“GOSSIP” But what is gossip? * Gossip is a part of a constellation of sins of the tongue. * The Bible commends the person who is careful with his words. * Gossip (and related sins) destroys people and the very community most of us long for. * Hearing gossip feels good. * Gossip can veil itself as something good. REFLECTION/PRAYER 1) Do you need to confess sin to God? 2) Do you need to confess sin to another person? 3) Are you truly a real-deal believer? Do you need to give your life to Jesus? 4) Take time to pray for God’s help to resist spreading or listening to gossip 5) Take time to pray for somebody that you might otherwise be tempted to gossip about. 6) Take time to pray for amazing community in your life and RCC and to think about who can contribute to it. Quotes mentioned in the sermon: “It is a sign of a perverse and treacherous disposition to wound the good name of another, when he has no opportunity of defending himself.” John Calvin “Gossip is saying behind a person’s back what you would never say to his or her face; flattery is saying to a person’s face what you would never say behind his or her back.” Kent Hughes “I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels.” John Calvin “God has given us two ears, but one tongue, to show that we should be swift to hear, but slow to speak. God has set a double fence before the tongue, the teeth and the lips, to teach us to be wary that we offend not with our tongue.” Thomas Watson “All of us would be wiser if we would resolve never to put people down, except on our prayer lists.” DA Carson “Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! For prayer is a great deterrent.” Leonard Ravenhill “Remember…the receiver is as bad as the thief, so the hearer of scandal is a sharer in the guilt of it. If there were no listening ears there would be no talebearing tongues. While you are a buyer of ill wares the demand will create the supply.”   “If there were no gratified hearers of ill reports, there would be an end of the trade of spreading them.” Charles Spurgeon Gossip often veils itself in acceptable conventions such as “Have you heard…” or “Did you know…?” or “They tell me…” or “Keep this to yourself, but…” or “I do not believe it is true, but I heard that…” or “I wouldn’t tell you, except that I know it will go no further.”  Of course, the most infamous such rationalization in Christian circles is, “I am telling you this so you can pray.” Kent Hughes Referenced scripture: Ephesians 4:1-3 Romans 1:28-31 Psalm 101:5 James 1:26 James 3:5-6 Proverbs 10:19 Proverbs 12:23 Proverbs 13:3 Proverbs 21:23 Psalm 141:3 Matthew 12:36 Proverbs 11:9 Proverbs 11:12 Proverbs 11:13 Proverbs 16:28 Proverbs 20:19 Titus 3:2 James 4:11 Ephesians 4:29 2 Corinthians 12:20 … Continue reading 2/15/26 – “Gossip”