EDGE GROUP SUMMER No.4 Language

 

Welcome

Sometimes language is a funny thing. The Italian language has hundreds of words for

varieties of pasta! Ask them to guess the literal meaning of these types of pasta.

 

Strozzapretti                             Vermicelli                           Muscatel

a. Stranded pedestrians              a. Little worms (correct)         a. Meercats

b. Strangled priests (correct)       b. Old cellos                          b. Musical fellows

c. Pretty songs                           c. Rats and other vermin         c. Wine with flies in it (correct)

 

Give out the EDGE product challenge sheet… see who can get most correct…

 

Product name   Product    

Alu-fanny           French aluminum foil   

Atum Bom         Portuguese tuna  

Bull                    French computer company

Crapsy Fruit       French cereal   

Happy End        German toilet paper

Mukk                Italian yogurt

Plopp                Scandinavian chocolate

Pocari Sweat     Japanese soft drink

Zit                     German lemonade

Worship

Let your actions speak so loudly you don’t have to use words. List all the ways that Jesus showed love or showed his power without using words.

Word

     1. Words easily become instruments of destruction.

James 3:5-6 “The tongue is like a fire, able to burn a whole forest from a single spark.”

Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.“

· How can words we use be destructive? (Or generally not pleasing to God – note how in the psalm the first verses speak about how creation shouts good things to God)

o E.g. lying, exaggerating, gossip, abuse, aggressive shouting

o Can you give a personal illustration?

 

2. Words are supposed to build people up, not tear them down.

 

· It’s easy to use words to hurt people, but God wants us to use words to help people, to build them up, to meet their needs.

· A few encouraging words from one person can be a life-changing experience for someone else.

· Personal illustration Build Me Up! Contrast your previous story about hurting someone with words with a story about a significant time in your life when someone said something encouraging to you.

 

· Eph 4:29 “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

o Can they think of times when they have been encouraged

o Or someone who encourages them regularly – what is it about them that makes them encouraging?

 

3. Words flow from the heart, not from the mouth.

· Sure, your brain has a lot to do with choosing words. But how we use words is usually a reflection of what’s going on in our hearts.

· If your heart is bitter and angry, your words will probably be bitter and angry also. If you’re insecure you might tear others down to try to make yourself feel better. But if your heart is full of goodness and godly thoughts, your words will follow suit.

· Scripture Luke 6:43-45 (people are recognized by their fruit)

o Do they agree with this? Why how, what difference does it make, should I change?

 

 

Extra questions – if you want to chat more… but keep it to the point and return to it if necessary…

· Describe what your school and youth group would be like if everyone spoke positive words instead of destructive words.

· Have you ever found yourself in an environment where everybody seemed to speak encouragingly to one another? Maybe at a retreat, in a student leadership group, on a team, in a musical group, or on a missions trip? What made the group different?

· Are there any destructive words or phrases you use all the time? How can you eliminate them? (If your group is close, it may be appropriate to allow group members to give each other feedback on this one.)

· What can you do this week that would allow God to change the condition of your heart?

 

Witness

Pray for one another’s tongues! Each takes turns sticking them out and gets prayed for. Make it fun – perhaps this could be a time of laying on of hands or praying out loud for first time! Eg Make their words build people up.

 

Pray for one another’s hearts! Each takes turns sticking – no perhaps not – but why not pray for people’s hurts asking God to change them