But no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.

James 3:8–9

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

This childhood saying comes so easily to me and yet we know it is definitely not true.

In many cases, we carry with us the unkind words spoken to us our whole lifetime, particularly when those words were shared by a loved one.

James encourages the church to watch what we say and how we say it.

With our speech we have the power to raise people up, praise the Lord, and show kindness and love.

We also have the capacity to tear people down, spew lies and hate, and blaspheme God.

Let us welcome the Spirit to lead us in the power of our speech.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.