We are better together and the way we use our tongues will either promote or destroy our togetherness. Greg Boyd shows us how Scripture views the power of the tongue and how it can be used for ill or for good.
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Watch Your Mouth
• Greg Boyd
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In this sermon in our Better Together series, Greg Boyd discusses how the use of our tongues can either bring us together in unity or divide us into competing corners. Our words influence people to see others in a particular light, for better or worse. Thus, we must watch our mouths.
In the focus scripture quoted above, we see that if we watch what we say then we keep our whole body in check. Righteous speech leads to righteous behavior and righteous relationships with others. Then in James 3:5-6 we read, “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 body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell….” Our speech has the potential to destroy like a fire from hell.
Greg outlines why words are so powerful. He highlights how all of creation is based on God’s expression of truth, based on John chapter 1. The “Word” of Jesus is God, and this is made clear through his self-communication. God expresses who God is and God’s words hold things together and bring life. We humans are made in God’s image, and our words carry power to bless or to curse. This is why the Bible so frequently and emphatically talks about the importance of our speech. The poor use of the tongue is confronted over 300 times in the Bible. By comparison, murder and adultery are denounced 60-70 times.
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:11, “In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.” The word for malicious is the name for Satan, the accuser. Gossip, slander and passing judgments on others is devil talk. We must ask: do we bear the image of God in the way we talk, or do we use our words in wrongly-related ways that align with the accuser, becoming destructive hell-fire breathing dragons?
Hide Extended SummaryTopics: Community, Judgment, Relationships
Sermon Series: Wholehearted, Better Together
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The MuseCast: May 5
Focus Scripture:
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James 3:1-2
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
2 thoughts on “Watch Your Mouth”
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Reading the book
The Case For Christ.
Saw Gregory Boyd interview in it. Just finished watching Watch your Mouth.
Great sermon 👏
Thank you!
Greg said something like, ‘God, in all His light and love is holding us in existence.’ He said ‘we wouldn’t be breathing right now if we were not being loved by God!’ (Held in existence by Love); I love it. Now here’s the cool part.
From a memorable dream, I woke up with a melody in my head, a song. I didn’t retain the tune and only remembered one lyric – the words, “Just remember I love you.” I take that as a God-given dream – and now Greg basically confirmed that for me. PTL