Proverbs 16:23

Proverbs 16:23 Proverbs

Pastor Martin expounds Proverbs 16:23, "The heart of the wise instructs his mouth and adds learning to his lips," emphasizing the critical importance of self-control in speech, particularly for children. He argues that training in disciplined speech must begin at the earliest stages of a child's verbal development, likening it to teaching them where their feet may or may not go. The sermon stresses that an undisciplined tongue provides a fertile ground for sin and the devil's work, urging parents to instill this vital principle from the moment their children begin to speak.

4 illustrations in this sermon

Parental Experience and the Joy of First Words

auto_stories story

Waiting for First Words

In this part of the sermon: Martin shares personal anecdotes as a parent and grandparent, recalling the joy and anticipation of hearing children's first words, emphasizing the natural desire for children to…

Martin recounts his experience as a parent and grandparent, and as the second oldest of ten, waiting for and rejoicing in the first words of younger siblings and his own children. This illustrates the natural human desire for children to speak, setting up the contrast with the need for discipline once they do.

I've never known a period in my life when I wasn't surrounded with kids second oldest of ten. And I can remember waiting for the first words of all my...

0:49 - 0:57 Read in full sermon

The Tongue as a Field for the Devil's Work

lightbulb example

Child Interrupting Parent on Phone

The point: Begin to teach children, even at a young age, that they do not have an unqualified right to interrupt or demand attention with their speech.

He provides the example of a child repeatedly saying 'mommy, mommy, mommy' while the mother is on the phone. This illustrates the lack of self-control in speech that needs to be disciplined.

But oh, once they start, what a field for the devil to do his work. And then we must begin to teach them, even at that young age, that they don't have a right. Because mommy's on the phone to say, mommy, mommy, mommy. Just because they want mommy.

1:09 - 1:26 Read in full sermon

lightbulb example

Child Interrupting Parent Talking to Someone

The point: Begin to teach children, even at a young age, that they do not have an unqualified right to interrupt or demand attention with their speech.

He gives the example of a child interrupting a father who is talking to someone else, saying 'dad, dad, dad, dad, dad.' This further illustrates the need for children to learn discipline in their lips.

They've got a discipline. They've got a discipline in their lips. When daddy's talking to someone, they don't have a right to come up and say, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad. Shh, shh, shh.

1:26 - 1:34 Read in full sermon

Early Training in Speech Discipline

compare analogy

Disciplining Feet vs. Tongue

The point: Teach children immediately that their tongue does not have a right to frame anything they want, at any time, in any circumstance, in any place, or in any way.

Martin draws an analogy between teaching children that their feet don't have an unqualified right to go anywhere, and teaching them that their tongue doesn't have an unqualified right to frame anything they want at any time. This emphasizes the necessity and immediacy of speech training.

They must learn that as their feet do not have an unqualified right, simply because they can now carry them somewhere, that they have a right to carry them anywhere. So when this tongue begins to work, they must learn immediately they don't have a right to let it frame anything they want it to frame at any time, in any circumstance, in any place, in any way. And that training must begin with the very threshold of speech.

1:46 - 2:11 Read in full sermon

headphones Listen to full sermon