Be Careful What You Say
“Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” Psalm 34:13

The following is an outline of Dr. Pete's message, Be Careful What You Say.

Be Careful What You Say - Outline

1. Introduction: Man uses words for communication.
1. “Hello. How are you? My name is…”
2. God uses words for more than just communication. God uses words to create things.
1. Examples:
1. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light’.” Genesis 1:3
2. “Then God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.” Genesis 1:6-7
3. “The God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so.” Genesis 1:9
2. God created the heavens and the Earth by saying something. He used WORDS. He SPOKE them into existence.
3. Man, created in the image and likeness of God, can also SPEAK things into existence.
1. God created MAN in His image and after His likeness. (Genesis 1:26)
2. God is spirit. Man is spirit, soul and body. (John 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:23)
3. God can hear. Man can hear. (Pslam 35:15)
4. God can see. Man can see. (2 Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 5:21;15:3)
5. God can touch things. Man can touch things. (Exodus 33:22)
6. God can speak. Man can speak. (Genesis 1:3,26)
7. God speaks things into existence...
1. Jesus said, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Mark 11:23
2. If God speaks things into existence, so can man!
4. Question: How will man use his creativity through words? He can use it for good or for bad.
1. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
2. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit….For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks….For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37
3. As saints of God, we can use our words to speak things into existence that line up with the Word of God and the will of God for our lives.
1. This is using the creative power of our words for good.
2. This is using our words for life and not death.
4. Example of Using Words for Life:
1. Testimony Service: “I thank the Lord for life, health and strength.”
2. Without knowing it, the saints were speaking continuous life, continuous health and continuous strength into their lives.
3. They thought they were saying what is so…and they were. But, there were also speaking life, health and strength into their future.
5. Don’t speak crosswise of God’s Word.
1. Example: “I am just a nobody…”
2. We are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” Romans 8:17
3. We are no longer slaves, but sons of God and heirs through Christ. Galatians 4:7
4. We were born again through incorruptible seed which is the word of God that lives and abides forever. 1 Peter 1:23
5. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. 1 Peter 2:9
6. God has made us kings and priests. Revelation 1:6
6. Profanity.
1. We think of profanity as “four letter words” or “cuss words”.
2. When we say, “I am a nobody”, we talk crosswise of God’s word. This is profanity.
3. Profane: chalal, which means doing violence to the established law of God¹.
4. We should be mindful of what we say.
5. Speaking profanity is speaking death. It can be death to whatever good God is doing in your life.
6. Food for Thought:
1. When people offend us, why do we want to "cuss them out"?
2. Is "cussin' someone out" speaking life to them or speaking death to them?
3. Why do we have the urge to SPEAK death to them? Is the impulse to speak evidence that man was created in God's image and likeness? (The emphasis here is on the act of speaking. Speaking death not life to them is a reaction to being offended. Cussin' somebody out is not right. Romans 12:14; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 3:8.)
4. Jesus said we believers have authority to speak to mountains, and implied those "mountains" include evil spirits. (Matthews 17:14-21)
7. If you cannot say something good, it is better to say nothing.
5. Speak Life
1. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” James 1:22
2. Psalm 103
1. The Daily Prayer based on Pslam 103, spoken out loud, is an excellent way to speak life to yourself and others.

Notes