Welcome to our five week series called detoxing the soul. In this series we are going to be talking about five areas where we are especially vulnerable to ingest some of toxins that are all around us. These five weeks will be a time of personal growth and reflection. Toxic - anything containing poisonous material capable of causing sickness or even death. And today we want to talk about toxic words. And these words have power. Power to shape us. Power to hurt us. Power to lift us. Words are filled with either grace or poison. Proverbs 12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Prov. 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Pro. 15:4 Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Pro. 16:24 Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Pro. 13:3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. Healing words are words that stab the heart. Life-giving words or deadly words but both bearing fruit. Lying words that crush or gentle words that give life. Kind words that are sweet or of words that ruin everything. STEP 1 We are going to learn how to guard our hearts from toxic words. Proverbs 4:20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. 25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. To guard our heart I think we need to do at least these three things… 1. Purposefully select our sources that we listen to. 2. Test the spirits. 1 John 4:1 3. Weigh the words coming at you. STEP 2 We are going to learn how to replace toxic words with God’s words. Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. The words of your Savior will set you free from the toxic words that have been imprinted upon your soul. Step 3… I need to practice one more thing: to guard my mouth so that I give life giving words away every chance I get. What Jesus says in Luke 6 really bugs me…. Luke 6:44 – 45 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” What bugs me is that the words that I’m using are betraying what’s going on in my heart. When But your words expose you. And so we must guard our hearts and then we must guard our words. Paul addressed this many times, here’s one of them; Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another….29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. When I look at Scripture I see about 5 categories of toxic language that we must recognize and avoid: 1. Gossip. 2. Divisive conversation. 3. Lying or spinning talk. 4. Careless words. 5. Complaining. 1. Our words will be truthful. 2. Our words will build up and bless. 3. Our words will fit the occasion. 4. Our words will be filled with grace. 5. Our words will be kind and tender. 6. Our words will be filled with encouragement. 7. Our words will be full of faith for the victory. Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.