Jubilee Life Coach: Daily Meditations

Jubilee Life Coach: Daily Meditations is a Christ-centered podcast for those who want to follow Jesus not only in belief, but in daily life.

The word Jubilee comes from the biblical Year of Jubilee, a time of release, restoration, and freedom from debt. In the fullest sense, Jesus Christ is our true Jubilee. In him, we are forgiven, set free from the debt of sin, and welcomed into the joy of God’s kingdom.

To be Christian is to be more than religious. It is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ the King—to belong to him, to listen to his voice, and to follow him with trust, love, and obedience.

Life is not merely about surviving the day or chasing success on earth. In Christ, we are called to live as citizens of heaven here and now. That means learning to walk in his presence, reflect his character, and bear witness to his kingship in the ordinary moments of everyday life.

Coaching here means a Christ-centered and gospel-driven way of helping believers grow in sanctification and spiritual fruitfulness. It is about encouragement, wisdom, reflection, and practical guidance for living faithfully before God. Not self-help, but Spirit-dependent growth. Not mere inspiration, but transformation in Christ.

Through these daily meditations, you will be invited to slow down, reflect on Scripture, fix your eyes on Jesus, and learn to live with greater freedom, faith, and joy in him.

All Episodes

Jubilee Life Coach: Daily Meditations

James 3:1-12

October 19, 2026 • Jubilee Christian Life Coach • Season 1

0:00 | 5:28

Send us Fan Mail

Summary

James now turns to the tongue. He begins with a warning for teachers. Not many of you should become teachers, he says, because those who teach will be judged with greater strictness (v. 1). Then he widens the circle to all of us. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who does not stumble in what he says is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body (v. 2). James gives three pictures. A small bit guides a horse. A very small rudder steers a large ship through strong winds. A small fire sets a great forest ablaze (vv. 3-5). The tongue is that fire. It stains the whole body and sets on fire the entire course of life, and it is itself set on fire by hell (v. 6). Mankind has tamed every kind of beast and bird, reptile and sea creature. But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison (vv. 7-8). With the same tongue we bless our Lord and Father and curse people made in the likeness of God (v. 9). “My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (v. 10). A spring does not pour fresh and salt water from the same opening. A fig tree does not bear olives (vv. 11-12).

James is not giving a lesson in communication skills. He has already told us that if anyone does not bridle his tongue, his religion is worthless (1:26). Now he shows why the tongue is so hard to bridle. It is small, but it steers the whole life. And it is never neutral. It can be set on fire from below. I believe verse 8 is one of the most humbling sentences in the Bible. “No human being can tame the tongue.” If that is true, the answer to this passage cannot be more effort alone. We need help from outside ourselves. We need a new heart. James 3 quietly points us beyond ourselves, to the One who can do what no human being can.

Meditation Points

1. “Not many of you should become teachers” (vv. 1-2)

I have to begin with myself. For more than thirty years I have stood in pulpits and at Bible study tables, in the States and in Korea. That is a great many words. James says, “We who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (v. 1). Notice the word “we.” James does not point at other teachers. He puts himself in the line.

Why the stricter judgment? Teachers speak more. And James is honest. “For we all stumble in many ways” (v. 2). More words mean more places to stumble. A teacher’s words also travel further. One careless sentence from a pulpit can stay with a listener for years. Many of us still remember a sharp word from a pastor, a parent, or a teacher. And some of us were the ones who said it.

This verse is not only for pastors. Parents teach. Small group leaders teach. Missionaries teach. Coaches mostly ask questions, but we teach too.

Isaiah knew this fear. When he saw the King, he cried out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). The prophet’s first confession was about his mouth. Then one of the seraphim took a burning coal from the altar and touched his lips. “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:7). The fire that cleansed Isaiah came from the altar, the place of sacrifice. Our lips are cleansed the same way. Christ is our sacrifice. The strict judgment that teachers fear fell on Him first. So we can still teach. With trembling, yes. But also with joy.

2. “How great a forest is set ablaze” (vv. 3-8)

James likes small things that do great work. A bit is a small piece of metal in a horse’s mouth. A rudder is a small board under a large ship. A forest fire can start with one spark. “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things” (v. 5).

“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” (v. 5)

Then James goes further. The tongue does not only start fires. It is itself “set on fire by hell” (v. 6). The word James uses for hell is Gehenna, the same word Jesus used. Our words can carry something darker than a bad temper.

Then comes verse 8. Mankind has tamed every kind of beast and bird (v. 7). “But no human being can tame the tongue” (v. 8). Most of us have tried. We make a quiet resolution. “This year I will not raise my voice.” Then a Tuesday morning comes, and the old words slip out again. James is not surprised. No human being can tame it.

That is not a reason to give up. It is a reason to look up. What no human being can tame, God can make new. At Pentecost, God sent another kind of fire. “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them” (Acts 2:3). They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak “as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). A tongue set on fire by hell can be set on fire by heaven.

3. “From the same mouth” (vv. 9-12)

Here James puts his finger on the strangest thing about us. On Sunday we sing praise to our Lord and Father. Then, sometimes in the car on the way home from church, we speak harshly about a person made in the likeness of God (v. 9). James does not explain it away. He simply says, “My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (v. 10).

Why ought it not to be so? Because the person we curse bears God’s likeness (Genesis 1:26). To treat the image with contempt is to forget whose image it is.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a helpful observation here. A harsh word is often not where the story begins. Many times a protective part speaks first. It may be trying to keep us from feeling small, afraid, or ashamed.1 If we look honestly, many of us find fear underneath our sharpest words. I believe this observation is worth our attention.

But here IFS goes further than Scripture allows. Richard Schwartz titled one of his books No Bad Parts.2 James does not call the tongue wounded. He calls it “a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (v. 8). And Jesus traces our words to an even deeper place. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Burdens and wounds are real, and they deserve gentle care. But as a Calvinist, I believe our deepest trouble is not only what was done to us. It is a heart that needs to be made new.

“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (v. 10)

James closes with a fig tree and a grapevine. A tree bears fruit according to its kind (v. 12). So our hope is not a better technique for the tongue. Our hope is a new tree. And here the Gospel shines through. James spoke of a perfect man who does not stumble in what he says (v. 2). There has been only One. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return” (1 Peter 2:22-23). And “he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). On that tree He bore the curse our tongues deserved. Now, in Him, we can become new trees that bear the fruit of blessing.

Lips touched by fire from the altar learn, slowly, to bless.

Support the show

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello and welcome to another episode from Jubilee Life Coaches. This is Coach Brian. I am a Christian life coach with training in reform theology and Christian counseling. I try to bring a balanced worldview based on my theology and my pastoral ministry. I hope you find my daily meditations helpful to your Christian walk. Today we are meditating on James chapter 3, verses 1 to 12. James now turns to the tongue. He starts with teachers. Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. Then he paints three pictures. A small bit turns a horse, a very small rudder steers a large ship, and a small fire sets a whole forest ablaze. The tongue, James says, is that fire. First, a word for teachers. I have to begin with myself. For more than 30 years I have stood in pulpits and at Bible study tables, in the States and in Korea. That is a great many words. Notice that James says, we who teach. He does not point at other teachers, he puts himself in the line. More words mean more places to stumble, and a teacher's words travel far. Many of us still remember a sharp word from a pastor, a parent, or a teacher. And some of us were the ones who said it. This is not only for pastors. Parents teach, small group leaders teach, missionaries teach. Coaches mostly ask questions, but we teach too. Isaiah knew this fear. When he saw the king, he cried out, Woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips. Then one of the seraphim took a burning coal from the altar and touched his lips. Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. That fire came from the altar, the place of sacrifice. Christ is our sacrifice. The strict judgment that teachers fear fell on him first. So we can still teach, with trembling, yes, but also with joy. Second, the small fire. Listen to verse 8. But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison. Let's be honest. Most of us have tried. We make a quiet resolution. This year I will not raise my voice. Then a Tuesday morning comes and the old words slip out again. James is not surprised. But that is not a reason to give up. It is a reason to look up. At Pentecost, God sent another kind of fire. Divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. A tongue set on fire by hell can be set on fire by heaven. Third, the same mouth. On Sunday, we sing praise to our Lord and Father. Then, sometimes in the car on the way home from church, we speak harshly about a person made in the likeness of God. James simply says, My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Internal Family Systems offers a helpful observation here. A harsh word is often not where the story begins. Many times a protective part speaks first. It may be trying to keep us from feeling small or afraid or ashamed. If we look honestly, many of us find fear underneath our sharpest words. But scripture goes deeper than that. Richard Schwartz titled one of his books, No Bad Parts. James does not call the tongue wounded, he calls it a restless evil. And Jesus said, Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Wounds are real and they deserve gentle care. But as a Calvinist, I believe our deepest need is a new heart. And here is the good news. James spoke of a perfect man who never stumbles in what he says. There has been only one. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. And he bore our sins in his body on the tree. He took the curse our tongues deserved. A fig tree bears figs, a new tree bears new fruit. Lips touched by fire from the altar learn slowly to bless. Let me leave you with a question. Think of a recent moment when your words came out sharper than you meant. What were you feeling just before you spoke? And what changes when you bring that moment to Christ, who was reviled and did not revile in return? Let me pray for us. Heavenly Father, we confess that with the same mouth we have blessed you and wounded people made in your likeness. Our tongues are restless and we cannot tame them. Touch our lips with fire from your altar. Thank you for Jesus, who bore our sins on the tree. Give us new hearts by your Spirit, and let our words be fresh water to the thirsty. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening. Grace and peace to you.