Check the Events Page for What is Happening (not everything is listed here) (waterschurch.org/events)

NEW ENGLAND ONLY: Save the date of Dec 7! We are having a women’s tea in NA location.  Register Here

All Locations:

*************

Please check your email for a Life Group Leader Challenge that was sent out on October 29.  This challenge is for you to offer any member of your group that you feel should be leading a group.  

This challenge is two-fold as it will help leaders understand and navigate the apprenticeship process and it will encourage members to step out in faith knowing that they will have concrete tools to guide them as they lead their group.

**************

NEW ENGLAND: UPCOMING CONCERT – TAYA

Reminders:

✳ Please regularly check your Planning Center profiles for requests to join your life groups, remove members from the list that no longer attend, or add members not listed. Please ensure that you have added no-reply@churchcenter.com to your email contacts so that you do not miss an email from Planning Center and encourage your members to do so as well.  This will ensure you do not miss a member request or any emails that come from the Planning Center site. Thank you!

Waters Class Schedule:

• 1st Sunday: Discover Waters – after 1st service
• 2nd Sunday: NO CLASSES
• 3rd Sunday: Connect Class – after 1st service
• 4th Sunday: Baptism Class – after 1st service

Waters Help: Need marriage and family care  or have a group member in need of marriage and family care?   Click here:  help resources page  or visit waterschurch.org/help

Location Text Alerts:

Key Verse: James 4

Icebreaker Question:

Q.” If you could eliminate one word from the English language forever, which word would it be and why?”

Opening Prayer:

“Heavenly Father, we come before You, seeking wisdom and grace as we explore Your Word. Teach us how to use our words to uplift, not harm, and guide us to reflect Your love in every conversation. Open our hearts to Your truth, and may our time together bring us closer to You and each other. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Words can become WEAPONS and lead to WAR.

James 3:6 (ESV); James 4:11 (ESV)

James warns against two things:

• Speaking evil/speaking against
• Judging

To “Speak Evil” is to SLANDER someone.

Speaking evil could also mean lying about someone to deride their character and reputation. 

James 4:10 (ESV)

Humility starts with the mouth.

Slander is incredibly harmful, and we must avoid it at all costs.

1. Slander SEPARATES us from people we NEED.

James 4:11 (ESV) (previously read above)

When we slander:

• We elevate ourselves over others.
• We reveal our ignorance.
• We hurt many people.

Deuteronomy 19:16-19 (ESV)

To “judge” is to CONDEMN someone.

It is not talking about discerning right from wrong.

We don’t judge for CONDEMNATION. 

We must judge for EVALUATION.

James is talking about a haughty, condemning spirit and putting others down as if they were less than you.

Luke 18:11 (ESV)

The Pharisee is elevating himself while condemning another.  This attitude reflects a heart that assumes God’s position.

Q. Why is it so easy to fall into a pattern of slander or condemnation, and how can we guard our hearts against adopting a haughty or judgmental spirit?

Practical Application:

Reflect on your recent conversations. Is there someone you’ve spoken about in a way that could be seen as slander? This week, take a step to reconcile with that person—through an apology or a kind gesture.

2. Slander sets our HEARTS in OPPOSITION to God.

James 4:11b (ESV): But if you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge.

James 2:8 (ESV)

When you slander your brother, you slander the Law.  You are not just saying evil things about that person; you are saying evil things about the Law of God.

False accusations can destroy the lives of others, as Pastor Tim mentioned, Richard Jewell (1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing) and the #MeToo movement. 

In today’s digital age, slander or misrepresentation on social platforms can result in someone being “canceled.”

Facebook groups, the water cooler at work, and the ‘prayer chains’ at Church are all ways for people to gossip and slander each other.

All these actions are opposed to the HEART of God.

God does not expose your faults; God, in His grace, loves you enough to COVER your faults.

Q. How can we reflect God’s heart of grace by avoiding gossip and slander, especially in today’s digital and social environments? What steps can we take to ensure our words build others up rather than tear them down?

Practical Application:

Start a daily habit of praying for someone you find challenging to love. Ask God to soften your heart and bless that person.

3. God’s WORD JOINS us to people we NEED.

James 4:12 (ESV)

While we use our words to tear down, God uses His Word to build up.  He saves and restores where we destroy.

When the relationship is rough:

1. Go TALK to THEM.

Whoever you may be at odds with, go to them.  This is what God does.  When He wants to say something about someone, whether encouraging or correcting, He addresses them.

B. Be FOR THEM. 

God gives the Law to help us.  

When we speak, even in the difficult issues we have with each other, we must see to resolve the issue and love one another.

Matthew 18:15 (ESV)

C. Let God be the FINAL JUDGE of THEM.

There might be times we need to walk away.  That is when we stop trying to be God, and the relationship grows distant.  That is not always a bad thing.

Q. How can applying God’s Word to our relationships help us resolve conflicts in a way that builds others up? When might it be necessary to step back and trust God to be the final judge in a situation?

Practical Application:

This week, take time to mend a strained relationship. Reach out to someone you’ve had a conflict with, and approach them with humility and a desire to reconcile.

4. God’s WORD joins US to His SALVATION.

James 4:12 (ESV)

God alone can save or destroy us.

If you ever have felt misunderstood or mischaracterized, God knows exactly how you feel.

John 3:17 (ESV)

Key Takeaways:

1. Slander damages relationships and separates us from the people God has placed in our lives for encouragement and accountability.
2. Slander puts us at odds with God, as it opposes His command to love and humble ourselves before Him.
3. God’s Word calls us to reconciliation and salvation, reminding us to leave judgment to Him and pursue peace with one another.

Scripture for Meditation:

James 3:6 (ESV): “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

Closing Prayer:

“Lord, thank You for teaching us the power of our words. Help us to honor You by speaking words of love, truth, and encouragement. Give us the courage to reconcile broken relationships and the wisdom to leave judgment in Your hands. May our words always reflect Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”