In Sermon Illustrations: "Tongue"

Words Can Kill

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 12, 2013

WORDS CAN KILL Matt Roush in USA Today writes, "The tongue has the power of life and death..." That may sound a bit extreme. I mean how can words kill anyone? But consider Karen Carpenter, the popular singer from the 1970’s who died in 1983 of heart failure as a result of complications with ...read more

Tags: Words, Tongue

Denomination: Methodist

Words Matter

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 23, 2014

WORDS MATTER The Book of James in the New Testament reminds us that words can direct, delight or destroy (ch. 3). Is this true? Look no further than to what happened in Germany in WWII. For every word in Hitler’s poisonous book, Mein Kampf, it cost the life of 125 people. Here are some words to ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-15

Tags: Words, Tongue

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We're Don't Always Know Who We're Talking To

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Mar 2, 2025

Proverbs 10:19 - 19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. Sometimes we are so busy talking that we aren’t even talking to who we think we are talking to. I have to tell yall a story about my sweet little Southern Mama who is now in heaven with ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 13:3, Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Words, Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

You Can't Stick Your Tongue Out At God's Children!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 12, 2023

A busy young father came home late from work and his two young daughters ran to the car to meet him. The oldest daughter got their first and jumped into Daddy's arms telling him how much she loved him while the youngest watched. As they walked into the house, the oldest daughter looked back ...read more

Tags: Father, Holy Spirit, Hate, Anger, Bitterness, Division, Critical Spirit, Love, Kids  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gossip: Opie's Newspaper

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 7, 2014

"Opie's Newspaper" is an episode on the Andy Griffith Show. Opie's friend, Howie, received a small printing press as a gift, and the boys decide to go into the newspaper business. They work hard and produce an initial issue of what they call the Mayberry Sun. The boys soon find that business is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32

Tags: Gossip, Slander, Sins Of Tongue, Control Tongue

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

After Hearing And Reading All The Health Warnings ...  PRO

Contributed by Bob Joyce on Sep 6, 2007

After hearing and reading all the health warnings the media consistently blesses us with, someone wrote this tongue-in-cheek observation. "Brace yourself. Somewhere, they’re plotting the scare of the week. Air is polluted; water is too. Fish that swim in it are not good for you. Fresh fruits and ...read more

Tags: Worry, Tongue, Gossip

Denomination: Baptist

Complaint Department

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 29, 2019

A gentleman decided to withdraw from society and its busyness. He joined a monastery and took a vow of silence.At the end of each year he could say two words. At the end of the first year of absolute silence, he met with his supervising monk and was given the opportunity to say two words. With ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12, James 1:19-21, James 1:26

Tags: Words, Complaining, Tongue

Denomination: Pentecostal

Not What Was Expected

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Mar 16, 2022

Integrity is when something is the same all the way through. Pure gold is gold and only gold, all the way through. 14kt gold is less than pure, but other metals give it a hardness that allows more uses such as making beautiful jewelry from it. The bible calls the condition of being one thing ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:21, James 3:11, James 3:12, James 3:13, Matthew 23:27, Matthew 23:28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Integrity, Hypocrisy, Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

She Did Not Know Who She Was Talking To

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Mar 2, 2025

One day I called at the counter of the tiny post office in rural Arkansas to pick up a package they were holding for JPH (my company). When the lady bringing my package looked at the PO Box address on it, she said Oh good, you work for JPH. And I said Yes maam I do. She had been watching for ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 13:3, Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Words, Speech, Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

Good Gossip

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody.” – Benjamin Franklin I knew a woman once who took a temporary job working for a large ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:28

Tags: Gossip, Evil Tongue, Encouraging Others, Power Of The Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

Why Women Talk More Than Men

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Sep 27, 2021

“According to a theory of sociologists who study human nature, the number of words spoken by the average man in a given day are about 10,000. The average woman uses about 25,000 words in a day. – from speechmastery.com My pastor was doing a teaching on the power of the tongue Sunday morning and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:21

Tags: Idle Words, Power Of The Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

It Is Significant To Mention What Happened To ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Raisbeck on Jul 15, 2003

It is significant to mention what happened to Smith Wigglesworth when he first received the ability to speak in tongues in Sunderland in 1907. He described this experience as follows: "She [Mrs Boddy, a minister’s wife] laid her hands on me and then had to go out of the room. The fire fell. It was ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General, Gifts Tongues

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He's Shaving You!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 9, 2014

HE'S SHAVING YOU! An influential man in town was sitting in the barber's chair having a shave and a haircut. He saw a pretty woman who was working in the office there and started flirting with her. "You're cute! How about a date tonight?" he said to her. The pretty woman smiled and said, ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-10

Tags: Pride, Words, Tongue, Flirting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do Not Hinder Prayer

Contributed by James Dina on Jul 19, 2020

Do not hinder prayer. Those that live without prayer in the world, live without God in their lives. “Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name.” (Jeremiah 10:25). To restrain prayer is worse than not to pray. The latter indicate only ...read more

Scripture: Job 15:4-5, Psalm 60:11, Psalm 51:15, Matthew 12:37, Isaiah 50:4, James 3:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Prayer, Words, Tongue, Hypocrite, Hinder  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Internal ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

Internal Audit My wife Tina is an internal auditor for T. Marzetti. When she walks into a plant to do an audit she can tell a lot about that plant by what she sees. If she finds that the financials, employment records, inventory, and quality control aspects of the plant are good it is an indication ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:33-37

Tags: Tongue, Guarding Your Heart

A Breakdown In Communication

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Feb 11, 2012

A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION My favorite Burns and Allen routine was the time when George was lecturing Gracie about carelessness. Gracie remembered one of her relatives who accidently parked in a red zone. George said, "That was very careless." Gracie responded, "Yes, it really was." "He ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:15, 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

Tags: Communication, Tongue, Communication General

Denomination: Baptist

The Devastating Power Of Criticism

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 25, 2014

"Go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated." - Author Unknown I know a number of people whose lives have been profoundly affected by the criticism of others. For some, it was being cruelly taunted at school by their peers, for others, a close family member who criticized or ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:15

Tags: Criticism, Judgemental, Evil Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

The Gossipping Preacher

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 22, 2022

Three preachers from the same small town in Arkansas were out fishing together. One of the pastors said, "You know, brothers, I feel safe here with you guys. I think it might be a good time and a good place for each one of us to confess our sins to each other privately and confidentially, ...read more

Tags: Gossip, Division, Tongue, Preachers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Discerning Prophecy

Contributed by Richard Tow on Apr 26, 2021

I was once in charge of a meeting where I was confronted with this situation. A lady gave forth a powerful and anointed utterance in an unknown tongue. We all waited for the interpretation. Quite soon a man began to give forth what he obviously wanted us to accept as the interpretation. It was, in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Tags: False Prophet, Deception, Discernment, Prophecy, Charismatic, Tongues  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Little Things Can Be Big Problems

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 6, 2024

Richard Conniff writes in National Geographic that on January 12, 1997, two Swiss men, Bertrand Piccard and Wim Verstraeten, set out to be the first to CIRCLE THE EARTH in a balloon. Their aircraft was called the Breitling Orbiter, and it was high-tech masterpiece, complete with solar power panels ...read more

Tags: Tongue, Small Things, Mouth, Words

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational