My Words: The Power of Life and Death

The Power of Your Words

Good morning. I'm honored for the opportunity to stand here and teach God's word. This series is called "Life Advice," and today we're focusing on one subject that appears more frequently in the book of Proverbs than any other: your mouth, your tongue.

Your tongue weighs just 2 ounces, yet it's the strongest muscle in your body—and also the most destructive. This message starts with me. I need this. I have always talked my way out of everything, talked my way into things, and found that my mouth has gotten me into more trouble than I care to admit. I've even had to apologize from this pulpit for words I shouldn't have said.

The Power of Spoken Words

There is incredible power in the spoken word. Creation itself didn't happen through God's hands moving—it happened when God spoke: "Let there be light." Almost 4,000 times in the Old Testament, the prophets began with "Thus saith the Lord." Words carry weight and power.

The book of Proverbs contains 90 references to the tongue and speech. The book of James devotes its entire third chapter to this topic—the longest teaching in the Bible about the tongue. What you say, what you text, what you type, what you email, what you post—all of this falls under this principle. Everything you communicate, no matter the medium, matters.

Two Lies We Believe

I want to share two lies that I've believed, along with three truths that will set us free.

Lie #1: If I think it, I should say it. Just because a thought enters your mind doesn't mean you must speak it. There's something incredibly arrogant about the tongue when we think we must speak to everything. We want to post, get in that chat, straighten everyone out. But listen to what Proverbs 18:2 says:

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion."

That's not a righteous person; that's a fool. We interrupt because we think we have the truth, or because we feel compelled to fix everything. But when you interrupt someone, you're basically saying that what you have to say is more important than what they have to say. It's a sign of insecurity.

Lie #2: It's no big deal. They're just words. We grew up hearing, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." But that's a lie. Listen to Proverbs 18:8:

"The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels. They go down into the inner parts of the body."

Words go deep into us. They can wound us and stay with us for decades. I remember words spoken to me in high school—a basketball coach who said I wasn't tall enough to play. Those words shaped me. How many of you can remember something negative someone said to you as a child? It still stings. But here's the beautiful flip side: how many of you can remember something positive—someone who encouraged or blessed you? Didn't that feel even better?

You and I get to choose how we'll use our tongue: to leave holes and scars, or to leave a blessing.

Three Truths About Your Words

Truth #1: My words direct where I go.

Proverbs 18:6-7 tells us:

"A fool's lips walk into a fight and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his ruin. And his lips are a snare to his soul."

Your mouth leads you into places you don't want to go. James 3:2 reminds us:

"For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man."

Only one perfect person has ever lived—Jesus. The rest of us struggle with our words. In fact, for some of us, the last kingdom to fall is our tongue. We love Jesus, we're serving Him, but we'll tear somebody apart with our words.

James goes on to explain that if we can bridle our mouths, we can control our whole bodies. He gives three illustrations:

• A horse is controlled by a bit in its mouth
• A ship, no matter how large, is controlled by a rudder
• A forest fire can be started by one spark

It's all about control. Think about moments that were great until you said something. Think about arguments that started with one sentence. Think about evenings ruined by one statement, or relationships changed by one post. Our words will take us where we don't want to go.

Truth #2: My words destroy what I have.

Proverbs 18:19 says:

"A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city. And quarreling is like the bars of a castle."

When you quarrel and wound someone with your words, you build a prison—not for them, but for yourself. I think of someone I hurt with my words 10 years ago. I tried to restore that relationship, but it was never the same.

James 3:6 puts it this way:

"The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life and set on fire by hell."

Notice "the entire course of life"—a phrase that appears nowhere else in the New Testament. This means every area of your life is touched by your words and the environment you create with them. Your relationships at home, at work, your thought processes, your business—everything.

We hold arsonists accountable for fires they set, but there are arsonists among us who are never held accountable: those who send destructive texts, post hurtful content, blog critically, attack brothers and sisters, or lie in emails. But remember this: one day, every word you've ever said will be called into account.

Truth #3: My words reveal who I really am.

James 3:9-10 is my favorite part:

"With our tongue, we bless our Lord and Father and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing, my brothers, these things ought not to be so."

You cannot use your mouth to praise God and at the same time destroy a brother or sister. It doesn't work. Jesus said:

"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Your mouth reveals what's deep inside you. I've had my mouth washed out with soap, and maybe some of you have too. But soap won't change what you say. The best way to change your tongue is to change your heart. What comes out of you comes from within you.

We live in a culture constantly fed hate and negativity. We're like sponges, soaking it all up. We think we squeeze it out and we're fine. But then somebody does something we don't like, and suddenly words come out that shock us. The Lord speaks to us: "It came from inside you."

What you pour into yourself is what comes out of you. If you soak in the Spirit of Jesus and pour His word into yourself, worship music that lifts you up, content that builds you up, then blessing will flow from your lips.

Living Out This Truth

Proverbs 18:20 says:

"From the fruit of a man's mouth, his stomach is satisfied. He is satisfied by the yield of his lips."

Let me ask you: Are you satisfied with the yield of your lips? When you think about this past week, did you bless people with your mouth? Or did you leave wounds? Are there things you regret?

The deepest peace you'll ever know is the peace that comes from speaking life into somebody else—not pain, not death, but life. We get to choose today.

I want us to be a blessing to the city of Orlando and beyond. I want us to use our words, our mouths, our posting, our texting, our sending to honor and glorify God and bless the people in our lives. Let's sing together this prayer: may God's face shine upon you, may He be gracious to you, and may He give you peace.