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Transforming Your Heart To Improve How You Talk | Guided Prayers · Central Christian Church

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: If you ever tried to force a change in habit purely through willpower, you know how quickly self-discipline breaks down when stress hits.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: We set firm resolutions to stop snapping on our kids, complaining at work, or making sharp sarcastic comments to our spouse.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: But then a sudden moment of frustration catches us off guard.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: And before we even realize what's happening, those exact same words fly right out of our mouths.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: We end up feeling defeated, wondering why it seems virtually impossible to keep our speech under control.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Today, James gives us a reality check that is meant to drive us away from self-reliance and straight into total dependency on God.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: James 3, 7 and 8 says, all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: It is a restless evil full of deadly poison.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: James pointed out a fascinating fact.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Throughout history, humanity has managed to train wild animals to follow commands.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yet, the single hardest thing on earth to control is sitting right behind our teeth.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: James bluntly declares that no human being can tame the tongue.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: If you're trying to clean up your speech on your own, you're a fighting losing battle.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because Jesus taught that the mouth simply speaks what is flowing from our heart.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: You can't tame the tongue without transforming the heart, and that is a supernatural job only the Holy Spirit can perform.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you do not leave us to fight our spiritual battles alone.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: But that you live inside to produce the fruit of self-control.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: God knows our struggles with speech and offers supernatural grace instead of condemnation.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Take a moment to thank him for his mercy.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind any moments today or this past week where you relied on your own willpower rather than his strength to control your words.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Hand those womans over to him right now.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Let's take a moment to pray for our community to be a place where we build each other up with our words rather than tear each other down.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Pray that the Holy Spirit will gently convict where we need convicting.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: We surrender our words and our hearts today, trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us in everything that we say.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.