Tag Archives: Ephesians 4:29

Unwholesome Talk

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Character- Ephesians 4:29 - Unwholesome Words - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Character- Ephesians 4:29 – Unwholesome Words – Growing As Disciples

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.        Ephesians 4:29

Your Words

This is going to be a challenge for you. What is going to be a challenge for me? Do you want to be able to build others up with your words? Is that one of the ways that you want to use me? Yes, it is. Well, I want what you want. I will do whatever you ask of me. Why will building others up with my words be such a challenge for me? I know that you already have a pretty good idea why building up others with your words will be a real challenge for you. But, I will explain it to you.

How well do you listen? Do you focus your complete attention on what others have to say to you? Do you allow yourself to become distracted? Are you thinking more about what you might say next rather than carefully listening to what others are saying to you? Do you let your mind wander on to different subjects while others are speaking to you? Lord, you know me. Listening has not been my strongest quality. I have not been a good listener. I do let my mind wander. I do think more about what I want to say than what is being said to me. I’m usually thinking about a topic that interests me more than what others are discussing. Often times, I would never be able to repeat back what has just been said to me. That’s not good. I know.

If you want to be able to build others up with your words you will need to become a good listener. This will be a challenge for me. It will be more of a challenge than you think. Why is that? You will need to become a good two-way listener if you want to be able to build others up with your words. I don’t even know what a two-way listener is. Yes, I know you don’t know what a good two-way listener is. That’s why we are having this conversation. You will need to learn to listen attentively to both the person that you are talking to and to me at the same time. As you listen to the person talking you will better understand their needs. By listening attentively to them you will be fully engaging in their life. By listening attentively to me you will know what I would like you to say to them. The words that you speak will not be your own words. The words that you will speak to build others up will come from me. I get it. Now, do you understand why this will be a real challenge to you? Yes, I do. Will you listen attentively to others? Yes, I will. Will you listen attentively to me? Yes, I will. Then I will give you the words that I want to use to build others up. Then my words will become your words. That is what I want.

Lord, no longer will I let unwholesome words linger in my mind and come out of my mouth. Help me to listen carefully to you so that I can hear wholesome words to speak to others in order to build them up according to their needs. Amen

Key Question… When have you been built up or torn down by the words of another person?

Living It Out… Allow the Holy Spirit to help you speak words that will build others up according to their needs.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Holy Spirit will use your words to build others up according to their needs.

Get Ready To Share…Share with another person or your small group how the Holy Spirit has used your words to build others up.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you use your words to build others up according to their needs.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Character – Ephesians 4-29 – Unwholesome Talk – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Building Others Up

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Blessing - Ephesians 4:29 - Build Others Up - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing – Ephesians 4:29 – Build Others Up – Growing As Disciples

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Your Words

I want my words to be life giving. I want to speak life giving words that will bless and encourage and build others up according to their needs. That would be quite a change. What do you mean by that? I have spoken so many unwholesome words. Lots of corrupt and polluting language has come out of my mouth. Isn’t that old news? What do you mean by that? Haven’t you placed a guard over your mouth? Haven’t you asked me to change your heart and transform your mind so that you can think my thoughts and speak my words? Isn’t it your earnest desire to think and speak and do only what is pleasing in my sight? Yes, that has been my prayer. That is the desire of my heart. Aren’t you meditating on my word day and night? Aren’t you allowing me to use my word to change the thoughts of your mind, the words of your mouth and the deeds of your life? Yes, I am meditating on your word day and night. Yes, I am allowing you to change the thoughts of my mind, words of my mouth and deeds of my life. That is very good.

So, what’s the problem? I don’t think or speak or do what is pleasing to you all the time. You mean to say that you still sin? You mean to tell me that you still need my forgiveness? You mean to reveal to me that you are not perfect? I’m guessing that all this comes as no big revelation to you. That’s a good guess. I should also tell you that I don’t always speak life giving words that build others up. Isn’t this a day filled with surprises? Now, I know that you are not taking me seriously. Oh, I am taking you very seriously. I seriously want you to think and speak and do what is pleasing to me. I seriously want you to speak life giving words that will bless and encourage and build others up. I also know that you love me with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. I know that it is the prayer and desire of your heart to do what is pleasing to me. I know that you seriously want to bless and encourage and build others up with your words. It is the prayer and desire of your heart to do what is pleasing to me. We both know that you will not think and speak and act perfectly in this life. You will sin. You will need my forgiveness. You will confess your sin to me. You are forgiven. You will be forgiven. You will get up and keep on moving forward with me. You will go where I guide you. You will do what I ask of you. You will speak words that I give to you. You will bless and encourage and build others up with your words. Yes, I will. That will be very good and pleasing to me.

Lord, I have said many unwholesome words and used lots of polluting language. Forgive me. I want all of my thoughts and words to come from you. Help me to speak life giving words that will bless and encourage and build people up according to their needs. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Blessing – Ephesians 4-29 – Building Others Up – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Building Others Up

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Discipleship - Ephesians 4:29 - Building Others Up - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Discipleship – Ephesians 4:29 – Building Others Up – Growing As Disciples

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Your Words

Your words have power. The words that come out of your mouth can tear others down or build them up. Your words can be a tool that will be used either for good or for evil. You can speak valuable life-giving words or you can speak deathly words that cause discouragement, defeat and even death. Those are very strong words. Yes, I want you to carefully consider every word that you allow to come out of your mouth. Have you ever deeply regretted words that have come out of your mouth? Yes, I have deeply regretted words that have come out of my mouth. Why is that? As you have said, words have power. Once words are spoken they cannot be taken back. Words cannot be unheard. I can recall very negative life-taking words that were spoken to me long ago. It’s hard to forget negative, life-taking and hurtful words. Yes, it is. You remember many other words that have been spoken to you. Yes, I do. Tell me about some living-giving words that you have heard. I have heard marvelous, life-giving words that encouraged me and spurred me on to bigger and better and greater things. I can recall people who believed in me when I did not believe in myself. Those people spoke hope and healing and possibilities into my life that I would have never considered on my own. Do you think they spoke solely out of their own thoughts? I’m not sure what you are asking me. Did their life-giving words originate out of their own hearts and minds? You are asking me where their life-giving words came from? Yes, I am. I haven’t thought about that before now. Think about it now. You were behind their life-giving words. You gave them thoughts to think. You gave them words to speak. You used the words of their mouths to speak life-giving words into in my life. Yes, I did. 

Do you want me to use your words to encourage others and spur them on to bigger and better and greater things? Do you want to be able to speak life-giving words that will encourage and lift others up? Yes, I do. What must I do to be able to speak life-giving encouraging words into the lives of other people? You must do two things. You must listen carefully to the people in your life. You must really hear what others are saying to you. Hear their needs through the words they are speaking. Become a student of the people in your life. Know them. Know their needs. Will you do that? Yes, I will. What else must I do? You must listen to me. Don’t think that you know what to say. Ask me to give you life-giving words you can to speak into the lives of others. Will you also do that? Yes Lord, I will.

Lord, I have not been gifted at using my words to encourage and build others up. That is probably a dramatic understatement. Forgive me. Help me to listen carefully to others so I will know how to encourage and build them up in their faith. Speak through me. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Discipleship – Ephesians 4-29 – Building Others Up – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Will Be An Encouragement

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - So That - Ephesians 4:29 - Will Be An Encouragement - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – So That – Ephesians 4:29 – Will Be An Encouragement – Growing As Disciples

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. Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

Everything You Say 

I want you to guard every word that comes out of your mouth. Your words will either build others up or tear them down. You words can be like a tool in my hand or they can be like a weapon that can do a world of evil. Before you speak ask, “Will my words be helpful or hurtful?” Ask, “Will my words build others up or tear them down?” Don’t let any unwholesome and foul words come out of your mouth. Your words can be like a gift that will encourage others in their walk of faith in me. Your words can change the course of a person’s life and their ultimate destiny. Do you hear what I am saying to you? Do you understand the power of your words? Yes Lord, I am listening to you. I understand the power of my words.

I want you to look for opportunities to build others up by encouraging them with your words. Go out of your way to bless others with the words that I will give you to speak. Take notice of others. Know what they need to hear. Invest yourself in their lives with your words. Speak your words according to what they need to hear and not according to what you think you need to say. Have you been encouraged by the words of another? Has someone ever said good and helpful words that built you up and encouraged you? Yes, you have encouraged me with your words. You have built me up with your words. Your words have changed the course of my life. Your words have directed my destiny. Can I speak through you? Can I use the words of your mouth? You can do all things. You can use me however you see fit. I want to use your mouth. I want to speak through you. I welcome you to speak through me. I want you to use my words to bless other people. That will be very good.

You will be blessed as I speak through. You will be blessed with the same words with which you bless others. As you encourage others you will be encouraged. As you build others up you will be built up. You may ask why is that. Why is that? You will know that I am using you. You will know that I am speaking through you. You will know that your words are bearing fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name. Will you allow me to speak through you? Yes Lord, I will allow you to speak through me. That will be very good.

Lord, so often I have spoken words that are not good, helpful or encouraging. I have torn others and even myself down with my thoughts and words. Use the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart to encourage and build others up. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

So That – Ephesians 4-29 – Will Be An Encouragement – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com