Sunday in class we talked about the tongue. It was an interesting class, but I will get to that. We looked at several passages about the tongue. Lets look at two.
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.
This passage stands out so much to me because of how it ends. It is interesting to me that James says our religion is worthless if we don’t control our tongue. The New King James says useless in stead of worthless. James is stomping on toes here. People like to say mean things because it make us feel better about ourselves. If you don’t believe me search your heart and you will see that I am right. Now look at what James says in Chapter 3.
James 3:3-12 3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The 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. 7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
I really like the powerful words James uses. The tongue is a fire, a world of evil, it corrupts the whole person, it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison, it is set on fire by hell. James is not sugar coating it. The tongue is a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad. Just like the rudder of the ship, the tongue steers the body. Think of all the trouble people have been into because they couldn’t keep their mouth shut. Think of all the times you have been in trouble because you have not kept your mouth shut. Like the rudder, the tongue can do good and bad. We can get ourselves in trouble, but we can also get ourselves out of trouble. We can serve God or we can make him look bad. I know this is not easy, but we can do it with God.
This brings me to the why I said the class was interesting. During the class, the teens looked at me as if they were thinking, “but how do we do that.” This is a good and tough question. You have to start small. I had a problem with cursing in High School. I was able to stop pretty easily, but I didn’t stop thinking those words. That was a different story. It took time and I had to choose to reprogram my thinking. I stopped being around people who use those words and I stopped allowing my self to think them. I chose to use different words and most importantly I asked God for help.
Sometime, we need to just not say anything. If you can’t control your tongue start small. Simply saying nothing is a start. It will not be easy and it may take time, but with God’s help you can overcome ANYTHING.
I saw this video and it made me think allot. We spend so much time on giving big gifts in my family. This has always been the custom, but seeing this video makes me want to reevaluate my priorities. Let me know what you think!
Yesterday in Class, we talked about the eyes. We started off talking about what are characteristics of role models that we like. The answers ranged from a hottie to humble and everything in between. It was interesting to see what the teens wanted in a role models because I did not limit them to a Christian role models, but just a role model. Then I asked what characeristic they appreciated the most and no one said anyting about physical characteristic, but things like trust, loving, funny, and smart. I found this interesting because we live in a world were the outer covering is so important and I thought at least one person would say it, but maybe they just thought it. Its still interesting.
Anyway, they I ask them why more people don’t have a role model. There were answers like, no one is good enough, but the one I think contributes the most is when a role model lets you down. When a role model lets you down a lot of things happen. The person you have put on a pedastal for all that time comes crashing down to your level. They no longer seem perfect, but remarkable flawed. All the bad things they have done that you were blinded to come crashing down on you. You see them for who they are. A sinner just like you. You are left wondering what you should do and I belive this leads many people not to have a role model.
From this transition point, we moved the lesson into who can we look up to to be our role model. And guess who we decided it should be. Thats right Jesus. Look at this passage from Hebrews 12:1-3
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
First, we looked at what the great cloud of witnesses was. This referred back to Hebrews 11 which is the great passage on Faith and how all these people believed and then lived a life for God. This shows we have many great example of what to do when we are having a tough time. Then the Hebrews writer steps on some toes. He says that we have to throw off all those things that hold us back from serving God. This is the hard and difficult part of Christianity. We want everything to be easy and to have God bless us by giving us things. That, however, it not what how it is. Christians have to get rid of all those things in our lives that lead us away from God. Whether it is that movie you shouldn’t have watched, those things you shouldn’t have said, or helping that person that you didn’t helped. Our own selfish desires are what get us in trouble because we don’t want to let go of the things we like, but know are wrong. The Hebrew writer tells us to get rid of those things and fill that space with Jesus because he was punished, cursed, beaten, and murdered for us. We need to fix our Eyes of Jesus because only with his help are we ever going to be saved. Only He can save us from ourselves.
Has anyone ever asked you if you are a Christian. What did you say? If you are like me you might say something simple like, Yes. That was a tough one. We might say yes, but think something with it. For example: Of course I am a Christian,
I go to church all the time
My parents are
I grew up in the church
I went forward at an awesome youth rally
etc.
We come up with these things that make us a Christian, when it is not these things that make us a Christian. satan tells us that we are “good” with God because we are marking off our spiritual check list, but the problem is that your heart is not in it. I grew up in the Church and when I became a Christian, I didn’t think that things were going to change much and that I didn’t need to change much. About a week after I was baptized, I was a church and was beating up this kid. Not really hurting him, but is wasn’t something I should have been doing. And what he told me is something I will never forget. He said, aren’t you a Christian now, you shouldn’t be beating me up. And I said something like, no I am good. What? What was wrong with me. I had just chosen to follow Jesus and now I am already complacent.
For some reason, Christian get to a point were we say that we are good with God. Sometimes, I will ask someone how their relationship with God is and they will say, we are good. No the problem is that you are not good with God. God does love you, but to say that you are good with God is a scary statement. It is a lie that satan tells you. A lie that brings you a sense of comfort. Not that your relationship with God shouldn’t be comfortable, but that your relationship with God should be an ever growing process. A lifelong journey to serve Him and serve others.
During class we talked about a young lady named Tish who was struggling with sex in her relationships. Whatever she did to stop this problem didn’t work. She would go to Bible studies, pray, set boundaries, but they all failed. One day she talked to a friend about what she was going through and her friend shared the story of Nicodemus in John 3:1-15. Let me share an excerpt from the passage.
31Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” 5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
The thing that Tish’s friend shared with her was that if Nicodemus could go through his entire life as a leader in the Jewish Church, but not have a relationship with God then so could she. Tish’s friend wasn’t being a jerk, but showing Tish that she was focusing on her spiritual check list and not her relationship with God.
We, as Christians, have to have a relationship with God first. Nothing else is going to help us or get us through tough times. A Check list is not going to change our lives, but a real encounter with God will change everything in a way that we could not ever imagine.
Posted by widebodys 
Posted by widebodys 
Posted by widebodys 