Controlling the Tongue - James 3:1-12

By David Woods

Open: What do you think we should do to fix Social Security? How much income tax should we have to pay?
(Teacher: The point of these questions is just to get people talking about their opinions on a variety of topics. You may want to choose other topics to discuss.)

We live to give our opinions, don't we? Most people seem to have opinions about topics that they don't even really know anything about.

I heard recently the story about a couple lady preachers being called to a church. One man said something like, "I don't know 'em, I haven't met 'em, but I don't like 'em."

Discussion: How can this inclination to give our opinions easily cause trouble in the church?

The writer of the "Doctrinal Discussion" for this lesson says there are at least fourteen kinds of tongues in the Bible. (p. 20)

Read: Job 20:16; Psalm 5:9; Psalm 12:3; Psalm 109:2; Psalm 120:2; Psalm 120:3; Proverbs 17:20; Isaiah 28:11; Proverbs 25:23; Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 15:4; Proverbs 25:15
(List the kinds of tongues in each verse on a whiteboard.)

Discussion: How does the tongue have power to direct our lives?

Discussion: In your experience, what are some ways the tongue has destroyed people's lives?

Discussion: Why does the tongue cause us so many problems? (see v. 6)
(While these verses do teach us important truths about controlling our tongue, I believe "the tongue" was James' way of illustrating carnality.)

Discussion: Why is it important for us to accept the fact that "the tongue can no man tame"? (v. 8)
(We need God's help in controlling our speech. And - carnality can only be controlled through the power of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, only Christ can cleanse our nature of carnality.)

In the "Doctrinal Discussion" for this lesson, the writer says, "The word xre carries the idea that not only is both blessing and cursing contrary to the will of God, it is out of keeping with nature itself."

Discussion: How is both blessing and cursing "out of keeping with nature"?

Big Idea: The mature Christian controls his speech.

Read James 3:13-18

Discussion: How does earthly wisdom and divine wisdom illustrate carnality and Christian perfection, respectively?

Read James 2:1-8

Discussion: How can the Christian be entirely sanctified, according to James?