Resisting Gossip – Part 1: Recognizing Gossip

This week we want to work through the issue of gossip. We will be using Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue by Matthew Mitchell as a guide.

 Resisting Gossip – Part 1: Recognizing Gossip (chapters 1-3)

• Key verses – Proverbs 18:8; 26:22 – The words for a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”

Gospel defined
▪ Talking – a gossip betrays a confidence (Proverbs 20:19)
▪ Listening – “Wrongdoers early listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander” (Proverbs 17:4)
Three types of bad news

1. Bad information (lies)

2. Bad news about someone (sharing shameful truth; slander)
▪ Proverbs 11:13 – “a gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret”
▪ Proverbs 10:18 – “Whoever spreads slander is a fool”

3. Bad news for someone – bad news wickedly projected for someone else
Gossip happens when the person you are talking about is not there –

 Questions to ask:

•  Would you say this if the person was standing there beside you? [are some exceptions – provide examples]
•  Would I receive this bad news about them in the same way if they were present?
•  Am I hiding this conversation from someone?
•  Would I want someone else to talk this way bout me if I were out of the room?
•  [Is it true, necessary, and kind]

In recognizing gossip, important questions to ask:

•  Why am I saying this?
•  Why am I listening to this?
•  Why am I attracted to this bad news?

Why do we gossip?
▪ Love of stories ~ sinful heart makes us enjoy and be attracted to sinful stories (gossip)
▪ We gossip because bad words are an overflow from our bad hearts (Matthew 12:33-  37)

A gallery of gossips
1. The spy – those that probe(motivated by power)
2. The grumbler – complains or criticizes (motivated by jealousy)
3. The backstabber – like the grumbler but angrier and more hateful (motivated by payback)
4. The chameleon – goes along with gossip to fit in with the crowd (motivated by fear)
5. The busybody – person who is idle and not engaged in purposeful business (motivated by a desire to be
entertained and escape from the boredom of their life)

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