James argues no one can fully tame the tongue (James 3:8). Efforts to control our speech will fall short without heart change. “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil” (Luke 6:45). The overflow…
James highlights our tendency to “bless God and curse men” in the same breath (James 3:9-10). We worship on Sunday then gossip on Monday. We pray eloquent prayers then slander our neighbor. Our words contradict our faith. But by God’s grace, our mouths can become “a fountain of life” (Proverbs…
The tongue is powerful despite its small size, says James. A bit in a horse’s mouth controls its whole body. A small rudder steers a massive ship (James 3:3-5). Likewise our tongues boast “great things” though they are tiny (v.5). A careless word can destroy a relationship or reputation. An…
James warns that teachers will face stricter judgment because of their influence (James 3:1). As Christians, we all stumble with our words (v.2). If we could completely control our tongues, we would be perfect! But often angry, critical, or thoughtless words slip out despite our best intentions. Controlling our speech…
“[The tongue] is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it 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.” (James…
