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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

• Careless Words, James 3:1-12, by DL in ME
  (see below)
   

• Danger of Spoken Words
  a children's sermon seed based on James 3:1-12
  by anonymous  (please scroll down)

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Careless Words
a children's sermon Seed based on James 3:1-12
by DL in ME

Light a paper above a fire proof container and then put it out. Ask the children what happened when the match touched the paper. Ask them if it was possible to stop the burning (obviously yes). Ask them if the paper can be fixed (obviously no).

Explain that James wanted people to understand that their words could be like that. They can burn and destroy lives in a way that can be permanent. We can stop it, but things will generally not be the SAME again.

Ask them what would have happened if you had not lit the match or had kept it away from things that burn... Explain that that is what James wants us to do with the words that come out of our mouths... don't even let hot, angry words start or take them where no one can hear them and be hurt by them.

James disagrees with the old saying, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me." James wants us to see that words are like fire, they are powerful and, used carelessly, can be more dangerous than sticks and stones.

Carefully tended words are like candles and campfires... careless words, like carelessly playing with matches, can cause terrible damage.

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Danger of Spoken Words
a children's sermon seed based on James 3:1-12
by anonymous

I've used toothpaste to teach children about the danger of spoken words. I'll ask one child to squeeze some toothpaste out onto a plate, and then ask if any of them can put the toothpaste back into the tube. Then we talk about how impossible it is to put words we've said back into our mouths, or take the hurt away that our words have caused. You could also use a knife and talk about how it can be used for helpful or hurtful purposes, just like words...