Your tongue weighs two ounces but carries the weight of the world.

Your words can set forests ablaze or bring healing to wounded hearts. Sister Deb Osborne delivers a powerful, challenging message about the critical importance of taming our tongues in a world where speech runs wild.

Drawing from James 3, Sister Deb confronts the reality that while humans have successfully tamed ferocious lions, grizzly bears, and elephants, we struggle to control that small two-ounce muscle behind our teeth. "If we don't control our tongue, it will control us," she warns, reminding listeners that our words carry weight far beyond their momentary utterance.

The message explores how our speech reflects what's in our hearts—"what's down in the well comes up in the bucket." When our hearts harbor anger, bitterness, or selfishness, these emotions inevitably flow through our words, sometimes causing lasting damage that can't be undone. Sister Deb shares personal observations of hurtful words spoken even within church walls, emphasizing that careless speech has destroyed families, marriages, and faith communities.

With practical wisdom, Sister Deb offers a five-question filter for our speech: Is it true? Will it help someone? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? This thoughtful approach, coupled with prayer for divine intervention, provides a pathway to more conscious, edifying communication. After all, as Matthew 12:36-37 reminds us, we will give account for every careless word on judgment day.

Whether you struggle with gossip, angry outbursts, or thoughtless remarks, this message delivers both conviction and hope. The solution begins with heart transformation and continues with daily, intentional practice. Listen as Sister Deb challenges you to examine your words for an entire day and consider: Would God be pleased with what you've said? The answer might transform not just your speech, but your relationships and spiritual life.

Chapters

• 0:00 Gospel Opening and Show Introduction
• 1:36 The Two-Ounce Slab of Trouble
• 5:12 Words as Weapons of Destruction
• 9:43 Gossip and Its Devastating Effects
• 15:00 Transforming Our Hearts to Tame Tongues
• 19:05 Prayer and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus. I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus. I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Speaker 2: 0:32

Hey, you're listening to Bible Talk with Sister Deva Osborne. Bible Talk will be airing on WTUK 105.1 FM every Sunday at 4 pm. If you missed the show, you can listen to it on the 421 podcast streaming on Apple or Spotify. You go to the website at hor421showbuzzsproutcom and I'd like to give thanks to all the listeners and supporters and always keep us in prayers as we spread the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you'd like to contact Sister Deb, you can email her at osbraindebrakay at gmailcom that's O-S-B-O-R-N-E-D-E-B-R-A-K at gmailcom, and if you'd like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal slash H-O-R-421, or you go through the website at hor421showbuzzsproutcom. Now I give you your host, Sister.

Speaker 3: 1:25

Deb. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, so glad to be back in the studio today talking about the Word of God. So, in this message today I have done this message before and I want to go over it again. I experienced something not too long ago and it's got a lot to do with what I'm getting ready to talk about and it's something that I think this needs to be repeated. And am I going to step on toes? Probably so, but you know what? I've had my toes stepped on plenty of times and I'm still kicking. So it's up to us whether we take what is said and move up to it. And it's up to us, and I hope and pray that people understand why I'm saying these things here. But anyway, in this message today I'm going to talk about, I'm talking about our tongue, I'm talking about taming our tongue.

Speaker 3: 2:30

Now, james 3 and 8 tells us that no human can tame their tongue. And you know, people, an uncontrolled tongue, if we can't control our own tongue, it can lead to hurt, to offense, lord, gossip and even destruction. And the thing is that taming the tongue begins with a change of heart. You know, when our hearts fill with love and grace and truth, the words that follow out of our mouths reflect that. The words that follow out of our mouths reflect that. Now James 1 and 19 tells us, encourages all of us, to be slow to speak and quick to listen. He's telling us there to carefully consider our words before we speak them. Because you know, friends, words can and have started wars, revolutions, riots, fights, divorces, actually destroyed families, marriages, homes and yes, my friends churches. And see Matthew 12 and 36, and 37 says I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. See, all these idle things that we sit, no matter where we are, and we let roll out of our mouths. We are going to be held accountable for that stuff.

Speaker 3: 3:56

So I want to, I want you, to ponder something. How would you feel if everything that you said this past week was recorded and was going to be broadcast for everyone to hear? Did you build up, did you edify? Was it nice things you said, or was it something you would probably be ashamed of?

Speaker 3: 4:20

Now our tongue only weighs about two ounces, maybe, but I'm going to tell you what. That little, old bitty muscle that weighs two ounces gets more exercise than any other muscle in our bodies. That's sad, and you can really call it a two-inch slab of trouble, because that's exactly what it is. And, friends, I'm telling you and you're going to hear me say this a couple of different times probably, if we don't control our tongue, it will control us. And, friends, I'm telling you and you're going to hear me say this a couple of different times probably, if we don't control our tongue, it will control us. And people, what we need to get. The point I'm trying to get across today is our words contain a whole world of unrighteousness, our words alone. We often speak of the world as being evil all around us, and it is.

Speaker 3: 5:08

But there's also a whole world of rottenness on the very tips of our tongue and it's a sad deal, it's a sad thing, and people don't watch what they say this day and time. They just don't care what comes out of their mouths. You know, the fires that started with our tongues can quickly become large infernos. You know, just like a little small spark can ignite a whole big forest fire, our words can cause relationships to go up in flames. Our words can cause divorces to happen. People, our words can shut the doors of churches.

Speaker 3: 5:41

Evil words, evil words come from straight out of the pits of churches. Evil words, evil words come straight out of the pits of hell, from Satan himself. It's who starts those fires. You know Now, james 1 and 26 tells us If any man among you seem to be religious and bright or not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man, his religion, is vain. The Word of God tells you right there, people. James 3, 7 and 8 tells us. It says For every kind of beast and every bird and every serpent and of things in the sea that is tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but our tongue we can't tame. Our tongue is unruly, evil, full of deadly poison. Think about that, friends. We can actually tame ferocious lions and teach them to jump through burning hoops. We can tame grizzly bears and teach them to ride horses, and huge elephants to use handstands. We have the ability to tame animals, but we can't tame that little bitty two ounce muscle In our mouths. Again, people, if we don't tame our tongue, it will control us, you know. And if we don't, if we want our tongue to be tamed, people, we have to think first. We have to be fast to think and slow to speak. We need to make sure that we watch our words. We need to watch on and here's the stepping we need to watch on Facebook, on Twitter, instagram, email, even in our texting, because, people, once these words are out there, once this stuff is out there, there's no, it's out there for everybody to see, everybody. We need to talk a lot less.

Speaker 3: 7:34

You know King David. After seeing how his words got him into trouble, he wrote in Psalms 39 and 1, he said I will take heed of my ways, that I not sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle. I mean, friends, one of the best ways to change the words that you speak is by getting the words of Scripture in your heart. Psalms 1, 19 and 11 says I've stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. And that's what we need to do is store up the words of god.

Speaker 3: 8:12

And why is it so hard to say good things with our tongues? Because the bible says that our tongues are untamable on our own efforts. Matthew 12 and 34 says for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So, people, if there's bad things that's in your heart, trust me, it will come gushing out of your mouth. Matthew 15 and 19 says For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murderers, adulterers, fornications, theft, false witnesses and blasphemies out of your heart.

Speaker 3: 8:47

Now I read somewhere someone said they made this statement. It said what's down in the well comes up in the bucket. And when I say that people, I mean if you're, if you go over to the well and you put the bucket down in the bottom of the well and there's water down there and you pull that bucket up, you're going to get water. If there's dirt down there and you pull that dirt up, you're going to get dirt. I'm telling you, people. Proverbs 4 and 28 says watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.

Speaker 3: 9:26

People, I'm telling you we need to watch what's on our tongue and the things that we say. You know, when you read James 3, 1 through 12, a few words come from minds when you read that. It's powerful, but it's also dangerous. It's like an overwhelming force, a rushing tornado, deadly power, able to sweep away whole villages in a flood and bringing death and destruction. And people. I'm talking about the dreaded tongue, that little bitty muscle behind the teeth that has no bone in it, but oh, how powerful it is.

Speaker 3: 10:01

And you read the book of James. It talks about like the tongue, as if it was a weapon of mass destruction, and people in all reality. It talks about, like the tongue, as if it was a weapon of mass destruction, and people in all reality. It is Now, get this, okay, get this. The human race speaks about 25,000 or more words a day. Now, I'm not very good with math, but the population I read somewhere was about seven and a half billion, or give or take. And then, of course, some of the people in that seven and a half billion haven't even learned how to speak yet. But they will, it's coming, it's coming and so I'm not, like I said, good with math, but if you think about that, it's probably in the trillions of words. Let's just say 150 trillion words spoken by the human race daily.

Speaker 1: 10:48

Wow.

Speaker 3: 10:49

That's a lot of words. That's a lot of words, and the astonishing thing about that is is God listens to and remembers each and every one of them words. He doesn't miss them, he knows. But now, what's terrifying about that is the Bible says that about half of them are evil. Most of them are evil and friends, I'm telling you the words that comes out of our mouth. They're powerful. They can build up, they can encourage, they can motivate, but they can also tear down hurt and leave scars. You know, you remember that thing growing up when they would say Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. That's a lie, because words do hurt and some people are living today with the scars of hurtful words of others.

Speaker 3: 11:40

I know, trust me, and the Bible has a lot to say about the words that comes out of our mouth. Proverbs 18 and 21 says Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit, meaning that our words has a profound, profound impact on other people and ourselves. Our words are not just merely spoken. They have weight, and the words that comes out of our mouths, our tongue, can be used as a weapon to lash into people, to hurt feelings, to prove a point and I've done that before in my old sinful ways. But they can cut like a knife and they tend to be a dagger. We just dig deeper. But see, god wants us to use our words to bless others, not to hurt or bring people down. Not to hurt or to bring people down or hurt people's feelings or just to prove your point. And God doesn't want us to use our words as gossip either, because gossip is destructive and it hurts people. And that's some of the stuff that I witnessed not too long ago. When somebody walks over, puts their arm around your seat and says, hey, did you hear? You know, and before you know it you're all caught up in gossip and people. I'm telling you right now, when it gets started, it's like unscrambling an egg. You can't and you can't unspread a rumor People. You also can't believe everything you hear, because a gossiper usually makes a mountain out of a mohill by adding dirt. And listening to gossip is just as bad as telling it. And there is an old saying that says he or she who gossips to you will gossip about you. But Proverbs 20 and 19 says he that goeth about as a tail barrier revealeth secrets. Therefore, met or not with that, he that flattereth with his lips. In other words, the Bible is telling us stay away from people that gossip and friends.

Speaker 3: 13:36

I'm telling you, the Bible challenges us to use our words to help people, to build up people, not to take people down. Ephesians 4 and 29 says Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers. You know our words that comes out of our mouth has an incredible positive effect on people. It can also have a negative effect, you know. I mean, have you ever found, have you ever found, a great comfort in or encouragement because of somebody, something somebody said to you? I have.

Speaker 3: 14:16

So today, friends, we need to make sure that some of the changes that we make are we make them in the way that we use our tongues. You know, and we need to transform our hearts. That is the first thing to transform in our tongues. You know, jesus said in Matthew 15 and 18, but these things that proceeded out of the mouth comes from the heart. My friends, I'm here to tell you today that the heart influences the tongue and when our heart's full of anger and selfishness and envy and pride and all those other ugly things that seems to invade our hearts. We are affected in everything that we do and it comes out of our mouths, and we need to think before we speak.

Speaker 3: 15:01

The Bible says in James 1 and 19, to let every man be swift to think, slow to speak and slow to wrath. So be careful, Friends. I just want you to know, please be careful If you engage your tongue without engaging your mind first. Wow, that's where that fire is coming from, that's where that spark is coming from. Take a moment and think before you speak. Ask yourself is what I'm saying true? Is it going to help somebody? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary to say, is it kind? And if it's not none of them things that you can think of, it's not none of them things, then don't even say it.

Speaker 3: 15:41

And, friends, I'm telling you here today, god can help us tame our tongues. And friends, I'm telling you here today, god can help us tame our tongues. We just have to ask him, we have to tap into that help. You know, god gave us the ability to change our hearts. He can give us the ability to tame our tongues. We can't do it on our own. Paul said in Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. Nobody can tame their tongue on their own. You've got to go to the Lord in prayer with that. You've got to give it to the Lord and ask him to take all that wickedness and that stubborn stuff out of your tongues.

Speaker 3: 16:20

Now that little old four-inch tongue has about five functions. It has five functions people, licking, tasting, breathing, swallowing and speaking. And some of those are, you know, licking and tasting. I mean, we all love a good ice cream every now and then. We love that. Licking and tasting. We have to taste that ice cream. Breathing and swallowing that's functions of life. You know, sometimes I can choke on air.

Speaker 3: 16:47

I don't know if anybody else has that ability, but I'm telling you, it's the speaking that gets us in the most trouble. The speaking. Psalms 34 and 13 tells us Keep thy tongue from evil, thy lips from speaking guile. My friends, I'm telling you today we need to watch what we say, because you can say something hurtful in ten seconds, but two years down the road that wound is still there, trust me, I know.

Speaker 3: 17:14

And words can hurt, they can also heal, they can cut. They can also console, they can insult, but they can also inspire. You know, our words has a way of changing everything around us. You know, when Martin Luther King, when the late Martin Luther King, when he wanted to call our nation back to its founding values of all men are created equal he used those words, that, that that word right there. He used it in his sermons and in his speeches and he was a great man and he spread those good words.

Speaker 3: 17:55

You know Now James tells us. James says that our tongues and our words, it might seem like little bitty things, but that they do have a mighty impact and when we use them wisely, we're on a great path. But when we use them poorly, we're getting ready to set a fire ablaze and we need to be mindful and remind ourselves of the words and the power that they have. I'll tell you, old King Solomon knew the power of his words and he collected a whole number of sayings in Proverbs. Read Proverbs Proverbs 15 and 1 says A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.

Speaker 3: 18:37

Proverbs 15 and 4 says Gentle words bring life and health, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Have you ever stood and looked at somebody who has had their spirit just crushed. And friends, when we choose our words carefully, they can accomplish good, they can appoint others to Christ. But if we let these words uncheck, we spread nothing but darkness, and we need to learn to speak with wisdom and grace and discernment and quit letting our tongues run wild. Our words reflect the light of Christ for everybody that hears. When somebody hears us, we need to be reflecting the light of Christ in us.

Speaker 3: 19:24

You know, and I challenge you to take one whole day and just examine every one of your words that you speak in that whole day. Examine those words and ask yourself at the end of the day you know what? Are you proud of what you said all day? Better yet, would God be pleased with those words? Did you edify or did you tear down? Were your words negative? Did you cause hasty reactions with your words? Were you respectful to others? Friends, I'm telling you today, please, somebody hear me today, please. You need to pray for guidance from God and ask Him to help you. Use your words for His glory, not to tear people down. Not to tear people down. We need to think about how. We don't know if we're never going to see anybody again. You need to speak to people in a way that if you, if they died the very next day, would the very last thing you said to them, would you be satisfied with that? You know, because you can't undo hurtful words, people, and I cannot emphasize this enough hurtful words, people, and I cannot emphasize this enough.

Speaker 3: 20:32

We need to use our words and our tongue for edifying, building up, spreading the Word of God. You know, james 3, 9 and 10, the Bible says from the mouth come forth both blessings and cursing, and this says these things ought not be this way. Friends, I'm telling you here today somebody needs to hear and somebody needs to listen. Your tongues can cause more damage than you ever, ever know.

Speaker 3: 21:00

I heard things said in the house of God just not too long ago that I would have never, ever thought I would hear, that. I would have never, ever thought I would hear People, children of God, say we need to watch our mouths, people, we need to watch our tongues, we need to get a hold of our tongues, because we're going to be tried by all of our words. And you know what, when there's sinners around watching us, we're supposed to spread joy and happiness and the Word of God, not junk that comes out of our mouth. We have to edify, we have to let people see that we are children of God. That's all I have on that Tame in your tongue and I hope and pray that somebody heard me.

Speaker 3: 21:45

I hope and pray that these words go to the people that need to hear it, to the hearts that need to open up your heart, to this in your ears and listen to what I'm saying and go and talk to the Lord and pray to God and tell the Lord to take the evilness and the crazy and bad thoughts out of your heart, because that's where it's coming from. That's where it's coming from Now. I hope and pray this has blessed you as much as it's blessed me to bring it and I hope and pray. If I stepped on toes, I'm sorry, my toes have been stepped on before. It don't feel good, but we have to move up to it, people. We have to move up to the words that the Lord wants put out there. Anyway, I'm going to end this with a prayer. Thank you so very much for listening and I hope and pray that you have opened up your hearts and your mind and your ears and let this sink in. Anyway, thank you very much for listening. I hope to see you next, hear you next week on Bible Talk, and God bless everybody.

Speaker 3: 22:41

Our Father, god in heaven, lord, I ask you to just let these words go to the heart and the ears of the people that need to hear it. The people that know how they use their words and they don't use them the way they should. The people that need to be so fast to think and slow to speak. The people that need to open up their hearts and their minds and realize Wow, did I say that for edifying or did I say that for meanness?

Speaker 3: 23:06

People need to open up their heart and mind and realize in their ears and realize that the God has spoken and read His Word. Get His Word in your heart, lord. Let these people open up your Word and get it in their hearts, because if they get the good stuff in their hearts, then the bad stuff's not going to come out their mouth. Lord, I ask you to bless each and everybody. Listen to my voice today. Bless each and everybody according to your will. Forgive us for all of our sins and all the times that we've said things and done things we shouldn't have done. We ask you to go with some lead and guide each and everybody and just open up the hearts and the ears of the people that need to hear this. We thank you for everything, we praise you and we ask these and all things in Jesus' holy, sweet name. We pray, amen and amen. God bless everybody.

Speaker 2: 24:00

Hey you've been listening to Bible Talk with Sister Deb. If you'd like to contact Sister Deb, you can email her at OsborneDevorKey at gmailcom. Recorded at the 421 studio For Sister Deb. You can email her at osborne-diver-k at gmailcom. Recorded at the 421 studio. For contact information you can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom.

Speaker 1: 24:21

Phone number is 239-849-1502. So it ain't no harm to keep your mind Stayed on Jesus. It ain't no harm to keep your mind Keeping a state on Jesus. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Hey, I woke up this morning with my mind Staying on Jesus. Oh, I woke up this morning with my mind Staying on Jesus.