Time Spent this Week: 5.5 hrs
Sunday school: 1 hr
Worship service: 1.5 hr
Youth Group: 3 hrs
My Class this Week:
Think about someone in leadership who has encouraged you...who has hurt you.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me." - FALSE STATEMENT: words hurt
"Taming the Tongue" - James 3:1-12
v.1-2 "What do you see in these verses?"
- It is difficult to control the tongue
- The tongue can be harmful
v.3-12 "Why is it so hard to control the tongue when it is so harmful?"
- We don't think before we speak
- Garbage in, garbage out
- Uncontrollable emotions
- Reflection of how we think
- Return harm for harm
"Our inability to control our tongue is the most damaging thing to our witness."
- Words stick (more than words)
- More time to think abotu actions than words
"What would you say to a 'Christian' that didn't control their tongue?"
- Be slow to speak and quick to listen
- Ask God for help
"Think of a person of encouragement. How did they get there?"
- Personality
- Slow to speak
- They've seen the pain of using words destructively
- God's help
- Good examples
v.2,9 "Tongues can be used to bless and curse."
Challenge of the Week:
R.A.K (Random Act of Kindness - using speech)
"Take full responsibility for miscommunication - stop rationalizing & apologize."
I thought Mike did a great job relating to the students today. His interaction was plentiful, including personal stories, illustrations, facts, and scriptural support. He did not leave the kids hanging with questions, but instead chose to challenge them to use their tongues to bless others. It was a very effective learning atmosphere for the class, proving that you can teach with facts and simultaneously encourage the students to take ownership of the lesson.
Questions:
1. Is it a sin to be tempted?
2. How would you label profanity that pops into your head? Sin? Temptation? Right? Wrong? Neutral? Is it only a sin when you choose to verbally express crass emotions?
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Re: Temptation as sin...I don't believe it is a sin to be tempted, because Jesus was tempted himself, and yet was sinless. However, when we entertain our temptations, and allow them to mull and strengthen in our minds then they can become desires, and therefore sins. I heard it said that if you look at an attractive female once it's temptation, but if you look twice you have committed sin in your heart.
ReplyDeleteRe: Head sins... I think that it isn't so much sin of the mind as it is sin of the heart in most cases. If you think wrong thoughts, like of dislike or hatred, then to God it's the same as committing murder. With the profanities I am unsure, because profanities sometimes mean nothing to one person and a lot to the next. Some words don't mean anything to me, and others have a horrible meaning, so if in your heart you are saying a profanity in your head in a harmful way I think it's wrong. If you think a profanity without meaning the negative word, like the word for... fecal matter, just describing something, then I don't think that's a sin. But if you are thinking in your head, man this is full of .... and have evil in your heart then I think it is. It's all about the heart behind everything that you do. It's about love.
RE: Temptation as sin...I agree with Tyler that it is not a sin to be tempted. the book of James says that when we are tempted and give into our evil desires, it gives birth to sin which in turn gives birth to death. But God gives us a way out in every temptation.
ReplyDeleteRE: Head Sins....Again, I agree with Tyler on this one. Sometimes you can't control your thoughts, but you can control what you let go into your heads. When you don't have that stuff in your head, you are less likely to think it or say it out loud.