100 Sermon Illustrations on Words

Is "antidisestablishmentarianism" the longest English word? It isn't. Nor is it "floccinaucinihilipilificationism."

No, the longest word in the English language is "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis," which describes a lung disease caused by breathing in particles of volcanic matter or a fine dust.

An even longer word, nearly 100 letters long, was used by James Joyce in his masterpiece FINNEGAN'S WAKE (1939). He created it to describe a thunderclap at the beginning of the story: "bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuvarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk."

For the record, the longest word Shakespeare ever used was "honorificabilitudinitatibus." It's in LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (1594).

A runaway train. That's how they billed the upcoming story on the evening news. Believe me, I stayed tuned! And they weren't exaggerating. Somehow a freight train in Ohio started rolling down the tracks with no one on board. And it kept rolling - for many miles across the Ohio countryside, sometimes at speeds of nearly 60 MPH. It was pretty amazing to see footage of a railroad intersection, lights blinking, gates down, cars stopped - and here is a train just rolling through without anyone at the controls. Now, using a combination of ingenuity and heroism, really, they finally managed to get a couple of men aboard who were able to stop it. That's a very good thing!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "The Most Dangerous Runaway Of All."

A runaway train can do a lot of damage. But it's not the most dangerous runaway of all. No, that would be a runaway mouth ... which way too many of us have way too much of the time.

Listen to what our word for today from the Word of God has to say about it in Proverbs 12:18. "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Most of our words have either a healing effect or a hurting effect. Tragically, we just let too many reckless words come pouring out - critical words, negative words, accusations, frustrations, complaints, put-downs, sarcasm. Usually we don't have malicious intent, but still our runaway words leave wounds and walls that we may not even realize. Often we will say something that we've forgotten by bedtime, but the person who heard it may remember it for years to come.

That's why God tells us in Ecclesiastes 5, "Do not be quick with your mouth ... Do not let your mouth lead you into sin." (Ecclesiastes 5:2,6) If you have a tendency to be "quick with your mouth," the odds are your mouth is doing way too much sinning. For a lot of us, if we think it, we say it - without considering the damage it may do - to someone's reputation, to someone's worth, to a relationship, to unity, to our Lord's reputation.

I really don't think some of us understand the weight of our words. We don't realize how deep our words go ... how much people remember what we say ... how much we're quoted to others ... how much we're affecting other people's attitudes. For us, we're just unloading our feelings or our opinion, then moving on. But our words leave a trail, and often, it's like they said of the forced march of Native tribes years ago, a "trail of tears."

Which is why a man like David prayed a prayer like he prayed in Psalm 141:3. Remember, David was a "man after God's own heart" who really wanted to be God's man. And recognizing the power of his words, he said, "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." That's a prayer some of us may need to pray every day, to post on a wall or a mirror somewhere ... to commit to memory for frequent recall. "Lord, please help me to think about what I'm saying before I say it ... help me guard what I let come out of my mouth ... help me hear what I sound like to other people - and to measure what I say."

Yes, a runaway train is a scary thought - there's no telling who it may hurt or injure. But a runaway mouth is even scarier, and a lot more common. So much damage done that could be avoided - if we'll just keep that train in our mouth from running off on its own.

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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President Ronald Reagan found it out the hard way. He was preparing to do his regular Saturday morning radio address (which, by the way, is live radio) - and he offhandedly made some joking comment about bombing the Russians. Unfortunately, that comment went out over the airwaves. Oops! See, he didn't know the microphones were on. Take it from me. I spend a lot of time in a radio studio. That's something very important when you're doing live radio - knowing when the microphone is on - or you can actually end up saying something that you really didn't mean for other people to hear!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Always On The Air."

Actually, the best idea is to act as if the microphones are always on ... that you're always on the air. That's whether you're on the radio or not. Because whether or not you ever sit at a radio microphone, the things you say just seem to have a way of getting broadcast, don't they?

When our family got to memorizing Bible verses together, one of the first ones we committed to memory actually was our word for today from the Word of God. I think it's a great one for regulating what comes out of your mouth. In fact, what comes out of your mouth is what it's all about. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building others up, according to their needs."

God says your mouth is supposed to be used only for words that build up other people, never for words that tear them down. I wonder if there was a tape, let's say, of last week's conversations ... how they would pass that Biblical test. That Ephesians 4:29 standard is followed by God's command that we "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."

Let's focus on the "slander" part of that trash talk list. Often, our negative words about another person aren't said when they're around - they're spoken behind their back. And I can't think of a more descriptive word for that than "backstabbing." We really are stabbing them in the back verbally. Again, I wonder how many behind-their-back, destructive comments a tape of your recent conversations would reveal. Comments that wounded a reputation ... poisoned someone else's view of that person ... and made God cry.

What? Made God cry? Yes. Ephesians 4:30 says, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God." That sounds like a crime, doesn't it? That's right after that "no unwholesome talk" verse. See, we grieve God when we tear down someone He is trying to build. Have you been doing that?

It's probably a good rule of thumb to do what a wise broadcaster on live radio does - never say anything about a person you wouldn't want broadcast to many people. We shouldn't be saying things about a person in their absence that we wouldn't say if they were in the room ... if everybody could hear those comments. As far as God is concerned, the mics are always open ... we are always broadcasting where He can hear. He's always listening ... and our words never stop traveling to other people. What you say can do so much good. What you say can do so much damage.

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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Every little boy gets his share of "boo-boos" - that's what little boys' knees and elbows are for! I never could convince by mother that all I needed for my wound was a kiss. She always went to the medicine chest and pulled out this little bottle of liquid. I dreaded it! It was iodine. And, man, did that stuff ever sting! But my Mom knew what she was doing - yes, it stings, but it also disinfected!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "It Stings - But It Disinfects."

Now, words can sting, too. You've probably noticed that - especially critical words. But they may be a lot like iodine. Listen to our word for today from the Word of God in Proverbs 15:31 - "He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise."

Notice, a rebuke can actually be "life-giving." It doesn't usually feel life-giving. When someone points out something they don't like about us, it hurts. It stings. But God says if we heed that criticism or rebuke, we're showing how wise we are. In fact, according to Proverbs 27:6, "wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."

First, when someone who cares about us points out something they see in us, it does feel like a "wound." The Bible acknowledges that it hurts. But it also says that those comments can be "trusted" when they come from a friend. People who don't care about you may tell you whatever you want to hear, but those who do care will tell you what you need to hear!

When we love someone, we have a responsibility to be a mirror for them - to show them what we see when we look at them. Sometimes, that means we'll be affirming what things they are doing right, praising them for strong points they have that they may not be able to see. But our love also means we must hold up the mirror sometimes to show them how they're coming across, what they're doing wrong sometimes. We all hate to hear that we are unbuttoned or unzipped, but it's a good thing they let us know. It can save us a lot of embarrassment!

So when a friend or loved one points out something that isn't fun to hear, don't get angry with them ... don't just disregard what they said. Consider what it is that may have made them say that - what do they see that maybe you can't see about yourself? Maybe only a percentage of what they point out is accurate - but you need to prayerfully consider what part of it is true. It's hard for me to face this, but there must be something I'm doing or communicating that has made this person have this perception. The Bible says that those who listen openly and honestly to one of their "mirrors" will be "at home among the wise."

In some ways, the closer the person is to us, the harder it is for us to humbly and undefensively receive critical feedback. Like from our spouse, for example. But those are the comments we should give the greatest weight to - this is someone who loves us, someone who knows us well. And when we are giving someone constructive criticism, let's be sure we assure them of our love, of our belief in them - that that's the reason we're giving them this hard-to-hear input.

The "iodine" of someone's criticism - well, it does sting ... but what stings can also kill infection!

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

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Have you ever known of someone who sets an example you can learn from, emulate, and utilize for the rest of your life? Such a person is my Dad. Dad's ability isn't only finding the good in everyone, but also verbalizing it. He's mastered building people both directly and to others. Most people gossip. Dad finds and speaks the good. When he must correct, it's always with tact and kindness.

Most people relate to others the bad spoken of them, creating conflict. Dad always relates the good someone said about them, bringing people closer together.

Have you ever heard husbands, when speaking to others, make unkind remarks about their wives? It's one of those "macho" things. Sure, they're "only kidding," but words matter. Examples, good and bad, are set, especially for children. Dad ALWAYS speaks of Mom in the most complimentary, glowing terms. As does she of him. They began poor and built a successful business. Although Dad was the one in the public eye and Mom more comfortable behind the scenes, Dad always made sure everyone knew who he considered to be the true driving force behind the business.

My favorite "Dad story" took place when I was 12. We were having carpet installed in our home. The crew boss was one of those stereotypical beer-guzzlin', hard-livin' guys, who would have probably belonged to Ralph Kramden's Raccoon Lodge from the old Honeymooner's TV show (nothing wrong with that - just painting a picture:-)).

For lunch, my folks bought pizza for the crew. Dad went to talk with the boss about the job. I was around the corner listening.

The boss said, "This is an expensive job. Women will really spend your money, won't they?"

Dad responded, "Well, I'll tell you, when they were right there with you before you had any money, it's a pleasure to do anything for them you possibly can."

This wasn't the answer he expected. He was looking for negative talk about wives which, to him, was natural. He tried again, "But, gee, they'll really play off that and spend all they can, won't they?"

Dad replied, as I knew he would, "Hey, when they're the reason you're successful, you want them to do the things they enjoy. There's no greater pleasure." Strike two.

The crew boss tried one more time, "And they'll take that as far as they can, huh?" Dad responded, "She's the best thing that ever happened to me. I'd do anything to make her happy."

I was trying not to laugh. I knew he wanted Dad to give in just a little bit and say, "Yeah, I guess that's true." But I knew that wouldn't happen...not in a million years!

Finally, the boss gave up. Maybe he learned something about respecting one's spouse. Maybe not. But it taught a young boy a lot about the power of respect and edification.

Mom and Dad recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. They still hold hands, and are more in love than ever. Would there be any doubt?

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The power of words — it is sometimes hard to understand than an encouraging word can go such a long way.

Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.

Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

Be special to others.

Tell me and I’ll forget

Show me and I’ll remember

Involve me and I’ll learn

From the bottom of my heart … I wish you …

Happiness … Deep down within

Serenity … With each sunrise

Success … In each facet of your life

Friends … Close and caring

Love … That never ends

Knowledge … of the grace and love of God.

Special memories.. Of all the yesterdays

A bright today … With much to be thankful for

A path … That leads to beautiful tomorrows

Dreams … That do their best to come true

And appreciation.. Of all the wonderful things about you

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

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Is it true someone wrote an entire novel without using the letter “E”?

Yes. In 1937, Ernest Vincent Wright authored a 50,000+ word novel entitled “Gadsby” that was entirely “E”-less. To ensure that he wouldn't slip up and use an “E,” he tied the “E” key on his typewriter down to render it inoperable. The real question here is what on earth would inspire someone to take the time and trouble to write such a work. The letter “E,” of course, is the most commonly used letter in the English language. Just count the number of times “E” appears in this answer!

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DailyInBox: Trivia, http://your.dailyinbox.com/trivia/

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One thing television has done for us - it's made us all more self-conscious about our breath. The commercials keep coming. Years ago it was, “Don't broadcast bad breath.” More recent commercials talk about your “wake-up breath.” You run from people who want to kiss you because you have to gargle first. You got to get rid of that morning mouth. Well, these kinds of commercials sell a lot of mouthwash, toothpaste, breath mints and breath drops. I just wish there was a mouthwash for the really gross mouth problem.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Verbal Halitosis.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Ephesians 4:29. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” This word unwholesome is interesting, “don't let any unwholesome talk come out.” It means decay. It means rotten. It talks about rotten fruit. It talks about spoiled fish. Don't let any rotten apples or spoiled fish come out of your mouth. It's a strong word. It's not just unwholesome. We're talking here about verbal halitosis.

What if we taped your conversations over the last few days and played them all back? Telephone conversations, what you said to your family members, your angry moments, your stress moments. Is there any talk there that would tear a person down? Critical, negative, complaining, some put-down there, a little sarcasm here, maybe you had the last word that ended the argument, but it wounded someone you love.

Listen to this: “Do not let (That means, stop it. Don't let it) come out of your mouth” - that kind of hurting talk. The Bible says “the tongue has the power of life and death.” Proverbs 12:18 says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword.” You've got to ask the Lord to help you hear those spiritual alarms that go off before you're about to say something that's really hurtful. We've already done it enough for a lifetime. Stop it before it comes out. It's like a bullet coming out of a gun. You can't stop it. You have to stop it by not pulling the trigger. Once it's sent to its target, it's just going to do its damage.

Interestingly enough, God provides a “do” here for the “don't.” He says, “Don't let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth.” He says, “...but talk building-up talk” - things that build up other people. You need to look at that other person as a person who's under construction - a person you're building. So ask yourself, when I talk to that person, did I build them or did I bulldoze them. It's a strong follow-up here in Ephesians 4:30, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” In other words, you make God cry when you tear down a person He's trying to build. So look out for that rotten, spoiled garbage that so easily spills out of your mouth.

It doesn't take long for the words to come out, but the damage can last a lifetime. We never forget the insults. We never forget the names we're called. We never forget the criticism long after the person who has spoken them can't remember them.

Spiritual halitosis - it's not just dangerous because it smells bad, sometimes it can even leave life-long scars. Let's follow what the Bible says: “Guard your mouth.”

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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Seven out of ten people have a root beer story, or so I was recently told. First created in 1875, the original American soft drink is an icon of early popular culture with an ageless charm. Root beer, someone said, reminds Americans of the way they once were. Root beer reminds me of my grandfather.

The basement was his laboratory. The unreachable glass bottles lined the basement shelves, which seemed to a 6-year-old like a giant train around the ceiling. Seeing them in their lofty state always quickened my hope that this would be the night; drinking root beer was a family event.

No two root beer recipes seem to be the same, and many require an intricate list of ingredients, from sassafras root to juniper berries to yucca extract. But for those who enjoy the carbonated fizz, the most important ingredient is yeast. Natural carbonation occurs when yeast eats the sugar in the solution, creating carbon gas. Fizzy and spicy, my grandfather's homemade recipe was better than anything I've had since.

But there was one batch that went dreadfully wrong. I don't fully understand the science behind it; I'm not sure if the problem was too much yeast or the wrong kind. But I remember the basement being quarantined for several days and the sounds of warfare coming up from the floorboards. Like a belt of ammunition, the carefully lined-up bottles were exploding one by one sending syrup and shards of glass from floor to ceiling. Since then, I have been somewhat cautious around yeast.

As the apostle Paul was writing to the Galatian Church, he had in mind the things that were most plaguing the community. “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” he asks. “That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 'A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough'“ (Galatians 5:7-9). There was a false teacher among them speaking words that would ferment into something dangerous if they would allow it. Paul was confident they would heed his time-critical warning.

The imagery of yeast at work in deceptive words is frightening. Yeast is hidden by the dough or liquid it works in; it is small and virtually undetectable, yet it meticulously works its way throughout the environment that houses it. Like the bottles that lined our basement shelves, a negative word hidden away and festering in my mind can explode any minute. A word void of truth stored in a community or in a faulty motive can cause more mess and damage than detonated soda bottles. “A little yeast works all through the dough,” Paul warned — a warning sent not only to the Galatians who were plagued with false teaching, but to the Corinthians whose prideful speech was threatening their vision of Christ.

God has created us with the gift of language, the power of speech. Fearfully and wonderfully, we must recognize it in us and around us. But the yeast of words works both ways.

In all of the batches of root beer we enjoyed over the years, most of yeast did its job well. The soda came out fizzing and spicy, the perfect combination of sweet and sparkling. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as yeast at work and hidden. Like yeast, the kingdom of God is alive and growing, and working its way through the nations. Where God's word may seem obscured or lost, his spirit is spreading, working its way through hearts and cities, families and homelands.

Holding the power of life and death, the words we speak and the words we come in contact with go forth and do not return void. Like God's word, which became flesh and transformed all of time, so our words shape and change things. With our words we mold attitudes, expectations, and situations — furthering death or fostering life, causing explosions or wielding the peace of Christ. Our words are life-effecting; his words are life. Our words can act as the yeast of the kingdom or the yeast of the Pharisees; He is word made flesh, dwelling among us, full of grace and truth. A LITTLE YEAST WORKS ALL THROUGH THE DOUGH.

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Copyright © 2005 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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Kris Lackey thought he had hurricane-proofed his manuscripts. An English professor at the University of New Orleans, he had saved his fiction and papers -- including the novel he had half-finished -- via hard drive, flash drive, diskette, and hard copy. But as the murky waters continued to rise and he was forced to evacuate his home, he left his papers and computer equipment behind. Even so, he left them in high places -- tables and bookshelves well out of harm's way. He was, by no means, expecting the 11 feet of water that completely besieged his house. Returning more than a month later, Lackey found pages floating in mud, now indecipherable, as well as what was left of his flash and hard drives. Nothing was retrievable.

The frustration of lost words is a silence palpable to many. When long emails go missing or documents are destroyed in a crash of technology, the task of reconstruction is deeply aggravating at best -- at times, it is painful. Sadly, Mr. Lackey's loss of story and word in New Orleans is not the only report like it. Poems, novels, and memoirs were lost in the same wind and water -- devastating their authors. To lose a book, to lose an entire lifetime of words, is a sting I shudder to imagine.

Yet, in a very real sense any story lost is a loss of our own; the sting of loss reaches far beyond the author. Losing words is painful because our words are not haphazard. Losing books is devastating because books play an irreplaceable role in the life of the reader. The stories that reach us are so much more than words on a page. John Milton writes of the wounds at stake in the death of a story:

For books are not absolutely dead things, but ... do preserve as

in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living

intellect that bred them.... As good almost kill a man as kill a

good book: who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's

image; but he who destroys a good book kills reason itself, kills

the image of God, as it were, in the eye.

In the words of this author we cherish, the loss of a good book, the loss of language, is a loss of life. “There is a reason,” I heard someone say recently, “that books have been smuggled over borders for centuries.” The wealth of life and knowledge in the words and characters that speak to us is well worth the risk.

I was in the fourth grade when Katherine Paterson's BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA introduced me to my own mortality. I was a year younger than the characters that came bounding out of those pages and into my world. But the thought of death as an unyielding part of life -- one that would reach even me -- was a thought that had not yet entered my mind. With Jess, I insisted there was some mistake: “Leslie could not die anymore than he himself could die.” His subsequent wrestling with death was an initiation of sorts into my own.

Through others we have learned similarly. The shock of recognition in a character that speaks what we feel -- what we feel but do not know -- initiates and wakes us to life and story around us. “God made man,” said Elie Wiesel “because He loves stories.” And so my skewed perspective of Heavenly Father was in part rewritten by his use of my own imagination. I learned to love Him through the golden mane of an untamed Aslan. I learn to know Him through themes of forgiveness in Dostoevsky, reason in Chesterton, loyalty in Tolkien, and wonder in the fairy story. God is always leading us toward the many-roomed house Christ left us to imagine.

Like the angel of the LORD who appeared to the weary Elijah, God offers us words as strength for the journey: “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you” (1 Kings 19:7). Without words that startle us awake or stories that inexplicably remain with us, we would grow faint in the silence, longing for a voice to cry out in our wilderness. How remarkable this is exactly the kind of God who leads us.

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Copyright © 2006 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this:

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is “UP.”

It’s easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.

When it doesn’t rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so... time to shut UP...!

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Submitted by Sharon Hamel

Words, according to England’s Lord Chesterfield, are “the dress of thoughts; which should no more be presented in rags, tatters, and dirt, than your person should.”

I find it somewhat satisfying that days after I wrote a Baptist Press column concerning obscenity in the arts, a radio shock joke was fired for expressing hate and bigotry through words. Not that I want to see any man lose his job, but the media aftermath of Don Imus’ fall has furthered the discussion of artistic expression, with many reexamining the crudeness of that expression. It’s dawning on some that there really is power in language and that we should take care in how we use it. Still, others justify its abuse. And they’re the ones making all the money. Go figure.

At times the entertainment industry professes an influence on our society, while at other times its members maintain that they only reflect the culture. The truth is, it’s a community that embraces any illustrative conduct, so long as they can say at the end of the day, “Show me the money.” But thanks to Mr. Imus, now is the time when we should hold those in the communication fields accountable for how they affect society. And now is the time when we all should take Ephesians 4:29 seriously: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

I suppose it would be wrong to single out the music industry for its assault on decency. But it’s a start. The vulgarity associated with hip-hop and rap performers has long been the percussion of their profession. Though it’s impossible for most to hear this hostile or dehumanizing speech as anything but anti-civility, we are nonetheless being barraged by commentators defending these performers. Again, go figure.

Moviemakers are just as guilty. In the recent film “Grindhouse” (Rated R), one character, a sharp-tongued black woman, uses the n-word when talking to or describing her friend. In the movie, the epithet is used in place of “girlfriend” or some other expression of sisterhood. The trouble with that word, however, is that it contains a subliminal edginess, no matter how it’s spoken or by whom it’s being spoken. What’s more, it continues to give life to a noun most reasonable people have long since buried.

“If it’s demeaning for white people to utter the n-word, why is it acceptable for blacks to use it?” That’s a frequent question that never seems to receive a reasonable answer. Rappers justify its inclusion as a part of their “artistry.” But while Chris Rock or Snoop Dogg justify their utilization of the word, it remains a confusion to the rest of America. No mater the justification, we see it as fragmenting.

But it isn’t just words that seem to be affecting the culture. It’s the tone behind them. Ever watch those comic news shows on cable? Do the hosts ever open their mouths without spewing cynicism? Though some of it can be witty and even proverbial, after 20 minutes of the mocking attitude, I feel my spirit grieved. It’s a form of humor that tears down, and seldom lifts up.

Certainly it would be naïve to think Hollywood or even the society in general will ever turn from such discourse. But aren’t we as Christians supposed to? “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)

If you are soaking up cynicism, foul language and hateful remarks through the media, pretty soon it will become a part of your thought pattern. Since the secular worldview is impossible to escape, we should make Bible reading a valued part of our day. The inspired Word of God prepares us for the future life while helping us maintain a balanced existence in this one.

An anniversary of sorts took place this month, and though it likely slipped passed most of us without recognition, its recipient is still smiling. The emoticon, perhaps better known in the realm of online discourse as the smiley face, has been smiling for 25 years. Its creator, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott Fahlman, suggested the symbol in 1982 in an online discussion about the limits of online humor. “I propose the following character sequence for joke markers: :-),” he wrote. “Read it sideways.”(1)

The rest is history. Fahlman’s smileys spread from his classroom to other classrooms, from universities to the corporate world, and eventually around the world. The emoticon aided what online communicators were all too aware was ailing. In the world of instantaneous communication, MIScommunicating is sometimes more likely than communicating. Humor, sarcasm, and general human warmth can easily be sacrificed in this subculture of speed and technology. Words merely given in brief can be misperceived as terse or loaded. Comments meant to be taken lightly can be missed altogether. Many would argue that the invention of the emoticon has helped, though it certainly has not eradicated every obstacle.

Nonetheless, the quick embrace and subsequent evolution of emoticons suggests at least a subtle awareness that in the breakdown of language something human is in fact lost. High school and college professors readily lament the frequency with which “chat” language is creeping further into term papers. Their greatest concern is that many students don’t even realize there is a difference. While it can be argued that email encourages a certain sloppiness in communicating, text messaging has forged the creation of an entirely new language -- a language created with regard first for the technology as opposed to the speakers or the conversation itself.

In a recent publication, Ken Myers of MARS HILL AUDIO made the observation that words and language both shape and affect our humanity. He then added, “The corollary of this claim is the observation that cultural institutions and habits that corrupt or weaken our use of language are profoundly dehumanizing.”(2) When words are ransacked of meaning and replaced with concepts less distinct, we ourselves become something less distinct. Though technology is far from the only culprit, wherever the offense is committed, consequences are costly. In fact, it is said that one of the first steps to slavery is a loss of language.

In “The Last Battle” C. S. Lewis illustrates the enslaving force of corrupted words. The ape explains, “[The god] Tash and Aslan [the Lion] are only two names for you know Who. That’s why there can never be any quarrel between them. Get that into your heads you stupid brutes. Tash is Aslan. Aslan is Tash.”(3) Later the ape altogether changes the name to “Tashlan,” and the impressionable crowd abides. In their hearts they still want to believe in the Aslan they thought they knew, but the loss of language is enough to set them to serve the deceptive ape. “When ... you have killed a word,” writes Lewis in another work, “you have also blotted from the human mind the thing that word originally stood for. Men do not long continue to think what they have forgotten how to say.”(4) Those who allow their language to be corrupted, find their minds following suit. In the loss of words, something human is lost.

In this, there is much to be said about the kind of God who values words, whose most persistent instruction to a faltering people is “remember,” and who gives us both permission and the responsibility to say what we mean. “Good teacher,” asked the young man of Jesus. “Can you tell me the way to eternal life?” But Jesus asked in reply, “Why do you call me good?” In other words, are you saying what you really mean? Are you ready to walk with the burden your own word requires? “For no one is good -- except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Are you willing to hear my answer as one who truly knows who I am?

There is a connectedness between our words and our humanity, between the Word at the beginning and reality today. Those who stand alert in the world of words, who fight the corruption of language, and who learn to let their “yes” be “yes” and their “no” be “no” shall see something more through the glass darkly. They may in fact see the God who first spoke a word and brought the world into existence.

________

1. Daniel Lovering, “Happy Anniversary, emoticon,” LA DAILY NEWS September 22, 2007.

2. MARS HILL AUDIO JOURNAL, Issue 75.

3. C.S. Lewis, THE LAST BATTLE (New York: Macmillan, 1970), 32.

4. “The Death of Words,” ON STORIES, Walter Hooper ed. (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982), 107.

________

Copyright © 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

World magazine reports an 18-year-old motorcycle racer began a race as a Czech, but ended his day as an Englishman. After an accident left him unconscious for 45 minutes, young racer Matej Kus stunned emergency workers by awakening and speaking perfect English. A teammate noted Kus had been trying to learn English, but thus far had only a vague understanding of the language. According to his friends, when Kus awoke, he sounded like a BBC broadcaster.

This illustration proves what a great and marvelous thing the brain is. How things are stored and what prompts behavior is hardly understood and may never be. But we do know words shape the mind which shapes action.

________

Source: All Pro Dad, http://www.allprodad.com

Like millions of other Americans, you may have watched this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee on television. The Bee is a tradition dating back to 1925, and has participants from around the world. This year there were 273 spellers speaking 102 different languages besides English.

As John Murray wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal, “Given this amazing diversity united under one language, the author of America’s first dictionary and the originator of uniform spelling in America (which makes the Bee possible!) would be proud.”

Murray is of course referring to Noah Webster, “to whom the [spelling] Bee owes its official dictionary, ‘Merriam-Webster’s Third New International Dictionary.’”

You may never have given Noah Webster a thought while watching the spelling bee, but Murray is right to credit him with making it possible — and with so much more than that.

The thing worth remembering about Noah Webster is that, unlike many today, he wasn’t interested in learning just for learning’s sake — or even for the sake of having a good career and achieving prosperity. Over the course of his life, Webster came to believe that education had a higher, nobler purpose.

When Webster created the American dictionary, one of his foremost goals was to help create “a national language” as “a band of national union.” It would help teach the new nation self-respect. And in addition to helping to shape the United States Constitution, he also helped set up the country’s educational system and fought against slavery.

But Noah Webster wasn’t just a patriot. In his 50th year, he became a devout Christian. And from that time on, he was dedicated to furthering the cause of moral and spiritual education as well as academic education.

For many years, copies of Webster’s dictionary actually contained an account of his conversion to Christianity. Whereas his Blue-Backed Speller, published in 1783, had been devoid of sacred references, his 1828 dictionary was full of them.

As Murray writes in his article, “The context sentences used for his word entries were more often than not taken straight from biblical verse. For example, one of his definitions for ‘truth’ stated: ‘Jesus Christ is called the truth. John xiv.’” The former freethinker had come to believe that education was “useless without the Bible.”

As a result, Webster’s work had an eternal impact upon generations of students. As John Murray tells us, “Of the man known as ‘The Schoolmaster of Our Republic,’ editors often wrote above his picture, ‘He taught millions to read, but not one to sin.’”

You couldn’t ask for a better epitaph than that.

So the next time you watch a spelling bee, or use a dictionary, or help a child with his or reading, take a moment to think about the true purpose and value of education.

As Webster knew so well, though many of his countrymen have forgotten it, we learn not just to benefit ourselves our even our country, but to better understand and serve our God.

________

Copyright (c) 2010 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Many consider the presidential campaign of 2016 to be one of the worst in history. A key element has been all the name-calling. Hillary Clinton expressed regret for saying “half” of Donald Trump’s supporters are “deplorables.” That was her not-so-nice way of saying they are racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic (fear of foreigners).

Hillary is actually a pretty weak name-caller. Donald Trump is the master. He coined “Crazy Bernie,” “Lyin’ Ted,” “Low-Energy Jeb” and “Crooked Hillary.” These are not one-off insults but his regular names for them.

His running mate, Mike Pence, criticized President Obama for suggesting that Trump is a demagogue. Pence said that name-calling has no place in public life in America. He may have been saying it ironically, but Pence did make a vow years ago that he would not fuel his campaigns by making personal attacks on his opponents.

Pence backed off a little when he was confronted with Trump’s harsh names for opponents. Pence said, “You know, in NASCAR, they saying rubbing is racing. In a competitive primary, things can get a little tough sometimes.” [1]

American campaigns have always been tough. Donald and Hillary did not invent name-calling and they have not even been the worst at it. America has a rich tradition of mud-slinging.

The campaign of 1800 was the first competitive race for President. The earlier elections had chosen George Washington with unanimous votes by the Electoral College, something that has never happened since. Political parties had not been organized by 1800 so everyone ran as individuals. Interestingly, the winner became president and the second place person became vice president. Can you imagine President Hillary Clinton and Vice President Trump? Or President Trump and Vice President Clinton? Let the fireworks begin!

In 1800, John Adams ran against Thomas Jefferson, the former President running against his former Vice President. They didn’t actively campaign back then because it was considered too unseemly. They stayed home and hired hatchet men to do the dirty work.

Adam’s men called Jefferson “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.” Jefferson’s men called Adams a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.” To really get at someone, just call them “hermaphroditical.”

Even Martha Washington called Jefferson “one of the most detestable of mankind.” That is pretty close to “deplorables.” [2]

In the 1828 race, John Quincy Adams was called a pimp, and Andrew Jackson’s wife was called a slut.

Abraham Lincoln was called “Ignoramus Abe,” a buffoon, and a rail-splitter (an insult back then). [3]

Teddy Roosevelt came up with the terms “muckrakers” and “lunatic fringe.” [3]

Jesus warns of the danger of calling people names. In Matthew 5:22 he says that calling someone “raca” (Aramaic for empty-headed or stupid) could get you in trouble with the courts but calling them “fool” (an equally mild term) could get you thrown into hell. Yet Jesus himself called people names. In Matthew 23 he calls his opponents names 16 times. [4] But in each case he gave a reason why they deserved that name. He was never gratuitous. And of course as the Son of God he had perfect insight into the thoughts and intentions of his opponents. Since we do not, we would be wise to heed Matthew 5:22.

________

1. "Mike Pence: Politics is No Place for ‘Name Calling’," by Vaughn Hillyard, NBC News, 29 July 2016; .

2. "Founding Fathers' dirty campaign," by Kerwin Swint, Mental Floss, CNN.com, 22 August 2008; .

3. "12 Classic Political Insults," by Rose Marie Ostler, The Blog, 3 September 2011, updated 3 November 2011; .

4. "The Virtue of Name-Calling," by John W. Robbins, October 1979; .

[A humorous look at male/female communication]

WORDS WOMEN USE

===============

FINE. This is the word women use to end an argument when they feel they are right and you need to shut up. Never use "fine" to describe how a woman looks. This will cause you to have one of those arguments.

FIVE MINUTES.

This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so it's an even trade.

NOTHING.

This means "something", and you should be on your toes. "Nothing" is usually used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out, upside down, and backwards. "Nothing" usually signifies an argument that will last "Five Minutes" and end with the word "Fine".

GO AHEAD (With Raised Eyebrows).

This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset over "Nothing," and will end with the word "Fine."

GO AHEAD (Normal Eyebrows).

This means "I give up" or "do what you want because I don't care." You will get a "Raised Eyebrow Go Ahead" in just a few minutes, followed by "Nothing" and "Fine," and she will talk to you in about "Five Minutes" when she cools off.

(LOUD SIGH)

This is not actually a word, but is a nonverbal statement, often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment, and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here arguing with you over "Nothing."

(SOFT SIGH)

Again not a word, but a nonverbal statement. "Soft Sigh" means that she is content. Your best bet is not to move or breathe, and she will stay content.

THAT'S OKAY.

This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before paying you back for whatever it is that you have done. "That's Okay" is often used with the word "Fine" and in conjunction with a "Raised Eyebrow Go Ahead." At some point in the near future, you are going to be in some mighty big trouble.

PLEASE DO.

This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is giving you the chance to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is that you have done. You have a fair chance with the truth, so be careful and you shouldn't get a "That's Okay."

THANKS.

A woman is thanking you. Do not faint. Just say you're welcome.

THANKS A LOT.

This is much different than "Thanks." A woman will say, "Thanks A Lot" when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have offended her in some callous way, and will be followed by the (LOUD SIGH). Be careful not to ask what is wrong after the (LOUD SIGH) as she will only tell you "Nothing!"

*

“My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot recant, for going against my conscience is neither safe nor salutary. I can do no other, here I stand, God help me.” Martin Luther

At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, James Madison was one of the most active speakers — and many wise provisions in the final document owe their origin to his foresight and learning. Deeply versed in theories of governance and profoundly affected by his Christian faith, he realized only too well that his gravest flaw was a tendency to become rather over-zealous during debate.

Along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, Madison wrote the brilliant Federalist Papers and was the trusted advisor and confidante of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Later, he would make a mark on history as the fourth President of the fledgling nation during particularly difficult days. But it was at the Convention that his gifts were most evident and star shone brightest.

Knowing that he was apt to get carried away when addressing the Convention, he asked a fellow Virginian to sit by his side and tweak his coattails if he seemed to be getting too obviously excited. After a particularly impassioned speech he sat down, almost exhausted, and reproached his friend for not pulling at his coat.

“I WOULD JUST AS SOON HAVE LAID A FINGER ON THE LIGHTNING,” said the awestruck man.

Similar stories are told of many of the founding fathers. When Patrick Henry spoke his hearers were utterly mesmerized. When Samuel Adams addressed his fellow patriots, it was said that he spoke with the voice of the divine. And when Peyton Randolph rose, an admiring silence always seemed to envelop the hall.

There is a power in unswerving conviction that inevitably arrests the attentions of both men and nations. There is an almost indescribable appeal that attaches itself to uncompromising vision and principled passion.

Sermon in Book of James series, #17. James 5:12

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF IS?

==============================

I. Language isn't what it used to be.

A. President Clinton's infamous deposition on Monika Lewinsky.

B. A modern trend.

C. Christians must take a stand for integrity.

II. We love the color gray.

A. Relativism is pervasive.

B. We must have standards.

III. Radical truthfulness.

A. James says honesty and integrity should define us.

B. Honesty doesn't need to be backed up.

IV. Oaths have a long heritage.

A. The Old Testament encouraged oaths.

B. Oaths cannot take the place of truth. Matt 5:33-37

C. James is in agreement with Jesus.

V. Christians should be different.

A. We are honest because it is right, not because it "works."

B. The motivation for honesty is that God expects it.

VI. Watch your words.

A. Avoid "fudging."

B. Avoid "spin."

C. Yes must be balanced with no.

D. Mean what you say!

VII. Be honest in every area of life.

A. Honesty is important. Matthew 12:34-37

B. Be honest with your family and friends.

C. Be honest with your business.

D. Be honest with God.

The importance of words in motivating and inspiring people:

Back in 1940 the nation of England was on the verge of collapse. Hitler had almost wiped out their army at Dunkirk and German warplanes were bombing them every night. In this hour of darkness the tongue of Winston Churchill saved England. He told them:

We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be;

we shall fight on the beaches;

we shall fight in the fields;

we shall fight in the streets;

and we shall fight in the hills.

We shall never surrender....

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.

Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him, "Why did you continue jumping? Didn't you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was hard of hearing, almost deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

The power of words ... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.

Like millions of other Americans, you may have watched this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee on television. The Bee is a tradition dating back to 1925, and has participants from around the world. This year there were 273 spellers speaking 102 different languages besides English.

As John Murray wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal, “Given this amazing diversity united under one language, the author of America’s first dictionary and the originator of uniform spelling in America (which makes the Bee possible!) would be proud.”

Murray is of course referring to Noah Webster, “to whom the [spelling] Bee owes its official dictionary, ‘Merriam-Webster’s Third New International Dictionary.’”

You may never have given Noah Webster a thought while watching the spelling bee, but Murray is right to credit him with making it possible — and with so much more than that.

The thing worth remembering about Noah Webster is that, unlike many today, he wasn’t interested in learning just for learning’s sake — or even for the sake of having a good career and achieving prosperity. Over the course of his life, Webster came to believe that education had a higher, nobler purpose.

When Webster created the American dictionary, one of his foremost goals was to help create “a national language” as “a band of national union.” It would help teach the new nation self-respect. And in addition to helping to shape the United States Constitution, he also helped set up the country’s educational system and fought against slavery.

But Noah Webster wasn’t just a patriot. In his 50th year, he became a devout Christian. And from that time on, he was dedicated to furthering the cause of moral and spiritual education as well as academic education.

For many years, copies of Webster’s dictionary actually contained an account of his conversion to Christianity. Whereas his Blue-Backed Speller, published in 1783, had been devoid of sacred references, his 1828 dictionary was full of them.

As Murray writes in his article, “The context sentences used for his word entries were more often than not taken straight from biblical verse. For example, one of his definitions for ‘truth’ stated: ‘Jesus Christ is called the truth. John xiv.’” The former freethinker had come to believe that education was “useless without the Bible.”

As a result, Webster’s work had an eternal impact upon generations of students. As John Murray tells us, “Of the man known as ‘The Schoolmaster of Our Republic,’ editors often wrote above his picture, ‘He taught millions to read, but not one to sin.’”

You couldn’t ask for a better epitaph than that.

So the next time you watch a spelling bee, or use a dictionary, or help a child with his or reading, take a moment to think about the true purpose and value of education.

As Webster knew so well, though many of his countrymen have forgotten it, we learn not just to benefit ourselves our even our country, but to better understand and serve our God.

________

Copyright (c) 2010 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Sermon in Book of James series, #17. James 5:12

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF IS?

==============================

I. Language isn't what it used to be.

A. President Clinton's infamous deposition on Monika Lewinsky.

B. A modern trend.

C. Christians must take a stand for integrity.

II. We love the color gray.

A. Relativism is pervasive.

B. We must have standards.

III. Radical truthfulness.

A. James says honesty and integrity should define us.

B. Honesty doesn't need to be backed up.

IV. Oaths have a long heritage.

A. The Old Testament encouraged oaths.

B. Oaths cannot take the place of truth. Matt 5:33-37

C. James is in agreement with Jesus.

V. Christians should be different.

A. We are honest because it is right, not because it "works."

B. The motivation for honesty is that God expects it.

VI. Watch your words.

A. Avoid "fudging."

B. Avoid "spin."

C. Yes must be balanced with no.

D. Mean what you say!

VII. Be honest in every area of life.

A. Honesty is important. Matthew 12:34-37

B. Be honest with your family and friends.

C. Be honest with your business.

D. Be honest with God.

These biblical principles are essential for godly communication. Christians are not immune to conflicts and good relationships do not happen automatically! (Drawn from Faith Baptist Counseling Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana)

I. BE HONEST - “Wherefore putting away lying” (Eph. 4:25).

“Speaking the truth” in verse 15 is a verb for always speaking the truth! Will you slander your brother? The “in love” avoids the temptation to be brutal. Choose to speak with the other person's best interest in mind. Give care to what is said and how you are saying it.

II. BE CURRENT - “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” (Eph. 4:26-27)

Put off anger and put on forgiveness. Angrily blowing up attacks others. Failure to solve problems means we are:

1) Guilty of sin.

2) Opening the way to resentment and hatred.

3) Adding fuel to future problems.

4) Endangering your relationship to that person and your fellowship with God

III. BE BUILDING - “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Eph. 4:29-30)

Put off criticism and put on encouragement. Attack problems, not the people. Never by-pass the conflict to tear somebody down!

“Corrupt communication” or “unwholesome words” are rotten and cutting. Abusing your tongue includes pessimism, immaturity, and gossip. It zeroes in on the person's character (Matt. 5:21-22). It tears down or rips apart (Jam. 3:5-12). And it grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).

Edifying communication encourages or builds up. It zeroes in on the conflict. It centers on personal responsibility. It expresses solutions in terms of action. It gives “grace” to those who hear. It has the desire and ability to do God's will.

Who are we to piously misinterpret and judge a person's motives? (Matt. 7:1-5)

IV. BE KIND - “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:31-32)

Put off contention and put on kindness. Or act and don't react! The natural tendency of our Genesis 3 nature is to be on the defensive, to blame-shift, run, or react. We will never solve problems or help anyone grow that way. We through God's Spirit need the maturity to be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving (vs. 32). Arguments are possible only if each person reacts. No matter how irresponsible the other person is, you must act biblically!

*