James 3:1-12 ESV
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,[a] and set on fire by hell. 7 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,[c] these things ought not to be so. 11 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.

Our tongue can be brought under the power and the control of the Holy Spirit.

Our words set the boundaries of our life and are a representation of our heart.

Luke 6:45 AMP
The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honorable and moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart]; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.

James 1:26 ESV
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

What we confess can become our reality.

*1. Your Words bring Self Control to your life. *

Learning to control on tongue will bring our whole lives under control.
First step to walk in obedience, is to guard what comes out of your mouth.

Your actions become your legacy, but your words have already gone before you.

God wants to use you to bring life and Hope to those around you, but when we fail to operate in discernment the truth may cause more damage than good.

*2. Our Words ignite. *

Proverbs 18:21 MSG
Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

One word can change everything.

Ignite Joy in your life, by guarding your words.
One of the biggest ways we do this is by rehearsing the negative.

When you focus on the negative facts over Gods provision, we will get stuck.

When problems become your focus, joy will leak out of your life.
Joy increases when we say what God says about our lives.

Replace complaints with praise.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

*3. Your Words direct our destiny. *

V4 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.

Your destiny becomes the sum of the words that you have spoken over yourself and others.

Judges 6:11-16 ESV
* 11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian. ”14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”*

You Confessions hijack your direction.

The wind is not more powerful than His promise.

The winds of this world will always try to control your direction.

You confession can become your spiritual reality.

Romans 4:17 ESV
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

*Discussion Questions: *

1- What is the most encouraging thing anyone has said to you? Why was it so impactful?

2- Read Proverbs 4:23 and 18:21 aloud, and discuss where our words originate and their potential impact. If you ever wonder how your heart is doing, just listen to your words. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how would you rate yourself on intentionality with your speech?

3- Words are powerful. How do they set the course of our life?

4- What is discernment? How can you apply discernment when it comes to speaking things to people that may be from God?

5- Read 1Thessalonians 5:18. What is one thing that you can give God thanks for? How can you begin to walk in God’s will over your life in Thankfulness?