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Wednesday, May 9, 2007
 During a Bible study when I was in my church youth group many years ago, my youth pastor used an object lesson that greatly impacted me. He passed an aluminum soda can around and invited each of us to put a dent into the can. We started timidly, but by the time the can had made it all the way around the circle, it was practically flattened. Our pastor then instructed us to pass the can back around, each of us removing the dent we had put into the can. We all sat puzzled. We started the can around, attempting to remove the dents and restore the can to its original form. It became apparent very quickly that the can would never be the same as it was before. Our youth pastor then shared with us from the third chapter of James. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 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, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.I am often reminded of this visual image of the damage our unkind words can cause. Once said, they impact others, changing them in some way. Yes, we can ask forgiveness and many times receive it, but those words may still ring in the air at times. Those words have changed someone. During times of struggle and doubt, those unkind words can surface in the back of their minds. Our tongues are untameable in our own strength. We must seek His strength to use our tongues to encourage and uplift others. I pray that my words will ring in others' ears as a voice of affirmation and encouragement. May this instrument that is so often manipulated by Satan, be used to bring glory to God as we praise Him and seek to edify others. Blessings to you all! In Him, Kelly Labels: Kelly's Articles
Comments:
Kelly,
This is a fantastic object lesson. I struggle with the beastie in my mouth. Argh! Great post. Thanks.
Thank-you for this striking word picture! I have seen a similar illustration involving an unwrapped piece of chewing gum in relation to purity (after it being passed around and played with by a large group - who wants to eat the gum now?).
This is powerful - our words are powerful. Thank-you for sharing the message and thank-you for the encouragement! joy in this journey, katey-D Psalm 103 ~Blueyeduck Studios~
Thanks guess what my next lesson will be on Sunday with the teens. Great idea! I have always done this lesson with shaving cream.
I take a plate and ask kids (teens) to say awful things. You are ugly, who invited you? Why can't you be like Mary? Etc. With each comment I swirl around another level of shaving cream on the plate. In the end you have a tower of shaving cream. I put the tower on the shelf by the window. I comment that we will talk about this next week. Did you know that during the week the H2O evaporates and just leaves some of the soap? My point--It doesn't matter if you go back and say I'm Sorry --the comment NEVER goes truly away. So don't say it. You can't take it back. It does leave a mark.
I love this. Kind of smilar to the idea of a tube of toothpaste. I make my kids all quirt out the toothpaste on a pan in the kitchen, when they were done I then asked them to put the toothpaste back into the tube. Encouraged them. They looked at me with blank stares.
I then told them that is what words are like when them come out of your mouth, you can never take them back. Great post Kelly.
you had a great youth pastor I may post this to the youth group leader at church later today
it may be something she can use thanks
That's the second time today that verse has come up for me.
Maybe I should be paying better attention?
What a great visual! Ohh, how watching what we speak and how we say it so important. I often ask myself, is this building them up or tearing them down?
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Great post Kelly! Links to this post: << Home
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