May 25, 2025 | Words and Wounds | Proverbs Part 13

Words and Wounds | Proverbs Part 13

18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

20:15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

17:4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.

10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

16:27 A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

12:19–20 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.

10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

17:28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

29:11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

14:5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.

In his sermon Words and Wounds, Pastor Jed Gillis explores how speech reflects God's design and influences the lives of others. He explains that Proverbs 10 through 29 are not random sayings but reflect fixed patterns in God's creation. These patterns show us the difference between wisdom and foolishness. One of the clearest areas where these patterns play out is in the way we use words. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Our words can bring healing, nourishment, and joy. They can also wound, divide, and destroy.

Pastor Jed emphasizes that God values honest and peace-driven speech. Lying lips are not just discouraged; they are called an abomination. This is because lies break trust and tear apart real relationships. They create isolation rather than community. Listening to lies is also condemned. Tolerating gossip or slander makes us complicit in spreading harm. Words matter not only because of what they say but also because of how they shape ideas, spread influence, and reveal the condition of the heart.

Proverbs teaches that wise speech has four key traits. It is honest, restrained, calm, and fitting for the situation. Pastor Jed encourages the congregation to think before speaking, speak less, and aim for words that bring peace. He reminds listeners that words should not be used to serve personal desires. Instead, they should serve others and reflect God’s truth and love.

The sermon also points to the deeper spiritual reality behind our words. Jesus said that the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. To change our words, we must ask God to change our hearts. Trying harder on our own is not enough. The gospel gives hope. Jesus never sinned in his speech. He spoke with perfect wisdom, kindness, and truth. At the cross, he bore the punishment for every careless, cruel, or dishonest word spoken by those who trust in him. Because of that, believers are counted as having a perfect record before God.

Pastor Jed closes with an invitation to let Jesus shape our words. When we trust in him and speak from hearts changed by grace, our words can become a fountain of life. They can comfort, build up, and reflect the heart of Christ to others.

Transcript of Words and Wounds | Proverbs Part 13

Children, if you are heading out the doors to Children's Church, you can go ahead, now. We'd also love to have you here with us.

Introduction: Proverb's Shift in Organization

This morning we're going to be continuing the book of Proverbs. But it's going a look a little bit different because as we get through Proverbs nine, we get into Proverbs 10, really 10 through, uh, 29, the book changes a little bit.

It's not so much an introduction. It's not so much stories that you can, you can trace, okay, what is he trying to say, and it's picture. It becomes a compilation of many Proverbs, hence where we get the name, wise sayings, which really as we talk through the first few chapters of this book. They're descriptions of patterns in God's reality that we all need to be aware of because we have numerous times when we are speaking, relating to people, seeking counsel, seeking guidance in all of these different areas. We need to know what are the patterns in God's creation, that are rooted in who God is, that teach us how do I walk in wisdom?

Or we could just say, instead of saying We need patterns, we need wisdom. That's a word that we use there, the patterns that God has established in his world so that you can walk according to wisdom.

So as we continue in this series, the sermons are going to feel a little bit different. It won't be that we're taking one section of. 5, 10, 20, 30 verses and just going straight through them. Instead, we're going to take some themes for the next probably 10 or 11 Sundays with a few things thrown in between, so 10 or 11 in this series, we'll take different themes and say, well, what does God's word in Proverbs say about different topics?

What Are God's Patterns About How Words Work?

Today we're gonna specifically look at what are some patterns, what are some wise thoughts about how our words work? Because I, I think we all recognize we need wisdom in our words.

Have you ever started to say something that you knew was unlikely to get the result you really want, you knew it was a kind of foolish thing to say, and yet you went right ahead and said it anyway?

We need wisdom now at that moment, I, I remembered a specific time when I was, I was talking to my wife about something and I really wanted to say something that I knew was not going to bring peace into this conversation. And I knew it before I said it. Of all the times, right then, God graciously was letting me brush right up against the pattern of wisdom and his creation.

Unfortunately, I went ahead and said it, and the result was predictable.

But that's exactly how it works for all of us when we engage with our speech. We have patterns that say either this speech is going to do something good or it is not. And sometimes we're even aware it's not going to do what I want, but I really want to say it.

When Looking At God's Patterns, Ask Do My Words Match That?

So this morning we're gonna look at different sections of Proverbs that talk about speech. And as we do, I want you to take one question and kind of fly it as a banner over the whole conversation this morning. As you see God's patterns in Proverbs, just ask, do my words match that?

We've talked about the patterns of aerodynamics that let birds fly or planes fly. If you ignore patterns of aerodynamics and try to build a plane, it won't work. If you try to just say whatever comes to your mind and ignore God's patterns about words, your, your relationships and your life will not soar and flourish and fly.

So I want you to take the time as we go through this and, and the next lessons as well as we look in Proverbs and just examine that part of your life. Ask God to help you, which I want to do right now altogether. Ask God to help you to see where your life doesn't match his patterns. So let's pray.

Father, we use words a lot and we find a lot of challenges, a lot of sins, a lot of struggles that come through our words. I pray that you would give us wisdom or we just saying words. We just saying that we will build our lives on your foundation. We'll build our lives on the fact that we know you and you deserve every praise. I pray that you would help us as we seek to live out what we just sang as we think on the truth of your word, and then we think on our speech, help us to build everything that we say. Every word that crosses our lips help us to build that based on who you are and your worthiness. And I pray this in your name, amen.

Words Matter

You'll start by turning over to Proverbs chapter 18. Proverbs 18 in verse 21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Words matter. The first thing, which seems maybe obvious, but we can forget sometimes because we hear things like, oh, talk is cheap. Which there's a proverb that's kind of like that. We'll talk about it in a minute, but we hear things like that and maybe we forget, words matter.

When I'm hurt, my words to others still matter. When I'm angry, my words still matter. When life seems hopeless or when someone else is discouraged, words matter. Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

I think we sometimes forget how important words are. Jesus said on the day of judgment, everyone will give account for every careless word. He didn't just say every careless action. He said every careless word.

In Proverbs 20, verse 15, on the positive side, he says, there is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. Words matter.

Right? He's saying you could have the the best diamonds and the best rubies, and the best precious jewels, and they're valuable, and they're wonderful, they're beautiful, they're all those things. But he says in comparison, there's an abundance of those. But the lips of knowledge, the speech that flows from a right understanding and a right knowledge that is like a precious rare jewel. Words matter.

I think sometimes we get wrapped up in how weak we are. We think, I can't really go do something amazing. I can't transform the world. I can't do all these things. Maybe some of you would say, I used to be able to do a lot more and I'm not as strong as I used to be. You know what we can do? We can speak words that are better than piles of diamonds. Words matter.

Why are Lying Lips an Abomination to God?

They can be of immense value in God's eyes like diamonds. But on the other side, if you go back to Proverbs 12 in verse 22, lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

See, words can be of immense value, but notice this word abomination. He doesn't just say, don't lie. That would tell us one thing, which is true. We should not lie. We could have a command. That's not his only statement here though. He says, lying lips are an abomination. There's something that God looks on with disgust and hatred. Because words are not neutral. Things floating out there somewhere. Words matter.

Your words can have value in God's eyes. Your words can be an abomination.

And we might pause and think Why? Why lying lips as an abomination? I understand murder as an abomination. I understand adultery. I understand something, why lying lips are an abomination?

Well, it it's because true sincere words bind us together in community with each other. They give us real relationships with one another.

Think about, have you ever been in a group of people where you just didn't know if you could trust anything they said? I guarantee that is not the group of people. You think they were my best friends. We had real community and relationships together. No, you don't think that. Because true, sincere words can bind us together. Lies split us apart.

And we saw this several weeks ago where God lists. Seven things are abomination to him. And in that it's framed with one who separates, one who destroys community. So when he says lying lips are abomination, what is he thinking? He's saying when you lie, when you can't trust the people around you in their speech, there can't be real community and relationships. It's sows division.

Words matter.

Lying Lips Aren't the Only Problem, So is the Listening Ear

But speaking lies is only half the problem. You turn over to Proverbs 17 and verse four. An evil doer listens to wicked lips and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

Now, remember what Proverbs are. This is a pattern. That exists in God's world. He's not really asking you to evaluate whether or not this works. He's just telling you, I made it. This is how it works. Someone who consistently does evil is eager to listen to lies.

Now I want to, I wanna read a section of a book, which I want to highly recommend, actually. This book is called, it's Proverbs Wisdom That Works.

If you read it, you'll see it's technically from a commentary series called Preaching the Word. If you think I'm not a preacher, I don't need a commentary, I understand that this is not like that book. This has been one of the best books for me going through any sermon series that I've ever preached. And I would say for you, any of you, this has so many good reflections from Proverbs. I wanna read, I'm just gonna read a quote from him 'cause I can't say it better than he did related to this topic that not only is speaking lies a problem, but the ear that listens to lies, the evil doer, listens to lies.

He says this, God wants us to know that just standing there and listening, tolerating the evil, is sharing in the evil. We lie to ourselves that we are not involved because we are only listening, but listeners are involved. Be careful what you listen to. A person can become a garbage collector. Someone in the group becomes the one to whom disgruntled people go, because that person will listen and sympathize and be a shoulder to cry on, and a rallying point for complaints and a hero to those with hurt feelings. And that listener becomes a bigger problem in the group than the talkers.

And he goes on to say, what if instead the person comes and wants to slander, or gossip, or lie, and we do what we know is the pattern in God's word and we say, timeout, I don't want to be involved in this, but I'll take you to that person and you can talk to them.

Words matter. Not only do words matter coming out of your mouth, they matter coming into your ears.

Words are Powerful

But let's take it a step further. Words matter because they are powerful for good or evil. Think back to the beginning of scripture. By the way. These patterns, these wisdom patterns, are rooted in God in creation. How did God create? He spoke. Let there be light and it was.

Think of the power for evil when Satan comes and says, did God really say? From the very beginning of scripture, words matter, and we see it in the life of Jesus. Think of the centurion who says, I'm a man under authority. I know how this works. You don't have to come to my house, say the word.

Or Peter who says, where else would I go? You have the words of life.

Throughout scripture. Words matter, and they matter because they are powerful. Flip back over to Proverbs 12.

Words Can Stab or Bring Healing

Some of these proverbs, by the way, we'll we'll look at them briefly. I would encourage you. Take some time this week, jot down the reference, go back to it and just think on these statements. Proverbs 12 18, there is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Words can take what's good on the inside and harm it. That's what a sword thrust does, right? They can take something that feels good on the inside. Have you ever had a time when you think, I feel I feel good today. I'm encouraged. I'm excited, and somebody came and says that one sentence, and you're like, really? And it feels like it cuts through you. That's because there's one whose rash words are like sword thrust.

Now, if one of you walked in here this morning with a sword and started waving it around, we'd probably have a thing or two to say about that, and everyone would be careful.

But how many times do I just talk without thinking?

But notice there's the positive side too here. He says, there's one whose rash words are like sword thrust, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. They can take what's broken on the inside and mend it.

Do you realize the power God has given you? Because you can speak. Every time you come here. Why? Why do we come to church? There's a lot of reasons, but one reason is so that you, as members of the body can exhort one another, so that all of us can speak to one another, and encourage one another.

When you come to church, is that our thought, God, use my words today, to bring healing and help to somebody.

If we go down just a few verses, verse 25, anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes glad words are emotionally powerful because they have internal impacts for good or for evil.

We need good words from one another. Do you long for God to use your words like that?

As I was thinking about this topic, I was praying and asking God how many times, and the answer feels very convicting to me. How many times do I use my words just for my kingdom? Do I use my words to say, I really want to make people glad In Jesus, Proverbs 16 says, gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

This is a pattern in reality. Your words can be powerful for good, for the people around you, or they can be like wildly waving a sword.

Word Can Feed Many, but Fools Die for Lack of Sense

Back in chapter 10, chapter 10, verse 21. Same kind of pattern, stated a little differently. The lips of the righteous feed many but fools die for lack of sin. Or back to verse 11 in the same chapter, the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Do you drink of Jesus so much that you, your words can be a fountain of that kind of life and satisfaction to the people around you? Notice the lips of the righteous feed many. And by the way, the word feed, there actually is the, the word shepherd. So we could draw as, as a New Testament church, we sit here and say, what are members supposed to be doing for one another?

We are supposed to be feeding one another with the joy and peace and love and encouragement and consolation that we find in Christ. And how do we do that? We talk. We speak.

Words are powerful because they, they hit us internally. They are emotionally powerful.

Words Give Shape to Ideas

But another piece of why words are powerful, because they spread and shape ideas. Think of what our words do. Even as I speak now, I have ideas in my head that I'm trying to communicate to you. I could try that with charades, but I don't think it would work, so I use words. Because words take a, a vague idea and they shape it so that another person can engage with it, and then they try to accomplish something.

I have an example from, from my life. Back several months ago, I was out getting in my car and I was about to drive home. If you know where I live, that's about 45 seconds away, so it's not like it was that long. And I was praying to God about something. I started praying out loud and I said something like, God, I, you need to answer this. You need to work in this way because if you don't, and I had no idea what to finish that sentence with.

And I sat and I thought, since I had been talking out loud, I thought there's gotta be something that would fit that sentence. What is it? And as soon as I could put into words the rest of that sentence, I knew the answer, because it had to shape the ideas. I had to say, what is it? What fear am I wrestling with in my soul right now? And once words shaped the ideas, then I said, oh, I know a whole lot of Bible that answers that fear.

Words are powerful because they take ideas and feelings and put them in something, you can engage with them, but it doesn't just stay with you.

Words Can Spread Like Fire

Proverbs 16, in verse 27 says, A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. Have you ever seen, especially usually it's out west, you see a wildfire that spreads? That's exactly what dishonest or slandering or gossiping speech, divisive speech can do. It takes an idea and it puts it in a form that different people can share, and then just like that fire can leap across distances, you think, oh, it will never do that our speech, our ideas can then spread like that.

If Our Words Are So Powerful, What Should Our Words Be?

So these are patterns. These aren't things you get to decide like, do I like that or not any more than you decide if you like gravity or not. These are patterns that God says, these are baked into my world. Your words matter, and your words have power for good or evil. They spread ideas. Those are just true.

You get to decide, how am I going to walk in light of that? You don't get to change God's rules though and say, well, my words don't really matter. I can say whatever I want. No.

So what should our words be then, based on these patterns? I wanna give you four categories.

Our Words Should Be Honest

First, our words should be honest.

Back in chapter 12 verse 19, truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is, but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.

Two pieces of this pattern, I want you to see. First truth lasts, truthful lips endure forever.

Notice how God does this. God doesn't say, here's my rules. It's gonna be terrible for you, but you need to follow them. Like, that's not how God works. What God does is say, here's the pattern. Truthful lips last forever.

Now. Assuming you want something that will endure. You don't want your life and your impact to just be here and gone and it didn't matter. So he tells you the pattern is truthful. Lips endure forever. You should follow that pattern if you want something that will last.

The second one from this section is go back to the connection between 19 and 20. He says, deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy right after he talks about a lying tongue, because Jesus says, what about our hearts and words? Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Sometimes I think when you, we hear our words should be honest. We can think that the right way to be honest is just to say whatever you think is the truth and deal with it. No, because what he says instead is we need to be those who plan peace. So you need honest speech that is driving towards peace. And why does he say you should do that? Because it will last and because those who plan peace will have joy.

He says, you want the pattern in your life that when you speak your words bring life. You want the pattern that your words give peace and joy. If you want that pattern, he says, this is how you should speak then. Truthful lips that don't devise evil, but that are aiming at peace.

Now, I don't have to tell you. In our world, that kind of speech is rare, especially in our internet world, where everything's driven by attention, and usually you get more attention by attacking someone than planning peace. But our words should be honest and aimed at peace.

If we go to chapter 10, second thing our words should be,

actually, before we do that, I wanna just take just a second. I want you to ask God how your words are. Are they honest? Are they aimed at peace? I wanna give you just 30 seconds. I want you to ask him before we continue.

Our Words Should Be Restrained

The second thing is our words should be restrained or few. Proverbs 10, verse 19, when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. Or we get a similar thing in chapter 17. Even a fool seems wise when he keeps his mouth shut. That's paraphrase.

Our words should be restrained. That's easier for some of us than others, because of our personality, but we need to realize that what God does, he does not put these patterns before you so that you just say whatever you happen to think. Sometimes we hear that. That's just my personality. I just say whatever comes to my mind.

That's not a personality. It, it's foolishness.

And our words should be restrained, should be careful, should be few. He says, where many words are transgressions there, the more you speak, think about words can be like sword thrusts, the more you speak. The more likely you have a careless word that stabs someone.

So he says, be careful. One specific way he gives you this pattern is from chapter 18. He says, if one gives an answer before he hears it is his folly and shame.

If you've been a parent, you know, that's hard sometimes. Your kids come to you and you think you know everything about the situation and you're tired of dealing with this situation, and it's easy to just say, I'm gonna give a quick answer. You might not actually know what the situation is if one answers before he hears.

If your words are many before you've had a chance to listen, bring shame.

So I'd ask you. That's God's pattern. Where do you speak in unrestrained ways? Where do you speak? Words that you're not careful? They're careless.

Our Words Should Be Calm

Third thing, our words should be chapter 15, famous proverb here, a soft answer. It turns away wrath. Our words should be calm, and I think this is, this is one we we understand. We know that verse is there, but we really don't wanna believe it sometimes. We really wanna say they're angry at me, so my anger is going to turn away their anger.

That's the reflex of our flesh. That's the reflex of darkness in us. I'm gonna be angry to accomplish what I want instead of no. The pattern that God gives you, if you will, the the gravity pattern around words relates to relationships, of how can you help your relationships to fly and soar, your words to flourish and give life. A soft answer turns away wrath. Your words should be calm.

He says, but a harsh word stirs up anger. I think that one's harder than if he had said, but lies stir up anger. But slander, but gossip, like all these things that we label, oh, I know those are bad. I shouldn't do those, but he doesn't even do that. He just says, A soft, a gentle answer turns away wrath, and a harsh word, just a harsh one. Little impatient, stirs up anger.

In verse four, he continues a similar theme. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness crookedness in your speech breaks the spirit. Do you want your words to produce life? While he tells you the pattern is that gentleness leads to life.

Like I said, we don't get to decide if we like the pattern or not. That's the pattern in creation, because that's who God is. Because he demonstrated in Jesus. Scripture says when Jesus came, he, he doesn't break the, the wick that's crushed a little bit. The candle that's like barely flickering, he won't smolder it. He's gentle.

That's the pattern. If you want your words to pour out life to people around you, a soft answer turns away wrath, and a gentle tongue is a tree of life.

Our Words Should Be Fitting

So our words should be honest, restrained, calm, and apt is the word that ESV uses fitting. If you go to chapter 15, continue further down the chapter, verse 23. To make an apt or fitting answer is a joy to a man and a word in season, how good it is.

Have you ever had a day when you, you're just having a rough day and somebody might be a friend, it might be somebody you barely know. They come and they say just the right thing, and you feel peace, joy, whatever it is. That is an apt word. That's a fitting word at exactly the right moment.

Sometimes that might even be correction. You have days when you say something's wrong and I don't know what it is, and somebody comes and they gently, lovingly pointed out, this is the problem. You're not trusting God in this area like you should, and sometimes that is the perfectly apt word, even though it's correction, and it's a joy. Or as later in Proverbs, it says, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. It's beautiful. Our words should be like that.

How Do We Make Our Words Like That?

So how do we prepare our words? You say, this is what my speech is supposed to be like. I fall short of that a whole lot. And if you feel like that, number one, join the club. Number two, we'll come back to that in just a minute, but before we do, if you say, I really want my words to be like that, what should I do?

First, Don't Blurt Out Everything You Feel

Well, first. I'll give you three things. We don't blurt out everything we feel. That's pretty simple, right? Sort of. I said simple, not easy.

We would all look at young children and we would tell them that, and yet, how many times do I just wanna say whatever I feel, whatever comes across my tongue, I wanna make sure it gets out.

Yet a pattern in God's creation from chapter 29. A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

Or chapter 15, the tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. If you want your words to be like this, you can't blurt out everything you say. Everything you think, sorry.

You can't blurt out everything you think because that's what a fool does. A wise person who knows these patterns holds back those things and says, now how do I speak the fitting right word?

So we don't blurt out everything we feel.

Second, Ponder Before You Speak

Second, we ponder. I used to joke, I had a friend who we would say that the first time he thought about what he said was when he heard it. That's not a good plan.

So we ponder chapter 15 verse 28. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, thinks about it, doesn't just reflexively say something, the heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

This is God's pattern. The heart that is in a right relationship with him, stops and thinks before it speaks. That's the pattern. That's how it works. So we ponder, we think about what to say. When you know you're going to meet someone, if you're gonna meet someone for lunch, if you're gonna see someone at church, especially if you know some of the things they're going through.

I wanna encourage you, pray, and ask God for wisdom to say the right word and ponder it. Think about it, see what God would do.

Third, Deal With Your Own Heart

And the third thing, so we don't blurt out everything that we feel, we ponder and think on what we're going to say. The third thing, deal with your own heart. Because I quoted it earlier, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Or from Proverbs, here's some patterns. A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. In other words, if the heart of this person is to be a faithful witness, they're not gonna lie. If the heart of this person is to be a false witness, they're gonna breathe out, lie after lie after lie after lie.

So deal with your heart. If you sit here and say, I keep messing up with my words. Well, Jesus says, it's out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So go to God and ask him, God, why do I have a pattern of responding in anger when I think someone is against me? I know the pattern from chapter 15, a soft answer turns away wrath, and yet here's what comes outta my mouth.

So how do you deal with that? You can sit here and say, I'm gonna try really hard to bite my tongue and stop. That might be helpful, but it's not gonna solve the problem.

Go to your father and go with him into your heart and say, God, what is making me respond like that? What fear is controlling me? What am I loving more than I'm loving you and your patterns?

Deal with your heart by going to your father and asking him to deal with it, because you can't do that by yourself.

People have said your heart's kind of like the bad area of town. You shouldn't go there alone. It's a good plan, but your father loves to take you there and loves to transform it. And you'll find some of those battles that you think I could never stop being angry. Some of them just disappear 'cause he changes your heart.

Possible Responses to Proverb's Wisdom on Words

So your words should be honest, calm, restrained, and fitting. Your words matter. Your words give life. They can harm and they can heal. So if you want your words to be on the good end, don't blurt out everything you feel, ponder what you're going to say and deal with your heart by going there with your father who loves you.

So as you listen to that, I think there's probably three categories of people who hear that. I'm gonna guess the first one, there's probably not many. There's probably some people. Who would say what? Wonderful advice. That's exactly what I've needed. Now I've got it. I'm good to go. Highly doubt there's many people in that category.

And that's good 'cause it's naive. And what you'll find out is you'll find foolish, disobedient speech coming from your mouth and you won't have seen it coming. So maybe there's that category.

There's probably some who say. Well, nobody's perfect, so I guess I'll just try to say fewer bad things and say some good things. Great. Which won't work because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And if that's the only solution is to try and say, I'm gonna weigh this out a little bit differently, you'll find the same frustration that you've found over and over again.

Maybe, maybe more of you would say, God's right. And I've been an idiot. I've been a fool. I've heard anger coming outta my mouth in ways I wish had to never left my mouth. I've gossiped, I've slandered, I've bragged, I've complained. I've alienated my wife or my husband. I've hurt my kids. I've lost friends over words. I feel defeated. What's the point?

Jesus Took the Condemnation for Every Foolish Word You Have Spoken

I want to call you. None of those responses are the right response for a believer in Jesus. For a believer in Jesus, we need to know that Jesus took the condemnation for every foolish word you have ever spoken. He didn't just die for murderers. He didn't just die for people who committed the big sin. He died for the person who gossiped one time.

He died for that angry word that came out because you were really afraid this other person wouldn't approve of you. He took the condemnation for every one of those and the condemnation for our guilty silence when we should have spoken and we didn't. Every single word. Jesus took all of them. And Jesus never failed in his words.

Think about that. If you walked with Jesus, you would never have heard him Sinfully complain once. You would never have heard him imply it sinfully once. You would never have heard a lie. Or a proud slight misrepresentation of the truth. You would never have heard gossip or slander. You would never have heard anything but loving life out of his mouth.

What would it have been like to walk beside him? And what Jesus offers is that he took the condemnation for every careless word you've ever spoken. He took that record on himself and he gives you the record so that when God looks at those whose trust is in Jesus, we can rest because my record has no lies on it. My record has no gossip and no slander on it 'cause it's on Jesus' record.

Again, I wanna read a section from Portland's book. He says, this, here is the gospel for all of us who are trusting in Christ. You are accepted. You are not excluded. You are still in my conversation because at the cross, Jesus said, my God, my God, why are you not speaking to me?

Portland's paraphrasing, but that's exactly what Jesus said.

We know the pain when somebody won't even talk to us. That we thought we had a great relationship. We say, oh, they won't even speak to me. That's what Jesus felt on the cross. My God, why have you forsaken me? My God, why aren't you speaking to me?

God stopped communicating acceptance to his son.

I'm, say that again. God stopped communicating acceptance to his son so that he would never stop communicating acceptance to us.

Will you believe that?

And Orland continues with this statement, if you are willing to be forgiven that way, you'll also be humble enough to let Jesus be your speech writer from now on.

Yes, your speech needs to be honest, restrained, calm, fitting, but it's not just about conforming to those patterns and trying a little harder. It's about looking to Jesus, receiving his words of life, trusting in his communicated acceptance. And then I love the picture. Jesus is your speech writer.

That means your words represent his priorities. Your words represent his heart. So that when you come, you are speaking for him.

Think of Peter when Jesus said, do you want to go away? And Peter says, Lord, where will we go? You have the words of eternal life. And Jesus gave us the words of eternal life. When you speak and encourage and console, when you comfort, when you exhort and edify people around you, you are taking the speech of Jesus that he wrote for you, and you are pouring it out as a fountain of life for the people around you. You get to speak words of life to other people.

And I feel the pain of all the times that I speak my speech for my Kingdom.

Go to your King. Know his acceptance and his peace because he said he would never leave you nor forsake you. Know that your record before him, if your trust is in Jesus is one of perfect speech.

You say, that's not right. No, it's not. It's grace.

And then say, Jesus, I want to speak whatever speech you have for me. Let me pour out life to the people around me. I invite you to bow your heads. Just take a moment. Ask God for his help in our words today.