Flames of Destruction - Conclusion

My sermon this past Sunday from James 3:1-12 was the completion of my Flames of Destruction series. Wow, what a passage! It is truly a passage which contains strong words condemning the use of strong words...words that can hurt and damage others. If you did not hear the sermon it will be available online in a week or so.

1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

"Lord I pray that you would put a 'bit' in our mouths that we might be 'bridled' by the Holy Spirit so that we would not grieve you by damaging others with words of destruction, words that are like a fire which destroys relationships with others. We confess that we have sinned in the manner in which we have spoken to our fellow man and we ask that you would help us to walk in true repentance" Amen