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A Tongue of Fire

Album: Gold Audio 14: Meanwhile, In Another Part of Town

Episode: 193

Lesson/Theme: Watching your words.

Bible Verse: James 3:1-12

Characters: Jimmy, Eugene, Whit

Writer: Phil Lollar

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: May 2, 1992

Last Air Date: September 16, 2008

Description:
Jimmy Barclay is on the air at Kid's Radio! He talks, he tells jokes, he trades barbs with his audience, and he is pretty entertaining for a kid in middle school. But he wants to be very entertaining. So, with Eugene's help, Jimmy's made a demo tape to take to the most popular disc jockey in town, Cryin' Bryan Dern. Whit thinks the tape is amusing but warns Jimmy that he needs to be careful about what he says, some of his quips border on being insults. Jimmy sloughs off the advice and goes to Dern. Dern tells Jimmy to do exactly the opposite. In fact, one of Dern's secrets is to tape people covertly, make clips of their choicest comments, and put together well-chosen questions to make the speaker look ridiculous. Jimmy quickly puts this device to use. He tapes Eugene as he reveals to Whit a surprising and private admission, he has failed his driver’s test. Eugene is mortified that Jimmy would reveal this information on Kid's Radio. Whit is so angry about it, he pulls Jimmy's show off the air. Jimmy doesn't understand what all the fuss is about, until he hears himself being made a fool of on Bryan Dern's program. It seems Dern did to Jimmy what Jimmy did to Eugene. Jimmy doesn't like it one bit. He apologizes to Eugene, and the two of them set out to make a new demo tape of the Jimmy Barclay Show, a kinder, gentler demo tape. And Jimmy learns an important lesson about the damage that the tongue can do.

Questions:
Why did Jimmy think it was okay to secretly record Eugene? Why was Whit so angry with Jimmy for what he did? How can you learn to be more careful about what you say? Is that a struggle for you? Why or why not? Read James 3:1-1 What did the apostle James mean when he said that "the tongue is a fire"?