Ears That Listen To God's Word Produce Fruitful Speech

Matthew 11:15; 15:10,11

What do you plug into with respect to what you watch and listen to? If you consistently plug into God's Word then that is what will come out of you - for everyone's good.

Soul Food

Matthew 11.15

“Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Matthew 15:10,11

“Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Soul Search

• Some people are better at talking than they are at listening.
  What about you?
  What would the people around you say about you?
  Are you better at talking or better at listening?

• Listening is extremely important in itself.
  But, listening is only as good as the content that you’re allowing to be poured into you.
  What do you listen to?
  How would you say the things you take into yourself through your ears affect you?

• The words that come out of our mouths are a direct result of what we have allowed to come into us through our ears.
  What words come out of you and are they healthy to, and for, the people around you?

• "If most of the time you’re plugged into the microphone jack because you talk a lot, is it possible that it’s time to plug into the speaker jack so that you can do more listening than talking?
  Would you say that you could probably spend more time listening to, or ‘taking in,’ God’s Word, the Bible?"

Soul Moves

• The Bible says that wise people listen a lot and speak little (Proverbs 17:28; 18:2).
  Make a choice to be wise and intelligent.

• Decide that in a healthy, balanced, way, you care what people think about you.
  People get turned off by people who talk too much.
  Be someone that others want to be around.

• Ask God, by His Holy Spirit, to moderate and help control what you listen to and take ‘on board.’
  Recognize that not everything you expose your ears to is good for your soul.

• Listen to yourself talk.
  Is what comes out of your mouth healthy for the people around you that have to listen to what you’re saying?
  Ask God to help you listen to good, healthy things so that those same things are what come out of you.