Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Nelson Searcy from his book, Tongue Pierced: How the Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live (p. 42). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We all love words of praise, don’t we?   But it many times is not the words we give especially to God. Nelson says, “Praise sounds like a lofty endeavor, doesn’t it? Really, it’s simply thanking God for who he is. Words of praise reflect a God-focused heart. They demand a shift of attention away from selfishness and toward God’s goodness and love, which will automatically influence everything that comes out of your mouth. Too often, you and I fall into the trap of only praising God when we’re inside a church building on Sunday morning. But if we are going to win the battle over the tongue, we need to make a practice of praising him every day. David wrote in Psalm 145:2, ‘I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.’ “One of the most practical wa

A thought by Nelson Searcy from his book, Tongue Pierced: How the Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live (p. 39). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We even as Christians need to grow in this area, don’t we? Nelson says, “If you are a Christian or if you know any Christians, you can attest to this fact. Golden apples don’t start falling from your mouth simply because you choose to follow Jesus. Yes, once you become a Christian, you are a new creation in Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:17), but on this side of heaven, there is and always will be an ongoing, daily struggle with the flesh. As the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to believers in the Galatian church, ‘The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other.’ (Gal. 5:17)” He goes on, “

A thought by Nelson Searcy from his book, Tongue Pierced: How the Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live (p. 35). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) They really do. Nelson says, “There’s no getting around the Bible’s primary assertion that there is a direct correlation between the things you say and the state of your heart. If your heart is filled with bitterness or impurity, you are going to speak bitter and impure words. If your heart is full of love, you are going to speak encouraging, empowering words. Your words reveal what lies deep inside you, whether you want them to or not.” He goes on, “When I was growing up, my family owned a small duplex property near our home. We rented it out on an annual basis. I have vivid memories of going with my mother to clean up and refurbish that duplex after each tenant moved out, in preparation for the next one to move in. The thing I remember most about the propert