It only takes a spark to set off a forest fire

Sunday 9th July 2023

James 3:1-12 - James cautions on how we can use our tongue unwisely.
In The Message Eugene Peterson writes:
5-6 It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
7-10 This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
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You watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/_gh19RqNogo

Gracious God, you meet us in the most unexpected of places; in the moments when your presence seems to have disappeared; in the eyes of a stranger; in the experiences that make us feel the most uncomfortable; in abundance that is found amidst perceived desolation.
We come to worship, giving thanks for the gift of encounter. Through your Spirit’s movement in our lives and in this time together, may our hearts be torn open to your call in our lives, so that we may be stirred to go out and transform your world