HotSermons
educate equip enable
Sermon Illustrations: Tongue
Anecdotes
A boy asked his father, "What's a monologue, Dad?" "That's a conversation with your mother, son," he replied.
If you never stop talking, you won't learn anything new because you've heard it all before.
Don't be like New Jersey's former governor, Robert B. Meyner. One restaurant owner put a picture of him in the window. He had his mouth open, and immediately above was a sign saying, "Open 24 hours a day."
"The boneless tongue, so small and weak, can crush and kill," declares the Greek. "The tongue destroys a greater horde," the Turk asserts, "than does the sword." "The tongue can speak a word whose speed," say the Chinese, "outstrips the steed." While Arab sages this impart: "The tongue's great storehouse is the heart." From Hebrew wit the maxim sprung, "The feet should slip, ne'er let the tongue." The sacred writer crowns the whole: "Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul."
It takes 47 positive comments to negate one negative comment.
Einstein was asked his formula for success. "If A is success, I should say the formula is A = X + Y + Z, X being work and Y being play." "And what is Z?" "Keeping your mouth shut."
A married couple, both 60 years old, were celebrating their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. A fairy appeared to congratulate them and granted them each one wish. The wife wanted to see the world. The fairy waved her wand, and poof! The wife had tickets in her hand for a world cruise. Next, the fairy asked the husband what he wanted. He said, "I wish I had a wife thirty years younger than I am." The fairy waved her wand, and poof! He was ninety years old.
Gossip: To sit and discuss the issues and the person causing them, is not considered gossip or wrong when it is being dealt with by leadership. Gossip is when people discuss a matter or a person, but they are not part of the solution and do not possess the authority to resolve the issue. Malicious gossip is when people talk about others to purposely do them harm. Mark T. Barclay IC Life Autumn 2004, p7
Gentle speech: Water (a soft substance) shapes rock (a hard substance). See Proverbs 15:1
A man who was a very tough boss went to a business lunch. Despite the fact that he didn't know anyone there, one of the men present was badmouthing him. He said nothing, but at the end of the meeting the loudmouth came up and introduced himself. The said visitor, "Thank you for telling me about this person. Here's my card."
In later life, women can speak 20,000 to 25,000 words a day compared to a man's 7,000 to 10,000. Reader's Digest April 2005 p 18
"Mum," said the little boy, "if I promise to be good, can I have five dollars?" "Why can't you be good for nothing like your father?" his mother replied.
Gossip: A person who will never tell a lie if the truth will do more damage.
Gossip: the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves nothing unsaid.
Secret: Something you tell to one person at a time.
In 1987, when Pope John Paul II went to Miami, one man thought he'd make some money by selling T-shirts with the phrase "I saw the Pope" in Spanish. But instead of saying el Papa (which means the Pope), he said la Papa which meant that the T-shirt read, "I saw the Potato."
When you go to a restaurant, you are handed a menu (the Bible is our menu for life). You give your order to the waitress, she writes it down and records it as you said it. Then the order is taken to the kitchen and served up just as you ordered it. The same happens in life as life gives back to us as we speak. See Numbers 14:28
Quotes
The best way to save face is to keep the lower part shut.
One good thing about a compliment is that it doesn't cost a cent more than it used to. Al Bernstein
Wit should be used as a shield for defence rather than a sword to wound others. Thomas Fuller
You will never stamp out a church grapevine, so feed it with the right information.
Listening is not waiting your turn to speak. Bob Orr
If you haven't struck oil in 10 minutes stop boring. (on boring speakers)
It's pretty difficult to put your foot in your mouth if you keep it shut.
A gossip is one who talks about you to others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself. Lisa Kirk
The nice thing about egotists is that they don't talk about other people. Lucille Harper
Mr Speaker, I withdraw. Half the Cabinet are not asses. Benjamin Disraeli on being asked to withdraw his comment that half the Cabinet were asses.
Better a bridle on the tongue, than a lash upon the conscience.
The tongue is the ambassador of the heart.
The bone of contention is the jaw bone.
I hate to spread rumours - but what else can you do with them? Amanda Lear
Never tell anyone anything that you're not prepared for everyone to know.
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Did you know you speak over nine million words a year? Word For Today 11-2-08
Light travels faster than sound. That's the reason most people appear to be bright till you hear them speak.
Words are like arrows; they can be love arrows or poison arrows.