READ: PROVERBS 18:17-21
The person who tells one side of a story seems right,
until someone else comes and asks questions.
Throwing lots can settle arguments
and keep the two sides from fighting.
A brother who has been insulted is harder to win back than a walled city,
and arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.
People will be rewarded for what they say;
they will be rewarded by how they speak.
What you say can mean life or death.
Those who speak with care will be rewarded.
READ: JAMES 3:2-5
We all make many mistakes. If people never said anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire selves, too. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can control their whole bodies. Also a ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship, making it go wherever the pilot wants. It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about great things.
Q: PC said that people are the greatest treasures in our lives, how are our words related to our relationships with others?
WATCH A CLIP FROM THE MOVIE & SUNDAY'S MESSAGE
DISCUSS
- Have you ever been in a conversation where you know someone is holding back?
- What does that do to the conversation/relationship?
- How can our unspoken expectations of others have a negative impact on our relationships?
- Paul says, in Colossians 4, that our conversation should be gracious and attractive - which he likens to seasoning your food with salt.
- What are some intentional ways you can communicate better with those around you?
It is not necessarily about correcting your words, it's a heart thing!
READ: LUKE 6:43-45
“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart."
- Philippians 4 say, "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable." PC says that doing this will help "fill our tanks."
- What sources/people/places are you using to fill your tank?