Religion & Spirituality
James 3:1-12 I. Words have purpose. (Genesis. 1:1-3) “In Genesis 1, the world of communication was a world of peace, truth, and life. Words were never used as weapons. Truth was never used to tear down. Words were always spoken in love, and human communication never broke the bonds of peace.” Tripp, Paul David. War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles (p. 12). We were created to thrive on words of blessing, affirmation, and encouragement from God. We were also created to receive purpose and mission from God through His Words. (Genesis. 1:28-30) We were also created to have God speak law, boundaries, and words of warning. (Genesis. 2:16-17) We also were created for God to explain our deepest emotions and feelings. (Genesis. 2:18) We need God to speak to us to 1) Bless us, 2) put us on a purposeful mission, 3) give us directives that will protect our lives, 4) makes sense of our internal longings. (James 3:1-2) (Genesis. 3:1-6) When the serpent speaks, he speaks to deceive, pull hearers away from active listening to God, and the result is always death, confusion, skepticism and suspicion. II. Words have creative power. (Matthew 3:16-17) (Matthew 5:21-23) (James 3:8-10) (James: 5-6) (Proverbs 18:21) III. Words are a window to our heart. (James 3:6) (Luke 6:43 - 45) (Jeremiah 17:9) IV. The Word is our hope. (James 9-10) (John 1:14,16) (Matthew. 7:3-5) (Romans 5:20)