🙏 Closing: Watch Your Mouth

 🙏 Closing: Watch Your Mouth

📝 Watch Your Mouth Series Closing Notes

Introduction to the Watch Your Mouth Series Closing Session

• Presented as the final session of the series entitled "Watch Your Mouth," the evening's focus is on closing out the topic with a forward-looking, positive message.
• Pastor Angela Burns is introduced as the speaker for the closing session, with the stated goal of helping attendees apply the teachings to their lives and operate under the power of the Holy Spirit.
• The overarching aim of the series is for participants to maximize their opportunities in life by applying the lessons discussed throughout the sessions.

The Concept and Definition of Positive Speaking

• Positive speaking is defined as the use of language that promotes positivity, encouragement, motivation, praise, and empowering communication.
• Society is described as existing in a largely negative space, where content that demeans or harms others tends to spread most widely, particularly on social media.
• Believers are called to be a light in the world, which directly contrasts with the negativity prevalent in modern culture.
• Positive speaking is presented not merely as a communication style but as an intentional, Spirit-led practice that requires deliberate commitment.

God's Respect for Human Free Will in Speech

• God is described as possessing the supernatural power to physically prevent people from speaking, including locking jaws or removing tongues, yet He chooses not to exercise this power.
• This restraint is attributed to God's deep respect for the free will He granted to human beings, which extends to freedom of speech.
• While God honors free will, individuals are reminded that they will still be held accountable before God for what comes out of their mouths.
• The phrase "my mouth, my choice" is introduced as a guiding principle, emphasizing personal responsibility in speech.

The Relationship Between Thoughts and Words

• What a person allows to dominate their mind will inevitably manifest in their speech, making mental discipline a prerequisite for positive speaking.
• Negative thinking is identified as incompatible with being a positive speaker, as the heart and mind directly influence what is spoken.
• Guarding one's mind against negativity is presented as an active, ongoing responsibility rather than a passive state.
• Intentionality is emphasized as essential, since positive speaking does not happen automatically but requires conscious effort and spiritual commitment.

Biblical Foundations for the Power of Positive Speaking

• Proverbs 12 and 18 is cited to contrast reckless words, which pierce like swords, with the tongue of the wise, which brings healing.
• Proverbs 16 and 24 is referenced to describe gracious words as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and strengthening to the bones, meaning they nourish the mind, will, and emotions at a deep level.
• Hebrews 3 and 13 is introduced to support the call to encourage one another daily, framing encouragement as a biblical directive rather than an optional gesture.
• Words of affirmation and positive speech are described as having the power to hold people together during difficult seasons of life.

Positive Speaking as a Tool for Winning Souls and Resolving Conflict

• Positive speaking is identified as a means of winning souls and drawing people into the faith, as harsh communication drives people away rather than attracting them.
• First Peter 3 and 9 is cited to instruct believers to repay evil with blessing rather than with evil or insult, framing this as a calling with an attached reward.
• Responding to negativity with positivity is described as a fire-extinguishing act, whereas repaying evil with evil only intensifies conflict.
• Committing to positive speech is said to invite God to provide spiritual intelligence, enabling believers to speak timely and targeted words of encouragement to others, even strangers.

The Mouth of the Righteous as a Fountain of Life

• Proverbs 10 and 11 is referenced to describe the mouth of the righteous not merely as resembling a fountain of life but as actually being one, indicating an active and living source of blessing.
• Righteous speech flows from righteous thinking, which requires the ongoing purging of negative thoughts, past experiences, and lingering bitterness.
• Maintaining a fountain-like quality in speech demands consistent mental renewal, as old wounds and memories will attempt to resurface and corrupt one's words.

Gracious Words and the Art of Positive Correction

• Proverbs 16 and 21 is cited to establish that the wise in heart are called disarming and that gracious words promote instruction more effectively than harsh ones.
• The manner in which correction is delivered is identified as critically important, as people are more receptive to instruction when it is communicated with grace and positivity.
• Empathy is highlighted as a key component of positive correction, encouraging speakers to consider the other person's perspective and emotional state before responding.
• Beginning correction by acknowledging the positive attributes of a person is recommended, as it lowers defensiveness and opens the listener to receive the message being shared.
• Encouragement is described as naturally intertwined with instruction, particularly when people feel incapable or unworthy of growth or change.

Isaiah 50 and 4 and the Well-Instructed Tongue

• Isaiah 50 and 4 is presented as a model for the kind of tongue God desires to give His people, described as a well-instructed tongue capable of sustaining the weary.
• Receiving a well-instructed tongue requires an intimate, ongoing relationship with God, not merely a nominal identification as a Christian.
• The passage describes God awakening the speaker morning by morning to instruct him before he goes anywhere, illustrating the importance of daily communion with God as the source of powerful speech.
• A deep relationship with God is presented as the mechanism through which He transforms a person into a powerful and purposeful speaker.

Speaking Strengthens Faith and the Example of Peter's Obedience

• Romans 10 and 17 is referenced to establish that faith comes by hearing the word of God, connecting the act of speaking to the building of faith in both the speaker and the listener.
• The story of Peter and the disciples fishing all night without success is used to illustrate how obedience to a positive, faith-filled word can produce miraculous results.
• Jesus instructing the disciples to launch out into the deep after their failure is framed as a precursor to a life-changing encounter, demonstrating the transformative power of a well-timed word.
• Peter's response of "nevertheless, at your word" is highlighted as the posture of faith that unlocks breakthrough, even when circumstances seem contrary to the promise.
• Positive, hope-filled words are described as a lifeline for people who have exhausted every other option, including destructive coping mechanisms and broken relationships.

Abraham as a Model of Faith-Filled Positive Speaking

• The account of Abraham and Sarah is referenced from Romans to illustrate the power of speaking in alignment with God's promises despite impossible natural circumstances.
• Abraham is described as being fully persuaded that God was able to perform what He had promised, demonstrating that positive speaking is rooted in trust in God's faithfulness.
• Calling things that are not as though they are is presented as a biblical principle of faith-filled speech that activates the promises of God.
• Believers are encouraged not to allow prophetic words spoken over their lives to die but to actively declare and reinforce those promises, especially when the enemy attempts to discourage them.

Next Steps

• Attendees are encouraged to examine themselves honestly before God regarding how frequently they speak negatively versus positively, as a starting point for personal transformation.
• A commitment to becoming intentional positive speakers is called for, with the understanding that God will provide spiritual intelligence and open opportunities to speak life into others.
• Believers are urged to pray for God to create specific opportunities to spread positivity, encouragement, and hope, both within their existing circles and to complete strangers.
• Practical tools identified for ongoing application include faith talk, personal affirmations, declarations of scripture, and consistent words of inspiration, motivation, and encouragement.
• The session closes with a communal prayer drawn from Psalm 19 and 14, asking that the words of the mouth and the meditations of the heart be pleasing to God, serving as a personal commitment to the principles taught throughout the series.