Taming the Tongue

On Sunday, we continue through our series on “How To: The Step-by-Step of Christian Living." This week, we will be looking at what James says about “the tongue,” which is the subject of the first 12 verses of Chapter 3. In this text, “the tongue” isn’t about the physical organ. Rather, it means our speech – the words that come out of our mouth. 

Throughout Scripture, "the tongue” is used in both literal and metaphorical ways. Though the tongue is a relatively small part of the body, it “has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21). On a spiritual and emotional level, it can facilitate life or cause a lot of damage. What comes from our tongue reveals what is in our heart. What is in our heart has eternal implications. Consequently, we are accountable for every careless word we speak. Thus far in this series, we have learned that our faith is demonstrated by what we do. So, with “the tongue” in mind, we are going to see that our faith is also demonstrated by how we talk.