The teacher needs to obey what he reads in the Bible and practice what he preaches. He will answer to God for his words and his attitudes. If we are able to control our tongues so we do not offend people with words, we should also be able to control our behavior.
A bit is a small metal rod that is attached to a rope. A big animal can be controlled by one person with this bit in its mouth. One man can control a big ship to turn it in any direction with a small rudder. But our tongues are hard to control. The tongue is like a match that starts with a little flame and then grows into a big fire that burns the grass and trees on a whole mountain. A person using his little tongue can cause big problems for many people with just words. Man can tame elephants and snakes and lions, but the tongue no man can tame. We can be kind and friendly one minute and the next minute we might get angry and say bad things about another person. A believer should control the tongue and speak as a Christian and not as an unbeliever.
Next we learn the Christian should be meek and wise so he won’t offend others. Wisdom does not argue and fight. Wisdom is pure and peaceable. Wisdom is not measured by the words you say or by how much Bible knowledge you have. Wisdom is measured by a life of righteousness as a result of making peace with one another.
1. To be a perfect man, what should we not do with words? __________ James 3:___
2. What can be put into the horses’ mouths to control them? __________ James 3:___
3. What can no man tame? __________ James 3:___
4. What is the result in life when you have envy and strife (jealousy and arguments)? __________ James 3:___
5. What is the fruit or the result of making peace with one another? __________ James 3:___