Sticks and Stone and other things that hurt

So as children we were taught this little phrase to retaliate to those that picked on us: "sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will never hurt."  Here is what happened to most kids that quipped that on the playground 1) they ended up hiding and crying the in the principals office or 2) got hurt with sticks, stones or fists.  At some point in our childhood development, probably pretty early on, we realize that sticks and stones hurt for awhile, but words smart for a long time.  While the pain from a kickball to the face eventually subsides, sometimes the wounds from someone's words last a lifetime.

Last night we sat and challenge the young adults how come to our house to pretty get fed once a week on this principle found in James 3 about controlling our tongues.  One of the resounding walkways from our discussion is that most of us are so unaware of the words we use and how we use them.  I think a lot of us would be astounded if we knew how much damage we did with what we said.

There is one point is the passage where James compares our tongues to deadly poison. While I have never given arsenic to anyone, I did kill some mice that were terrorizing my garage.  They were chewing through everything - garbage cans, kids toys, anything they could find.  They had to be dealt with and try hitting a fleeing mouse with a stick or stone was next to impossible.  So I set out some poison.  The little mice feasting on the blue pellets of the deadly cocktail, soon no more mice.  I wonder how many of us our serving deadly cocktails to those around us.  I wonder if the poison we spread through what we say might leave us with no more friends, no more spouse, no more children, no more co-workers to eat lunch with.

What are we serving others with our words?  Is it kindness, love and grace?  Or is it a deadly poison?

Question: When was a time words did more damage than sticks or stones?

Tuesday's Tune Scotty McCreery

Scotty McCreery

Say what you like about American Idol nowadays, I could really take it or leave it.  But I did get the chance to see Scotty McCreery while on tour with Brad Paisley and The Band Perry.  Scotty gave his usual soulful deep baritone vocal performance that won him American Idol.  In the middle of his set Scotty belted out his current single "The Trouble with Girls".

Okay, so here is why I love this song so much, it might just single handed be the most descriptive lyrics for my teenage years.  The chorus comes to close with this line "the trouble with girls is that nobody likes trouble as much as me."

Brad Paisley @ Rupp Arena

Brad Paisley @ Rupp Arena

Songs I wished he had played:
- Little moments
- Who needs pictures
- When I get where I am going
- Half the dad he didn't have to be

Not a Fan

We are launching out into a new series at LifeGate Church called follower. No, this not challenge to grow our twitter accounts, while we have used it to encourage tweeting in church.  It is a challenge for us to be true followers of Jesus.  Some of the language that has shaken out of this series is the statement that we have to "not just fans but followers".


I understand being a fan.  I have cheered and cried over life's simpler pleasures and treasures, namely athletic teams starting with C and from the Windy City.  But I digress... Being a fan is not difficult especially when times are good.  Being a fan is easy in the world of Charlie Sheen when you are always "WINNING".  But the test is being follower over a fan is if you stick with it once it gets hard.

There was a moment in the ministry of Jesus where he foreshadows the events of the cross with a challenge to fans and followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood.  The outcome a lot of those who had been following the show - feeding the 5000+, healing blind and sick, raising the dead - suddenly were no longer interested.  As a matter of fact the bible states that they deserted him.

This brings us to the question of our own faith: have we been fairweather fans?  Are we all good with Jesus as long as things are all good?  Or in the difficult moments of faith where God digs deep in us to uproot some things that we have not given over to Him do we keep following the one that tends to the garden of our soul?  It is easy to wear our Team Jesus apparel when life is winning.  But do you proudly clothe yourself in the things of God when everything feels like a loss?

Followers go past being a fan.  Followers respond as the disciples did that day "where else are we going to go?  You have the words of eternal life."  The challenge is to be "not a fan, but a follower."

(Thoughts bootlegged off Pastor Ashley Wilson - LifeGate Church)