Years ago I picked up a little book titled, “my neighbor don’t talk too good.” It addresses a constant issue in civilization. When communication is successful, there is “nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6). However, when communication is confused all will be “stopped” and “scattered” (Genesis 11:7-9). This truism uncomfortably applies to the Lord’s Church!
Our waking hours are spent taking the vocabulary of our language and putting words together as we attempt to communicate with others. It is a challenge that many miserably fail. Your language stockpiles words as an arsenal for building and understanding OR for destroying and deceiving. Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
A fact denied by many in today’s culture, our language is a PERSONAL choice. Luke 6:45, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”
Our communication reveals WHO we really are; what kind of person we are inside. The child’s rhyme is unsettling to some, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star; what you say is what you are.”
The impact of our communication can make us either a butcher or a builder! Job responded, “I have heard many things like these; Miserable comforters are you all! …I too could speak like you…I could compose words against you and shake my head at you. Or I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the condolence of my lips could lessen your pain” (Job 16:1-5).
Here are lesson notes, handouts, and PowerPoint Shows from a 13-week class I just concluded at the Church of Christ meeting in Dalraida, Montgomery, AL.
After the lessons were taught I combined and sent a PDF Binder but it lacked the PowerPoint Slides. Here is the link for the complete materials that are downloadable from the Dalraida website. You can download specific lessons or the entire series.
This is offered so you can FREELY use it to the glory of God! Let us become “Builders” and not “Butchers”! Shudder at Psalm 55:21, “His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.”
I want to acknowledge several resources: Ken Durham’s book, Richer Relationships through Communication: Speaking from the Heart (Sweet Pub, 1986) gave me the title (but I have found this title is used often). Ken’s good book suggested several chapter titles and points; Jesus Our Mentor (Hazelip & Durham, Baker Book House 1987 and I think this was a series on The Herald of Truth); AND, most instructive of all, multiple brethren from Huntsville, AL; St. Louis, MO; Mayfield, KY; Elizabethtown KY; Searcy, AR and many other locations contributed real-life anecdotes! Often, I ask myself, “what would I do without brethren?” but then, more often, I ask, “what will I do with these brethren?”). I am certain you understand…
This contains links to the YouTube Class and the podcast link so you can listen on your favorite app. Those live presentations have some rabbit chasing that hindered me from fully covering the notes for certain classes!
The Download Link: https://www.dalraida.org/speaking-from-the-heart/
Lesson Titles
- 1. Created to Communicate
- 2. The “Accent” of godly language—Do you say “Shibboleth” or “Sibboleth”?
- 3. The heart speaking the Truth—commitment to God’s Word
- 4. The Gossip Grapevine
- 5. Those Angry words—”Oh may they never…”
- 6. Rock Collecting—incoming! verbal missiles
- 7. The Profane Tongue—what is profanity?
- 8. Granny’s glasses—speaking as you see
- 9. When we do not agree
- 10. How to be People-Builders
- 11. Caring enough to correct—true heartfelt speaking
- 12. Communicating the whole gospel message
- 13. Medicine for Murmurers
The Download Link: https://www.dalraida.org/speaking-from-the-heart/
