All right, James chapter 3, beginning of verse 1.

If you could, please stand.

I'll ask you to follow along.

If not, where you're seated is fine.

James, by the Holy Spirit, is writing and says verse 1, not many of you should become teachers. Too late. My fellow believers,

and here's why. Because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

We all stumble in many ways, verse 2.

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, 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 wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, verse 5, the tongue is a small part of the body,

but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire. A world of evil among the parts of the body.

It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell.

How you doing so far?

Okay, we're almost, we're just reading the text.

We haven't even...

Verse 7.

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.

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

praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 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?

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