Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ...3 But immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness...4 Neither shameful speech, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting: but rather giving of thanks...5 has any inheritance in the kingdom...

Design Your Talk to Fit the Walk: comfortable & functional (warm), appropriate for us and context, pleasing to others

Appropriate for saints = set apart, a royal bride to be shouldn't go around dating other guys a week before the wedding.

Walking and talking in love = self-sacrificially doing and saying what's in another's best interest (even if it hurts)

Inspire (thanksgiving focuses attention on God & what He's done) Rather Than Injure

A. Shameful Speech = disfigured...causes shame; profanity, explosive, acidic, hurtful, self-centered, heart-revealing.

1) Would I be ashamed to hear a tape recording of what I said to...played at church?

2) Does my speech reflect a heart in love with God? Is it a mirror that is filty or hypocritically painted over?

B. Foolish Talking = moronic, non-objective; prattling; common; emoting; cliche; inconsequential; self or non-edifying

1) What objective am I accomplishing with my speech? How does it draw others closer to God?

2) What percent of my speech is controlled by my emotions rather than my my mind or the Spirit of God?

C. Coarse Jesting = well turned; Humor/Laughter a release of the tension created by incongruity with: self-image, social norms, etiquette, or propriety (guilt). Jesting is improper when: it tears down, undermines worth or value, becomes an impenetrable shield or defense mechanism, or creates incongruous attention on self.

1) Does my humor serve a purpose? Serve others? Ultimately serve God?

2) Do my jests hurt or undermine another's worth or value? Do they cause a discomfort which isn't relieved by laughter?

3) Is my joking consistent with the golden rule? How would I feel if the same were being said about me?

4) How does the other person react? Even if it doesn't bother me does it bother them?

5) Is it a substitute for speech? Am I being comical about that which I should be confrontive?

6) Does my humor/comment develop or add to a thought being discussed, or does it just focus attention on me?

Pr 26:18 As a mad man who casts firebrands, arrows, and death, 19 So's...deceives, and says Am not I in sport?

Refine Your Speech by Purifying Your Heart (God holds us accountable/judges us based upon our speech)

Mt 12:34...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil...36...for every idle/unprofitable word that men shall speak, they shall give account for it in the day of judgment, 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.   Abundance/treasure = what we been collecting and treasuring in our heart is what will spill out.

Mr 7:21 out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All evil things come from within...defile

Abstain for Achievement: Know; Will = Repent (turn; change mind); Emotions = My highest good...; Actions...

Track Team:

1) Flee...Track shoes (Examine motives, Envision consequences, Exit) 

2) Follow...Team mates 2Tim 2:22

Heart Surgery: By-pass & Chelation (Mk 7:20-23) Source = a desire for the temporal, the flesh. Cx the fruit of the Spirit

Lust for the Right Things: Replace the desire for self with a desire for God. Vacuum: if not lusting after God... Ro 6:19

Eat the Right Food: Diet of consequences (Proverbs) and God's promises - He will give us everything we need to do His will

Train in Truth Techniques:

1) Know how to do the right thing

2) Transformed by renewing of your mind Rm 12:2 1Th 4:3

Endure to the End Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin.

Truth Talk in Love Eph 4:16,19 cause growth in Christlikeness and the Body by knowing, living and loving others with Truth

Yuck it up with your feet on the earth and your heart in the heavens