless to you years ago, and even though that person may not remember saying it, you still remember hearing it. 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.840 That's an incredible thing when you think about it. 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:13.200 A sentence can take seconds to say and stay with someone for years. 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.560 The Bible has a lot to say about the power of our words. 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:20.159 James chapter 3 gives us some pretty vivid pictures. 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:24.079 James compares the tongue to the bit we put into a horse's mouth. 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:27.040 It's small, but it can direct the entire animal. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.519 Then he compares it to the rudder of a ship. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:36.719 A ship may be enormous and driven by powerful winds, but a relatively small rudder determines where it goes. 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:41.519 And then James's illustration gets a little more uncomfortable. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:49.680 He says, Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest, and the tongue is a fire. 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:51.599 That's quite a warning. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:54.079 Most of us have probably seen this happen. 00:01:54.319 --> 00:02:07.359 One comment, one piece of gossip, an angry response, a text sent before we had time to cool down, one social media post, and suddenly something that seemed small has created enormous damage. 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:11.520 Proverbs recognized this power hundreds of years before James. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:16.240 Proverbs 1821 says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:23.199 Our words can tear down, embarrass, discourage, humiliate, spread gossip, divide, and wound. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:34.560 But they can also encourage, comfort, teach, defend, apologize, forgive, tell someone they're loved, and tell someone about Jesus. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.919 So our words have tremendous power. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:43.759 But here's the problem: knowing that doesn't necessarily make controlling them easy. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:50.479 I know I'm not supposed to say something when I'm angry, and I know gossip is wrong, and I know I should be patient. 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:56.159 And sometimes I know all those things while the words are already coming out of my mouth. 00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.280 James actually acknowledges how difficult this is. 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:03.599 In chapter 3, verse 8, he says, No one can tame the tongue. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:09.919 That's not particularly encouraging if our entire strategy is simply try harder not to say bad things. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:14.319 So maybe controlling our words actually starts somewhere else. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.680 Jesus gives the answer in Luke chapter 6. 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:22.879 He says, A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:27.520 An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart. 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:31.199 For his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.639 Our words are an overflow problem. 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:37.680 Eventually, what's inside of us comes out. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:49.039 That means when I repeatedly find myself saying things that are angry, bitter, prideful, impatient, jealous, or unkind, I shouldn't only ask myself, why did I say that? 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:51.840 I may need to ask a harder question. 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:55.919 What is happening in my heart that made those words come out? 00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:59.759 Maybe my harsh words reveal anger I've been holding on to. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:04.240 Maybe my gossip reveals that I enjoy feeling like I'm on the inside. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.280 Maybe my criticism reveals pride. 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:13.280 And maybe the sarcastic comment I keep making isn't as harmless as I've convinced myself it is. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:21.920 Maybe my impatience with everyone around me is revealing that I've become consumed by myself in my own schedule and priorities. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:26.000 Our words can function almost like a dashboard warning light. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:28.639 The warning light isn't the actual problem. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:32.399 It's telling us there's something happening underneath the hood that needs attention. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:34.560 And that leads us to another question. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:39.279 If our words come from our hearts, how do we change what's in our hearts? 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:41.439 Jesus addresses this too. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:44.160 In John 15, he uses another picture. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:47.279 He says, Remain in me and I in you. 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:54.480 Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:05:00.079 And then in verse five, he says, I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:06.560 The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me. 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:10.800 Some translations here use the word abide, and I love that word. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:15.519 To abide means to remain, to stay, to continue. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:23.199 Jesus isn't describing an occasional encounter with him, he's describing a life that stays connected to him. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:28.639 A branch doesn't visit the vine once a week, get what it needs, and then head off on its own. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.839 Its life comes from staying connected. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:35.600 And Jesus says that's how our relationship with him works. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:39.759 So what does abiding in Jesus actually look like on a Monday morning? 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:50.879 It means spending time in his word, not simply reading it so we can check Bible reading off of our to-do list, but allowing scripture to shape the way we think and then actually doing what it says. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:59.199 It means praying regularly, not only when something goes wrong or when we need something, but developing an ongoing conversation with God. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:01.040 It means obeying Him. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:06.480 In John 15, 10, Jesus connects remaining in his love with keeping his commands. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.000 And it means allowing him to produce fruit in us. 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:18.800 Galatians 5 describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.639 Think about how many of those show up in the way we speak. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.800 Patience changes the way I respond when someone frustrates me. 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.560 Kindness changes the way I talk about people who aren't in the room. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:34.079 Gentleness changes the way I correct someone. 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:37.519 Self-control changes what I say when I'm angry. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.680 And love changes all of it. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:51.040 So maybe the answer to controlling our tongues isn't simply spending the entire day thinking, don't say anything bad, don't say anything bad, don't say anything bad. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:56.720 Maybe we need to spend more time asking ourselves, am I abiding in Jesus? 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:01.839 Because if I'm filling my heart with anger all week, anger is eventually going to come out. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:10.000 And if I'm filling my heart with outrage, comparison, gossip, criticism, I shouldn't be surprised when those things start showing up in my words. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:21.680 But if I'm spending time with Jesus, reading his word, talking to him, obeying him, allowing his spirit to work in me, then over time, something different should begin to overflow. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:27.759 I should see more patience, more kindness, gentleness, more grace. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:31.519 And I want to give you one practical challenge for this week. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:33.199 Listen to yourself. 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:36.560 Pay attention to the things you say when you're frustrated. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:40.079 Pay attention to how you talk about people who aren't around. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:44.879 Pay attention to what you type in a text message, an email, or a comment online. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:51.040 And when something comes out of you that you know doesn't honor Christ, don't stop at, I shouldn't have said that. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:55.279 Ask yourself, Jesus, what does that reveal about my heart? 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:56.720 Then take it to him. 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:03.040 Because the goal isn't simply to become a person who gets better at filtering bad words before they escape. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:06.399 The goal is to become more like Jesus. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:10.639 And as he changes our hearts, the overflow begins to change too. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:16.879 This week, let's remember the warning from Proverbs: Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:18.720 Our words have power. 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:26.720 So let's stay close to Jesus, allow him to change what's inside of us, and use that power to speak life. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:29.680 Have a great week, celebration family. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:34.320 Thanks for joining us on the Celebration Baptist Church podcast. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:39.039 We hope today's conversation helps you take another step in your faith journey. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:45.519 For more resources, upcoming events, and to join us live, visit iCelebration.org. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:51.360 Until next time, keep connecting with God, connecting with others, and living on mission.