In James Week 5, Pastor Aaron McRae tackles one of the most challenging and relevant issues in our everyday lives: our words. From trained animals and massive ships to raging wildfires, James uses vivid imagery to show that while humans can tame almost anything, no one can tame the tongue.

Walking through James 3, this teaching reveals the sobering truth that uncontrolled speech can wound deeply, divide communities, and even shape the direction of our lives. Words are never words “just slipping out”—they reveal what is stored in the heart. Gossip, anger, careless teaching, and online speech all carry disproportionate power, especially in a world where everyone has a platform.

But James doesn’t leave us stuck. The tongue may not be able to be tamed, but it can be transformed. Through submission to God, repentance, wisdom, and the renewing work of Jesus, our words can move from destruction to healing, from division to reconciliation. As followers of Christ, we are called to speak life—words that glorify God, build others up, and point people toward the reconciling hope of the gospel.

Resources & Scriptures Referenced

Primary Passage

• James 3:1–12
• James 1:26
• James 4:7–8

Supporting Scriptures

• Proverbs 18:21
• Ephesians 4:29
• Matthew 12:34–37
• 2 Corinthians 5:16–21
• Psalm 19:14

Practical Tools

• Good, God, Gospel Conversations
  https://goodgodgospel.com/

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