Almond Latte is originally an audio devotion.
The following are my unedited notes from which the audio was made.
I know....the grammar is messed up and I need to run a spell check!
Click back: Master List of "Unedited Notes"
Latte 8: words with restraint
Welcome to “Almond Latte”…I’m Pastor Tae…this is where I share my thoughts with you about the various life chapters we go through and the challenges we find along the way. Almond Latte is a cup of coffee…and so, it’s like spending time together over coffee, today…I’m thinking about…
Being careful with our words
Do you exercise restraint in your speech?
-I’m thinking about the person who does not…
-there are people like that
-one woman said to me, Pastor…when I get mad, it just comes out. I can’t help it!
-one guy thought about his volatile approach, saying… well, what can I say, I’m brutally honest!
-the Bible has something to say….in Prov.15:28
The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
-the image here…is of a geyser that suddenly erupts….he is “old faithful”….suddenly but consistently erupting
-now, the righteous is described as weighing his answers
-the word “weigh” in the original Hebrew is a business term that involves a scale that carefully weighs things during business transactions
-in the same way, the believer…in his verbal transactions….is to carefully weigh his answers….before he speaks
-he’s not going to just blurt out everything that is swirling in his heart
-because someone’s gonna get hurt
-Prov.17:27 writes
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
-there’s the word of the day….restraint
-today, we’re talking about restrained speech
-it’s about limiting the conversation so that further problems don’t break out
Prov.17:14 says
Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out
-this proverb is truly wise as it visualizes what happens when a dam is broken….all the water will break out and you can’t control the damage it will cause.
….this reminds me of that saying “don’t open up a can of worms”
-what happens when you do?
-the worms will wiggle out and you can’t get them back in the
can!
-in the same way, you open up a CAN of unrestrained words and once they wiggle out, it will hard to take those words back
-they’ve been spoken…and the person is now hurt
-the can is now open….the dam is now breached
-people who say, I can’t help it….
-that’s not true
-consider this example:
-what if you are in an argument with a family member. You are yelling…and screaming….saying everything on your mind. I mean, the words are just coming out. The dam has been breached. The can of worms has been opened!
-then suddenly…the phone rings
-and you clear your throat…quickly gather yourself and answer the phone politely and with a friendly voice.
…know what I’m talking about?
-when someone says that he can’t help it….what he is really saying is that his family is not important enough for him to control himself. Cause he controls himself with everyone else….his boss at work….the kids he teaches in Sunday school…
-the real problem is that this person does not consider his loved ones important enough to exercise restraint
Prov.17:27
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
-there’s the word of the day….restraint
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
May God grant you this knowledge that comes from His Word and the strength that comes from His Spirit
That’s it for now….until next time….remember, there is a greater purpose for your life
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Click: Master List of "Unedited Notes"
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Pastor Tae preaches each Sunday at the Cornerstone Community Church in Artesia, CA
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