What did Jesus say? 

Do Not Take An Oath

• Matthew 5:34-37:   But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

In Other Text: 

• James 5:12:  But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
• Numbers 30:2  If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Challenge: 

It can seem like our culture has lost all respect for keeping their word, for making promises and following through with consistency.  With broken homes, our children can learn at a very young age that anyone at any time can decide to break their promise.

Jesus cares about our relationships and wants us to walk in integrity and honor. Sometimes our pride or desire to “please others” can cause us to spin up lofty plans. When we fail to execute the plans, we hurt those who placed their trust in our word. This creates disappointment and division in our relationships. 

Let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No!  Think over your conversations, are there promises left unfulfilled, and how can you change and instead work to fulfill your word?  

*Click Here For Meeting Outline: a simple guide to use with each weekly discussion.