What is gossip?
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Romans 1:29-30; II Corinthians 12:20; I timothy 3:11; 5:13; II Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3
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“whispering; secret detraction” – Strong
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“secret slanders” – Vincent
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Consider:
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II Timothy 4:14-15; I Corinthians 1:10-11; Galatians 2:11-14; III John 1:9-10
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Not all bad reports of others are necessarily gossip.
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The sharing of personal or negative information about someone else, either true or false, without righteous intent.
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Be careful about adding phrases to a report to try to pretend it is not gossip.
What’s so dangerous about gossip?
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It severs our relationship with God.
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It is an attractive sin.
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It hurts relationships.
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It becomes something that you can’t fix.
How do we stop gossiping?
- Apply the muzzle.
- Stop listening to gossip.
- Change your thinking about others.
