Taming The Tongue

If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the book of James. Book of James. Someone who does not go to our church recently asked, “What are you guys teaching on? What are you guys doing?” And I was like, “Oh, we’re going through the book of James.” And he goes, “Oh, the book of James is a very practical book.” We all like to have clear instructions. We all like to be told what to do — until we’re actually told what to do. You know what I mean? It’s like, “Tell me what to do. Don’t tell me what to do.” We have this conundrum.

The book of James was not written to people on how to be saved. It was really written to believers on how we’re to live out our salvation. And so there are a lot of parallels between the book of James and the book of wisdom, the book of Proverbs, and also Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. A lot of the teachings in the book of James are reiterated from the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus preached in Matthew chapters 5 through 7.

And so we’re coming to James chapter 3, and we’ve come to the point where James is now addressing some of the practical applications, and the power and the responsibility that we have as believers, with our tongue. Now, the tongue is a symbol of the words that we speak, the words that we say, the things that proceed out of our mouth.

I’m a pastor, obviously, and there are times where I’ll be in conversation with someone outside of church, and eventually the conversation will come to the point where they’ll ask, “What do you do for a living?” And I just very simply say, “Well, I pastor a church.” And sometimes you’ll see their face go from a smile to deer in the headlights: “What have I said? What have I done?” They’re going through their mind, and I’m like, listen, I’m not here for that. Okay. But it’s so easy to be very relaxed with our words, even as believers and even in the church. Sometimes there are things that come out of our mouth that not only don’t honor the Lord — they’re actually the opposite of what the Lord is speaking to us or over our lives. Do you know what I mean? And so the words that we say are important. The words that we say have power.

A stricter judgment

And so James is going to address this starting at James chapter 3, and we’re going to read the first two verses. Can we actually read these out loud? Let’s just fill this room with the Word of God this morning. James chapter 3 — you can read along in your Bibles, and you can also follow along up on the screen. But let’s read this out loud together. Ready? Go.

“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”

And so we see this startling warning in verse 1, where James is like, listen, if you have ambitions or a desire to teach the Word of God, be careful. Because if you are one who speaks and teaches the Word of God, there is a higher level of accountability. Now, this makes sense when you look at the teachings of Jesus and the life and the ministry of Jesus. There was really nothing that He hated more than people who would say one thing while their heart was in a different place, or who would say one thing and then go and do another. He would say things like, “Hypocrites,” or, “What are you doing? Don’t you realize it’s not just what we say, it’s how we back it up in action?”

But notice it says, “knowing that we…” Here’s James lumping himself into this group of people, saying, “knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” How many of you remember what Jesus said in Luke 12:48? Jesus said, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” In other words, in knowing Jesus, in knowing the truth, there is a greater level of responsibility and accountability that is placed on us.

And I would even say this: not even just knowing it, but even having access to it. Maybe you’ve heard the expression, “Ignorance is bliss.” If I don’t know it, then it can’t really hurt me. But how many of you know that’s just not true? We want to know the truth. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will…” what? “Set you free.” And so if you want to live a life of freedom — freedom of peace, freedom of mind, freedom of thought, freedom of heart — we must know the truth. And who is the truth? The person Jesus Christ. And so there is this understanding that if you have access, or if you are a preacher or teacher of Scripture, there is this greater accountability.

But let me put this into context for everybody. If you are bringing truth into someone’s life — has anybody ever come to you looking for advice? Maybe you have some understanding or biblical context, and you’re bringing correction or encouragement from Scripture and declaring it over them. How many of you know that if you are being a preacher or teacher, there is an accountability that we also have to walk those things out? So in teaching and preaching, there is not just a skill behind it. According to Scripture, it’s not enough just to be skilled or gifted in the teaching and preaching of the Word. There is something to do with character. You see, we will all come before Jesus on the day of judgment, and James is being clear that there is a higher level of accountability for those who teach and preach.

We all stumble

Verse 2 says, “For we all stumble in many things.” Is anybody able to make it through the week without stumbling? Yeah, exactly right. We all stumble. James, the brother of Jesus, is including himself. He’s saying, listen, we all stumble. Now, that word “stumble” doesn’t have the Greek implications of a falling away or a turning from the faith. It is a stumbling block. It is a hindrance. It’s something in your life that you kind of trip over, that is really keeping you from becoming who Jesus has called you to be in your walk of faith.

And so James is acknowledging, listen, we all fall short. Now, sometimes we read that, and if you’re a glass-half-empty kind of person, you might be like, “Then what’s the point? If we all fall short, then what’s the point?” But really, when Scripture says things like, “Listen, you can’t do it. You’re not good enough. You didn’t deserve this,” those are all calls to run to Jesus. Amen. That really is an affirmation that I desperately need Jesus, because He’s the only one who can save me. He’s the only one who can actually set me free in these things.

And so verse 2 says, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word” — everybody say, “in word” — “he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” So here’s James, having brought up the fact that we all stumble, and he’s giving us an example of a common way that we all stumble, and that is with our words. One of the stumbling blocks that James is pointing out is, listen, you need to watch how you talk: the things that you say about other people, the things that you say about yourself, the things that you speak about your situation.

It is so easy just to speak our mind. In fact, how many of you know that’s oftentimes celebrated today? Whatever’s on your mind, just say it. But how many of you know that just because there are things we can say doesn’t mean we should say them? Right? So if I ask my wife, “Hey, honey, how do I look this morning?” she should say, “You look like you’ve been working out.” That’s what she should say. She shouldn’t say, “Wow, you’ve really let yourself go,” even though there might be some truth to that, right? Just because we can say things doesn’t mean that we should say them.

Out of the abundance of the heart

And so James is saying, “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” The words that we speak are often a good indicator of where our heart is spiritually. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Meaning, the things that are actually coming out of your mouth are a good indicator of what is happening inside, spiritually.

Sometimes I find myself in a funk, when I just haven’t been spending as much time with the Lord, or maybe I’ve been reading Scripture half-heartedly. And the time I notice it most is when I think, what did I just say? I’ll be in conversation, and something will come out of my mouth, and I’m like, did I actually just say that? Because there was something in my heart. There was an absence of the Lord, an absence of abiding with Him and spending time with Him. And all of a sudden, because my heart is naturally very carnal and very wicked, it wants to just speak its mind. It wants to say whatever it wants to say. And as these words come out, I’m like, “Oh, I need to go be with Jesus.” There are times when words come out and they are a reflection of what’s going on inside. Let that be a call, an indicator: oh, I need to get with the Lord, because I’m not really talking how He talks. I’m not really speaking the way that the Lord is speaking.

And so the words that we say — whether cursing, lies, slander, gossip — are all strong indicators that something is off spiritually. Let me give you another big one: complaining. Did you know that complaining is not from the Lord? The Scripture says, “In everything give thanks.” No matter how bad it gets — even though it may seemingly be true. You might be saying, “Well, I’m just stating the truth,” or, “I’m just stating the obvious.” But Scripture is very clear: “In everything give thanks.” “Be anxious for nothing. In all things give thanks, and make your requests known to the Lord.” So there’s this specific instruction that we as believers are to be people who give thanks. But if we are complaining about our situation, complaining about other people, these are all indicators of the heart. You guys with me this morning?

And so there is this litmus test that we have. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36–37 — this is what Jesus says about our words — “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

This is a powerful statement. That scripture used to freak me out when I was younger. It was the same as someone talking to me and finding out that I’m a pastor: what have I said? What things am I going to need to give account for? Jesus is very clearly saying, listen, your words matter. Every idle word. They may seem like nothing. They may seem idle. They may not seem like a big deal. It may be so accepted by everybody around you, or even celebrated. The question is: are you speaking the same things that God is speaking? Are we actually speaking words that bring life and bring healing, or are we complaining? Are we grumbling?

How many of you know, when Jesus brought His people out of Egypt and they were in the wilderness, what was the first thing they started doing? Rather than praising God for deliverance, what did they start doing? They began to complain. They began to grumble. And it caused judgment in their life. The opposite of giving thanks is complaining and grumbling. And Jesus says, listen, every idle word, you will give account for it in the day of judgment, “for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

I mean, think about this — the words that come out of our mouth. Scripture says that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved. So the way that we come into salvation is with what? Let’s be confident here. Our words. You see, our words can bring life, but equally they can bring condemnation and death. You guys know what I mean? Out of the same mouth. And Jesus is saying, every idle word.

And so James is making it very clear: this is one of the biggest ways that we stumble in our Christian walk — with our words. Whether it’s words about yourself — maybe you’re boasting or exaggerating, trying to make yourself look better — or maybe it’s the opposite end, and you’re constantly being negative about yourself and your situation, and you’re really speaking the opposite of truth. Or maybe it’s about others, where you’re gossiping or slandering through insincere or cruel words.

A bit, a rudder, and a spark

James continues and talks more about the power of the tongue in verse 3. He says this: “Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.” James is using this analogy of this small little piece. You guys know what a bit is on a horse’s bridle, right? On the reins. Okay, I don’t really ride horses. But it’s just a little thing you put in their mouth, and the rider who is in control can turn their head and really turn their whole direction, turn their whole body, with just a little piece, right?

And he gives us another example in the next verse. Verse 4: “Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.” And so there’s this understanding that something so small has so much influence on the direction of your life. If your tongue is out of control, that would be like a ship in the sea with no one at the wheel, right? What’s that ship going to do? It’s just going to go wherever the wind blows.

Now, some people hear that and they’re like, “Oh, that sounds like a cool tattoo. Wherever the wind blows.” No, it’s chaos, right? Because you can be thrown by the waves, or you can be blown into a shipwreck, or into another ship, who knows what. Without control of our tongue, our life actually becomes very chaotic, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. There’s power in our words. Our words matter.

Verse 5 says, “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things” — for better or for worse. “See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.”

So when we have control over the tongue, it’s an indication that we actually have control over ourselves, that there is this discipline in our life. And James is ultimately pointing us not just to effort. We can’t actually control our tongue by effort alone. Although it wouldn’t hurt some people to try a little bit harder. Amen. Some people should try a little harder to control what they say. But the way that we actually speak words of life isn’t by effort alone. The question is: who is in control? Who has control of the reins of what you say? Are you just saying whatever you want, or are you submitted to the Holy Spirit, who is not only in you but gives you the ability to speak words of life? Amen. Because He is the Spirit of life. And so will we actually yield our thoughts and our words to the Lord?

Well, how do we do this? How do we actually yield? How do we actually begin to talk like the Lord? It’s like so many things — in fact, we sang about it this morning. The way that we receive life and freedom is by coming to the Lord Jesus and laying all things at His feet. If you want to change the way that you talk — maybe you have negative thoughts about yourself, and you actually speak those out loud — how many of you know Scripture says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God? When you speak words of truth, you speak them, you hear them, and it’s like this rinsing. Do you guys know what I mean? Have you ever had dirty water, and then you mix it with clean water, and all the dirty water kind of just starts to dissolve out of there? It kind of flushes out. That’s really what the Word of God and truth are. When we begin to hear the Word of God and we begin to declare His truth, it comes out of our mouth, it comes into our ears, it goes down into our hearts and our spirit, and it begins to flush out all the filth.

A primary way that we really begin to change our words is by getting His Word in us. God cannot lie. If you want to know what is true, if you want to know the things that you should be speaking over your marriage, over your family, over your life, whatever it is — the things we should be speaking are the same things that God is speaking over us. Amen.

But the reality is, some people don’t have their hands on the reins or on the wheel, and look at the disaster that comes from not controlling the tongue. It says this: “See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.” There is such great disaster, such potential power, in our tongue.

My wife and I celebrated 22 years of being married yesterday. Happy anniversary. Time is weird, man. I was like, that’s a long time. We’ve been married longer than we’ve not been married. It’s crazy. I know, it’s a doozy. I remember, though, early on we were on a trip, and we were driving back home from Wisconsin. We were talking about this yesterday. I’m from Wisconsin. I’m from here, right? I grew up a mile from here. I’ve spent most of my life in Madison. And so there were some foreign things when I was out in California. Earthquakes are crazy. The first time I experienced an earthquake, I literally thought there was construction happening and the house was being lifted and moved. I was like, what is going on? It was so out-of-body.

But the other thing is wildfires. I remember we were on our way back into California, driving on the freeway, and it was like a scene straight out of Armageddon. There was fire on this side of the freeway and fire on this side of the freeway, and traffic is moving like, who cares? I’m like, what is actually going on? It was just chaos. And the fires would just sweep through, because the conditions would get dry, and when things are dry, they are certainly able to catch fire. And that’s what happens in so many of the wildfires that California experiences. They don’t start with a bonfire. They don’t start with a flamethrower. They start with a little spark. I think those fires, in fact, were started by some fireworks. They caught fire in a yard, and the wind caught it, and it just took off.

But how many of you know dry conditions in our life, dry conditions in our heart, make us more able to be led into destruction by the words that we speak? If we are being filled with living water — how many of you know, even though sometimes we might hear some things that aren’t true, even though we might say some things and stumble with our words, it doesn’t hit us the same way? Because we have good conditions in our heart. But there is so much destruction that comes from this little spark of our tongue.

Words of life

How many of you have heard the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? Many of us parents have maybe said that to our very own kids. And we say that as though, don’t be influenced by what people say about you. Be confident. Be strong. There’s an intention there. But how many of you know words do hurt, especially when we believe them — good or bad? Good: if we hear good, and we hear truth, and we believe it, it brings fruit. It brings life. But when we hear negative words or things spoken over us that are actually not true, if we believe them, they can cause significant damage.

Now think about the ability that you have as someone who speaks to other people. Did you know that you can actually speak life into those around you, or you can actually speak death? Always pointing out the negative, always getting on them, always speaking negatively. Or we can begin to see them as God sees them, and begin to call out who they really are.

Many of you know that I coach multiple sports teams. It’s turning into a thing. I thought it was just one thing, and now it’s multiple things. I coach multiple sports teams — I’ll put that in my bio. But I think one of the best things that I bring is not my ability or understanding of the game. The biggest thing I bring oftentimes is who’s in me. I coached my daughter’s lacrosse team, and coaching girls is much different than coaching boys, first of all. But every single person, really, just wants to be seen. And I can either see them and all their faults and all their inabilities, or I can actually see them as the Lord sees them and begin to call those things out. Do you know what a game-changer that is? Do you know what that allows the Lord to work into their life — the seeds that we can actually plant? You don’t even really need a platform. It can be people you work with. It can be people you live with. It can be your family. It can be whomever. But may we actually be people who choose to speak words of life. Amen.

I talked about the parallels between James and Proverbs, and I’m going to read some of these proverbs. Proverbs 26:18–19 talks about the destructive power of words. It says, “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, ‘I was only joking!’” How many of you know we can kind of put that tag on it? We can say something and just put the disclaimer, “I was only kidding.” But it cuts, right?

Proverbs 10:19–21: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking.” In the multitude, in the abundance. How many of you know most sins, in some way, shape, or form, actually start with the words that you speak? “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.” In other words, words can be used for destruction or to bring life.

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Proverbs 16:24: “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” And this is my favorite, Proverbs 18:21. In fact, I pray this often, especially when I’m praying and believing and contending for healing. It says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Amen. Somebody say amen.

No one can tame the tongue

James starts talking about the difficulty of controlling the tongue in verse 7. It says, “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” We need the Lord. Amen.

James is pointing out the fact that, listen, we have the ability to tame many things. In fact, every beast and every animal — you can train it. Except my dog. I can’t get my dog to go to the bathroom outside. But most animals can actually be trained and taught. It says, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

It’s in God’s design. When He created us and made us, He gave us this incredible ability of discipline and self-sacrifice — and how many of you would say, I need a little bit more of that, though? So much so that you hear these amazing stories of survival, where somebody is on a journey or a camping trip and they get trapped. Maybe their arm is stuck between some rocks. And you hear the story about how they went days and days and days, and in order to survive it got to the point where they literally severed their arm off. I apologize for getting graphic. But literally to the point of, I will cut off and sacrifice this so that I can live. And I would say not even that person can tame their tongue. Not even the most perfect, the best, the most self-sacrificing, the most disciplined. It is untameable.

But when we read verses like this — “no man can tame the tongue” — again, it points us to Jesus, because Jesus is the one who never sinned in action or in word. Somebody say amen. He was perfect in every action. He was perfect in every word. And the reality is, if you have given your life to the Lord, Scripture says that you are born again. You are a new creation. Your spirit, which was once dead, is now alive in Him. And the One who is perfect in word and in action is the same One who lives in you. And so there is this Jesus who lives in us, who is giving us the ability — not just to try harder, though again, some of us may need to try a little harder.

Victory in the words that we speak comes by surrendering to Jesus and abiding in Him. First, the sacrifice of Jesus is able to forgive every sin, including the words you say. Second, it’s only Christ in me who actually has the ability to change my heart. The reality is that if you have received Jesus as your Lord, there should be this process of becoming more like Him. Becoming more like Him is a sign and a witness to yourself that, listen, what I’ve received in Him is real. It’s true that I’m not just my old self anymore. I’m not just what I used to be. I’m not defined by my actions or my faults. I’m defined by Him. And really, that’s the call here: that we are not just to try harder, but we’re actually to be who we really are created to be — sons and daughters of God. Amen.

Blessing and cursing from the same mouth

Verse 9 says, “With it” — talking about our tongue — “we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren” — talking about believers — “these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.”

There it is. This is what it is. James is saying, listen, do you not realize who lives in you? You cannot be a believer, you cannot be a new creation, and just continue to talk and let bad fruit come out of your mouth. If you are born again, then yield to Jesus, the One who lives and reigns in you, and let the words that come out of your mouth be both pleasing and edifying — to others, to you, and to the Lord Jesus Himself. Amen.

Jesus is the one who does the work. But James is pointing out the fact that blessing and cursing can come out of the same mouth, and for those who are born again, it should not be this way. We see countless biblical examples of this. Peter was the one who confessed Jesus Christ as the Messiah. He had this revelation from heaven. Jesus said, “Who do people say that I am?” And Peter gets this revelation: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus even says, “Blessed are you, Simon, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Think about what we can speak: the blessing, the revelation, the very words of heaven. But it was the same Peter who denied Jesus three times. We see these biblical examples of blessing and cursing coming out of the same mouth.

But again, verse 12 says, “Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” In other words, we cannot bear the fruit to God that we should apart from the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot.

Listen, not only has Jesus poured out His blood as a sacrifice for your sins — though your sins were as scarlet, by His blood they are white as snow. Somebody say amen. Amen. Not only has He given His blood, He’s given His Holy Spirit to us. How many of you know that’s a game-changer? Because not only has He saved us, He’s given us everything that we need to walk with Him, to be like Him, to talk like Him. And that is who we should be. We should be those who have received life in Jesus. We should be those who live not according to our dead selves or our dead ways or our former selves. We should be those who are living according to the new creation that He has raised us up to be. Amen. And so let us go and live according to who God has created us to be. But it only happens when we yield and allow the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in us. Amen. Amen.

Let’s go ahead and stand. I’m going to pray over us. Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your Word. And Lord, we thank You that as we come into this scripture, there are a lot of practical things, and a lot of times we see our shortcomings. We see the things that need some work in our lives. But Lord, we thank You that we don’t do it in our own strength. You have given us Your Holy Spirit. You have given us Yourself. Lord, You’ve given us the ability and the strength to live lives that are holy and pleasing to You. Lord, it’s not about what we can do. It’s not about what we can earn. We don’t get into eternal life with You based on what we can accomplish. But Lord, we receive eternal life, and we receive life with You forever, because we have been filled with who You are. We have been empowered by Your Spirit to live lives that are worthy of You.

And so, Lord, I pray over every person for a fresh filling of Your Holy Spirit. Lord, that You would pour out on every person, that we would not only have the grit and the determination on the inside, but Lord, that we would be strengthened by Your Spirit, that we would speak words that move heaven, because we are speaking words of heaven, Lord Jesus. Lord, give us revelation of Your Word, of Your Holy Scriptures, that they wouldn’t just be words on a page, but words that are written on our hearts, words that bring actual change to our lives. Lord, that we wouldn’t just know You in our minds, but that we would be so one with You — that our spirit, which has been reborn and is one with Your Holy Spirit, would know You so intimately that it becomes the very heart and person You’ve created us to be. Jesus, You are worthy of it all. Lord, we want to know You. We want to be more like You, because You’ve given us life with You forever. And what is eternal life? Eternal life is knowing You. You are eternal life — to be one with You. And Lord, that doesn’t start in heaven. That starts right now.

Some of us in here might be asking the very question, can I actually know Him? Not only can you know Him, friends — He wants you to know Him. And yes, we’ll spend eternity with Him, learning more, because He’s unsearchable. But you can leave here today knowing God Himself, the Creator of the universe, and have relationship with Him.

And I just want to encourage you: if you are here and you’ve not said yes to Jesus, if you’ve not said yes to the life that He’s made available, if you’ve not received the forgiveness of sins — if you’re still dead on the inside, dead in your trespasses; you’re alive and you’re moving on the outside, but on the inside something’s missing — you need to say yes to Jesus. Because when sin entered the world, death entered, and death came on the inside. We were alive, but on the inside we were dead. But Jesus came to win us back to Him, to allow His life to become our life.

And if you’ve not said yes to Jesus — with every head bowed, every eye closed — if you’re here and you want to say yes to Jesus, we’re going to say a prayer all together. But I’m going to ask that you make this decision right now, that you would say yes to Jesus. I’m just going to have you look at me and wave your hand to say, “I want to say yes to Jesus.” Just wave your hand. Amen. Amen.

Can we all do this? This is the best decision we could ever make. You can’t save yourself, but we can run to the One who saves us. And I believe — we’re talking about words — but the Holy Spirit is in this place, and He’s speaking to you, and He’s drawing you to Himself. So what I would like is for us all to respond and say yes, and just lift our hands to the Lord with our eyes closed. Just lift our hands to heaven. This is a posture of surrender. This is a posture of receiving, just like any child lifts their hands to receive good gifts from their father. Holy Spirit, we want to receive from You, Lord.

And I’m just going to ask that we repeat this prayer out loud together, in a voice loud enough for the person next to you to hear. Repeat after me. Say, “Lord Jesus, I give my life to You, because You gave Your life for me. And Your Word says that if I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that You died for my sin and You were raised from the dead — You were raised, and You are now alive, having defeated death — if I confess and believe in faith, I will be saved. And this is salvation. My sins are forgiven. My dead spirit is reborn, and I’m alive in You, and I can know You and be in relationship with You.

“And so, Lord Jesus, I make You the Lord of my life. I choose to do what You say. I choose to do it Your way — to know You, to be with You, to be who You’ve called me to be. I give You my heart. I give You my life. And I declare — because I pray this in faith, because I declare with my mouth — that I am born again. That I am a new creation. The old has passed; the new has come. I don’t need to live according to my old ways. I can be who You’ve called me to be. More like You, more like You.” Jesus, we thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Amen. Can we thank the Lord for His Word this morning? Thank You, Jesus. We receive it. We receive it. We receive it. We receive it. Let Your Word be true and every other word a lie. Lord, let Your Word be true and real in our hearts, in our lives, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Transcribed from the message recording and lightly edited for reading.