Session 5 Matthew 12:33-3 33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 3 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Ephesians 4:1-32 1 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ! 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 2 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. James 1:-26 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect
law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. James 3:1-18 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 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. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 1 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 4:1-10 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore
it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Matthew 6:- Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Proverbs 6:6-10 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, Proverbs : The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. Proverbs 21:20 20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Proverbs 10:8, 10,, 14, 18,, 21, 31, 32 8 The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. 10 Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. 14 The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near. 18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool. When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent 21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. 31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. Proverbs :9,, 12, 16, 1 9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. 12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. 16 A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches. 1 A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. Proverbs 12:6, 6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 13:2-3 2-3 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Proverbs 14:3, 5,, 9-10, 1, 25, 29 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. 2 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. 5 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. 1 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated. 25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful. 29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. Proverbs 15:1-2, 4,, 12, 18 1-2 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. 12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. 18 A hot- tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention Proverbs 16: 5, 13, 18,, 21, 23,, 28, 32 5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. 18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. 21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. 29 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. 32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 1:, 9-10, 14,, 20, 2, 28 Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince. 9-10 Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool. 14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction. 20 A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. 2 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Proverbs 18:2, 4, 6-8, 13, 15 2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. 4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 6-8 A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. 13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs : Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense Proverbs 20:3 3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. Proverbs 21:9,, 23, 9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman. 23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Scoffer is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. Proverbs :10,,, 25 10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. -25 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. Proverbs 23:9 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. Proverbs :1, 26 1 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles. 26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. Proverbs 25:, 12, 14, 15 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. 15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. Proverbs 16:2, 5, 21,, 28 4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. 21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart. 28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Proverbs 2:2, 5, 14, 2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Proverbs 28:23, 26 23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. 26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Proverbs 29:1, 8,,, 20, 1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. 8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.
A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond. 20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.