Character Under Construction: Sticks and Stones
Associate Pastor Matt Willingham 
In his sermon on July 21, 2024, Pastor Matt Willingham explores the power and impact of words, based on James 3:1-18. He emphasizes that the tongue, though small, has the potential to build up or tear down, likening it to a rudder that steers a ship and a small spark that can set a forest ablaze. The sermon highlights the tongue's characteristics: its power, its ability to corrupt, its instability, and its dual nature of blessing and cursing. Pastor Willingham encourages believers to tame their tongues by considering the profitability of their words, seizing opportunities to encourage others, praying for those they might complain about, and asking God for guidance. He concludes with the importance of using wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceable, and full of good fruits.