We don’t often see the importance of words.

In fact, I would assume that if you are reading this then you have probably never thought through the historicity of words.  What is more, you probably go about your day without the slightest attention given to how powerful words truly are.  I know that I often do this.

See, to most of us, words are just, well, words.  We communicate to others with them.  We use them everyday.  We listen to them being spoken back to us.  We read them in books, magazines, or in online print like this publication before you.  However, we fail everyday to understand the gravity, the importance, and the monumental reflection of eternity when we speak.

The Bible has a lot to say about the word words. In fact, it has more to say about it then you could ever imagine, well, at least right now.  The concept of words, or speaking, dates back to the beginning of all history, and it does not begin with man.  Absolutely not!  It begins with our holy, righteous, and eternal God.  The purpose of this study is not intended to be a history lesson, but to understand a theme in Scripture, I believe, we must always begin with God himself.  This means we must look at Scripture itself.  The Bible is God’s revelatory words to us.  He has spoken to us in and through Scripture, and as Christians who hold a high view of Scripture then we must hold an authoritative, inherent, and infallible view of it. [...]

On Wednesday nights I am preaching through the book of James with our middle school and high school students.  Last Wednesday we landed upon James 3:1-2.  In this passage James pretty much yells at us, the readers, almost the entire time about our misuse of the tongue.  He calls it something that sets fire, something that stains the whole body, a restless evil, and something that is full of deadly poison.  With the tongue, James says, we bless God and curse others.  I hate preaching this passage because this is something that I absolutely struggle with daily.  In fact, I have struggled with this sin since I was a child.  I have used my words in very sinful ways over the course of my short life.  I have repented much, and I have grown in wisdom and stature, by God’s grace alone. [...]