May 18, 2025

Grow Up!

Listen

Primary Text:  James 1:19-20       

1)  Quick to Listen

James 1:19-20:  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 

DQ 1) What does it mean to be quick to listen? 

DQ 2) What does it mean to be slow to speak?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2)  A Small Fire 

James 3:5-10:  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The 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.  All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 

DQ 3) What makes the tongue (our spoken words) hard to control? 

DQ 4) How tame is your tongue?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3)  Out of the Heart

Matthew 12:34-37:  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?  For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good 

things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

Romans 10:9-10:  That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 

DQ 5) How do our spoken words reveal the condition of our heart?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4)  A Tight Rein

James 1:26:  If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 

DQ 6) Why is self-control of our spoken words of utmost importance?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5)  A Wise Tongue
Proverbs 10:20-21:  The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.  The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

DQ 7) What are examples of wise words other people have spoken to you?

DQ 8) Do you speak wise words to others?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________