Build Up or Burn Down: What Our Words Really Do

Doak Taylor • Lead Pastor and Elder
August 10, 2026

3 Minute Read
Ephesians 4:29 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.
Other Verses Supporting Ephesians 4:29
Jesus modeled speaking life to people & He is to be our exact model of this important practice. Our words should be a channel of God's grace. As we mature, our faith moves us to encourage others as we long for their faith to be strengthened & promote unity. This teaching permeates our Holy Bibles & they are not to be ignored.
1. OUR WORDS REVEAL OUR HEARTS – MATTHEW 12:33-37
Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus teaches that speech is not merely a mouth problem—it is a heart problem. The words we speak expose what we have stuffed inside our hearts. Corrupt words reveal a corrupt heart.
Gracious words reveal a heart being transformed by Christ & full of Him.
2. THE TONGUE HAS TREMENDOUS POWER - JAMES 3:2-10
"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!... With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God."
James reminds believers that the tongue is small but powerful. A few careless words can destroy relationships, churches, and families, while gracious words can bring healing and life.
Paul says our words should build up; James warns how easily they can burn down so many things.
3. LET EVERY CONVERSATION BE GRACIOUS - COLOSSIANS 4:6
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
This is perhaps the closest parallel to Ephesians 4:29. Paul emphasizes not only what we say but how we say it. Grace should characterize every conversation. We should have gracious speech, appropriate speech for the moment & speech that helps others rather than harms them.
4. PETER QUOTING PSALMS 34 - 1 PETER 3:10
1 Peter 3:10 Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
Peter quotes Psalm 34 to show that holy living includes disciplined speech. A follower of Christ does not use the tongue for evil, slander, lies, or deception. Like Peter, Paul informs what should come out of our mouths; Peter reminds us what must stay out of our mouth.
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From this Collection: Doak's Desk
August 17, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
The Holy Spirit - Our Helper
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Doak Taylor

Lead Pastor and Elder

Currently Reading
August 10, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Build Up or Burn Down: What Our Words Really Do
Ephesians 4:29 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. Other Verses Supporting Ephesians 4:29 Jesus modeled speaking life to people & He is to be our exact model of this important practice. Our words should be a channel of God's grace. As we mature, our faith moves us to encourage others as we long for their faith to be strengthened & promote unity. This teaching permeates our Holy Bibles & they are not to be ignored. 1. OUR WORDS REVEAL OUR HEARTS – MATTHEW 12:33-37 Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Jesus teaches that speech is not merely a mouth problem—it is a heart problem. The words we speak expose what we have stuffed inside our hearts. Corrupt words reveal a corrupt heart. Gracious words reveal a heart being transformed by Christ & full of Him. 2. THE TONGUE HAS TREMENDOUS POWER - JAMES 3:2-10 "How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!... With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God." James reminds believers that the tongue is small but powerful. A few careless words can destroy relationships, churches, and families, while gracious words can bring healing and life. Paul says our words should build up; James warns how easily they can burn down so many things. 3. LET EVERY CONVERSATION BE GRACIOUS - COLOSSIANS 4:6 Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. This is perhaps the closest parallel to Ephesians 4:29. Paul emphasizes not only what we say but how we say it. Grace should characterize every conversation. We should have gracious speech, appropriate speech for the moment & speech that helps others rather than harms them. 4. PETER QUOTING PSALMS 34 - 1 PETER 3:10 1 Peter 3:10 Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Peter quotes Psalm 34 to show that holy living includes disciplined speech. A follower of Christ does not use the tongue for evil, slander, lies, or deception. Like Peter, Paul informs what should come out of our mouths; Peter reminds us what must stay out of our mouth.

Doak Taylor

Lead Pastor and Elder

August 3, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
A Theology of Work
Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. The Hebrew verbs are significant: Work - ʿābad – to work, serve, cultivate Keep - šāmar – to keep, guard, protect, watch over Together these words describe both productive labor & faithful stewardship. From Genesis 2 we develop several foundational principles on this subject. 1. Work Is God's Idea – Genesis 2:2-3 Before Adam ever worked we see that God Himself worked. Genesis 2:2-3 communicates that God completed His work & rested. Adam is then created in God's image and immediately given work. The pattern is... (1) God is at work (2) God creates man in His image (3) Therefore man works as instructed & purposed by God. Human work reflects the character of the Creator. For us, work is part of bearing God's image. We imitate the Creator when we engage in honest, productive labor entrusted to us. Christians should never apologize for diligent work for we are called to the practice. Not matter the vocation one has, it reflects something about God's own creative activity & calling. 2. Work Is Part of Humanity’s Purpose Genesis 2 never presents work as punishment for we see that Adam is placed in Eden to work by God's loving design. Notice the order...(1) Creation (2) Adam lives in Relationship with God (3) Adam is Given the Purpose of Work (4) Adam enters in Marriage to Eve at God's loving design Work is woven into the very purpose of humanity and without meaningful work, something is missing from human flourishing. We see this affirmed in Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 3:23, & in 2 Thessalonians 3. God created us to contribute, not just to be merely consumers. This purpose from God in His creation design shows that we are special contributors to develop the creation. 3. Work Is Stewardship Adam does not own the garden - God does, for He is its designer & creator. As God places Adam is in its midst, Adam becomes a steward – Eden’s caretaker & developer. Genesis repeatedly emphasizes... God planted the garden. God made everything to grow. God owns everything. Adam manages what belongs to God This is the pattern in Scripture - God is the Creator & Master of His creation...Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Jesus later develops this truth in His parables of the talents. Christians never truly own anything for we manage God's resources. This includes...• time • money • abilities • influence • careers• possessions 4. Work Has Both Productive & Protective Responsibilities The two commands in Genesis 2 are instructive for us... Work it - ābad Adam is to cultivate & develop what God made. Every aspect of God’s creation has tremendous potential & it is our labor that helps unfold that potential. Examples include...• farming • engineering • medicine • teaching • business • parenting Good work by humanity develops God's world to be a place of flourishing. · "Keep it" - šāmar Not only is Adam to work what God made, but he must guard what has been entrusted to him, which includes preserving God's order. Sadly, Adam later fails to guard the garden when the serpent enters & he stands by as Eve speaks with him. Instead of protecting his wife, he passively allows deception to come upon Eve & does not stand up against the lies of the enemy. His failure to "keep" the garden in that instance leads to the Fall. Christian work is not only about creating, but It is about protecting what is good by our standing as faithful watchman of all that is true. 5. Work Is to be Seen & Done as Worship The Hebrew word ābad often means both...to work...to serve, but it can also mean "worship". The Old Testament uses the same word for serving God at times in worship. This idea is purposeful, not accidental. The Bible does not separate work from worship. As believers work faithfully for God, our work becomes an act & expression of faithful worshipful service to Him. We see the depth of this in... Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Christ-followers work hard because Christ is our Master, so we work heartily & honestly because we know Christ is near & sees not only our heart in work, but our effort in it. We don’t take shortcuts, or a path of deception or dishonesty, as our work belongs to Christ. We work from the soul in loving Him. Christ will transform our ordinary work into worship where Monday morning work is an extension of Sunday worship. 6. Work Is Done Under God's Authority God determines... (1) Where Adam works (2) What Adam does (3) How Adam works Adam doesn't invent his own purpose, He receives it from the Lord. Likewise, Christians seek God's purposes rather than personal ambition. Our careers are not ultimately self-directed by us, but they are callings & rest in the leadership of God. 7. Work Is Good Before the Fall This is an important theological observation, as we see the process that Genesis 2 comes before Genesis 3. Therefore, work is good, holy, dignified, purposely, at times exhausting & glorifies God. The Fall does not create work for Adam, but it does do this, it makes word harder by bringing in sweat, frustration, thorns & exhaustion. Even though the curse affected work, it was not to move us to just see work as something connected to the curse, for we are to still see work as good. Genesis 3:17-19 teaches that the curse affects work, not its goodness.

Doak Taylor

Lead Pastor and Elder