Transcription
And back right is because there's a lot of scripture to cover. How's everybody doing today? Good. So listen, I don't know how y'all do in everybody else's classes. Hey, focus. I don't know how y'all do in everybody else's classes, but I don't do sidebar conversations in mine. Do you understand? I'm might ask one more time. Do you understand? Yes, sir. What they're they're making 10 right now. They they're bring here. He comes right now with them. There you go. So, uh, there's about five guys. Y'all put them in the brads or no? You got to put them in the brads. So be careful when you open them. You're gonna have to. The holes are already punched. You just have to put in the brads. So you got Nick England and then you got, uh, Caleb and Eric. And then I need one put together for me. 33, power of the tongue. Slw. Now see how it's 31 right here? That's right in there. Thank you, Jesus. Somebody turn to John 19 for me. Just somebody go to John 19 and then, uh, you're going to go down, I think, to verse 23. This is off topic completely. Who's got it? All right, read. Read for me. The soldiers when they had crucified Jesus, His garment. And this is that's verse 23. 19:23. Uh, go to 25. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus mother and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, woman, behold his son. Then he said to the disciple, behold your mother. And from that hour, that disciple took her to his own. That's it. Stop there.
Look, you know what my desire for us today is? To become so close with Jesus that he entrusts us with his mother. You get it? Like it can seem like a, this program's tough, right? There's this, the guy that keeps living in the other house and drinking out of my water hose, which I'm okay with the water hose drinking. Uh, t call Gunny. And then this guy's coming up to the door. I think is he, or he was coming up to the door. Just see what he needs. See what he needs, 'cause, uh, I'm all for, I'm all for somebody coming in the program, but I'm not down with the hang around. You know what I mean? It is what it is. Uh, forgive me, Lord. But, uh, you know, anyway, uh, this program is difficult, right? We got a challenging schedule. You guys have committed to be here, right? Some of you guys are cold ordered to be here. When I promise, if you've never been to prison, this is better than prison. Can you got me on that one, Joe? Can I get an amen? This is definitely better than prison. And so, uh, so like I got to give myself over to some thought processes. The core of that is, and the difficulty is, I want to be so closely inwin with Jesus that he trusts me with his mama. That's a big deal. In order to do that, I need to be discipled, right? I want to be the disciple that Jesus loved. I am the disciple that Jesus loved. That's what, there's something about that that John says that everybody, they, you know, you can take it as arrogance or whatever, but for me, it's like it's revelation. I'm, I'm Neo. I hope you have a revelation that you're Neo. You get it? I've had my revelation that I'm Neo, but so are you. Just 'cause I'm, I'm Neo doesn't mean you can't be Neo 'cause we're all the one 'cause we have inside us the one. You get it? I just want to say that because it'll motivate us. It can motivate us if you let it motivate you. If not, you're going to look at all the things that you don't get to do or that you don't want or that you don't have, and you're going to be frustrated by this place, and you're going to leave, and then you're never going to be able to keep all the things that you want or think you need or have to have anyway, right? Father God, I thank you for these men. I thank you for this time that you've given me to come and try to show them the path that I've found, uh, to be the one that Jesus loved. God, I pray that they have a revelation of that, and that there's good instruction and, uh, and your spirit in this room. I thank you for all you do for us. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
We're just going to kick it off, man. We're going to talk about, like, the power of the words that we speak, the power of our tongue, right? The, the, the impact that we can have to, to, to move and sway a room. Like, I, I look at it like this, like, uh, we could come in. If you're an encourager, it doesn't even matter if you're an oppos, if there's an opposition against you. If you continue to be encouraging and not take offense to their opposition, eventually they're going to be encouraged. We, a lot of times, what will happen is, I'll come over here, I'll start being silly. Joe gives me a sideways glance, and then I start operating from how I felt because of Joe's sideways glance. Does that make sense? And then I'm gonna be like, man, I always go in there and I'm trying to encourage them, but Joe keeps giving these looks. And I got somebody else yoked up with me, they're like, yeah, Joe does look like that. He's old. He just looks like that. He's not looking at me crazy. He's just looking. But we don't have the nuts to go over there and say, Joe, man, I feel like you keep looking at me crazy. He's like, I, I want some peanuts. You know what I'm saying? Like, but we don't have the nuts to do it, right? 'Cause the enemy wants to put it, make it where it's me against him. And and instead, scripture said it's spirit against spirit. So if I come in and I'm trying to spread a spirit of joy, there's another spirit in the room that's going to try to come against that. And I got to debase myself. I got to let my flesh die just a little bit in order to fully operate in that thing. But as soon as there's opposition or somebody speaking against, "Quit playing, calm down." And I don't play well. Look, I don't do certain play very well at all. Make sense? Like, don't come try to play with me 'cause I have a tendency to take things serious, and I don't know what the line is. I, I didn't grow up like that. And so, but I have, I do recognize when somebody's just trying to change an environment and be a little bit silly and bring joy into a room.
For me, witchcraft is that complaining thing. Like, I think that, you know, there's the enemy always. I think what he tries to do is get us just a little off track. So he'll take us a little off track. So we never look at what our complaining. We look for goons and goblins. We have a church full of people complaining about the goons and goblins. In reality, they become the goons and goblins because of the complaint. Make sense? But it's not like some witch in a hat stirring her brew with frog legs and dead toads and stuff and trying to put hocus pocus. Although, listen, I do believe that there is like powerful witchcraft. Right? There's there are deities. It says that the enemy has power, but we've been given power to overcome the power of the enemy. But the, but what they don't want you to know, what the enemy doesn't want you to know is, I'll start weaving a spell when I'm sitting at this table and I get this whole table behind me talking about, uh, Rellio over there, man. You notice how he's always trying to, he's, it's like he's a kiss-ass. He, he's just always out there trying to do this, this, and this, right? He's going to tattle on you. He's going to, you know what I'm saying? Y'all know what nobody knows what I'm talking about? Yeah. But the truth of it is, but the truth of it is, what is he trying to walk out and live out? And then you're speaking, you're weaving a spell to get opposition against him. And the reality is, he's trying to live out his best revelation of Christ, but we're going to speak against it and create a spell. You understand? Come on, somebody. Give me Proverbs 18:20 through 21. Amen. Power of life and and those who love it will eat his. You ever notice how, uh, somebody who complains a lot is always miserable, and they always got a lot to complain about? Like, it, like, you, you'll be fired up on the slab Monday or Wednesday for no reason because there's nothing to really be that fired up about. But you get out there and you're, you're encouraged, you've encouraged yourself in the Lord, right? And you get out there and that dude next, he's like, man, this is, they're just, they're just trying to control it. They, they got us out here doing, doing whatever. Y'all, y'all know, y'all know the guy. Y'all have the guy. And he ain't there. Listen, it don't matter if he's on the slab. It don't matter if it's baloney for lunch. It don't, he's just always got a, he's just always miserable on 'cause he's eating that fruit. He's always seeing the thing that's wrong. And so the complaint comes up, and he starts speaking it, and speaking it, and speaking it. So he starts devouring that thing, and devouring that thing, and devouring that thing. And the next thing you know, not only is he a complainer, but he's so miserable that he can't even see the goodness in the little things like meatloaf. Meatloaf is good with some jalapeno mustard, you know? You know what I mean? But I'm so caught up on the slab that happened seven hours ago, can't even enjoy meatloaf, bro. It says the tongue has the power of life and death. For me, that means I have the ability to build up and encourage. Like, listen, Elijah, what is it that you feel like you're going to, you're called to do? Somewhat. Is there a tug in any direction, whether it be an electrician or a firefighter? Do you feel it? Anything? Okay. Is there anybody in here that feels what you, what do you got? Believe. I know I'm called to evangelize. Okay. So that's simple, right? So you're sitting at this table, and if you're called to evangelize, and you shared that with these people, because if you sleep within six feet of somebody, they should know a little bit about you. You know what I'm saying? And so you start telling them that you're going to have one or two, two different kinds of people. Somebody going to say, man, that you ain't never going to be able to provide for your family like that. There, what are they going to do? Take love, love offerings. That. And there's all these little church. You going to just try to go to the big ones, man? You see what I'm saying? And they got this. And so it starts to kill this word that's in him, this word of encouragement, this word of what he could be called to, right? What you don't know is, you could be called to evangelize in the workplace, and I believe that you are. Now, doesn't mean that you won't be asked to speak somewhere else. I believe that you'll be asked to speak in other places, but I believe that in the workforce, 40 hours a week with somebody's a whole lot of evangelism. But then there's other guy in the circle. This starts doing this, bro. I've noticed people. Listen, yeah, when you're talking about God, man, I know I notice that, like, there's that one dude, man. He don't really listen. He started listening to you the other day, you know what I'm saying? And just start encouraging that thing. Life and death in the tongue, building up or tearing down. And it's so casual. We don't mean to, but that's why we got to be cautious of everything coming out of our mouth. It says, and those who love it, those who love to gossip will only be sustained off gossip. That's what it means to me. Love it. Who love it will eat its fruit. Give me first Peter 3:10. Somebody that hasn't read. Amen. For whoever love life and see good days must keep their Tong from Evil and their Li from. Check it out. It says, for so whoever would love life and see good days, it would that says to meet. Sit up. Sit up. Move. Get your hand off your arm. Put your butt to the back of the seat. There you go. Just like that. Don't let me catch you again, or it's going to get good. You understand? I'm not going to tell you twice. All right, uh, listen, grown men, adult men. Malcolm, this is what I'm going to tell you. If you feel sleepy, show me some respect and just stand up. Move to the back. It's not hard. I know it's hard in the moment because you don't mean to get that tired, and you're fighting it, and you don't realize you're getting that tired, but realize it pretty quick. Stand up. Move to the back of the room. Do a few push-ups. Y'all got to do some stuff for Doug's class anyway, right? Everybody understand? Sir. Okay. So whoever love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. As, listen, it's a, I will weave this thing, right? If I want good, peaceful days, if I want peaceful days, then I'm not going to, I'm not even to start speaking about the reason why. You ever notice whenever somebody does something wrong, everybody has a re, knows the reason why they did the wrong thing? You know what I'm talking about? Oh, I knew that. I could saw that coming because of this, this, and this. But the truth is, it says nobody does the motive of the heart but the Lord, right? And deception is called deception for a reason. Most of the time, a guy steps out, makes a mistake, is because he's been deceived. He starts looking for something to be fulfilled in his flesh, and he's, and he doesn't know how to get it fulfilled but from Christ. So that, that itch gets bigger, bigger. He entertains the fantasy, entertains the fantasy in secret, usually. And then finally, what happens is, I'mma go do what I want. And that's okay. You know why it's okay? Because they're just deceived. It doesn't make them any less of a brother. How many of y'all get offended when somebody leaves or messes up? It's in here for real. But why? They're still your brother. It's that makes them no less. How many, you know, how many times I've messed up? Oh, my Lord. So many times. If we could have an encouraging, a, a group of men that would just encourage past those things versus the backbiting, the reasons why, and then this, and I saw this, and they did this, and just become this encouraging group, not even speaking of the thing that they did, right? We're not even going to speak of the things they did. We're going to see them from now forward instead of now to what they did.
Ephesians 4. Somebody haven't read. Go for it. Either. [Music] One. Not let any unwholesome come out. All right, hold on. Who here has used the word unwholesome in their vocabulary? So what does that mean? Anybody? What is unwholesome talk? Huh? Not complete. I think that is very Webster version. Let's get a little street version. What you got? Okay, I think that's in the category. I think it's a broader brush than that. What on how, how you talk in front of your mom? People don't talk. Yeah, fair enough. I, I have to be honest, that one wouldn't have wouldn't have done me well. Pillow talk? Okay. Locker room talk? That's a good. Gossip is part of it. So I would think anything. The word edify. What do you got? Bad talk, right? So this is what it, I don't even think it has to go that far. Like, we got gave a lot of negatives, but how about this? It says that, uh, God, God will judge you off every idle word. So what that means is, every word that you speak that isn't necessarily geared to edify or build someone up, I believe would be considered in a version unwholesome. Small talk. You, I, I once I got saved, I felt dumb for a while because I didn't, I didn't can small talk anymore 'cause, 'cause the small talk was really my own uncomfortability or trying to make them feel comfortable. What I feel that sometimes around here, 'cause like, there's times I don't know what else to talk about, but when I start talking about certain things, I know how to get in the conversation, and the only way to do it is to talk about what they're talking about. Just, and look at her, her in my heart, I'm like, dang, why don't you say something then? 'Cause I don't want to be that guy. It's just like, why not the one that actually really believes what he says he believes? Yeah. Hon, I want to be that guy. Because then they don't want to talk to you. Yeah. Fair enough. That's honest and open. My truth is this: we need some men. We need some men that really want to walk out what they believe, and they're not going to matter. This is the thing. God will connect you with the one or two that are meant to walk with you forever, and he'll weed out the other eight or nine that aren't even meant for this season for you. But no, it doesn't make you a hypocrite. What it means is sometimes you're, you're faced with a deal of where your loyalty lies, and it's okay that that thing will get questioned, questioned, questioned, and then at one point you say, I'm little to you and you alone. And you're speaking to what's in them, not who they are. That encourage. Let it. Yeah. So, but, but I appreciate your honesty. So this is what it is for me, right? If it's not building up, it's tearing down. It says scripture says this, you going to serve a master regardless if you want to or not, you're going to serve one. So for me, my talk, my voice, the same thing that God used to bring the world into existence, and I'm created in his likeness. If I'm not speaking to give life and build, I'm thinking it might be unwholesome. We can put titty category in there. We can put, uh, violent category. What I used to be, or the dope I used to sell, or, you know what I mean? We can put all those different things, deceitful, all these different things. But if it's not building up and creating life, I think it falls in that category. So it says this, it says, do not let it, any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth. Now, God is going to sanctify you. I didn't, I'm still working on my language, right? But to be honest, I didn't start working on my language till probably this year. This time last year, because I felt, okay, I felt okay with it. Like, I knew the Lord loved me, and I just hadn't got to that place yet where he really, he was working on the big stuff, loving my wife, really engaging with my family when I'm at home. You know, I would, he, he, he said, don't worry about the cussing, we'll work on that later, just be a good husband right now. So, you know what I'm saying? So, so he just, he did it in time. He convicted me on these things. And so I could look where the street that I come from, I could say something to, to me and you talking, and it'd mean you're a good dude to me. But if other people in the church heard it, they would not think that that's what I was saying to you. Y'all know what I'm saying, right? So it just took a while for that speech to work out of my system, and then for me to really attempt, because what God said, this is what God said to me, I'm not saying this is your word, this is what he said to me. He said, I need you to speak to a lot of people, and if certain people hear those words come out of your mouth, they're going to stop listening. But I need them to hear the message, not the man. And so that's what it was for me. And so I'm like, okay, I'll start trying. And it's been a process, right? But I'm getting better every day. I get a little bit better at it. So for me, the unwholesome stuff is whatever doesn't edify, whatever doesn't build up. Right now, one of the areas of my life that I feel like is unwholesome is I can have very sarcastic humor, and I can pick on people, you know, and it, I make it funny for me, you know, and I think for you, but is it unwholesome? Probably. Probably is. Probably it's not building up, even though I feel like it's creating a camaraderie with this, because I make, try to make light of some things. Keep going. Who was reading for me? Here you go. Only is build up according to their. Stop there. See what I'm saying? The edification, the buildup. Remove unwholesome thought. Only the things that should build up. That's why I think that's what unwholesome is. If it's not building up, if it's not encouragement, if it's not circling it back around those, and it doesn't mean it's Jesus all the time. Sometimes we got to talk about how to tile a floor, right, Jose? But then, if in tiling the floor, we're tiling the floor unto God, you, you see what I mean? It seems like a really big order. It seems like a really big challenge, but it's not. It's this much is what's about to come out of my mouth going to help the person next to me, or am I being open, honest, and vulnerable because I need help? Two good. Good swing of that. Okay. Keep going. That is me. Those who listen. Those who listen. Somebody's always listening. That's just the truth. Somebody is always listening to you. Look, there's somebody right now. I don't care who you are in this place. There's somebody looking up to you. There is. There's somebody looking up to you in one way or another. They're listening to what you're saying. They're hearing. They're hearing what's going on. They're watching your actions to see if it lines up. And maybe, listen, you may be on the negative side of the spectrum. You may, you may play good church boy in here, but then when you get back there, it's completely different. And this is the thing. The youngest kids that come in here, they're going to go to where they see the world because it's familiar. And those are the ones looking up to you, whether you want them to or not. And you're going to kill them. Life and death in the power of the tongue is what it said. Give me, uh, Matthew 15:11. Somebody listen. The, the reference here is like, you know, I always use this one to defend my smoking for the most part. That's my good. And this one, and the one that was, uh, uh, uh, all things are permissible, but not all things are profitable. This one and that one. Like, I'm not defiled because I smoke. But me, me saying that God didn't care if I smoke, that did defile me because God loves me, not any other reason. It's not about being a good boy or not being a good boy. It's because God, God loves me tremendously, and he would only want the best for me. And so for me to say that God didn't care about me smoking was a lie about how much he loved me. Does that make sense? So it's not, and it does, is there some crazy like smiting of judgment because of those things that we do? No, but it's just like, listen, he worked on my smoking, then he worked on my eating 'cause he wanted me to be healthy and whole and healed and set apart. And he wants that for everybody else. Listen, he's got, if he saved your life, he's got stuff for you to do. And if you're going to be able to do all he has for you to do, he's going to need you to be able to last the long haul. And it means you're going to have to start loving yourself. And really, if you're loving yourself and you're taking care of yourself, then you can really, when you give to others, you give 100% of you. But if you're not taking care of you, you're never going to give 100% of you. And that means you're doing them a disservice. Make sense? You can do what you want. Listen, look, I don't care what anybody says in scripture. Like, you can kind of do whatever you want. He's still going to love you. He loves you enough to send his own son. It doesn't say he's going to not love you. But what it means is, you won't be able to walk fully and effectively in your complete and total purpose until you're fully surrendered to how good he is. So I have to be careful about what comes out of me because I can defend the lie I've been telling myself and lead you astray. Make sense? God does care if I smoke. This is just my example. This is my, my revelation or testimony of the Gospel according to Lee. In the scripture is this, me telling everybody, man, God don't care if you smoke, is a disservice to you. And it, it was something that was defiling me 'cause God loves you so absolutely much. I'm just keying on the smoking because it's an easy one that everybody can understand, right? He loves you so absolutely that he wants the absolute best for you, that you would be saved, healed, everything being brand new inside you and on you. No man, you're never going to make it here. Y'all ever say that to somebody? I'll never get my family back. This program ain't real. This is as real as you make it. It's a program of reciprocity. You're going to get out of it what you put in it. No, no more, no less. That's just what it looks like. If I got you for a year, if you're committed to a year, you would be an absolute idiot not to take everything and give 100% at it. If not, you've literally just wasted the most precious commodity you'll ever have in your life. Come on. Which is your time. True. But if you're here, if you're committed to it, then you give 100% at everything. That's why to go back over there and shoot and talk about this, that, and the third, and not have anybody hold you accountable is ridiculousness. There's always going to be some, I mean, the Lord, the Lord's anointing can pour out where everybody comes through and miraculously they're shifted and changed. But I think more than anything, he wants to use the men around you 'cause it's supposed to be a sharpening. It's supposed to be something that comes together and grinds and grinds together. Listen, two metals rubbing together is a brutal event. It's scre, it's loud, it's chipping and breaking and shaving and tightening, and that's what we're supposed to be one to the next. And not one bit of it is comfortable. Whenever it finally gets sharp, that sounds really good though. But it takes a lot to get there. And here you're supposed to be willingly subjecting yourself to a process of purification. This is what you have to bridle the most. Who here has a picture car they used to have or a girlfriend you used to have? Anybody got those? A girlfriend you used to, you know what I'm talking about? Look at this girl I used to date. Look at this car I used to have. You got to let go of the ustas. Flip the page over. Somebody give me the James 3. Amen. Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow. You know that we who teach judge more. Why? Listen. Okay, I'm going to try to simplify this. Some deep thought that people pass over, but something about counting the cost and understanding what this truly means is important. If I'm talking to you about me struggling with cussing today, I'm going to, I'm going to get hit with cussing. Every idle word, every word that I teach you has to be sifted back on me because I have to stand up to the weight of the word. That's why he says most of y'all shouldn't be teachers 'cause you're going to get sifted over and over in the word, and it'll make you where you even turn away because you'll fail and you won't be able to step fully into grace. And so you won't be able to walk according to all you've been called to do and be. And so it says, we'll be judged more harshly because every word that comes out of our mouth is getting measured and sifted against us. Right now, when I talk about my marriage, guess what happens to my marriage? I'll get sifted. When I talk about sex or sexual immorality or masturbation or pornography, I'm going to get sifted on those things. And so I live in a perpetual state. I teach three days a week at a minimum, so I'm in a perpetual state of being sifted. Most people, most pastors, most ministers, they teach one day a week, maybe two. I do three every day of the week, and then sometimes four and even five times in a week. So I'm in a perpetual state. Listen, and we're covering. So as a covering, if you're teaching people the word, it means you cover them from the demonic while they're under your discipleship. So it doesn't matter if somebody's struggling with homosexuality, I'm going to get hit with homosexual images. It doesn't matter if they're struggling with the desire to steal, I'm going to go through it and be sifted on that because I'm covering you. But everything I'm teaching, when I tell you not to steal, when I tell you not to do this, I'm going to have an opportunity to take just a little bit, and nobody will ever know it. It's not, you, you see what I'm saying? Keep going. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, does anybody not know what a bit is for a horse? A little metal piece. Well, but does anybody not know? So a horse, because this is like, this won't make any sense unless you know what it is, right? So you know the leather thing you see on a horse's head when they're riding a horse, the deal that goes in their mouth is called a bit. It's a little deal with a metal piece, and when you pull on it, it puts that metal into the roof of their mouth. That's why they do what you want. It's painful and it hurts, and it's about this big. And a horse, a horse is between 8 and 1100 pounds, right? Okay. Keep going. Um, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships, as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder. Does anybody not know what a rudder is? So a rudder is this. You got a propeller, but it's a deal, you know, I'm going to do like the old school one. So they would have a handle, it would go down, and it's a flat piece, so that the propellers on this side pushing, but when you turn it like this, it'll turn it this way. When you turn it like this, it'll turn it this way. It's only about this big, depending on the size of the boat. Even big, big, big ships only have rudders that are so big. You get it? So it's this little thing that shifts the direction of the horse. It's this little bitty thing that shifts the direction of the boat. Airplanes? Huh? Airplanes have rudders, and so do helicopters. I'll keep going. D. When the Bible was written, there were no airplanes and helicopters. Throw that one. That's probably why I didn't list it. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boast. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. Can I tell y'all? Can I tell you something that happened to me when I was a kid? Yes, sir. So, uh, I've only ever stole from a store one time in my whole life. Never stole from a store after this one time. So I think I was like in the third grade or fourth grade or something like that. And, uh, this was in Florida, and there was a Kmart. And I remember it was like dead summer in Florida, and I had this big jacket on, and I went in, and I was like, stealing cap guns and caps and gun, you know what I'm saying? Everything a nine-year-old really wants. And I'm puffed up, right? They catch me at the door, and I, I remember pulling out the jacket. I take off running, and I go, there's these huge woods behind it, and I, I go behind these woods, and I find somebody's stash. It was like cigarettes and matches and all this stuff. And in Florida, it's all pine needles. And I have my back, I still have my backpack. And so I'm back there, I'm like, trying to smoke these cigarettes, and 'cause I was a good kid, so I'm trying to smoke these cigarettes, and I think I put it out or whatever. And then I go, I get done, I go play with my friends, right? And so then I go home, and my mom, I get there, and my mom's tripping. Their police are there. I'm thinking it's over me stealing or getting stealing. Well, I guess I didn't put the cigarette out. It burned that whole forest down, like the whole thing. It was like acres. I'm talking crispy. The whole. But they found my backpack, so they like literally came and was like, do you know where your son's at? Like, we found his backpack. And she's like, oh. And so they're like, well, we'll find his body then in the fire. I'm sure it was just kind of crazy sidebar. Little spark, big. You were responsible? Or they were? No, I didn't tell nobody this. The first time I ever told anybody that. There's a statute of limitations. Just passed. No, I'm just kidding. No. Keep going. About to edit that part. No, I'm good. Keep going. All right, uh, uh, okay. Assess the whole course of one's life on fire. Hold on. The tongue is also like fire, a, a world of evil among the body parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and it itself set on fire by hell. 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. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. You ever get mad at somebody you really love and say something really hateful? I mean, that's what he's talking about. It means, listen, and then you're going to be, you're going to be digging yourself out of that hole for a little bit, you know what I mean? Like, I can, I can get frustrated and pop off with somebody that I'm close to in this place, and then I, if I'm quick with my mens, if I'm quick with my mens and go back and say, please forgive me for that. That was, that was of me. That had nothing to do with you, or whatever it is, right? Then I can, I can escape from that pretty quick. But I have to be pretty confident and comfortable in who I am, because I'll try to justify the lie. So if I lash out at you and I say whatever hateful thing it is, whenever I'm mad to you, what'll happen is, then I'll go to war. The enemy will go to war, myself, my flesh will go to war in my own head against you to support whatever it was that I did against you, whatever it was I said against you. So to overcome that, to kill my flesh and go and say, listen, please forgive me for what I said. It doesn't mean I'm letting them be right. Does mean I'm trying to be right or wrong or anything else. It's saying, look, I was wrong in what I said to you. Please forgive me. The quicker I can do that, the quicker it will turn that horrific thing into something that gives life. Do you get it? Yes, sir. The quicker, listen, who here, who in here is a chronic liar? Be honest. I was. Look, this is the pray that I prayed. I pray I kept praying, God, remove the lie from my lips. Remove the lie from my lips. He said, okay, next time you know, know you lied, turn around and tell them the truth. And so there was a season that was very embarrassing and very uncomfortable for me where I was, I would literally be like, man, I don't know why I lied to you. It was just in con, it was that whole conversation thing. I was in conversation, and then this, I don't know if I was trying to fit in or what, but or it was a lie that had been told for a long time. And so instead of correcting it, I let it exist. And so there's a whole season where I had to tell the truth whenever I knew it was a lie that came out, or even a half truth, because a half truth is a lie, or even if I'm agreeing with something that I know is a lie, that makes me a liar. And so I had to go through a season where I tried to say, hey, that was not, that was not real. That was not true. I would encourage you to do that. It's going to feel embarrassing, but you'll be surprised at people's, uh, reactions. Most of the time, they know, and most of the time, they don't care. Like, it's all in your head. Keep going with the tongue. We praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praises and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Like, literally, like all of us. So thing about worship this morning. Who here really worshiped this morning? I'm not talking about saying, I'm talking about really worshiped. So those people that truly got into a place of worship, you should be guarding your tongue extremely, because that's what's going to be sifted. You were really worshiping. Now, now what wants to happen is the enemy wants to bring it where now you're cursing, so that the worship doesn't account for nothing, right? Keep going. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. You ever see those guys that are really trying to be like, uh, they know a lot about the word, and they're trying to be, uh, really spiritual, and they'll try to start giving everybody advice or telling them what the word says or doing this, but then as soon as they, uh, lose their temper, they're, they're cussing you out, and they're going off, and all that, you know what I'm saying? That weird balance of, and without an apology, right? I'm guilty of going off on people, but I'm pretty quick with my mens now. I'm not boasting, that I'm just saying I'm, I'm growing. And so it's like, you have to look for the fruit. Like, if you want to know what's coming out of you is wholesome, if you want to know what's coming out of you is, is edifying, if you want to know what is coming out of you is building up, there will be fruit in your life, and you'll know it because there'll be people that are waiting to hear what you're saying. They'll want to get around and have a conversation with you. They'll exit certain conversations to go around people that are having real conversations. And then I would caution all the guys that are about this business to not isolate when you go next door, because the ones that aren't isolating are the ones that are talking about BS out back, and so they have a greater level of influence in the house than the ones that are about the business. You get it? Yes, sir. 'Cause they're both bored, and you know, because they're boring, so they'll go out there and be bored and boring and talk about everything that'll destroy and send you back to using dope, and they'll sucker other people into it because it's spiritual, and they're deceived, and they don't even know it. And then they'll be, listen, they'll, they'll feel like they're cool 'cause they got two or three people trying to hang on to their pocket, you know what I'm talking about? So they feel like they got some flex, and it ain't real. And it's instead, you got a man of God that's in there laying in his bed, taking a break from everything, when he should be out back pouring out, 'cause there's some of you that are bold enough to say, hey, that's not what we're talking about right now. That isn't why we're here. If that's why you're here, then, then I think you're here for the wrong reasons. You ain't, you ain't got no fruit. Why you keep opening your mouth if you ain't got no fruit? I remember a dude named Mike Lakes told me that. He said, man, I ain't, I ain't feeding off you. There ain't nothing, nothing producing. This is when I first came. I was like, what do you mean? He's like, just, ain't, you ain't got no fruit. You ain't, I, I can't eat off your pain. You can't, sharing nothing real. You're not being authentic. You're telling about who you used to be, and then at the same time, you ain't in your word, so you ain't even giving me the new revelation. Like, there, there ain't nothing to eat off of. One of the, one of the thing, listen, you got to lead. You lead with your, with your footsteps. You carve out a path one step after the next. And then, and then you think about it before you say it. And remember what it said when it started. It said, I, I don't think all of y'all meant to be teachers 'cause it means your words are going to be sifted against you constantly, constantly, constantly, constantly. And it's okay. Not all of us are meant to listen. There's many parts to a whole body. Count the cost. I pray that today y'all would be conscious of the things that are, are tearing down instead of building up, that come out of your mouths. Father God, I thank you for these men. I thank you for their willingness to be attentive. I pray a consciousness of what it is that they're speaking, if they're leading men to you or themselves. And a conviction if to themselves. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.