Tongues of Fire
James 3:1-10 – Victory Fellowship
August 22, 2021 - Rev. Roderick Grabski - Healing Service
1) INTRODUCTION:
a) My Biggest regrets have to do with something I said or didn’t say.
b) Can you relate?
i) We’ve all been there.
ii) We all make mistakes. No one is perfect.
c) That is exactly what James is pointing out.
i) He reminds us of our dependence on God.
2) RELATING THE TEXT:
a) James elaborates on how the tongue cannot be tamed by human means.
i) Even though we tame all wild beasts, not so with our own tongue
b) James compares the human tongue to the rudder of a ship, a horse bit & bridle, even a small spark that kindles a great forest fire.
c) Our tongue works wonders – good and bad.
i) It can be poisonous or offer praise (even to God)
ii) It can bless or it can curse. (Proverbs 18:21)
d) If fact, according to James, our tongue corrupts the whole body. It can set our whole life on fire.
i) Grouchy face – poor body language that can remain with us for life.
ii) We can literally make ourselves (and others) SICK.
e) In fact, James says if we COULD tame our tongue we would be perfect. But we are not perfect.
3) APPLICATION:
a) What do we do?
i) We ask for the Spirit’s guidance
ii) We need to let God in our lives so He can change us
b) Then we can take action! We can be intentional about improving how we use our tongue in conversation.
c) Social media operates as an extention of our tongue
5 FACEBOOK no no’s
(1) Am I seeking approval?
(2) Am I boasting?
(3) Am I discontent?
(4) Is this a moment to protect?
(5) Is it kind?
d) Joanne Tombrakos - Stop to think before you speak
1. Words have power.
2. Your words will define who you are and who you are not.
3. Your words can help and they can hurt. Sometimes simultaneously.
4. Your choice of words are signs of your intelligence or your ignorance.
5. You can no longer hide from your words or the truth of who you are.
4) CONCLUSION:
a) We don’t have to have a burning tongue when we have been baptized with fire and are burning with God’s Holy Spirit!
COME for PRAYER and ANOINTING
SONG: Speak Life
James 3:1-10 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
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