Reading Selections and Questions for Sunday, August 16, 2009.
1) James 3:1-12
What is James’s main message in this passage? List the everyday life illustrations he uses to make his point. Which one do you identify with most? Why is the statement about teachers in verse 1 grouped with this topic?
2) James 1:26; 2:12; 4:11; 5:9
Why did James put so much focus on our speech? What stands out to you in these verses?
Matthew 12:33-37
What does Jesus identify as the source of our speech sin? What consequences does He describe?
3) Psalm 52:1-4; Proverbs 21:23; 17:28; 10:19; 11:12; 12:18
What solutions to our speech sin problem can be found in these verses? What has been most effective to help you work on or conquer speech sin in your own life?
4) James 3:13-18; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
What are the differences between God’s wisdom and the world’s wisdom according to these passages? What aspect of the world’s wisdom do you have to battle most? How do you battle it? How are the issues of choosing a source of wisdom and our speech sin related?
What a challenging reminder for me to keep my mouth shut! :-) Such a small part can destroy so much.
ReplyDeleteSo true. As I try to get aclimated in to this new job I am trying to keep both ears open and my one mouth shut.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one we all struggle on. In class, we made a list of all the ways we can sin with our speech. Well, we started one...if we really tried to get them all on the list, we would still be in class, trying to finish!
ReplyDeleteOne idea that came up was that maybe we all need to pick one of the comparisons James used (horse bit, ship rudder, spark or fire), and put a picture of it where we can see it everyday to remind us. I'm not really into tatoos, but this might be a good time for one!