The Mouth (Part 1) Series

• “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.” Proverbs 25:14

o Foolish Jokes – Basically what we are talking about is silly, useless, foul, tasteless humor. Ephesians warms us about this things…

• “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

• Illustration: It would be a shame to illustrate these things as I believe we all know what we are talking about here.

• Application: While we already talked to extent about the “haughty eyes”, we know those eyes are indicators of a prideful spirit that is noticed in those who speak about themselves to get noticed, perhaps though foul or unwholesome humor.

#5: Talking Too Much (Proverbs 10:19)

• Explanation: Another word for talking too much is called “verbosity”. One who is verbose (talking too much) usually feels compelled to give a comment. They are “hard of listening”, filling silence with worthless conversation and interrupting without hesitation.

o “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

• Illustration: There is an old saying, “I never learned anything while I was talking and neither do you.”

o Toothpaste – You can’t put back in the tube what has already spilled out.

• Application: All of us at some point are guilty of talking too much.

Conclusion: All the above are wrong uses of the tongue. It can be discouraging to think about these things as they point out areas where we fall short and aren’t encouraging. Three conclusions on the above…

1. Think Before You Speak – If it doesn’t/won’t contribute, say nothing.

2. Pray for Control – Every morning as we check ourselves out in the mirror we should closely evaluate our tongue. It’s a relatively small slab of skin, membranes and muscles but it has tremendous power. As James says, “Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” (James 3:4-5)

3. Listen – There is a lost art called “listening” that we need to get back to cultivating. We would be amazed at how much we would learn if we would stop talking and start listening. After all, the Gospel is on the line!