Does it matter?• “Why would I want

to go to a place like Mombasa, I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me.”

– Mel Lastman

Does it matter?

• “We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbor just like you like to be liked yourself.”

– George W. Bush

“If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue,

you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is

worthless.”

~ James 1:26 (NLT)

The Need to Control It!

1. Be careful when you start dishing out spiritual truth.

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for you have only one Master and

you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor

are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your

servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever

humbles himself will be exalted.”~ Matthew 23:8-12 (NIV)

The Need to Control It!

1. Be careful when you start dishing out spiritual truth.

2. The evidence is in the language.

“What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean’,

but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him

‘unclean’.”

~ Matthew 15:11 (NIV)

Language Logic

IF language = controlled THEN self = managed

An outcome of having your self under

control

is having your language in check.

“Take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong

winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever

the pilot wants to go.”

~ James 3:4 (NIV)

o Both are small and powerful in effecting the whole.

o Both are small and powerful in effecting the whole.

o Both guide against turbulent times.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,

but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

~ Ephesians 4:29 (TNIV)

“These people come near to me with their mouth and

honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

~ Isaiah 29:13 (NIV)

Q & A• Tell of a time when you didn’t have

control of your tongue and you regretted it.

• How would remembering the lesson from James about the rudder, the spark and fire have helped you?