Holy Cussing:

Have you ever smashed your thumb with a hammer and screamed, fudge?

Today on the show, we are tackling the great debate of Christian cussing. Is saying shoot, darn, or frick actually holiness, or is it just a loophole? We're diving into the difference between a sentence enhancer and a sin, looking at what Ephesians really says about our speech, and asking the hard question, does God care about the syllables you use or the anger in your heart? From holy cussing to the time Jeremy learned that beer and salad don't mix with pro wrestling, we are covering it all.

So watch your mouth and turn up the volume. Welcome to Life on 11.

What's happening, dog? What's up, brother? What are you doing over there? Just chilling, my man. Just chilling. That's cool. Yeah. You look comfy. I'm always comfy when I'm sitting on this chair. I get it. It's a good spot. It's better than being outside. Yeah, I mean, it's not as cold today as it has been. It was pretty stinking cold yesterday. It was nasty cold. Yeah. Today was a bearable. I sat inside. Oh, yeah? What'd you get into today? I sat at UVA. Yeah.

Dad had a surgery. It was all right. Yeah, everything go? I think they got it all. Okay. Had a mass on his lung. Took the mass. Took some lymph nodes. Cool. Pretty good. They got it all. Okay, well, that's good. That's positive. But, you know, nothing will nothing will drain your energy while doing nothing all day than sitting at the hospital. Tell me about it. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. It's been there, done that. Yeah. What'd you do today? Today was relatively calm, uneventful.

Had a meeting, went and looked at a couple jobs, had lunch with a buddy. Where'd you go? Italian touch. I wasn't there. I mean I have other buddies besides you that's not allowed I'm here now aren't I. Anyway I had lunch with my mom hey hospital food hospital food fair that's a little not as good but then this evening Riley and I hung out, Just chilling while Talon and Tara went and watched some wrestling. Wrestling? Well, I guess technically it's wrestling.

Because they were actually scoring points and all that stuff. Wrestling is what you do when there's headgear and singlets and scoring. Yes. Wrestling is what you do when there's a steel cage and a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire and people going through tables. Okay. It was wrestling. Was there pyro and entrance music? I mean, I wasn't there. Was there pyro and entrance? Probably not. I'm not interested. Yeah, probably not interested.

I mean, I grew up watching wrestling. I grew up watching wrestling. Dude, that reminds me of a hilarious story. Tell me. Dude. Okay. So growing up, I lived right across from the food line there at Harmony Square. So I would walk over there, like get me some snacks and stuff before I sat down to watch a movie that I rented from the video store. Oh, baby. I know. Going back in time. But anyway.

I was there one time picking up some snacks for me, and I ran into this dude, like just a stereotypical guy, like big old belly, looked like a guy that would be just there to get beer, right? So anyway, in his cart, he had beer, and he had lettuce, and he was getting cheese. Okay. And he was like, he said, yeah, man, he said, I'm here to get me some beer, and I'm going to go home and make me a salad and watch some wrestling.

And I'm like, okay, the beer and the wrestling fits, but making a salad, that just does not fit the stereotype that I have of you right now. Hey, who? Hey, beer and salad, I don't know. That does nothing about that. No. You know what I've never done in my life? Had a beer and salad? I've never made a salad and been like, you know, I'd be really good with this salad right now. Pour me a cold one. But yeah, I will never forget that for the rest of my life.

That's hilarious. Go home and make a salad and watch some wrestling. Well, my uncle, my uncle used to, he used to get all the wrestling pay-per-views. Oh, yeah? We'd go over to his house and we'd watch the wrestling pay-per-views. My parents wouldn't let me watch wrestling. It was too violent. Okay, we... Yeah. I understand that. I mean, my parents let me watch wrestling because, like, we all knew it wasn't real. I mean, I knew it wasn't real, too, but still. Yeah, we watched. Yeah.

Along with all the words I wasn't allowed to say. The best part is, like, there's two or three people in my family who, like, they still watch wrestling, like, all the time. And so, because I watched wrestling when I was, like, between the ages of 10 and 17, 16 with them, like, they think I still watch wrestling.

So if i see them they're like man do you see what happened with old stone cold steve austin i'm like i don't and then they're like they try to like fill me in on whatever's happened and yeah you gotta be you gotta be in the know yeah i got no so maybe what i need to just like start chat gpt like tell me what's happening in the world of wrestling before i go to family there's a few of them man they they in okay that's cool

yeah hey is it i mean i mean if it's their thing yeah if That's your thing. I mean, there's worse things to be into, I guess. Well, yeah, that's true. You do have that right. Yeah. Yeah, that's true. That's true. So. Yeah. Oh, forgot. O'Reilly helped me work on the old refrigerator tonight. Yeah? Did you get it fixed? No, no. The water is not coming out, and it's not making any ice. Okay. So I had to order me a little valve thing, like 30 bucks. Okay. So when Tara got home, she was like,

is the part expensive? And I was like, no, no, no. It's not. It's like 30 bucks. And I was like, why are you trying to get a new refrigerator? She was like, no, no, no, no. I'm like, all right, because I ain't trying to spend $3,000 on a new refrigerator. Preach. You know what I'm saying? Preach. Yeah. Yeah, it's no good. Dude, that stuff's ridiculous. Oh, refrigeration. Well, I mean, maybe when you get done, we can work on my refrigerator.

What's wrong with your refrigerator? What else is wrong with my refrigerator? I have an ice machine that apparently works for a union. Ugh. Yeah, it like we'll have we won't have ice for like two weeks, not zero. So we'll buy like ice from the gas station. And then all of a sudden for like three days makes ice like gangbusters. Everything's great. We're like, yeah, ice machine works. It's gone. That definitely sounds like a year. Yeah, like four days won't make any ice.

They'll make half a bucket of ice. Are you not keeping up with its dues? I guess not. Bro, you need to get on that. I know. I don't know. It's quite frustrating because I always catch it at the end of the cycle. So I'm like, oh, yeah, I might have some ice. There's no ice. We had an ice. Everybody, yeah. I've had it worked on once. Hmm. Didn't work. You can't just buy a $30 part? I don't know what $30 part to buy. I'm just kidding. I have no idea.

I mean, like, I replaced the entire ice-making mechanism once. Dude, I bet that wasn't cheap. No, it wasn't. But I wanted ice. I'm just saying, dude. Yeah, you'll have that. Makes me want to cuss.

Speaking of which, like that segue there? I've heard better. Okay. We're talking about cussing tonight. Christian cussing. Christian cussing. Should Christians cuss? Christian cussing. Yeah. Holy cussing. Holy cussing. Wow. Yeah. Should Christians cuss? That's one of what about is it okay to, you know, use foul language? If you haven't, you should pause this podcast right now. Pause. Don't leave. Come back. Come back. Google Tim Hawkins Christian cuss words.

It's amazing. If you haven't heard it, it is definitely worth if we had the copyright ability, we would play it for you. But I'm sure we'll get muted. Oh, yeah, we get shut down. Yeah, it'd be bad. So we won't play it for you. But go Google. Christian Cuss Words with Tim Hawkins. Yeah. What's your favorite Christian Cuss Word? Oh my. Dude, there were so many words I wasn't allowed to say growing up. You weren't allowed to say poop.

Poop? Man. What could you not say? But. I couldn't say but. Sorry, you couldn't say but. Wasn't allowed to say but. Had to say bottom. Gotcha. Bottom. But no, fudge. Fudge is a, is a good one. Dagnabbit is one of mine. That's a go-to for me. Dagnabbit. The old H-E double hockey stick. That's a good one. That's a good one. Shoot. Oh, yeah. Shoot. Dang. Dang. Darn. Darn. That one's... I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, could be.

Oh, you brought one up earlier. One of the boys' favorites that I say is, Great Googly Moogly. Great Googly Moogly. Great Googly Moogly. And I always say it like that. I could be so angry and I still were like, great googly-meggly. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah, there's quite a I mean, really, you can almost you can almost fill in any word. Yeah. And someone will know. Yeah. Like kind of what your intent is. So funny enough, the person who suggested

this podcast topic, a friend of the podcast, R.B. Propst. I went in to see him. props to rb props props i went see rb and he told me that we he asked if we would do a podcast on this and i told him that maybe we should play a little game oh where we would just you and i would say random sentences and we would just bleep out a word and you'd have to see like did we actually say a cuss word or not like if we just put in the bleep that would be hilarious right yeah so you know like that person's

a like said watermelon that person's a watermelon yeah have you like Did you have a cursing problem at any point in your life? Okay. All right. Problem would almost be like that I didn't intend to do it. You know what I'm saying? I couldn't stop myself. But I'm sorry, Mom, if you're listening. But when I was in high school, it was all the rage to cuss. I think that's still a thing. Yeah, I'm sure it is. I'm sure it is. But that was the thing.

So, yes, I would cuss at school. Some would say like a sailor. Literally, when I got home, I could flip it off like a switch. I wouldn't say, because I wasn't allowed to say butt. I wouldn't say butt. I would say bottom. And I'm trying to think. There was one, I think puke. They didn't like when we said puke. Okay. So, we had to say barf. Dude, I'd rather you say puke. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. All right. Have you ever got your mouth washed out with soap? Oh, yeah.

Dude, you want to talk about nasty. Yeah. Anyway, that's a whole. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, yeah. So, I mean, was it a problem? I mean, I knew what I was doing, and I was doing it on purpose. Oh, yeah. Should I have been? No, I shouldn't have been. Yeah. Yeah. I cussed like a sailor for, especially when I worked in the restaurant scene. I mean, everybody did. I mean, it's not the excuse, but I mean, it was just like. No, understood. I mean, yeah. Construction.

Yeah. So, I mean, it was all over the place. And so, I had a really filthy mouth for there for a while. Yeah. Like you, I was pretty good at. I can still remember the first time that I said the F-bomb in front of my father. Oh my. I've never done that. Yeah. It was not a good situation. He didn't say anything, but I could tell. He was caught off guard. Yeah. Let's just say it was before I was walking with Jesus in a really good way, and there may have been some beer involved.

So I was a little loose on the tongue, and I can still remember saying it, and I just looked at him, and I was like, wow, that just happened. Okay. All right. But seriously though, what, what, like, what really is the difference between saying, oh, fudge versus the other F word?

Yeah. Like what is the real difference other than the actual word that comes out of your mouth? Yeah. The intent is the same. Right. And that, like, I think Jesus was kind of getting at that, like in the Sermon on the Mount, because he's like, oh, if you even say to your brother Raka, which, I mean, the closest word we have to that is idiot. So that's pretty low on the, yeah, for sure. I've probably called somebody an idiot 16 times today. Yeah.

So, the standard there is pretty low as far as the language goes. But he says if you call your brother Raka, then you're guilty of murder. Right? So, I mean. Yeah, I mean, you know, and he talks, do not let any, was it, unpure talk come from your mouths? Yeah, Ephesians. Ephesians, it's like two times right in a row. Ephesians 4.29. Don't let any wholesome talk come out of your mouths. There you go. But only what's helpful with building others up. I'll talk about that in a second

because I think that's different than what we think it is. Okay. Number two, warning against obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking. Okay. So that's like right in a row, Ephesians 4, Ephesians 5. I actually think that Ephesians 4, 29 is not talking about cursing. I think it's talking about gossip and slander and lying, which I find it hilarious, like the amount of people who think that cussing is bad, but they don't mind

gossiping. Oh, yeah, they don't mind gossiping or talking bad about somebody. Right, slandering or anything like that. You do understand, unwholesome talk isn't just four-letter words. Yes, agreed. So I think Ephesians 4.29, because if you – I'm going to open up the old Bible here. Okay. If you look at it inside of its whole context. Now, I would say, so there's a lot of people, and me, like me personally,

the one that bothers me the most is hearing someone use the Lord's name in vain. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That one there always gives me like, eee, I really don't like that. Yeah. You know what I mean?

So so i kind of i guess i kind of differentiate between those between those which we can dive into in a little bit so ephesians 4 started 25 therefore having put away falsehood let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor for your members of one another be angry and do not sin to let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil let the thief steal no longer let him labor doing honest work with

his hands so that he may have something to share with anyone need let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths but only what is good for building each other up. It fits the occasion that may give grace to all those who hear and do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as Christ forgave

you. So I actually think like the unwholesome talk is talking about there. I don't think it's talking about cursing. I think it's talking about where it talks about let all wrath and anger and bitterness and clamor and slander. And up here, talks about be angry and don't sin, put away falsehood, speak the truth in love. So I actually think that one is less about cursing. Less about specific words. But I mean, to be fair, in biblical times, the words that we say that didn't even exist.

Right. Right. So, I mean. Right. And that's always the argument that, like, I've heard. Sure. Yeah. That's always. I've heard the same. Like, whoever decided that this word was bad. Well, I mean, just think. So, let's go back. Let's go back 20 years ago. Okay. There's all sorts of words that we say now that 20 years ago were like. Well, that's true. Completely. That's true. Completely unacceptable. Right. There's a lot of even now, like, the stuff with, like, the, like, LGBTQ, all that.

It's like there's words then that like that's true you're right but you didn't say those things 20 years ago but now it's okay yeah because it's a you know or like even something like like i screwed up oh yeah like oh 20 years ago that that was that was pretty close to profanity yeah that's true that was another one i wasn't allowed to say growing up yeah yeah screw that or screw this or whatever yeah i mean there's and some of that is like culture yeah you know Because,

again, 20, 25 years ago, like, you couldn't even say, like, hell on TV. And now they. Yeah, they pretty much say whatever they want, whatever. I mean, there's been a couple of things, like, even on, like, not just on TV shows, but even on commercials. Where I'm like, what? Are you kidding me? Like, we just said that. Like, when I was growing up, you couldn't even say that on, like, the 11 o'clock show. Jay Leno couldn't say that.

Are we watching the HBO? Oh but yeah and so that that is like because a lot of the words that we think about, They're English words that we've attached words to. So I do think there's some truth to that because they're just constructing things. And so as a society, we have decided that that word is bad. Right. But, you know, one of my favorite ones is in like the Victorian era. Leg was considered profanity. Really? Yeah. You weren't supposed to say leg. Oh, interesting.

Yeah. So you could say limb, but like leg was like sexually provocative. Really? And so, I mean, I can see how that would fit actually, but anyway, let's hold on to the conversation. So, I mean, yeah, so language does change. Now, the question is, does that let us off the hook? Like if something is socially a problem and we've decided as a society it's not good, so should we as Christians think about like, you know, what did Paul say?

Like, oh, eat whatever meat you want unless it causes another brother to stumble, then don't eat the meat. And so that that's a that's a whole other question. So, yeah, I mean, you know, a lot of times we like I've I've been around plenty of people that use certain words and they're not even like people would consider them as bad words, cuss words, but they're not using them in in malice or in like they're not angry. They're not expressing frustration like they literally just that word is part

of their vocabulary. Yeah. So, so that sentence enhancers, yes, sentence enhancers. That's a good way to put it. But like to them, they're like, what? Like, that's, that's just how I talk like that, you know, and it's no different than like me saying fudge. Yeah. For example. Yeah. You know what I mean? So it's like, I don't know. I've, I've always kind of beat that one around in my head.

Like, really, where does this? Yeah. I can still remember like when I first got into ministry, my cousin took me to visit a friend of his that he wanted to come to church. And he told me like, dude, cuss is like water. Like it just comes. And so, yeah, we did. We went and saw him. And he, I mean, he had a woof. And like probably 20 minutes into the conversation, he was like, dude, I told you he's a pastor. The guy looks like he's like, my cousin ain't sending him to hell.

Fair point. Fair point. But I mean, that's the real question. Are using the words that we call cuss words, is that sending you to hell? Right. I don't think it's sending you to hell, but I do think there's something to be said about holiness. Sure. And it does not bother me. So every now, I shouldn't even say every now and then, probably more frequently than folks might realize, people will cuss around me.

And even like, I'll be doing a pastoral counseling session or I'll be like, get ready for their funeral, like for loved one's funeral or something. And they'll throw out a cuss word.

And like, at first I like cover their mouth like all over and I'm like look you're expressing how you're feeling right now like it does not bother me if we were sitting here having this conversation and you were just, cussing like nobody's business then maybe we would have a conversation right but words are indicators of feelings and so to me there is a difference in you you, You cuss, you said a bad word because you were feeling frustrated or you were

feeling overwhelmed and you are cursing as part of your everyday vocabulary, right? There's a difference in I told a lie and I'm a liar. Yeah. It's more of like, what is in the heart, in my opinion? Yeah. Because now, to be fair, I've met plenty of people that use lots of cuss words that their heart is hard. Like, and you can, it's not just in the words that they use, it's in the way they act.

And just the way they talk, not specifically those words, but the way they talk about other people to other people, you know, that to me says a lot more than just the words that we're talking about. The couple exceptions I have, I cannot stand when people cuss around kids. Oh, that's fair. No, I agree. Like, I can't stand it. I agree, especially at their kids. But again, that's yeah, I I like I I was very close to pulling my kids off a

basketball team one time because the coach was cussing at them. Yeah. And I was like, I don't cuss at my children. You're not going to cuss at my children. And partially like I think that's just because children don't like they mimic behavior and they can say words and they don't even understand what they mean.

And so as an adult there's kind of like some informed consent for the most part like most of us are kind of the place where we know that that word's a bad word and we know if we use it it's going to have this effect I think when you cuss around children you begin to make it normal yeah you're right and they really I mean how many times have you heard a little kid say a word right they don't even know what they're saying right yeah,

I do wish that we would have less cursing in like the public sphere like I don't like cuss words on t-shirts I don't like cuss words on bumper stickers okay that bothers me. I think, again, that's like that, like, like, you know, everybody sees that. And I just think it's, it's very demoralizing, you know, to see those things.

I struggle with that, you know, like, you know, it, it wouldn't, it's funny because if somebody used a cuss word at me, it wouldn't necessarily bother me as much as like somebody who has another t-shirt. It's just like, ah, dude, like, come on, like, we all have to read that. Yeah, you're right. I mean, that, that, that is probably a little, a little distasteful, I would say. Yeah. Yeah. But there's plenty of other things that can be distasteful without

using bad words. Absolutely. So, I mean, the same is true. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. I think it's just that, like, I have a choice to engage in certain conversations, and I don't if it's all over the back of your car and now, you know. You know, so I do not, like, if Christians use curse words, it doesn't bother me personally. I do not use them. I mean, I do not use them on a regular basis.

The other side is like, so one of my favorite sermons I have ever heard was by a pastor by the name of Perry Noble. Anyway, forget his name. Anyway, he gets out on the sermon and he stands up and this guy's kind of like known for like shock jock stuff. Okay. And he gets up and he was like, You guys all have neighbors and relatives and people in your family who are going to hell and you could give us about it. Like says the word in the pulpit and the whole church goes silent.

He's like, and you will spend longer talking about the fact that I just said the S word. Then your neighbor is going to hell. That's true. And that was his whole sermon. Like he just talked about like the priority of getting to know the lost. And I was like, that's crazy that he did that. But there is something to be said about that. Like, you know, I wouldn't do that. But that shock of like, yeah, holy smoke.

How about one of the ones that I think about is in Philippians chapter three, verse eight.

I'd like to get your opinion on this one. Oh, OK. Philippians chapter three, verse eight. Paul says.

He uses the word but whatever this is verse 8 indeed I count everything as lost because of their passing worth of knowing Christ Jesus for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him so the word that Paul uses there is, skupulon or I don't know if I'm pronouncing that right sure but it is considered in original Greek it's a vulgar word okay it would be something like is it really meant dung or trash okay

okay and so paul actually uses a bit of a vulgar word even in we read that we read rubbish because that's how it's translated but for his original listeners that's a pretty like could have been the s word right for example right it was really a no-no word so he kind of uses some pretty strong language to drive a point Yeah, to express the importance of said topic. Yeah. Right. Thoughts on that?

You know, I'm not going to lie. I have been in some situations where maybe a not so good word was used in a similar situation to make a point similar to the pastor, that sermon that you're talking about. And in some instances, I mean, you know, if you're using it every day and every day conversation, it actually it loses it. You lose the importance as strange as the sounds that we're having this conversation. But like, for example, OK, so so I used to, like I said, in high school, cuss a lot.

I was just I mean, we just we literally would sing songs. All they had was bad words in them. and like we did that on purpose because it was funny, but like now most people would say when they see me at work or they talk to me they're like oh that's right you don't cuss you don't cuss like so they'll try not to cuss around me but.

And again, not saying that this is necessarily right, but if I use a word that people think is a bad word to get a point across or like everybody's like, whoa, we need to listen to this. Right. You know what I mean? Not saying that that's right or that's okay, but in the same sense that Paul used a word that was considered a dirty word to drive a point home.

I do think there's some value there. I mean, as crazy as that might sound to a lot of people, I mean, I personally think that Paul using that word was intentional to get, like, this is how serious this is. Yeah. It reminds me of, like, we had a coach growing up that he never raised his voice. Like, he even killed all the time. And, like, the first time he yelled at us, we were like, because, you know, some coaches just yell to yell. Yeah, true.

And it was like, oh, my gosh, we better speak up, right? I do think that a lot of times the language that we use is not about us, it's about others. Whether that's fair or not, we won't get into on this podcast. Sure. But... I do think there's something to be said that scripture referenced before about Paul, where he's like, you know, should you eat food sacrificed to idols? Well, idols aren't real. And so that food really was sacrificed to nothing.

So eat what you want, unless there's somebody who's going to stumble because you do it and then don't do it. For sure. And so I might not have a problem with somebody using those words in moderation. But if somebody else does, then we probably shouldn't use them. Yeah. And I want to go back to about what's in the heart.

I think there's a lot to be said for that because, I mean, how many times have you run across somebody you can just tell that their heart is hurting and they're saying bad things, not even necessarily bad words, but just the way they act, the way they talk, you can tell that they're hurting. So, yeah, there's something to be said to be said for that, we need to meet those people where they are for sure. Same way with everybody else who's maybe not using those words, but you know what I'm saying.

Well, the thing is like, words are constructs. I remember in seminary, we talked a lot about the symbol and the sign, right? Yeah. Words are the things that we have attached to the world around us. Mm-hmm. So, a cloud is the word that we use for that thing God made in the sky. It is a different word in 18 different languages, right? Sure. But they do indicate something. So, if I say this is a chair, it is the word that I use to talk about this object that I'm sitting on.

Mm-hmm. So, if we use that same concept, curse words can be indicators of something deeper. You know, somebody has to use that kind of language. Like, to me, it talks a lot about, like, how they try to get their point across. Or sometimes I feel like the people who cuss the most are people who haven't been heard the most in their lives. Okay. And so they've had to almost resort to cursing to feel like they're being heard or to get their point across.

That's just something I've noticed yeah it's an interesting thought yeah I never considered it and so I do think I do hate the fact that we've moved to a place where it's more and more like normal oh you're right it's definitely been normalized, oh yes I remember like when I was working at Dairy Queen like if I cussed at a like if a customer heard me cuss I was losing my job and now like, it's I hear cashiers use that language all the time yeah sure And it's just like, okay, whatever.

But all that to say, I do think that the Ephesians 4.29 verse where it talks about it gives grace to all who hears. Like it puts the emphasis on who's hearing you talk. It's not just about if you're okay with it or if you think it's right or wrong, but is it graceful? Is it nullifying your witness for Christ? And it's funny because there's a pastor who many, many years ago wrote a lot of really good books.

And I remember there was another book that came out and it talked about the cursing pastor. And they never used his name. They just talked about like there was this pastor that everybody loved, but he cursed all the time. And his thing was, if I cuss, then it makes me more relatable to the people who don't come to church. Oh, interesting thought. Yeah. And then it came out on who it was. And it was like this dude who like, you would have never thought that like reading his books or anything.

And they like confronted him about it. And he was like, you know, they're just words like it doesn't matter. And then they like played all these people who have like walked away from God, walk away from opportunities from the church because of his language. And they were like, it really offended me that you talk that way, like you're supposed to be different.

And so him using that words wasn't even about his conscious it was about theirs oh and that's what lays it on its head right wow interesting i'll tell you what i definitely, has made me think a lot more tonight this conversation than i thought it would honestly, very a lot of things to to consider yeah for sure how'd you how'd you stop using bad language.

How did I stop? Yeah. Did you just stop? Yeah. Honestly, yeah, because the only reason I was doing it, like I said, when I was in school, was to fit in or to be funny or to... Just because everybody else did it. I mean, that's literally why I did it for no other reason. And so one day I just flipped the switch off and it stayed off. I don't remember exactly when it happened or exactly why it happened. I was just like, yeah, yeah, I don't need to do all this. Okay.

Yeah. That sounds weird. But I mean, honestly, that's what I can. I'm glad I worked for you. Yeah. I put a rubber band around my wrist. Oh, that's it. I've heard lots of people doing that. And every time I said a cuss word, I had to. Yeah, had to snap it. Yep. Which is funny because a couple of times I think I said a cuss word because I slapped the rubber band. Oh, my goodness. It didn't take long. It didn't take long. Yeah. Kind of like it was just more about like, just a dirty habit.

Yeah, it was really just, I mean, literally, it was just to fit in. I mean, how many other things do we do just to fit in or to be cool or whatever? So really I think in God's eyes it's all the same whatever those things are, I'll put out one more scripture for us to think about James chapter 3.

It's like 1 to like 8 or so that all talks about it but it's specifically talking about the tongue it says for we all stumble in many ways and if anyone does not stumble in what he says he's a perfect man able to bridle his whole body If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we will guide their bodies as well. Look at the ships. Oh, they are so large. They are driven by strong winds. They are guided by a very small rudder.

Whoever is in the will of pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. 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. There is something to say about, I think it is a discipline that lots of us need to learn to control our tongue, not just curse words, but again, lying, slander, gossip, right?

But, you know, you'll hear people like, well, this is just how I talk. Well, the scriptures does do kind of point to us that we need to control our tongue. So I do think that we as Christians need to pay attention to that. I agree 100%. Yes, not just with the four letters, but with all of them, you know, with everything we say. I mean, like I said, not like to build others up.

I mean, that right there, like if you were to put everything to the litmus test that you say is what I'm saying, building others up. Yeah. And that's that's really what it comes down to. It doesn't necessarily mean. Bad word or what word that I say. It's everything in the whole. Is it building someone else up? It's the lipid test we need to put it to. Absolutely.

Let's end this podcast with two challenges. Okay. First is serious and the other one's kind of fun. Okay. The serious one is maybe if you have a cursing problem, maybe fast from saying cuss words for a week. Okay. And just see if you notice a difference in how you feel or how people approach you. You know, maybe just like make that conscious decision. You probably slip up, but you know, I'm going to really try not to.

Sure. One of the things that helped me is I stopped listening to music with cuss words in it. That really helped. Yeah, that was a long time. But, you know, just cut out the curse words for a week and see what that feels like. The other challenge is, do you have a favorite Christian cuss word, a light cuss word, a Christian alternative, if you will? A light, a light Christian. If you do comment on the comment on this podcast and tell us what your favorite light cuss word is PG 13 version.

Oh my goodness. Of your favorite curse word. It's been fun, dude. This, like I said, this is real, really made me think a lot more than I thought it would. Honestly, a barrel full of monkeys, a barrel full of monkeys. I hope you have a good rest of the week. Thanks again for tuning in to life on 11. We hope today's discussion gave you something powerful to think about and apply to your walk with Christ.

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