A Lesson in Wisdom from Chick-fil-A on the Power of Words

Summary

The Wake-Up Call: A Lesson in Wisdom from Chick-fil-A on the Power of Words

Host: John David Walt (with guests David Walt and others)
Date: January 10, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode centers on the transformative power of words, drawing wisdom from Proverbs 10 and everyday experiences—including a surprising lesson from Chick-fil-A. The conversation explores how our speech can be a fountain of life or a source of destruction, encouraging listeners to reflect on the spiritual and relational implications of their daily language.

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1. Main Theme & Purpose

• The episode is a call for daily awakening and intentionality, inviting listeners to reorient their words and actions around the love and wisdom of Jesus.
• The central focus is the biblical teaching on the power and significance of speech, how words can build up or tear down, and practical ways to apply this wisdom—highlighted through a comparison between standard customer service replies and Chick-fil-A’s signature phrase.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of the Tongue in Scripture

[02:00–05:00]

• Reading of Proverbs 10:11–21, emphasizing themes such as:

  • "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence."
  • "Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning."
  • "The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the lips of the righteous nourish many."

• Reflection:

  • Our words have immense capacity—to create, heal, affirm, or destroy.
  • "Our words may be the greatest power we possess." (John David Walt, 05:10)

Practical Application: Ephesians & James on Speech

[05:30–07:00]

• Ephesians 4:29 is highlighted:
  • Don’t let unwholesome talk come out, only words that build up.
• James 1:26 is quoted:
  • If you can’t control your tongue, your “religion is worthless.”

Key Takeaways:

• Gossip, sarcasm, and negativity are named as examples of speech that tear down.
• Affirmation, encouragement, and calling people by name are ways language can nurture.
• “Our words can create a context of life or an environment of death. Our every word matters.” (John David Walt, 06:55)

The Chick-fil-A Example: "My Pleasure" vs. "No Problem"

[07:15–08:30]

• Contrast between casual customer service responses at restaurants:

  • Most respond to "thank you" with "no problem"—a phrase using negative words.
  • Chick-fil-A’s response: "My pleasure"—imbuing the exchange with dignity and joy.

• Analysis:

  • “Those two little words brighten up the room. Every time they say it… it reinforces to the customer that service is a pleasure. Every time they say it, it reinforces to the employee that service is a privilege. Words create worlds.” (John David Walt, 08:20)

• Application: What would it look like if we extrapolated this intentionality into 20 other daily situations?

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Words:
  • "To be created in God's image means in some sense our words are imbued with great power. Our words can create or they can destroy." (John David Walt, 04:30)
• On Affirming Speech:
  • "Words of encouragement build people up. Words of affirmation and blessing build people up. Calling people by their name builds people up." (John David Walt, 06:36)
• On Chick-fil-A's Model:
  • “Every time they say [‘my pleasure’], it reinforces to the customer that service is a pleasure… Words create worlds.” (John David Walt, 08:22)
• On Life and Death:
  • “You don’t need to be afraid to die... The best is yet to come.” (John David Walt, 14:03, quoting John Wesley)
• On Losing Loved Ones:
  • "You can know that they are more alive now than they were then... They're fully alive and they're fully in the presence of God." (John David Walt, 15:50)
  • "They're closer now than you think… No, we're surrounded by a cloud of witnesses." (John David Walt, 16:20)

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4. Important Timestamps & Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Welcoming listeners, opening prayer and scripture focus| | 02:00 | Reading Proverbs 10:11–21 | | 04:20 | Reflection: power of the tongue and creating/destroying| | 05:30 | Ephesians and James on the speech | | 07:15 | Discussion of "No problem" vs. "My pleasure" | | 08:30 | Extrapolating intentional, life-giving language | | 11:36 | Story behind “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” hymn | | 13:45 | Reflection on living with hope and heaven’s nearness | | 16:20 | On losing loved ones and the cloud of witnesses |

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5. Hymn and Closing Reflections

"O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing"

[10:04–13:45]

• John and David Walt introduce and sing Charles Wesley’s hymn as a response and application to the earlier discussion—using “a thousand tongues” to praise God, echoing the idea that every word matters.
• The hymn’s background: Written by Charles Wesley to celebrate his awakening as a Christian, originally penned with 18 verses.

Reflections on Death, Grief, and Christian Hope

[14:00–17:09]

• Quoting John Wesley’s dying words, "The best is yet to come," to encourage hope.
• Personal anecdotes about losing loved ones—affirming that they are “more alive now” and “closer than you think.”
• Encouragement to live with anticipation of heaven and awareness of the ongoing connection with the “cloud of witnesses.”

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6. Journal Prompts & Application

[09:40]

• Introspective coaching:
  • "What is your level of awareness of the power of your words?"
  • "Are you care-filled when it comes to your words or do you tend to be careless?"
  • Prompt to journal and seriously consider the impact of “idle speech.”

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Summary Table

| Topic | Key Insight | Notable Quote | |-----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | Power of Words | Words can create or destroy; they're a "fountain of life" | “Our words may be the greatest power we possess.” (05:10) | | Biblical Foundation | Proverbs, Ephesians, and James all speak to weight of speech | “If you… do not keep a tight rein on their tongues, [you] deceive themselves and their religion is worthless.” (James 1:26, 06:35) | | Chick-fil-A Example | The phrase "my pleasure" models positive, intentional language | “Words create worlds.” (08:30) | | Christian Hope in Grief | Heaven as a present reality; loved ones are closer than we think | “They're fully alive and they're fully in the presence of God.” (15:50) |

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Engaging Takeaway

This episode challenges listeners to embrace the sacred power of language, echoing the love and wisdom of Jesus in every interaction. Through practical examples, scriptural instruction, and the hopeful legacy of Christian hymnody, John David Walt and guests call for intentional, grace-filled speech that sows life—reminding us that "words create worlds," and the best is truly yet to come.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Sower Nation it is Saturday, January 10th, in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm John David Walt, and this is your wake up call. Thank you so much for joining today. Not just joining me, but joining many, many other sowers across the nation and the world who are waking up to wisdom this January and who are going out and hitting the fields to sow for a great awakening. Let's begin this Saturday. As always, it's Coon supper day here in Gillette, Arkansas. That's a big day. They have the Gillette Annual Coon Supper and this is probably 82 or 83 I think, but I'll be all part of that, of course, for sure. But let's start off this day in consecration. So Word of God coming your way. Wake up sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you and we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. So today's entry is entitled A Lesson in Wisdom from Chick Fil A on the Power of Words. Our text today is Proverbs, chapter 10. You're going to read the whole chapter. We're going to focus in on a good swath of it here. Verses 11 through 21, about 10 verses. So hear now the Word of the Lord. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked is conceals violence, hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning. But a rod is for the back of one who has no sense. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense. The Word of the Lord. Now consider this. Today we see another major theme of the rest of Proverbs. The power of the tongue and the potency of words. Verse 11 says it beautifully. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Our words may be the greatest power we possess. What holds more power than the word of God? To be created in God's image means in some sense our words are imbued with great power. Our words can create or they can destroy. It brings to mind a text I first worked with a lot when I was a youth pastor. It's Ephesians 4:29. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit all who listen. Unwholesome talk tears people down, whether it is directed at them or not. Gossip tears people down, even if it seems satisfying at the moment. Sarcasm tears people down. Negativity tears people down. The New Testament writer James has quite a bit to say about the power of the tongue and the potency of words. Consider this example from James 1:26 those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless. Words of encouragement build people up. Words of affirmation and blessing build people up. Calling people by their name builds people up. Our words can create a context of life or an environment of death. Our Every word matters at most restaurants, when an employee serves you in some way and you thank them, they typically say something like, no problem. Really? What does that mean? Are you saying it was not a problem to do your job? And those two words are not even great words. No and problem are both less than stellar words. In contrast, consider Chick fil a. When you say thank you for an act of service there, you know what they say back? My pleasure. Those two little words brighten up the room. Every time they say it, and they say it a lot, it reinforces to the customer that service is a pleasure. Every time they say reinforces to the employee that service is a privilege. Words create worlds. So the question how can we extrapolate this little example in 20 other situations in our everyday lives? I know McDonald's is listening out there. I have to say I love McDonald's too, but chick fil a is winning on the greeting war. All right, John Snow Burger, that was for you. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, you are the wisdom of heaven on earth. Pure, peace, loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. You are my wisdom and I am your witness. I want to know you better today, and I'm praying in your name. Amen the journal prompts today. What is your level of awareness of the power of your words? Are you care filled when it comes to your words or do you tend to be careless? I want you to think about that and journal about that. Today. We can be. I can be. I mean the Bible. Also, often we'll speak about idle speech and taking care to not participate in just idle words. Well, that's probably a good place to leave it today there before we turn to singing some good words together. And my empty chair signifies to you we're gonna have a special guest coming to help us. All right, well, we got a good song for Saturday today. Dad, tell them what it is.

[B]

Oh, 4,000 tongues to sing.

[A]

And what number is it?

[B]

It's number one, this.

[A]

Friends, if it's a Methodist hymnal, this will be the number one song.

[B]

What a way to start a hymnbook. Oh, 4,000 Tongues to Sing.

[A]

And you know, even the title of our hymnal was taken from this hymn. Our Great Redeemer's Praise.

[B]

Amen.

[A]

And it's interesting. This hymn, of course, was written by Charles Wesley and he wrote it to celebrate his own awakening and becoming a Christian.

[B]

Is that right?

[A]

He sure did.

[B]

What a story.

[A]

When he wrote it, you know how many verses he had? 18. 18 verses. Now, we have included half of them.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

In our hymnal. And today dad and I are going to sing seven of them. They're short, but it's one of the classic hymn tunes called Asmon. We're going to sing all seven verses together. Are you ready to sing with us, Guys? This and the whole point of this, it was a great quote by one of the teachers of that time, Peter Bowler. He said, if I had a thousand tongues, I would praise God with every one of them.

[C]

That's where Oprah, that's where the hymn came from.

[A]

A thousand tongues if I had a thousand tongues that's what I would use them all to praise God.

[B]

What a message that is right there.

[A]

So you ready?

[B]

I'm ready.

[C]

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing I great Redeemer's praise the glories of my God and King the triumphs of his grace My gracious master and my God assist me to proclaim to spread to all the hearing and broad the marrows of thy hand Jesus, the name that charms our fears that bids our sorrows freeze his music in the sinner's ear they. Breaks the power of canceled sin he sets the prisoners free his blood.

[A]

His.

[C]

Blood availed for me five he speaks and listening to his voice New Life to every sa the burs rejoice the humble feelings.

[A]

Number six.

[C]

Hear him, ye de tongues employ ye. Behold your savior come and leap ye lame for joy. Last verse in Christ your head. You then shall know, shall feel your sins forgiven. Anticipate your heavenly love and own that love as heaven.

[A]

Amen. That last line there. Anticipate your heaven below. He's saying, while you're alive on this earth, anticipate. Start looking forward to heaven. Right?

[B]

It sounds like a winner.

[A]

And look forward to heaven. John Wesley, famously, as he was dying, his last words. I believe, if I got this right, he said, the best is yet to come.

[B]

I mean, that puts goosebumps on you.

[A]

The best is yet to come.

[B]

Now, you talking about a Christian. Yeah, that is a Christian, in and out.

[A]

You know, you don't need to be afraid to die. Nobody wants to die. What's the old song that says, everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die? Was that Johnny Cash? But nobody wants to die. And of course, you know. Yeah, who wants to die? People, you know, used to love to tell the story of the old church and preachers. He said they were having a revival, and the revivalist stood up there and he. He said, everybody that wants to go to heaven, stand up. Said the whole church stood up, except one old man on the front row. And the people said, the preacher looked at the old man, he said, don't you want to go to heaven? And the old man said, yeah, I want to go to heaven.

[B]

Not now.

[A]

Just not on the first load. He said, just not on the first load.

[B]

They got to get that route worked out.

[A]

Well, here's the thing, guys. I know a lot of you all, you've recently lost a husband or a wife or somebody's gone on ahead of you, and you're missing them. But you know what you can know? You. You can know that they are more alive now than they were then than you are now, because they're fully alive and they're fully in the presence of God.

[B]

No, no more dying.

[A]

No more dying. And you know what the other thing you can know this is. This is something I'm kind of learning and my faith is growing in. They're closer now than you think. You think they're gone and way off. No, we're surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

It's like heaven. I don't think of heaven as being up. It's right through. There's a thin veil from the scene to the unseen. And I just have a sense that people and Meemaw and Uncle Martin and that they're close and that they're almost cheering us on.

[B]

Yeah, I know they are.

[A]

I think they're praying for.

[B]

I know they got together.

[A]

I think they're praying for us. And so it's just so good to visualize that and to know that's coming.

[B]

Yeah, that's. That is. That's the plus in dying.

[A]

That's the plus. That's the bonus. Yeah, you get. You get. Get Jesus in life and you get Jesus in death and everything else. Well, that's a good place to leave it on this Saturday. Listen, we're looking forward to seeing you on the field today for The Awakening. I'm J.D. walt.

[B]

And I'm David. Walt.