DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES.
Jason was going on the most dangerous activity he had even been on - and he loved the thought! Three of his family were going too, so it would be a shared thrill.
Dad, Morris his ten year old brother, and Ted his Dad’s brother were going as well.
They had booked a hot air balloon, and they were getting up really early to get aboard. Jason had told some of the boys at school about the “expedition.” They had tried to make him nervous by telling him about horrible accidents with hot air balloons. “This guy up in the Northern Territory made his balloon go too close to another one - and his balloon basket ripped out the top of the other balloon! And six people died!” said Philip. “You are mad to go in one of those, “joined in John. “You could end up flat as a pancake - splattered everywhere over the ground! Not me!”

Jason couldn’t sleep well,  he even thought of chickening out. But he finally became determined to go through with the balloon trip. That day was one of the best he had ever had. They all climbed into the balloon and the “pilot” soon had them in the sky. The sky was a perfect blue, and the delight of moving almost soundlessly through the clear air was exciting beyond belief. Jason was so glad that night that he had taken the most dangerous and thrilling journey of his life. He thanked God he had not listened to Philip and John. They were jealous, don’t you think?

If you were asked to make a list of all sorts of dangerous activities, what would you include? Maybe underwater diving, mountain climbing, hang gliding, fighting bush fires or driving racing cars. Would you put talking  down on your list?
Well the Bible shows that talking is a dangerous activity! It has gotten more people into trouble than anything else. Talking can break secrets, talking can betray others, talking can hurt ourselves and other people we love. It is a very dangerous activity. We have to watch our talking!

We can gossip, lie, ruin other people’s good names, speak cruelly and lose friendships. We can say more than we intended to, and give our own selves away.
We can use our talk to say filthy things, and bring disgrace on ourselves. We can use our talk to show-off, and then other kids won’t like us. We can show by our talk that we are not willing to forgive people who annoy or hurt us. Our talk can be very destructive. Even small children can hurt adults with their nasty tongues! Talking can sure be a dangerous activity!

The Bible tells us in the following verse that lying talk can “afflict” others (cause them pain and problems). Flattering talk can cause ruin! Flattering means to make out you like someone when you don’t, or to make out they are better in your opinion than you think they are. We flatter people to get something from  them that we want.
“A lying tongue hateth [those that are] afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” Proverbs 26:28.

The Bible tells us to control our talking, and listen more to others:
“...let every man (boy and girl) be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (anger).” James 1:19. Good advice!

Talking can be a dangerous activity if you cannot control your “raving on.” James 3:3-6 tells us this about an uncontrolled talking habit:
“...the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity (wrong doing): so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell.”

Pretty heavy stuff!  Sinful talking can ruin an awful lot of good things in your life, so ask God to control your tongue, and your thoughts!