Months ago I was becoming increasingly dismayed by the frequency and contemptuousness of the partisan political remarks that I was hearing (or overhearing) at my church. Eventually I drafted a Bible study presenting this selection of verses that I thought might provide some apt counsel:

Kingdom Priorities
• Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 ESV).
• Jesus said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’” (Matt. 21:13).
• “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save” (Ps. 146:3).
• “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Tim. 2:3-4).
• “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2).

Speech and the Heart of the Speaker
• “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come … slander, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:20-21).
• And “out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
• “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful” (1 Cor. 6:12).
• “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).
• “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Prov. 18:2).

How Speech Choices Can Either Diminish or Foster Fellowship
• “And the tongue is a fire…” (James 3:6).
• “Watch out that you are not consumed by one another" (Gal. 5:15).
• “Therefore let us … decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. [Rather,] let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Romans 14:13,19).
• “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29).
• Be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

What Gracious Speech Means for Christian Outreach
• How we talk to visitors: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Col 4:5-6).
• How we talk to one another: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).