Tongue-zilla
What happens when Liz mixes his bad mood with a tongue that just won't quit talking? Trouble.
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Controlling your tongue
1. In James 3:5, the tongue is compared to a small spark that can set a forest on fire. How can the tongue cause great damage? Can you think of a time when some small thing you said caused you a lot of problems?
2. Mark 8:31-33 tells about Jesus and his disciples as they traveled about teaching everyone they met about God’s kingdom. Along the way, Jesus taught the disciples many truths about himself. After they realized that he was the Messiah who would save them from their sins, he told them about his coming death. Peter was impulsive—he often said and did things before thinking. That’s what he did here. He actually pulled Jesus off to one side and began to lecture him! . It got Peter in immediate trouble. Jesus stopped him and said, “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus knew that Satan could use Peter’s words to cause a great deal of trouble if they weren’t stopped. As you listen to this episode, think about how important it is to control what you say at all times.
After you listen
Memory Verse
“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or 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. Likewise, 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.”
Quiz
A: She learned about it in church school when the class was reading the book of James.
Reflect
In this episode, Liz doesn’t control his tongue and his day at the ranch is ruined because of what he says.
Words are important. They are how people find out who we are, what we believe, and what we think of them. We use words to let others know how we feel and what we need. With words, we help and teach others. God used words to tell us about him. In fact, in John 1:1, Jesus is called “the Word” because God used him to tell us how to be saved.
Because words are so important, they can also cause a lot of trouble. The wrong words, whether we say them or write them, can make someone’s life miserable. Have you ever had your feelings hurt because of what someone else said? Or maybe you’ve been hurt because someone didn’t say the words you needed to hear. The Bible makes it very clear that we have to be careful always of what we say.
Want to dig deeper and learn about what the Bible says about our words? Check out Proverbs 15:4, Luke 6:45, and Ephesians 4:29.
Challenge
When do you have the most trouble controlling your tongue? Is it with your family? With your friends? Maybe it’s on social media sites on the Internet. Draw a picture of a forest fire being started by a small spark. Write the words to James 3:3-5 on the picture and hang it on your door or by your computer. Ask the Lord to help you learn to control your tongue.
