Valuing The Tongue
Foundation Statement: Your words,
your mouth, is something to be valued, honored, held in esteem; We shouldn’t say just anything
I. Your words will either hurt
or they will help; they’ll profit or cause decrease; they’ll build up or tear
down; they’ll either encourage or discourage; they’ll either bless or curse;
they’ll heal or make sick
A.
Get rid of this phrase, “I’m just saying.”
1.
Just implies that what I’m saying has no
value or impact; It’s just words
2.
Every word you speak is doing something
B.
Your words effect your Life-You’re state of
living is in your mouth
1.
Proverbs 18:21-Your words will either
minister death or they’ll minister life
a.
CEV-Words can bring death or life! Talk too
much, and you will eat everything you say.
b.
NLT-The tongue can bring death or life those
who love to talk will reap the consequences.
2.
Proverbs 10:11-Your life is flowing the same
direction as your mouth
a.
Your mouth is the source of what’s happening
in your life
b.
NLT-The words of the godly are a life-giving
fountain
c.
NCV-The words of a good person give life,
like a fountain of water
3.
Proverbs 15:4-The tongue bears the fruit of
your state of living
a.
YLT-A healed tongue [is] a tree of life, And
perverseness in it -- a breach in the spirit.
b.
NCV-As a tree gives fruit, healing words give
life, but dishonest words crush the spirit
c.
CEV- Kind words are good medicine, but
deceitful words can really hurt.
d.
MSG-Kind words heal and help; cutting words
would and maim
C.
Your words effect your healing/body
1.
Prov 16:24-The right words will bring healing to a body; the wrong words
would make a body sick
a.
NLT- Kind words are like honey; sweet to the
soul and healthy for the body
b.
CEV-Kind words are like honey—they
cheer you up and make you feel strong.
c.
MSG- Gracious speech is like clover
honey; good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body
d.
NCV- Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
making people happy and healthy
2.
Proverbs 12:18-Your words could cure you, or
keep you from being cured
a.
YLT-A rash speaker is like piercings of a
sword, And the tongue of the wise is healing
b.
NASB- There is one who speaks rashly like the
thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings
healing.
D.
Your prosperity effect your prosperity
1.
Proverbs 12:14-The better you talk, the more
satisfied you’ll be
a.
NIV- From the fruit of their lips people are
filled with good things
b.
NLT-Wise words bring many benefits,
c.
GNT- Your reward depends on what you say and
what you do; you will get what you deserve
d.
ESV-From the fruit of his mouth a man
is satisfied with good
e.
HCSB- A man will be satisfied with good by
the words of his mouth
f.
CEV-We are rewarded or punished for what we
say and do.
g.
MSG- Well-spoken words bring satisfaction;
well-done work has its own reward
2.
Proverbs 18:20-Your words can hinder your
dreams & desires from manifesting
a.
HCSB- From the fruit of his mouth a man's
stomach is satisfied; he is filled with the product of his lips
b.
GNT- You will have to live with the
consequences of everything you say
c.
NCV- People will be rewarded for what they
say; they will be rewarded by how they speak
d.
NLT- Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the
right words bring satisfaction
e.
CEV- Make your words good you will be
glad you did.
f.
GW- A person’s
speaking ability provides for his stomach. His talking provides him a living.
3.
Proverbs 13:2-Your words will bring good
things or bad things
a.
NASB-From the fruit of a man's mouth he
enjoys good
b.
GW-A person eats well as a result of his
speaking ability
c.
HCSB- From the words of his mouth, a man will
enjoy good things
E.
Your deliverance
1.
Proverbs 13:3-You’re mouth can protect you or
make your vulnerable
a.
NLT- Those who
control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin
everything.
b.
GW- Whoever controls
his mouth protects his own life. Whoever has a big mouth comes to ruin.
c.
NCV- Those who are careful about what they
say protect their lives, but whoever speaks w/o thinking will be ruined
d.
GNT- Be careful what
you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself
2.
Proverbs 6:2-Your words could keep you in
bondage or set you free
a.
CEV-You are trapped by your own words
b.
NIV-You have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth
3.
Proverbs 18:7-A fool’s mouth = His
destruction (Someone who doesn’t know how to speak)
a.
CEV-Saying foolish things is like setting a
trap to destroy yourself.
4.
Proverbs 21:23-Your mouth can get in you
trouble and keep you out of trouble
a.
CEV-Watching what you say can save you a lot
of trouble.
b.
GW- Whoever guards
his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
c.
GNT-If you want to stay out of trouble, be
careful what you say
d.
MSG- Watch your words and hold your tongue;
you'll save yourself a lot of grief
5.
Proverbs 12:6-You’re mouth could deliver you
or keep you in bondage
a.
NIV-The words of the wicked lie in wait for
blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them
b.
NLT-The words of the wicked are like a
murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives
6.
Ecclesiastes 10:12
a.
GW- A wise person’s
words win favors, but a fool’s lips are self-destructive.
II. How to treat your words?
A.
Psalm 64:3-Treat words are like arrows; understand
you don’t get them back
1.
You shoot arrows w/ a purpose at an intended
target; u speak the same way
2.
MSG-Using their tongues as weapons, flinging
poison words, poison-tipped arrow-words.
3.
GW-They sharpen
their tongues like swords. They aim bitter words like arrows
4.
NCV-They sharpen their tongues like swords
and shoot bitter words like arrows
B.
Proverbs 10:19-Don’t just say anything; be
restraining in your words
1.
CEV-You will say the wrong thing if you talk
too much-- so be sensible and watch what you say.
2.
MSG-The wise measure their words
3.
NLT-Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible
and keep your mouth shut.
C.
Be sparing with ur
words-U would talk less if u realized the weight every word carries
1.
Proverbs 17:27-28-A wise man of understanding
is sparing with his words
a.
CEV-It makes a lot of sense 2 be a person of
few words & 2 stay calm. Even
fools seem smart when they quiet
b.
MSG-The one who knows much says little;
an understanding person remains calm. 28 Even dunces who keep quiet
are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart.
c.
NLT-A truly wise person uses few
words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are
thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem
intelligent
d.
DRA-He that setteth
bounds to his words. is knowing & wise: & the
man of understanding is of a precious spirit.
e.
NCV- The wise say very little
2.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-3-Don’t be in a hurry to
talk; Let your words be few
D.
Be slower to speak-Think about it-What will
those words do if I speak them?
1.
Proverbs 15:28-The righteous mull over what
they say before they say it
a.
CEV-Good people think before they answer, but
the wicked speak evil without ever thinking.
b.
GW-The heart of a righteous person carefully
considers how to answer, but the mouths of wicked people pour out a flood of
evil things.
c.
NIV-The heart of the righteous weighs its
answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
2.
James 1:19-If you’ll be slower to speak,
you’ll be more available to be led about what you should speak-We should be
slow and deliberate in talking
E.
James 3:2-With their mouth people are
exposing their immaturity; We can measure maturity by your words---Eph 4:16-This is how you grow up and mature and show God
you’re ready
III. There’s great value in
saying the right things
A.
As precious and good as saying the right
thing is, is as bad as worthless as saying the wrong word is; the wrong word
can be so destructive
1.
Prov 10:20-The tongue of the just is of great worth cause they’ll say right
things
a.
GW-The tongue of a righteous person is pure silver, The hearts of wicked people are worthless.
b.
MSG-The speech of a good person is worth
waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
2.
Proverbs 15:23-The right word at the right
time is so good
a.
MSG-Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
The right word at the right time—beautiful!
b.
NLT-Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is
wonderful to say the right thing at the right time
c.
CEV-Giving the right answer at the right
time makes everyone happy.
d.
NCV- Saying the right word at the right time
is so pleasing
e.
Proverbs 25:11-The right word at the right
time is precious
1)
CEV- The right word at the right time is
like precious gold set in silver.
3.
Proverbs 20:15-If you could be skillful in
talking, you could lack skill in talking
a.
CEV-Sensible words are better than gold
or jewels.
b.
NLT-Wise words are more valuable than much
gold and many rubies.
c.
NIV-Gold there is, and rubies in
abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel
d.
NASB- There is gold, and an abundance of
jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing
B.
When we come into the Kingdom we have to
learn how to talk
1.
Js 3:2-By the mouth people expose their immaturity; Maturity is measured
by words
a.
Eph 4:16-This is how you grow up and mature and show God you’re ready
2.
Isaiah 50:4-There are believers who can talk, but don’t know how to speak
a.
John 8:28-Jesus was taught how to speak
3.
Luke 21:15-God would give a mouth and wisdom
to say the right things
C.
If you’ll honor God by valuing ur words, He’ll honor u by showing u what to say-1 Sam 2:30,
Jn 8:3-9
1.
5-These people are working for the devil and
they won’t Jesus to miss it in what He says; that’s a picture of the enemy; he
wants you to miss it in what you say
2.
5-The only way they’re going to get him is if
he says the wrong thing
a.
He’s in a bit of situation here; if he says
stone her they’ll accuse him of not being one mercy; if he says don’t stone her
they’ll accuse him of not keeping the law
3.
6-Jesus is operating as a man anointed of
God; He doesn’t know what to say in the natural, so when he bends down and he’s
seeking isn’t he
4.
7-He said the perfect thing at the perfect
time and it quenched the whole situation