Richvale Community Church
Sunday, March 15 2026
  • Good morning
    There is a story told about a young man who once went to the philosopher Socrates,
    because he wanted to learn the art of public speaking.
    He had dreamed of becoming a powerful orator—someone who could move crowds with his words.
    But when he was introduced to Socrates, the young man began talking… and talking… and talking.
    He spoke so much, and so quickly, that Socrates could hardly get a word in.
    Finally, after listening for a while,
    Socrates quietly said that his tuition would be doubled..
    The young man was stunned. He asked
    “Why charge me double?”
    Socrates replied,
    “Because I must teach you two sciences:
    First, how to hold your tongue.
    Second, how to speak.”
    We are in our sermon series Real:…. Faith That Works…today we are looking at
    Leading With Our Words.
    Over the past few weeks we have seen that.. James is deeply concerned with authentic Faith -
    In James 3 he DEALS WITH the issue of FAITH AND our WORDS..
    He teaches that our words matter!!
     words are powerful—we’ve already seen this .
    In chapter 1 where Challenges the the church to…
    Be quick to listen. Be slow to speak. and slow to anger.
    Why?
    The answer is simple — but profound.
    Because we lead with our words.
    With our words we can speak life. With our words we can communicate vision, passion, and mission.
    With our words we can paint a picture a future that full of hope and faith.
    But the opposite is also true.
    A careless word can tear down what took years to build. With our words we can destroy trust, damage relationships, and wound hearts.
    And now, in James chapter 3, He reminds us that if we want to live wisely… we must learn to lead with our words.
    Because whether we realize it or not

    1. Our Words Reveal Our Influence

    The presidential speechwriter James C. Humes spent much of his life studying how great leaders communicate.
    He wrote for presidents like Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.
    He also carefully analyzed some of history’s most memorable speeches, especially those delivered by Winston Churchill.
    After years of listening, studying, and dissecting great speeches, Humes came to a simple but powerful conclusion:
    “Leadership is communication, and communication is the art of leadership.”
    In other words, leaders move people with words.
    History gives us a powerful example of this.
    During The Blitz, England was under relentless attack. Night after night, German bombers roared over British cities. Buildings burned. Families crowded into underground shelters. Sirens wailed through the darkness, and fear hung over the nation like a storm cloud.
    It was in that moment of uncertainty that Churchill stood before Parliament and delivered one of the most famous speeches in history on June 4, 1940.
    With steady resolve he declared:
    “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets… we shall never surrender.”
    Those words strengthened a nation’s resolve and reminded people who they were and what they stood for.
    James understood thats we lead with our words.. and that is awesome responsibility..
    In our text James begins with teachers.
    James 3:1–2 ESV
    1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
    James is addressing a known problem — In these Jewish house churches.. There were .. those who seeking to have influence — Who wanted the roll of teacher but lacked in ability and character..
    James says
    “Not many of you should become teachers.”
    Teaches were normally the Rabbis of the day…
    they.. imparted knowledge and gave correction . and their words shaped idea and lives.
    Being a teacher ment
    There is Greater opportunity for harm –
    James tells us that
    …That teachers are going going to be judged more strictly …the y are held to higher level of accountability
    Because of the Influence they have.
    Now..
    James includes himself in those who bear the responsibility ..
    James 3:1–2 ESV
    for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
    James uses the first-person plural (“we”)
    ..James included himself…
    He uses the same standards he applies to himself to everyone else…
    James knew that Leadership has to be Modeled
    James saying
    Being a teacher requires more than natural or spiritual gifts; .
    it also demands appropriate character and right living.
    When we lead with our words we just making noise..
    The word Disciple literally means to follow after..
    the Hebrew concept of discipleship is journey and walk.
    It means to model..
    One of great examples Leading with Words is Joshua!
    As  Joshua neared the end of his life, he gathered the tribes of Israel at Shechem and called them to renew their covenant with God.
    and Just Like Moses before him, he laid out a clear choice: serve the Lord or follow the gods of the surrounding nations.
    Joshua reminded them of God’s faithfulness and then challenged them:
     “Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth.”
    But he didn’t stop with an exhortation. Joshua said .
    “Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
    this was not words, —Joshua had already backed it up with his faithfulness a proven record…
    Joshua — was able to say the hard things..because he had lived it..
    Joshua warned them that they were not able to serve the Lord while hanging on to idols.. —
    Joshua said get rid of the Idols they had been collecting… (where it was a souvenir or a lucky charm) .
    When Joshua .. words.. with character.. it resonated..
    The people responded without hesitation, shouting, “We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him alone.
    You see
    Our words are an index of Our character.
    Ellen Gould White
    .. is you unpack your words it reveals who you see…
    If you always judging .. criticizing .. comparing.. it is mirror of what is happening inside..
    We as Christians are called to be disciples..followers of Christ …
    Jesus is the ultimate example.
    Jesus led with influence.
    The way Jesus made known the reality of the Father  and his kingdom through both His words and His works.
    The truth of God filled His words, and the power of God was revealed in His works.
    When Jesus spoke, people heard the heart of the Father. When Jesus acted, people saw the power of the Father..
    T/s
    And this is exactly what James is teaching us.
    James connects our words to the way we live… and to the way we lead.
    1. Our Words Reveal Our Influence

    2. Our Words Direct the Course of Our Lives

    Some of us are a little more directionally challenged than others.
    Some might relate to this..cartoon
    It says..
    “If you're giving me directions, please don't confuse me by using words like north, south east or west.”
    I’ll just say this—I am thankful for GPS..
    When we’re going somewhere, we simply type the address into the map.
    What we are doing is setting the direction..
    James makes a stunning claim here.
    He tells us that our words work in the same way.
    Our words are the coordinates
    The words that we speaks are literally setting the course of our lives.
    James breaks down for us..
    James 3:3–6 ESV
    3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 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! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
    James begins images and illustrations that would have been familiar to his audience —
    Thinkers like Plato and Aristotle used these same objects to help people grasp deeper truths.
    James start by give

    The Bit in the Horse’s Mouth

    James points out that a tiny bit in a horse’s mouth can control the direction of the whole animal.
    Small, yet powerful.
    The bridal is connected to the Bit…
    When we bridle our speech, our words guide people toward truth, hope, and righteousness.
    Left unchecked, they can carry us—and those we influence—completely off course…
    When I was a teenager, I went horseback riding on a friend’s ranch.
    Now, I thought I was doing pretty well. The horse was moving along at a nice, comfortable trot, and everything felt under control.
    But then the horse realized something I hadn’t realized yet—dinner time was back at the stable.
    Suddenly that horse went from a trot… to a canter… to a full gallop.
    And at that point, I wasn’t exactly in charge anymore.
    I wasn’t steering. I wasn’t directing.
    I was basically just holding on for dear life.
    I had become a passenger.
    And here’s the thing—James says something very similar can happen in our lives.
    If we don’t learn to control the tongue, our words will start controlling the direction of our lives…
    We are a pass a get..
    Instead of leading with our words… we end up being carried along by them.
    James tells us that… Faithful and Words .. go together.. .
    God calls us to guide the horse, to direct the course, and to lead with our words.
    James gives a other example

    The Rudder of a Ship

    Same principle ..you have some thing large be ing pioleted by some thing small.. I Justice le are Ed the other day..
    That there are cruise liners being pioleted by remotes the side of an ex box controllers..It’s crazy…
    Think a curse liner being controlled by a rudder..
    James is not saying the same thing twice..
    There’s a nuance in our text: the bridle and bit illustrate internal controls—how we guide ourselves from the inside.
    But the rudder of a ship shows something different: it represents external resistance—the storms, winds, and currents of life that push against us.
    Even when you’re at the helm and trying to steer rightly, there are circumstances beyond your control.
    Life will buffet you with challenges, unexpected pressures, and forces that try to knock you off course.
    The rudder doesn’t stop the storm, but it maintains the ship’s course amid the pressures.
    Similarly, when our words, choices, and character are aligned with God, they act like a rudder:
     keeping our lives and influence steady, even when the winds of circumstance blow against us.
    James then gives a third illustration: the
     tongue can be like a fire.
    When our words go unchecked, one spark can set an entire forest ablaze.
    We know this all too well here in California.
    the Camp Fire started — with one small spark caused catastrophic destruction.
    James says to imagine your tongue as a spark surrounded by dry kindling. Left unchecked, words can ignite:
    Anger
    Division
    Broken relationships
    Destroyed reputations
    Here is the thing..
    Communication is meant to create communion, to bring people together.
    But when words ignite division, they can scar an entire community.
    James is blunt: when words destroy a community of faith, they are set on fire by hell itself.
    Think about the aftermath of a wildfire—the devastation is total, and recovery is slow and painful
    James point out the problem… the tongue on it’s won unregenerate..James doesn’t pull any punches.
    James 3.7-9
    He says taming the tongue is no small task.
    Every kind of animal—beast, bird, reptile, and sea creature—has been tamed by humanity -
    You can tame lions, horses, and all kinds of wild animals—
    James says… but the tongue?
    That’s a beast that is untamable:
    restless, full of poison.
    From same mouth we give blessing and curses…
    With the same breath we give Benedictions and praise and worship… we curse and we tare each up…
    James says something is deeply wrong with that.
    Listen to what he says:
    James 3:11–12 ESV
    11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
    James says his is against a nature.
    A spring does not pour out fresh water one minute and bitter, brackish water the next.
    Water may be good, bad, or somewhere in between, but it is consistent with its source.
    The same is true in the rest of creation.
    A fig tree produces figs. An olive tree produces olives. A grapevine produces grapes.
    Everything in nature bears fruit according to its kind.
    Everything follows the laws of nature—
    except the tongue.
    And James concludes with a sobering truth:
    We cannot tame the tongue.
    but
    God can … because God changes us from the inside out…
    And when God transforms the heart, the mouth begins to follow..
    The anser to the to give is abiding,
    Jesus said John 15 that he is the true vine and the Father is the Vinedressers. he takes away the branches that don’t bare fruit..
    John 15:4 ESV
    4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
    Where we allow God our father prunes our hearts we bare much fruit.. and that sets the course of our lives.
    t/sJames connects our words to the way we Lead…
    1. Our Words Reveal Our Influence
    2. Our Words Direct the Course of Our Lives

    3. Our Words Reveal the Source of Our Wisdom

    When I was in seminary studying church architecture, I learnt something fascinating.
    Buildings like 
    Notre-Dame Cathedral, 
    Canterbury Cathedral, and even
     St. Peter’s Basilica are built in the shape of a cross when seen from above.
    Medieval architects sometimes called the cathedral “the Bible in stone.”
    Most people in the Middle Ages couldn’t read. They didn’t have Bibles. They didn’t study theology in books… they built the buildings to communicate..
    But when you stepped into a cathedral,
    The architecture made people look up.
    The soaring ceilings lifted the eyes.
    The light streaming through stained glass drew attention heavenward.
    Every architectural detail pointed beyond the walls to God.
    And that’s exactly what James is getting at in this section..
    When it comes to leading wisdom. Look up… James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
    Now he says.
    James 3:13–18 ESV
    13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
    James asks:
    “Who is wise and understanding among you?”
    How do you recognize wisdom in Others?
    Not by the amount of word or knowledge.
    But by conduct.
    James says wisdom is revealed through meekness and good works.
    But he also describes a false wisdom.
    If you harbor:
    bitterness
    jealousy
    selfish ambition
    in your heart…
    then don’t boast about being wise.
    Because this kind of wisdom is:
    earthly
    unspiritual
    even demonic
    But there is another kind of wisdom.
    Wisdom from above… we get it by looking up..
    The Biblical scholar Siporos Zodhiates (SPEE-ros zo-DEE-ah-tees.)
    Wisdom, the wisdom of God, is not something that is acquired by man, but something that is bestowed by God upon his elect. It is a divine endowment and not a human acquisition.
    Spiros Zodhiates
    Wisdom comes from above…and bestowed on us by God..
    It’s not something we earn on our own—it is a gift from God.
    Every gift comes down from the father of lights with who there is no shadow of turning..
    James says..
    God’s wisdom produces in us a Harvest..of righteousness
    God’s wisdom produces …
    Purity—a heart untainted by selfishness
    Peaceableness—calm and steady in every situation
    Gentleness—strength under control
    Openness to reason—a willingness to listen and learn
    Mercy—compassion that acts
    Good fruit—visible evidence of a life aligned with God
    Impartiality—fairness that honors all
    Sincerity—authentic, genuine, without hypocrisy
    Notice there is no striving ..
    We don’t strive but we walk wisdom.
    The theologian J.I Packer — has a wonderful illustration about walking in wisdom.
    He describes a busy British railway station.
    He says..
    If you’ve ever stood at the end of a train platform, you know the feeling. Trains are constantly coming and going.
    One pulls in while another pulls out. One waits.
    Another suddenly changes tracks. From where you stand on the platform, it looks like a lot of movement—but it’s hard to understand the plan behind it.
    But imagine someone takes you upstairs into the signal control room.
    On the wall is a huge diagram showing every track for miles around the station.
    Little lights glow along the tracks showing exactly where every train is.
    Suddenly everything makes sense.You can see why one train stopped. You can see why another was diverted.
    You can see why one is sitting on a side track waiting.
    From that room, the whole system is perfectly clear.
    And Packer says many people assume that’s what wisdom is
    that if we walk closely enough with God, He will bring us into the
    signal room of life so we understand why everything is happening.
    Why this happened.
    Why that door closed.
    Why this problem came.
    Why that opportunity disappeared.
    We assume wisdom means knowing the reason behind everything God is doing.
    But that’s not usually how God works. Instead, Packer says wisdom is much more like learning to drive a car
    -
    When you’re driving down the highway, you don’t need to understand why the engineer designed the road with an S-curve.
    You don’t need to know the philosophy behind red lights and green lights.
    You don’t even need to understand why the driver in front of you seems to be braking and accelerating at the same time.
    You simply keep your eyes on the road and respond wisely to what’s in front of you.
    You brake when you should brake.You accelerate when you should accelerate.You steer carefully through the curve.
    Good drivers aren’t the ones who understand everything about highways. They’re the ones who respond wisely to the road in front of them.
    And that’s what biblical wisdom looks like.
    Wisdom is not standing in God’s signal room ..Wisdom is living faithfully on the platform of life…
    responding rightly to the situation God has placed in front of us.

    Conclusion:

    … James encourages us to walk is wisdom..
    Walking in is wisdom is not easy.. bit with God it’s possible,,
    James tells us to not give up..
    James 3:2 ESV
    2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
    If we were perfect, leading with our words would be easy.
    But we are not perfect.
    We stumble. We falter. We say the wrong thing.
    We hold back the right word. 
    We all stumble in many ways.
    But here’s the hope that changes everything:
    even when we stumble, we stumble forward into God’s mercy and His grace.
    Even if you feel stuck in a cycle—making the same mistakes, trapped in the same patterns—
    God’s grace meets you right in the middle of your stumble.
    Every fall is a chance to rise. Every failure is a chance to try again.
    Every misstep is a moment to receive Grace..
    God’s mercy is bigger than our mistakes. His grace is stronger than our misteps..
    Today, we can all stumble forward into grace.
    Grace Graces Grace,,

      • James 3:1–2CSB

      • James 3:3–9CSB

      • James 3:11–12CSB

      • John 15:4CSB

      • James 3:13–18CSB

      • James 3:2CSB

Richvale Community Church
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http://richvalechurch.com
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