Home Community Questions

First: continue the conversation concerning what project / mission your

Home Community is going to purpose to do together.

Did you pick up a piece of the shattered pot? Why?

How does our word hurt or help people? o Explain a time when words built you up or tore you down.

If the tongue is like a rudder and a pilot controls the rudder by steering, then who is the pilot of your tongue?

o If Jesus is the pilot, then how should your speech change?

o How do you make Jesus the pilot of your tongue? (Look up verses related to speech, your heart, your mind, etc.)

Spend time in silent confession. If you do not feel the need to

confess, then in your silence, ask God to reveal your sins of

speech to your mind and heart.

o Now that you know how you have sinned with your

mouth: (1) confess that to God; and (2) if you have

unresolved sin that you have committed that separates

you from your brother / sister, go confess to your

brother or sister before Sunday.

Devotion & the Tongue James 3:1-12

I. The 1st

warning is to teachers (3:1-2a)

James 3:1- Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that

we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2a

For we all stumble in

many ways.

- For Grace Church, this warning applies to:

o Senior Pastor

o Elders

o Associate Pastors

o School of Theology teachers

o Home Community facilitators

o Sunday School teachers

o Youth Group teachers

o Children’s Church teachers

- We are/will be held accountable by God for what we teach & do:

“…we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” – James 3:1b

“…they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an

account…” – Heb. 13:17b

- We all stumble / offend (3:2a), but this is not an excuse (3:2b-12).

If someone walked up to you & said, “Who is in control of your tongue?” What would you say?

II. The 2nd

warning is to everyone – the tongue has great power (3:2b-5)

James 3:2b- And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able

also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that

they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look 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.

- Horses & Ships = powerful forms of transportation.

- Bits & Rudders = relatively small steering devices.

- Horsemen & Pilots – need to be skilled.

James 3:5-

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!

- The tongue has great power for good or destructive evil:

[Principle] Because the tongue has a powerful influence for good or evil, the implication is we need a skilled pilot at the controls of our tongues.

III. Who is the pilot of your life & how do you know? (3:6-8)

James 3:6-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.

- Staining the whole body: “Evil speech…has a power to…corrupt the entire

moral character of a person.” – R.C. Sproul

- Set on fire by hell = evil speech indicates demonic influence.

James 3:7

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed

and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It

is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

If the tongue is set on fire by hell & is a restless untamable evil full of deadly poison, then am I responsible for what comes out of my mouth?

- Reminder: James 1:13-15 – you are accountable for your sin!

IV. The doubleness of the tongue ought not to be among Christians (3:9-12)

James 3:9

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are

made in the likeness of God. 10

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

- Doubleness of speech indicates an incongruity between:

o Hearing & Doing (1:22-26) and Faith & Works (2:17-26)

James 3:11

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.

V. Application:

- #1 – Figure out who is your pilot. If your speech is negative, it is an

indication you have the wrong pilot behind the wheel of your life.

- #2 – Strive to make Jesus your pilot. If you’re processing / speaking

correctly, there is a benefit to the church and those you influence.

BI: We need to stop hindering & start furthering the Gospel with our tongues.

How? 2 Cor. 10:5-

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the

knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

LOOKING AHEAD

Oct 28-29 ········ Women of Faith

Oct 31 ············· Trunk or Treat

Nov 12 ············ Women’s Forum

Nov 20 ············ Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Sunday

Nov 24 ············ Thanksgiving

Nov 27 ············ No School of Theology or Sunday School classes

Dec 3 ··············· Craft Bazaar & Bake Sale

Dec 4 ··············· Advent Conspiracy series begins

Dec 4 ··············· Surviving the Holidays - 2pm

Oct 23 , 2011

Be part of this great opportunity to BUILD community and PROCLAIM Christ

by bringing your decorated car (prizes awarded for most creative!), providing

cupcakes or cookies, or donating individually wrapped candy to hand out.

Food and fun begin at 6pm; trunks close at 8pm. Contact Pastor Nathan if you

can help. (206)937-8400 or nathans@gracechurchseattle.org. Please be sure

and complete the bulletin insert today! Place it in the offering plate or turn

it in at the Welcome Center in the foyer after the service. There is also an

invitation for you to share with others so they can join the fun! More invites

are at the Welcome Center in the foyer if you need more.

Let us LOVE GOD & PEOPLE BY PRAYING FOR: William Turner (fall), Debbie Buell (breast

cancer treatment), Bill & Charlene Hall (home

recovery) Jim Smith (continued hearing loss),

Cole Sonsteng (gastro paresis), Jorge Enciso

(liver disorder), Kathy Setzer (lymphoma

treatment), and those with ongoing health

needs: Kimberly Smith (seizures), Martha Miller

& those unemployed looking for jobs. Please

also pray for the Elder Board: Larry Watson,

Ron Sasaki, Paul Lang, Josh Hanson, Ryan Faust

and Elders in Training - Kevin Anway and

Drayton Lemert.

PASTOR’S OFFICE NEEDS Have an extra file cabinet or shelf that you

are no longer using? Is it in good condition?

Would you be willing to donate it to the

church? Please contact Janis Lemert at

(206)937-8400.

FOOD DRIVE ACTUAL TOTALS Thank you to everyone who helped collect

food for the White Center Food Bank this

weekend at Safeway on Roxbury and the

QFC at Westwood Village. And a special

thank you to the stores for allowing us to do

this! 2274 lbs. of food was collected along

with $764 in cash and grocery gift cards. It

was over 80 hours, and 30 people to make

this happen. Thank you also to Bank and

Office Interiors for the use of the bins for

hauling all the bags of food to the food bank.

AWANA UPDATE

With out first quarter nearing a close we

have close to 100 Clubbers enrolled, and

over 60 volunteers and leaders! We've

been blessed to have over 60% from

outside our church congregation! Over

193 Bible verse sections were said at

our last Club night. We're always in

need of more volunteers to hear verses

- contact Pastor Jerry or Amber if

interested!

HELP SUPPORT LIVING WATER

Calling all Bakers, Crafters, and Event

Helpers -- Men, Women, and Families!

Sign up now to participate in our Craft

Bazaar & Bake Sale, Sat. Dec. 3. This is a

community outreach event, an

opportunity to LOVE God & people

while PROCLAIMING Christ and

opportunity to support Living Water

(clean water wells). See Martha

Heuschele in the foyer today.

GETTING CONNECTED AT GRACE Where do I fit in? What are my gifts and

how can I use them at Grace? How can I

get more involved in this community? I

would like to serve in another way than I

am right now, but I’m not sure who to

talk to about that. Or maybe you have

been thinking about joining a Home

Community group? Email or call Janis

Lemert, Director of Body Life at janisl@

gracechurchseattle.org or (206)937-8400.

Visiting Grace? If this is your first time of worshiping with us, we joyfully welcome and thank you for coming! Please visit the Info Desk in the foyer

to learn a bit more about life at Grace. 10323 28th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98146-1202

Phone: (206) 937-8400 Fax: (206) 937-0881 info@gracechurchseattle.org www.gracechurchseattle.org

THIS WEEK AT GRACE SUNDAY, OCOTBER 23

9:00 am Sunday School for Infants through Jr. High

9:00 am School of Theology - various classrooms downstairs

10:00 am Coffee & Fellowship

10:30 am WORSHIP CELEBRATION - sanctuary

Kids dismissed to Children’s Church - 1st-3rd grades - room 122 Kid’s bulletins are available for 4th and up at the Welcome Center

7:00 pm Youth Small Groups - various

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

6:30-9:00 pm Celebrate Recovery - foyer, rooms 128 & 129

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

6:30-8:20 pm Awana Clubs

7:00-9:00 pm Elder Meeting - conference room

7:00-8:30 pm Youth Group - the shack

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

9:30-11:30 am Women’s Community Bible Study - 122 & 123

8:30 pm College Group - Nathan & Megan Schlaud’s

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28

Church Office closed

10 am-10:00 pm Women of Faith - Key Arena

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

Church Office closed

10:00 am GriefShare - room 123

9am-5:00 pm Women of Faith - Key Arena

Pastor Ryan Faust, Senior Pastor prfaust@gracechurchseattle.org Pastor Jerry Buell, Children’s Ed & Family Ministry jerryb@gracechurchseattle.org

Pastor Nathan Schlaud, Youth & College Ministry nathans@gracechurchseattle.org Janis Lemert, Director of Body Life janisl@gracechurchseattle.org Kathie Varney, Executive Assistant kathiev@gracechurchseattle.org Sherry Croom, Bookkeeper sherryc@gracechurchseattle.org