“The tongue has power to give life and death; those who indulge it must eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:21 (CJB)

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness ‘night’.”

Genesis 1:3-5 (NIV)

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?’”

Genesis 3:1 (NIV)

Life-giving words…

1. Show courtesy and respect.

“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, and honor the emperor.”

1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)

1. Express sympathy and care.

“What a wonderful God we have - he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (TLB)

1. Declare God’s blessings and promises.

“All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”

Revelation 21:7 (NLT)

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

1 Peter 3:15a (NIV)

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”

Philippians 1:12-14 (NIV)

1. God wants you to know your story.

“’Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.’”

Acts 9:13-14 (NIV)

1. People need to hear your story.

“When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.”

Acts 9:26-28 (NIV)

1. You need to live your story.

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

Philippians 1:27-28a (NIV)

“You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Acts 20:35 (NLT)

What giving does: Giving…

1. Unleashes God's supply.

“So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.”

1 Kings 17:15-16 (NLT)

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 (NASB)

1. Reveals the condition of my heart.

“‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus said, ‘this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.’”

Luke 21:3-4 (NLT)

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

1. Expands influence with others.

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Luke 19:8 (NLT)

“They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.”

Psalm 112:9 (NLT)

“I prayed to God and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:4 (NLT)

“‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

John 14:1-6 (ESV)

Scary thoughts about heaven:

1. Heaven will be dull and boring.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

1. Earth has got all I need.

“For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

Philippians 3:18-20 (NLT)

1. Good people go to heaven.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”

Romans 3:23-25 (NLT)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 (ESV)

“Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’”

Exodus 14:1-3 (NLT)

To WALK by FAITH:

W = Wave goodbye to being comfortable.

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, ‘What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!’ So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.”

Exodus 14:5-8 (NIV)

A = Avoid thinking the worst.

“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’”

Exodus 14:10-12 (NIV)

L = Look for the next step.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.’”

Exodus 14:15-16 (NLT)

K = Keep trusting God.

“When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”

Exodus 14:31 (NLT)

“I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:4 (NLT)

Three Types of Fears:

1. Cautious fear.

“The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.”

Proverbs 14:16 (NLT)

1. Godly fear.

“For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”

Psalm 34:7 (NLT)

1. Anxious fear.

“An anxious heart weighs one down.”

Proverbs 12:25 (TLV)

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

The spirit of fear is defeated when…

1. We worship God.

“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.”

Hebrews 12:28 (NLT)

1. We carry the shield of faith.

“At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One.”

Ephesians 6:16 (GNT)

1. We focus on God's love.

“Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear.”

1 John 4:18 (NCV)