How does a person get saved? With a heart man believes, with the mouth man confesses to salvation. So always there's a speaking of words to set things in place. How do commitments get made? By speaking words. If you don't trust the words a person speaks, then you write them down, so they're reminded of them if they try to change them on the way - so that's an example. So the Bible very clearly talks about the power of your words. In Proverbs 18:21 it says: death and life are imparted to people through words; so you have the power to bless someone; you have the power to cut them down and deeply wound them. They're in your tongue. So think about last week - how many people did you intentionally build up, and how many did you accidentally cut down? Words have power to bring death and life, because there's a spirit content to it.
Here's a second thing about the words that we have. In James 3:3-5 it says: if you want to steer a horse, you put a bridle on it. If you want to steer a ship, you work the rudder. If you want to steer a person's life, the words they speak determine where they go. The words they speak determine the direction of their life. So your words can bring life and death; your words can direct the course of your life. Here's another thing your words can do, from Hebrews 11:3. It says: by faith we understand that the world, or the ages, were formed or shaped by the word of God; so that things which we see, were made or formed out of things not seen. So what he's saying then is: think that the word of God, which is not seen, when it is spoken, brings things into being. The word of God has power to change your life. The word of God has power to shift you, but there's a couple of things on it you've got to understand, for this to begin to work in your life.
Proverbs 16:24 - words have the power to affect your physical health. Think about all of the things that your life is affected by words: words impart life, words build relationships, words destroy them. Think about an argument or a conflict; what is the problem? Words, empowered by an attitude of the heart, by something in the spirit. So we've got power to build people, power to strengthen people, power to do good, power to build up, power to shape things. You can shape your world, which way you like. Numbers 14:27, it tells us there, that God spoke to the people of God; so see He's not speaking to the unsaved. He's speaking to people of God, and He said: as you spoke in My ears, I will do according to that. I have been listening to everything you said, and He said: I've been listening a long time; and He said: so according to as you're speaking, that's what you'll experience in your life. They said: we're not able. They said: we can't do it; it's too hard; it's too difficult. They said: oh, I can't see that we're going to get anywhere. They said: it's hopeless; there's giants. They said all those things. God said: you know what? What you said is right for you - for you.
But there were two other people, they were saying different things. They were saying: God is able. The giants are bread for us. If God is with us, then we can do this thing. Notice there was faith in the heart, expressed through the language. Whatever's in the heart, the Bible says, will come out through the words people speak; so if there's faith in your life, then you'll be speaking positively, strongly. You'll be speaking with encouragement. You'll be speaking and bringing life. Everywhere you go, people will like to be with you, because there's faith arisen in your heart. It's wonderful to be around faith people. I remember the first time I met Clark Taylor. I just loved being in his presence, because the message was so strong - of faith. I could literally feel faith being built inside me, being with him, just hearing him talk. I didn't need to talk to him; just listening, there was a flow of faith from his heart.