TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21
Read: Proverbs 18
Listen: Proverbs 18
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Real faith changes the way we speak. We see this theme in both James 1 and 3. It’s also one of the most repeated topics in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a collection of godly wisdom. It is characterized best as general truths, not necessarily promises. It’s a book full of warnings, commands and metaphors about how life really works. Proverbs reveals that even thousands of years ago, the power of words was clearly recognized.
The power of words is something we’ve all experienced. Words matter. They build up and they can certainly tear down. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” This week we’ll be challenged to consider this life-and-death power. We’ll look at both how we use our words and how words have made an impact on us. If words have the power of life and death, it behooves us to spend some time reflecting on our relationship with the things we say and hear.
TODAY: Ask God to open your heart to what he has for you this week. Ask him to bring to mind those things from the weekend services you need to remember and for the Holy Spirit to reveal where you need to grow when it comes to the power of words.
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Read Genesis 13-15. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Note the story of Melchizedek and the cross-reference listed (Hebrews 5:6, 10 and Hebrews 7).
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
