Smokey Bear is an iconic character who has been used to encourage fire safety for decades. This clip from a public service announcement could serve as a funny intro for the younger audience and a nostalgic reminder for the older people in the church (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8js7y-NKeik).
According to the National Fire Protection Association, “One in 20 home (5%) home structure fires were started by smoking materials. These fires caused almost one in four (23%) home fire deaths, and one in 10 (10%) home fire injuries.” This statistic shows the tragic reality that many deaths from house fires are self-inflicted by someone smoking (Marty Ahrens, “Home Fires Started by Smoking,” National Fire Protection Association, January 2019, https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem/Smoking-Materials). In a similar way, many of our damaged relationships are self-inflicted. We are not careful with what comes from our mouths.
