THE
TONGUE EXPOSES THE HEART
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree
bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything
good? For out of the overflow of the
heart the mouth speaks. 35 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. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give
account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you
will be condemned.” Matthew
12:33-37 (NIV)
20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to
my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them
within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to
a man's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the
wellspring of life. 24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk
far from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze
directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that
are firm. 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot
from evil. Proverbs 4:20-27 (NIV)
12 Wisdom
will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who
leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who
delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose
paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. Proverbs 2:12-15 (NIV)
9 The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I
the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to
his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NIV)
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your
mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their
needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling
and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be
kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
God forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32 (NIV)
19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who
holds his tongue is wise. 20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the
heart of the wicked is of little value. 21 The
lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment. Proverbs 10:19-21 (NIV)
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit,
nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick
figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in
his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his
heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)
BUTTER
“Kind
words also produce their image on men’s souls; and a beautiful image it is.” Blaise Pascal
“The character we find in the
beatitudes is nothing less than our Lord’s own character put into words.” Billy Graham
“One of the most powerful blessings you can bestow on another person is well-timed words. It is our job to declare God’s praises and pronounce God’s blessings. Life-giving words are pure oxygen. The right words at the right time can change everything. They can even change the direction of a life.” Mark Batterson
“Only speak words that make souls stronger.” Ann Voskamp
“It’s amazing what fresh insights come as
we pour over the Bible for our own nourishment.
Only then will our words be fresh and hot, made from scratch and
straight from the oven, ready to feed hungry hearts.” Robert Morgan
“Words and ideology on a page are cheap. Grace and incarnating the love of Christ isn’t.” Ann Voskamp
“The most important thing in life isn’t what we think about ourselves or what others think about us, but what God thinks about us. He is the final Judge. When He examines and evaluates our motives, words, and actions, are we commended, as was Abel, or are we condemned, as was his brother Cain? ‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at,’ God told the prophet Samuel. ‘Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Sam. 16:7). Warren Wiersbe
“No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak in anger.” John Chrysostom
“Our words and works are always an overflow of what is in our hearts and thoughts. If you desire right speech and actions, work on your heart and mind.” BHY
HEART SAVOR
· Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks – make
sure your hearts are filled with Jesus!
· Do not let any unwholesome words proceed from your mouth –
only speak words of life not death.
· When we mindlessly wag our tongues, sin is not absent.
