You Have More Authority Than You Think

We talk about the weight our words carry and how speech can either bring life or bring harm. We also challenge ourselves to listen better, change what we consume, and let Jesus shape what comes out of our mouths. 
• Why words stick with people for years 
• practicing James 1:19 by listening first and speaking more slowly 
• asking “How are you really?” and meaning it 
• Proverbs 18:21 and the power of the tongue 
• choosing encouragement over foul or harsh language from Ephesians 4:29 
• how friends, music, TikTok, and media shape your mindset and speech 
• Luke 6 and the idea that words reveal what is in the heart 
• practical habit changes and accountability without shame 

Transcript

Welcome And Why Words Matter

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the Saver the Savior podcast. My name's Avery. I am your host, and today is gonna be a fabulous day. I don't know why I always feel like I need an intro like that. I am so excited that you're joining and tuning in, listening, watching, whatever platform you're on, thank you for being here. And today I kind of wanted to talk about our words and the weight of our words, which have a lot of weight. Yeah. Obviously, words have weight. I mean, I mean, you're trusting my words and what I'm saying through a podcast. I mean, if my words didn't have weight, I don't think you'd spend the time to listen to a podcast, you know? Or if other people's words didn't have weight, I don't think you'd go and sit and listen to them speak, preach, sing, whatever it is, people's words have weight, and not only in those aspects, but when you're just talking to people. I'm sure, I'm sure all of us have experienced someone saying something to you that stuck with you, whether it was good, whether it was bad, whether it encouraged you or whether it brought you down, any of those things, clearly, you know, words have weight. That is the the relationships that we have with people are based on our words and the way we connect with people, and yeah, the relationships we have that we have with our family are based on our words, how we speak to people, all of it's so so important. Our words have so much weight. This is why James 1 says, Dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and

Quick To Listen Slow To Speak

SPEAKER_00 2:00

slow to get angry. I think so often, and this is something I fall victim to so much, guys. I am not perfect by any means. I do not claim to be perfect. I am not great with my words. I am still learning, and I am definitely not great at listening. I have noticed that something about myself that I'm definitely working on. Definitely need to be less of a talker and more of a listener. And I have just found that I can minister and be so much better ministering when I'm a better listener and when I don't talk as much. And I think it's so important that we focus on listening to people, and we, you know, I think the most beneficial conversations people have, and even the conversations that you see people have on TikTok, you scroll through all these conversations of people who talk to maybe people who are homeless or people at festivals or people who, you know, are dressed in something satanic or something that you're like, oh, I don't feel like they know the Lord, you know. And you're just watching this person interact with them, and they're just kind of like, so you know, what's what's going on? What's what's your story? What's whatever? And but they they take some time to listen to them, you know. They don't nobody ever comes to Christ by you shoving Christ down their throat. Like, truly, I don't know why people think that, like, yeah, let me just like shove Jesus Christ down your throat, and people are like, Yep, that tastes real good. Like, no, that's just not how it goes. But people feel most seen when they are heard and when you make them feel heard and when you make them feel seen. One of the most pivotal moments of my life was when one of my really close friends had I worked near her, and I had come in to work one day, and she looked at me and she was like, How are you? And I was like, Oh, I'm good. And she was like, No. She was like, How are you? And it was the most genuine, and I just like had such a great conversation with her, and it was just insane to see the ways that like she was really intentional in the way that she wanted to listen to me. And she wasn't just asking, How are you? out of habit, out of, you know, because it's just the thing that people do. Because let's be honest, we ask people how are you all the time, and we just expect the like fine, I'm good, I'm okay, you know, and we just kind of leave it at that. Like, we don't pursue that further, we don't, we don't do any of that. And so, you know, when when we ask how are you, why don't we be intentional about it and be like, oh, like, why do you say that? Or are you are you really good? Like, what's what's been good in your life, you know? Ask ask more questions than that, you know, give give us a chance to listen better and to listen more. And I think when we listen more, it helps us to be slower to get angry because we are focused on listening and not just talking away and talking the ear off. And you know, I just feel like I came to know Jesus when people would listen to me, you know. It never happened because someone just like, you know, shoved it down my throat. Guys, and there is so much. I love Proverbs, guys. We could just I could just read all chapters of Proverbs. I could just read 31 chapters of Proverbs right now, but I'm not going to because we don't have all day. I'm sure you don't either. But Proverbs 18, 21. The tongue can bring death or life. Those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Okay, all right, got me there. Your tongue has the power to bring death and life. That is a big deal. Do not mistake the voice that you've been given. It is a blessing if you use it correctly. You can use it to build people up or you could use it to tear people down. It literally has it can go both ways. So, how are you using your tongue? Are you using it to build people up? Do you build people up enough? Are you using it more to tear people down? I love, love, love this verse too. In Ephesians 4, 29. It says, Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say

The Tongue Brings Death Or Life

SPEAKER_00 6:30

be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, anger, rage, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Your words matter. Don't use foul or abusive language. Is everything that you say being good and helpful to those who hear them? Is it building people up? I think it's so easy for us to fall into speaking the way of the people around us. You know, I've heard many different quotes. Show me your friends and I'll show you your future. If you are hanging out around people all the time, most of the time, who you don't want to look like when you grow up, you need to change your circle. The people that you are friends with now will help shape the person that you become in the future. And if you're hanging out around all these people who are doing things, saying things, things that don't encourage people, that don't build people up, or even if you're not being built up and encouraged, I just don't know how that's gonna look for you. I don't know how you're if the only people you hang out around are cussing and saying mean things. I don't know how you're ever gonna get to a place where you know you are saying not saying mean things too. I think the people around you are shaping who you are, they shape what you say because what you surround yourself with, what you fill your mind with, it's so important. The music that you listen to that is speaking into your mind, the music you are memorizing. You know, we memorize music so much, why don't we try memorizing some scripture? We memorize, you know, songs so much, and then we are we find it harder to memorize scripture, which it is hard to memorize scripture, don't get me wrong, it's not easy. But you could be, you can still listen to worship songs, you can reposition your mind. I think so much of what we consume on a daily basis doesn't revolve around Jesus, and then we wonder, like, why don't I feel Jesus? Or where is the Jesus in my life? And he's like, Oh, I've been here. You just been filling your mind with all this other stuff. Like, I haven't been able, you know, you spent the whole day listening, you know, watching movies or listening to music that isn't helpful, or you know, you were on your phone watching TikToks and doing anything but being in the word, you were doing anything but praying, anything but listening to worship music, the things that the Lord will connect with you on and you know, hear you out on, all those things, you know, you kind of put on the back burner, and so the Lord doesn't have any way to speak to you and to talk to you in the ways that maybe you know he wants to, and so your words matter. Do not mistake, guys. Literally, it is so important. You can build people up, you can tear people down the

Friends And Media Shape Your Speech

SPEAKER_00 9:45

way you watch sports, even this literally is something kind of a peeve of mine. But how are you watching sports? Are you I don't care if the player, the whatever, the NFL, the MLB, the soccer player, I don't even know what that is. I don't even know the title for that. I don't care if they can't hear you, how what you say about them, even when you're around people, says a lot about you. Oh my gosh, I lost the verse. I literally just saw it. Luke 6, 43. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. We cannot say things and then not own what we say and say, Oh, that wasn't me talking or whatever. Just own it and try to be better. Have people who keep you accountable. Don't hang out around people who are going to affirm your sin and affirm the things that you are saying that is not holy and honorable and pleasing to the Lord. Oh, that's a different verse. Philippians 4. Philippians 4, 8. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. What are you filling your mind with? What are you thinking of? Are you thinking of things that are honorable with praise? Are you thinking of things that are right and pure and lovely? What are you filling your mind with? What are the things that are coming out of your mouth? What are you filling your mind with? Because the reality is, is what you're filling your mind with and what you're doing on a daily basis and the things that you put into your mind affect how you talk, how you think, what you say, and the things of what you say are a condition of your heart and show what's in your heart, not saying this to scare you, because if you're like, oh my gosh, I am just like the things that I say are not good. And it's like, change your habits. Change your habits. Your habits are forming how you think, what you say. Change the the people you're around. Make sure you're around godly people, make sure you're around people that are being like, don't say that. Oh, why are you cussing? Oh, why are you doing that? Not in like a bad way, you know. I think there's a healthy way, you know. I think if you want to work towards fixing your thoughts and saying things that are honorable to the Lord, and when you are, you know, scripture talks about us being ambassadors for Christ. And so if you are ambassador for Christ and you're saying, Yeah, I stand with Christ, then you need to look like him. And if you are doing things that don't look like him, and he's gonna question you, he's gonna ask you, Well, why are you claiming my name and you're not acting like me in the slightest? You know, the Lord will ask you that one day. So if you don't, you know, if you put this off or you're just like, no, I'm comfortable, I'm good where I'm at, you know, I don't really think it's a big deal. It will be a big deal when you're standing face to face with God and He's gonna ask you about these things, you know. I'm not saying this to be like, oh, shame on you. No shame at all. We all have things, but those things that the things that I said, the way I spoke in high school, the way I, you know, the words that I said were not bringing life. They were not encouraging people, they were not uplifting, and it is not something I am proud of, and it is not something that I'm like, yeah, I'm really proud of the person that I was, or the things that I said, because they were not things that were honorable to the Lord, and I am I just can't imagine, you know, Jesus being would be super happy about you know that girl and what I was saying, even though he has so much grace for me and he's you know forgiven me and all those things. But I yeah, I'm just grateful that I am no longer there. I yeah, the words that you speak, the words that you say have so much power. The way you speak to your parents, the way you speak to your grandparents, the way you

What You Say Shows Your Heart

SPEAKER_00 14:15

speak to people, even who are older than you. Like you do not have to be, you know, you can be younger than people and still speak life into people. You can still make a difference in people who are older than you, you can still bring life to them, you can still speak encouragement over them. You know, I remember someone kind of asking me, like, oh, what do you feel? How do you feel about cussing? And I just was like, well, you know, like, would you cuss at your kids or would you, you know, cuss around your kids and stuff or cuss at your kids? And they were like, no. And I'm like, well, there you go. Like, why would I practice something that I would never, you know, want to do at my kids, you know, that would that ever, if someone's cussed you out, did that ever feel good? No, that would have never felt good if someone cussed you out. Like, that doesn't feel good. That makes you feel like, oh, like I don't like that, you know? And if you're why would I practice that exact thing if I don't want to act that way? And, you know, you never want to put on a filter of like, oh, like I do this or act this way around these people because I need to present myself as a certain way, but then I go and I act this way around these people because I'm comfortable in saying stuff that is not beneficial for the kingdom of God. You know, I think there's like a good difference. I think you can be, you know, an appropriate like in workplace, you know, professional, whatever. But I also think like if you're then you're going home and with your friends and you're just throwing out cuss words left and right, it's like maybe we need to look at the heart, maybe we need to look at, you know, those things, and or maybe we just need to ask the question of like, hey, how do I be better from this or how do I change this, you know? And I think there's a lot of ways to change it. And I think the Lord would, you know, love to love to shape you, mold you, and you know, make you more into his image. I think that's what he desires for all of us. I I really do believe more than anything, he just, you know, wants to be close to you. And, you know, the more think the things that we give up that are worldly and the things that we give up for his sake is are things that it will always bring us closer to him, you know. The sins that we give up, the sins we turn from, the things that we're like, you know what, no, I I want to change this, those only ever hold you back from being closer to Jesus. And so when we choose to give up those things and when we choose God's way because we know what's better, whether or not we understand it, or whether or not we, you know, if if when we just take God's word for it and we just know like, no, like you, I'm trusting that he knows better than I do. And that flows, it flows into all that we do, and it flows into the words we say, how we speak, how your mind thinks, and yeah, just read Proverbs, read pro or just read the Bible. That's also a way to do it. Yeah, you don't have to be by no means, I'm not I'm not saying this to condemn anyone by any means. There's grace for you, there's forgiveness. The Lord loves you so much, more than anything you've ever done, more than anything you could even say. The Lord loves you, and he only wants what's best for you, and he only wants to be closer to you. And we have such power, he's given us such power with our voices and the way we can speak into other people's lives, and the way we can impact others with our voices, not only our voices, with our actions, but especially with your voice. And I would just encourage you, be an encouragement to those around you. Say stuff that lifts people up, don't spend all of your time tearing people down, complaining, doing things that don't glorify the kingdom, or things that, you know, if if Jesus literally was next to you, like would you be speaking to Jesus the same way you speak to all of your friends? Or

Grace And A Practical Next Step

SPEAKER_00 18:20

would you be complaining to Jesus the way you complain to your friends? You know, ask those hard questions of like, you know, am I really acting it out and living it out and speaking in ways that glorify glorify God and his kingdom and the children that he has created? And just ask those hard questions. So yeah, I hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and I am so grateful that you tuned in for Saver the Savior, and I just hope you all have a great day. So thanks so much for tuning in to Saver the Savior.