words

Poison Ivy

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! James 3:5 ESV

New England may be famous for Vermont cheese, maple syrup and Fall foliage, but one of our lesser-known products, and one which we have in abundance is poison ivy. It sports nice shiny leaves and lovely red berries, which are a favorite snack for birds, who gobble them down and then generously plant them everywhere. In today’s verse, the Apostle James tells us about a far deadlier poison than the one in poison ivy: That poison is found in the poison of malicious words. A single seed of gossip, whether through social media or in person, can destroy relationships, careers and sometimes even lives. The danger of gossip is that it spreads quickly, because, just like poison ivy, once gossip touches our hearts, we start itching to tell others. James says that evil words are like a tiny spark that sets an entire forest on fire. But in the same way that gossip spreads, words of grace can also spread, and in an even more powerful way, In Galatians, we are given the list of the kinds of seeds that God wants growing in our lives:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Galatians 5:22-23a ESV

Whether we realize it or not, from the moment our eyes open, till we lay our head on the pillow, we will be planting seeds. Since there is already too much of the poison ivy of gossip in the world, let’s instead start planting words of love, joyful praises, peaceful phrases, patient encouragements, kind offers, good suggestions, faithful promises, gentle assurances, and self-controlled responses. These are life-giving words and will lead to a wonderful harvest. But be patient and remember that unlike the lightning speed of the spread of gossip, it takes a long growing season before we can reap a harvest of grace. So, before we say a single word this morning, let’s begin by asking ourselves, “What should I begin planting in my garden today?

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Gossip Weeds

/ pastorpete51 / 8 Comments 
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! James 3:5 ESV

My New England home is famous for its Vermont cheese, maple syrup and Fall foliage, but one lesser-known product which we have in abundance is poison ivy. This lovely plant has nice shiny leaves, prolific annual growth and pretty red berries. Those lovely berries are greatly loved by the birds, which happily gobble them down and then generously plant them everywhere that isn’t paved or under water. In today’s verse, the Apostle James tells us about a far deadlier poison than that in our ivy: That is the poison of our words. A single seed of malicious gossip, whether by text, social media or by phone, can destroy relationships, careers and even lives. James says, that though started by just a tiny spark, that they can set an entire forest on fire. But the good news is that in the same way that gossip spreads, words of grace can also spread, and in an even more powerful way, In Galatians, we are given the list of the kinds of seeds that God wants us to plant:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Galatians 5:22-23a

Right this moment we have the opportunity to begin planting loving words, joyful praises, peaceful phrases, patient encouragements, kind offers, good suggestions, faithful promises, gentle assurances and self-controlled responses. These seeds, when planted in our garden will lead to a far different and better harvest. James ends by calling it:

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:18

Though we must be patient because it will take a season for these seeds to grow, the harvest will be worth it. So, what’s growing in your garden today?

Be Careful Little Lips

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. .. Ephesians 4:29

Harsh accusations, slander and insults without regard for their consequences have been burning down relationships in our communities like a forest fire. Though of all people, we who are Christians should know better, we are sometimes the source instead of the solution to this catastrophe. God not only forbids us from engaging in such evil kinds of speech but He has called us to bring His reconciliation not condemnation to our neighbors. When the Ephesians were struggling with the same problem, the Apostle Paul shows them the way out and the blessings that God instead had in mind.

Not a month goes by but somewhere in our country the grocery stores are forced to recall a product because of the danger of food poisoning. This verse is like God’s recall notice about our poisoned speech and its consequent actions. But simply silencing anger and slander would be like closing down the supermarkets because of some bad lettuce. People still need eat!

So instead of silence we need to begin with healthy words. But when we start saying things that are good and helpful it is like popping a chocolate cake into the oven. We still need to follow the cook book’s instructions and wait an hour until it’s baked!

For me the hardest part in the baking process is right after the cake comes out of the oven. I want to cut a big slice, pour a glass of milk and dig in. But that is never how things work at our house. “Honey we’re going to have to wait for it to cool first so I can frost it.” My wife always tells me with a smile! She wants everything to be finished before we enjoy the delicious result of her work. God also insists that our new way of speaking to and treating one another be covered by a sweet layer of forgiveness. Remembering all Jesus did so we can sit down at His table of grace requires some cooling down time. That way the frosting of mercy won’t just melt and run off but will stick us together in the love of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Have a great day everybody. Maybe you’d like to just put your feet up with some coffee and cake and listen to the Cedarmont Kids reminding us this morning to be careful of all we say!