The Power of Our Words

On Wednesday, March 16th I will be at Timothy Christian School speaking to the high schoolers (minus the seniors who are away on their missions trip to Dominican Republic...my first group of third graders are now SENIORS) in chapel.  One of my favorite things to do if I can't be in the classroom every day, is to speak in chapel to the students whom I love dearly.

I will be sharing with them a talk called, The Power of our Words.  I grew up hearing a lie, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  And yet, words do hurt, when people are not careful with what they say, words can be used in powerful ways and they can truly bless us or curse us.  I've always been a very sensitive person, don't get me wrong, I have a good sense of humor, I love to kid around, be silly, and have fun, but not at the expense of someone getting hurt, not ever!

Today I will share with the Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors (all kids I have had the privilege of teaching and have watched grow up) that God wants us to tame our tongues.  He wants us to build up, encourage, uplift, bless, and infuse sunshine into the lives of the people around us!  He wants us to stop tearing each other down, criticizing, complaining, lying, and gossiping.

Psalm 19: 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, o Lord, my strength, and my redeemer!

Our words are powerful.


Proverbs 18: 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it's fruit. 


Our words are powerful.


Ephesians 4: 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Our words are powerful.

Matthew 12: 36-37 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. 

Our words are powerful.

These are just some of the verses I will be sharing with the teens as well as many stories from my growing up days, church life, and married life.  God gives all of us experiences where people have used their words to encourage us and push us forward, and there are moments we all have where someone's words hurt us, and set us back.  But God is good, and the Holy Spirit is powerful, and with God's help we can all use our words to honor and glorify God.  We don't have to be like the Pharisees who Jesus says to them, "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."--Matthew 12: 34 The Pharisees were hypocrites.  They cared more about the outside and the appearance of being good and keeping the law instead of having humble hearts and attitudes before the Lord.

If you have given your life to Christ and you have been transformed, then you have a new heart, and God gives you a new vocabulary.  We are no longer slaves to lying, complaining, gossiping, and foolish talk.  God gives us a new heart and a new tongue.  We will still mess up.  We will still make mistakes with our words, but James (I'm loving my study in the book of James) tells us that we do need to control our tongue because it does have such potential to get us into trouble and condemn us.

So, think before you speak!  Our words ARE powerful!!!!!!!!!!!  And bite your tongue if you have nothing nice to say, or positive or uplifting.  Keep those negative thoughts to yourself and ask God to help you get rid of them!  Once you put those powerful words out there, they can not be taken back...

Pray for me!  I'm trusting God to help me deliver my message!  I'd let you read the whole thing, but it's around 7 pages long!

Psalm 119: 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Let your words be filled with sweetness today, dear ones!