April 30, 2025 • 33 mins
Have you ever met someone and immediately disliked them without clear reason? This raw honesty opens our exploration into gossip – not the harmless chatter we often dismiss it as, but a destructive force that tears through communities like a silent toxin.
Drawing from Rick Renner's powerful teaching, we unpack what scripture really says about gossip. The biblical term translated as "corrupt communication" comes from the Greek word phaulos – literally describing something rotten and maggot-filled. This visceral imagery helps us understand why gossip grieves the Holy Spirit and why scripture places it alongside serious offenses like wrath, strife, and arrogance.
Gossip thrives in whispers and secretive corners. It's talking about others' business, spreading unverified information, and speaking with false authority about matters that don't concern us. The damage extends far beyond momentary drama – gossip destroys reputations, creates division, erodes trust, and can trigger anxiety, depression, and isolation in its targets. In workplaces and church communities, it poisons morale, stifles innovation, and makes healing from past mistakes nearly impossible.
Breaking free requires courage. When someone approaches with "information" about another person, we can decline to participate, suggest asking the person directly, or gently explain why gossip is harmful. These small acts of resistance help create an alternative culture – one of honor and genuine care for others' dignity.
Imagine communities transformed by encouraging words instead of whispered criticisms. Such environments become magnetic, drawing people curious about what makes them different. That's our opportunity to share the true good news of Jesus Christ rather than the false "news" of gossip.
Ready to create gossip-free zones in your community? Connect with us at lifearoundthefire@gmail.com or visit our website to continue the conversation.
Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved!
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life.
Shalom to you and your home.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
you know how it is, for some reason that there are,
there are just some people thatwhen you first meet them you
just don't like them.
I've had that feeling aboutpeople and I've had that feeling
(00:23):
felt about me.
I don't know why, but I justdon't like you.
And that can be sometimes, infact oftentimes, if not all the
(00:52):
time, a real snare, a real trap,a problem.
It's not right.
And the reason I bring that uptwo reasons.
One is part of what we're goingto be looking at in this
particular podcast episode.
It concerns this very commonthing called gossip.
And, you know, at first glanceor just casual consideration,
(01:17):
gossip sounds almost benign or alittle bit tongue-in-cheek,
like, ah, yeah, it's somethinglike those Oftentimes, you know,
viewed as what takes place in acircle of folks that are maybe
elderly and perhaps elderlywomen in a knitting circle and
(01:41):
they talk about other thingsthat they shouldn't be talking
about, and kind of like, ah, youknow, a little bit of gossip,
but a little bit of gossip mightbe what we think about
(02:02):
concerning that issue of gossipwhen we look at it just casually
.
But gossip is actually prettydangerous and because it is so
common and it's oftentimesreally hard to nail down, but
(02:32):
it's harmful and it's in ourmidst.
It's important for us to kindof do a public service here and
deal with it, at least dial itup, because once it's dialed up
again you can't unhear it and ifyou're involved in it it might
(02:55):
be uncomfortable to hear what isbeing presented, because you
know, sometimes if there's apack of dogs right as an
illustration, you have a pack ofdogs and you throw a rock, just
throw the rock and kind of aimat the pack of dogs, you can
(03:19):
always tell the one that got hitbecause it yelps.
Same type of thing when itcomes to stuff like this.
If you're part of it, if you'reguilty of it, you're going to
kind of yelp man and you mightnot even like it.
But if you are willing toembrace the fact that this might
(03:47):
be taking place or is takingplace to you and through you,
then it can be dealt with andyou can be part of the solution
instead of the problem and onemore person can be out of the
mix of this real unhealthy thingthat occupies far too much of
(04:10):
our church life across thenations.
It's common everywhere, toocommon, but I believe that it's
being purged out Always has been, but there's a concerted effort
of purging it out, because Godwants us to be united, to be one
(04:31):
, and not just tolerating eachother or nice to our faces, but
in our hearts A God-like oneness, a God-like unity, a unity that
only god can do, not peopletrying real hard to be united,
(04:52):
but actually something that goddoes because of his life within
us and creating unity becausegod is united.
God is one and he has called usto be one, and gossip is not
part of the kingdom of God.
It has no place in it, and weare citizens of the kingdom of
(05:18):
God and his culture, and sogossip has no business being in
our lives and we have nobusiness being involved in
gossip.
And so that's why I makemention of this thing.
Sometimes, when you just meetsomeone, you just initially hear
their stuff or initial contact.
You say I don't know, I justlike them, I just don't like
(05:40):
them.
Sometimes we start talkingabout that and it can turn into
gossip.
And we're going to give alittle more definition to what
gossip is, because it can besometimes like trying to nail
(06:01):
jello to a tree.
You know it can be rather hard,you know, because it's gossip
the word and because there are,you know, just, it can be rather
vague you say, well, I'm notpart of that.
And yet if you really look atit and you see what it is, it
(06:30):
kind of if you are, you eitherreally have to almost get upset
or you repent and you say I wantto stop that.
That's what we're hoping thatthere is, that there is a a
turning away from this type ofthing.
And so the person that I had inmy life at one time is actually
(07:00):
someone I'm going to use as areference point in this podcast,
and his name is Rick Renner andhe's a teacher.
He's been around for teachingfor like 45 years, so he's been
around a long time, and when Ifirst saw him and heard him, I
(07:20):
just didn't like him.
It had nothing to do with whathe was saying or anything.
I didn't like the way he looked, I didn't like the way he
sounded and I didn't necessarilylike the group of people that
he was hanging with at the time,and so I just kind of I wrote
him off.
In fact, I participated ingossip about him until one day I
(07:51):
was looking at something and hehappened to come up on a show I
was watching and I was like ohbrother.
And before I was like ohbrother, and before I changed it
, the Spirit of the Lord spoke,just gently but clearly in my
heart and he said don't, don't,I, I've anointed Him.
(08:15):
I have anointed Him and I likeHim and I want you to listen to
him.
And I stopped and the Lordpointed out to me that I had
(08:36):
been judgmental.
I had put a period and end ofconversation.
Well, not so quick, right, notso quick.
There, seabiscuit Settle down.
And so he has this wonderfulbrief teaching concerning gossip
(08:59):
.
Brief teaching concerninggossip.
And it's just entitled what GodThinks About People who Gossip.
And he uses as one of hisbaselines in the scriptures
(09:22):
Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 29,.
That says let no corruptcommunication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which isgood to use for edification or
for the use of edifying.
And then he tells a story andI'm going to read the story he
(09:47):
said when I was a young man, myfamily attended a church where
the pastor was a fabulous Bibleteacher.
Wednesday night services weremy favorite because this is when
he would really open the wordof God and teach us.
But there's one aspect of theWednesday night service that I
(10:09):
absolutely despised.
It was a gossiping churchmember who always made her stand
at the end, made her stand atthe end, running her mouth as
(10:30):
soon as the church was finished.
This woman would stand to theside, peering at others and
whispering about them behindtheir backs.
But whenever the subject of hergossip approached her little
click, she'd stop whispering andsmile at him or her so nicely
and graciously.
I hated the hypocrisy of thisgossiper's behavior and never
(10:56):
understood how she could talk sobadly about people immediately
after hearing the word of Godtaught with such power.
I remember how this womanalways looked so elated when she
found a new choice morsel ofinformation about someone else
at church that she could startbroadcasting.
Yet most that she was gossipingabout was based on hearsay.
(11:18):
She didn't even know if thetidbits she shared were factual,
as long as they were enticingto hear.
She knew she'd always have asmall clan of devoted listeners.
But even if the things thiswoman gossiped about had been
(11:39):
factual, she had no businesstalking about them with others.
How does God feel about peoplewho gossip?
Ephesians 4.29 says Let nocorrupt communication proceed
out of your mouth, but thatwhich is good to the use of
edifying that it may ministergrace unto the hearers.
(12:02):
The following verse continuesto say and grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God.
The implication is that whencorrupt communication comes out
of a believer's mouth, it causesthe Holy Spirit to be grieved.
(12:25):
You see, gossip is a sin thatgrieves the Holy Spirit.
Did you notice that Paul callsit corrupt communication?
Calls it corrupt communication.
This phrase comes from theGreek word P-H-A-U-L-O-S phallos
(12:48):
, which refers to something thatstinks or to something that is
rotting, such as meat that isfull of maggots.
This kind of communication isdead, decaying and it stinks.
It's offensive to the Spirit ofGod and it grieves him.
(13:10):
Gossip is so destructive andoffensive that Paul forbids
gossip in 2 Corinthians 12,verse 20.
In this verse Paul saysCorinthians, chapter 12, verse
20.
In this verse Paul says for Ifear lest when I come I shall
not find you such as I would,and that I shall be found unto
(13:31):
you as you would not, lest therebe debates, envyings, laughs,
stripes, backbiting, whisperings, swelling tumults.
Do you not see the wordwhisperings?
This is the Greek wordpsithurimos, which means gossip.
(13:54):
To make sure we know how evilgossip is, paul lists it side by
side with several otherhorrible attitudes and actions.
He places gossip rightalongside with debates, which is
actually translated as words,quarrels or wranglings.
(14:25):
Wrath from the Greek wordthermos, portraying a person who
suddenly flares up and loseshis control of some kind of
unresolved, deep-seated anger.
Right someone who suddenlyflares up and loses his control
of some kind of unresolved,deep-seated anger.
(14:46):
This is a person who literallyboils over with anger and blows
up, erupting in an ugly outburstthat negatively affects other
people.
Strifes this is the picture ofpeople taking sides in the
church, thus dividing, splittingand splintering the church into
(15:08):
opposing factions.
Backbiting this is somethingthat can be translated as the
word slander.
Whisperings this is the idea ofa gossiper.
The reason they whisper is thatthey know this kind of talk is
(15:30):
wrong and they get in troublefor what they were saying.
Therefore, they whisper theirtidbits of information or their
secrets to others quietly.
Swellings this is the personwho is puffed up in pride about
something that isn't evenimportant.
(15:51):
Nevertheless, he has allowedthis thing to delude him into a
false sense of over-significanceor even being better than
others.
This word could also betranslated as the word arrogance
.
Now Rick goes on to say let's besure we understand what the
(16:16):
word gossip describes.
It describes a person whohabitually reveals personal or
sensational facts, rumors orreports of an intimate nature
that are none of his business.
For instance, gossip wouldinclude talking about other
(16:36):
people's business and thingsthat concern you people's
business and things that concernyou.
Repeating what someone elsesaid, even though you don't know
whether it's true or not.
Talking to others as if youwere an authority about matters
that are other people's business, when in reality you don't know
what you're talking about.
(16:57):
You're talking about.
In a certain sense, gossip islike a deadly poison.
It hurts people, it killsrelationships and destroys trust
.
In the workplace, gossipusually happens between two
employees who have becomefriends and feel like they could
truly share with each other.
(17:18):
There are often people who havebeen offended or hurt by the
one who is the subject of theirgossip.
Therefore, every rumor theyhear becomes a choice morsel to
share with others who areoffended by that same person.
This is what Proverbs 18.8 istalking about when it says the
(17:39):
word of a gossiper are likechoice morsels.
They go down to a man'sinnermost parts.
Gossip is usually based onhearsay.
It is usually inaccurate, itcreates suspicion and it divides
people.
It is so evil that I absolutelyforbid it in our ministry.
(18:01):
I say praise God.
It is interesting to note.
The Greek word for gossip meansto whisper.
This means that gossip almostalways takes place in secret.
Just think about it.
Where does gossip usually takeplace?
If you have engaged in gossip inthe past, you've probably
(18:22):
listened to someone tell youinformation, hearsay about other
people, which you thenwhispered to someone else In the
woman's bathroom at the office,in your office, when the doors
were closed and no one waswatching or listening.
In the lunch break room when itwas only you and the other
person to whom you were talking.
In a prayer meeting, whereother people often whisper about
(18:43):
others under the camouflage ofprayer, in a corner where the
boss, director, pastor orsubject to gossip couldn't hear
what you were saying.
You need to know that Gospersusually attract to each other
like magnets.
When they get together, theysee things alike and therefore
(19:05):
begin to think that they areright.
They form a little factioninside the office or church,
often concluding that they aredoing God's business as they
meet together to discuss all thethings that they are talking
about.
And he concludes by saying,since the word gossip really
(19:30):
means to whisper, it would begood, when you are about, to
tell something to someone you'veheard, to ask yourself first
will I say these things publicly?
Will I say this in front of theperson I'm talking about?
If your answer is no, you canconclude that you shouldn't say
(19:53):
it privately either.
So I urge you not to allow thedevil to snag you and drag you
into the sin of gossip.
James 3.8 tells us that thetongue is an unruly evil, full
of deadly poison, but you canrefuse to be the source of
gossip or to participate in itwhen it takes place.
If you really love Jesus, whywould you want to participate in
(20:17):
something that will poisonpeople's opinions and ultimately
divide and hurt others?
Think of it If it were you whopeople were talking about,
wouldn't it be hurtful to you todiscover that you were talking
this way behind your back?
It is too hurtful to get intothis business.
If you have to whisper, thenyou probably shouldn't be saying
(20:39):
it at all.
In fact, a good rule to live byis this If you can't say it
publicly, don't say it at all.
Make the decision today torefrain from gossip and stay
away from those who practice it.
Wow, wow, and this is a guythat I, for some reason, I
(21:04):
didn't like.
Like I said, I didn't like theway he looked, I didn't like the
way he sounded and I didn'tlike the people that he hung out
with.
But I was wrong and I want topublicly say that I really think
that the wisdom that comes fromGod to and through this man's
(21:29):
ministry is very good, and soI'm going to read some things
from my notes and then we'll capthings off, and I realize this
is a little bit of a heavy andpotentially touchy subject, but
(21:49):
it's a good.
It's good to address, it'simportant to address, needs to
be addressed, and so we'readdressing it.
Address it's important toaddress, it needs to be
addressed, and so we'readdressing it.
So, in my notes, gossip can beharmful consequences.
Excuse me, gossip can haveharmful consequences, ranging
(22:13):
from damaged relationships andreputation to reduced trust and
increased conflict.
It can also lead to mentalhealth issues such as anxiety,
depression and low self-esteemFor the person being gossiped
about.
In the workplace.
(22:33):
Gossip can negatively impactmorale, productivity and
employee retention.
Here's a more detailed look atthe potential dangers Harm to
individuals, damagedrelationships.
Gossip can strain or breakfriendships and family bonds,
especially if it involvesbetraying competences or
(22:55):
spreading untruths.
Reputation damage Gossip cantarnish a person's reputation,
leading to mistrust andisolation.
Mental health issues being thetarget of gossip can lead to
anxiety, depression and lowself-esteem, and in some cases,
even suicidal thoughts.
(23:15):
Erosion of trust Gossip canerode trust within social
circles, workplaces andcommunities.
Physical health the stresscaused by gossip can negatively
impact physical health as wellas mental health.
Harm in workplaces.
Decreased morale andproductivity Gossip can create a
(23:38):
negative work environment,leading to lower morale and
reduced productivity.
Strained relationships Gossipcan damage relationships between
colleagues, leading to distrustand tension.
Loss of good employees A toxicwork environment created by
(23:59):
gossip can lead to goodemployees leaving Other dangers.
Spreading misinformation Gossipcan involve spreading rumors and
false information, which can beharmful and damaging.
Feeling of isolation the targetof gossip may feel isolated and
(24:19):
excluded from social circles.
Cultivation of negativityEngaging in gossip can cultivate
a culture of negativity andjudgment.
Personal gain Gossip can beused to manipulate situations,
gain power or even get revenge.
Gain power or even get revengeA little bit more.
(24:52):
Gossip can be incrediblydamaging to a small community by
fostering division, erodingtrust and hindering overall
well-being.
It can create a toxicenvironment, damage reputations
and make it difficult forindividuals to move forward from
making mistakes or challengingtimes Right.
Here's a more detailed look atthe negative effects of gossip.
(25:16):
Damage to reputation Gossip,even if not strictly false, can
unjustly damage someone'sreputation by revealing true or
false faults, leading tofeelings of isolation and
exclusion.
Erosion of trust.
Rumors and misinformation cancreate a toxic atmosphere where
(25:37):
residents feel uncomfortable andinsecure in their homes.
Division and lack of community.
Gossipers can foster division,weaken social bonds and reduce
the sense of community that'soften valued in small towns,
hindered progress and innovation.
Gossip can create anenvironment where individuals
(25:59):
are hesitant to share ideas ortake risks, potentially stifling
progress and innovation.
Impact on relationshipsNegative gossip can strain
friendships, familyrelationships and even romantic
relationships, leading tocommunication difficulties and
(26:20):
lack of trust.
Mental and emotional harmAlmost done Excuse me, turn the
page, difficulty moving forward.
Gossip can make it challengingfor individuals to learn from
(26:43):
mistakes or move on fromdifficult situations,
potentially prolonging negativeemotions and behaviors.
Perpetration of negativebehavior Engaging in or
perpetuating gossip cannormalize and encourage negative
behaviors, creating a culturewhere toxic communication is
(27:03):
accepted.
Gossip, detraction and calumnyare harmful to communities
because they turn people againsteach other and, in general, do
not foster a loving environmentbetween those who ought to be
friends.
Spreading gossip and enjoyingthe drama is offensive to
(27:26):
others' dignity.
That about sums it up, and Ithink it's clear, or clearer,
now that gossip is not just somesilly little thing that people
(27:48):
do, that you know.
You got to kind of tolerate itand you know it's not all that
harmful.
No, it actually can be lethal.
I know I have been part of it,guilty of it in the past and
(28:11):
with God's help I have been notonly freed from it inwardly but
I no longer express it outwardlyNow.
We don't need a bunch of copsyou know gossip police running
around trying to find out who'sgossiping.
(28:32):
But I believe there are ways inwhich we can address it and I
think that's what this is reallyabout.
Also, that you know if you findsomeone trying to share gossip
with you, initially just don'tbe, don't just say you know what
(28:53):
, I'm not interested, and let ithang there, because sometimes
that's enough.
Or you might want to say youknow, I think I'm going to ask
the person that you're talkingabout whether or not that's true
and you'll find a verydifferent reaction coming from
(29:19):
the person sharing theinformation.
Or you can be very direct insaying you know, don't do that
man, that's wrong.
But then to go around tellingother people about them kind of
defeats the purpose.
So if they receive thecorrection from you, amen.
(29:45):
And if not, well then you knowthere are other steps that we
need to take.
But right now it's important toput this thing out of our
communities, man, out of ourrelationships, to be free and be
(30:11):
rid of gossip and actually tohave a community where the
culture is one of honor, wherewe actually lift each other up
and we don't tolerate gossip,and actually to have a community
where the culture is one ofhonor, where we actually lift
each other up and we don'ttolerate gossip.
We just don't do it, and thatcreates that environment that is
so wonderful and attractivethat it causes other people to
(30:35):
say what's this all about?
And then we can begin to sharethe gospel, the good news of
Jesus Christ.
Amen, amen, let's pray.
Father, thank you for theclarity that you bring to us,
god, really.
Thank you for the clarity thatyou bring to us, god, really,
(30:58):
and for loving us enough to getthis situation under control, to
correct and to discipline us,chastise us if need be, so that
(31:19):
we can be free from these thingsthat bring about such damage to
individuals and to communities.
Holy Spirit, we invite you tomanifest the character and
nature of Jesus in us, causingit to rise up and communicate in
(31:45):
ways like he did, and he doesHis life, so that we can
demonstrate it in love to youand to each other.
And we thank you for that andwe pray these things in the name
of Jesus.
Standing here.
In his name, we say amen, amen,amen, amen, amen.
(32:11):
All right, folks, I love you.
If you have any thoughts,questions, concerns, please feel
free to drop us a line atlifearoundthefire, at gmailcom,
or type in lifearoundthefire andlook us up on the web.
We would love to hear from youIn the meantime.
God bless you.
Adios amigos.
you know how it is, for some reason that there are,
there are just some people thatwhen you first meet them you
just don't like them.
I've had that feeling aboutpeople and I've had that feeling
(00:23):
felt about me.
I don't know why, but I justdon't like you.
And that can be sometimes, infact oftentimes, if not all the
(00:52):
time, a real snare, a real trap,a problem.
It's not right.
And the reason I bring that uptwo reasons.
One is part of what we're goingto be looking at in this
particular podcast episode.
It concerns this very commonthing called gossip.
And, you know, at first glanceor just casual consideration,
(01:17):
gossip sounds almost benign or alittle bit tongue-in-cheek,
like, ah, yeah, it's somethinglike those Oftentimes, you know,
viewed as what takes place in acircle of folks that are maybe
elderly and perhaps elderlywomen in a knitting circle and
(01:41):
they talk about other thingsthat they shouldn't be talking
about, and kind of like, ah, youknow, a little bit of gossip,
but a little bit of gossip mightbe what we think about
(02:02):
concerning that issue of gossipwhen we look at it just casually
.
But gossip is actually prettydangerous and because it is so
common and it's oftentimesreally hard to nail down, but
(02:32):
it's harmful and it's in ourmidst.
It's important for us to kindof do a public service here and
deal with it, at least dial itup, because once it's dialed up
again you can't unhear it and ifyou're involved in it it might
(02:55):
be uncomfortable to hear what isbeing presented, because you
know, sometimes if there's apack of dogs right as an
illustration, you have a pack ofdogs and you throw a rock, just
throw the rock and kind of aimat the pack of dogs, you can
(03:19):
always tell the one that got hitbecause it yelps.
Same type of thing when itcomes to stuff like this.
If you're part of it, if you'reguilty of it, you're going to
kind of yelp man and you mightnot even like it.
But if you are willing toembrace the fact that this might
(03:47):
be taking place or is takingplace to you and through you,
then it can be dealt with andyou can be part of the solution
instead of the problem and onemore person can be out of the
mix of this real unhealthy thingthat occupies far too much of
(04:10):
our church life across thenations.
It's common everywhere, toocommon, but I believe that it's
being purged out Always has been, but there's a concerted effort
of purging it out, because Godwants us to be united, to be one
(04:31):
, and not just tolerating eachother or nice to our faces, but
in our hearts A God-like oneness, a God-like unity, a unity that
only god can do, not peopletrying real hard to be united,
(04:52):
but actually something that goddoes because of his life within
us and creating unity becausegod is united.
God is one and he has called usto be one, and gossip is not
part of the kingdom of God.
It has no place in it, and weare citizens of the kingdom of
(05:18):
God and his culture, and sogossip has no business being in
our lives and we have nobusiness being involved in
gossip.
And so that's why I makemention of this thing.
Sometimes, when you just meetsomeone, you just initially hear
their stuff or initial contact.
You say I don't know, I justlike them, I just don't like
(05:40):
them.
Sometimes we start talkingabout that and it can turn into
gossip.
And we're going to give alittle more definition to what
gossip is, because it can besometimes like trying to nail
(06:01):
jello to a tree.
You know it can be rather hard,you know, because it's gossip
the word and because there are,you know, just, it can be rather
vague you say, well, I'm notpart of that.
And yet if you really look atit and you see what it is, it
(06:30):
kind of if you are, you eitherreally have to almost get upset
or you repent and you say I wantto stop that.
That's what we're hoping thatthere is, that there is a a
turning away from this type ofthing.
And so the person that I had inmy life at one time is actually
(07:00):
someone I'm going to use as areference point in this podcast,
and his name is Rick Renner andhe's a teacher.
He's been around for teachingfor like 45 years, so he's been
around a long time, and when Ifirst saw him and heard him, I
(07:20):
just didn't like him.
It had nothing to do with whathe was saying or anything.
I didn't like the way he looked, I didn't like the way he
sounded and I didn't necessarilylike the group of people that
he was hanging with at the time,and so I just kind of I wrote
him off.
In fact, I participated ingossip about him until one day I
(07:51):
was looking at something and hehappened to come up on a show I
was watching and I was like ohbrother.
And before I was like ohbrother, and before I changed it
, the Spirit of the Lord spoke,just gently but clearly in my
heart and he said don't, don't,I, I've anointed Him.
(08:15):
I have anointed Him and I likeHim and I want you to listen to
him.
And I stopped and the Lordpointed out to me that I had
(08:36):
been judgmental.
I had put a period and end ofconversation.
Well, not so quick, right, notso quick.
There, seabiscuit Settle down.
And so he has this wonderfulbrief teaching concerning gossip
(08:59):
.
Brief teaching concerninggossip.
And it's just entitled what GodThinks About People who Gossip.
And he uses as one of hisbaselines in the scriptures
(09:22):
Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 29,.
That says let no corruptcommunication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which isgood to use for edification or
for the use of edifying.
And then he tells a story andI'm going to read the story he
(09:47):
said when I was a young man, myfamily attended a church where
the pastor was a fabulous Bibleteacher.
Wednesday night services weremy favorite because this is when
he would really open the wordof God and teach us.
But there's one aspect of theWednesday night service that I
(10:09):
absolutely despised.
It was a gossiping churchmember who always made her stand
at the end, made her stand atthe end, running her mouth as
(10:30):
soon as the church was finished.
This woman would stand to theside, peering at others and
whispering about them behindtheir backs.
But whenever the subject of hergossip approached her little
click, she'd stop whispering andsmile at him or her so nicely
and graciously.
I hated the hypocrisy of thisgossiper's behavior and never
(10:56):
understood how she could talk sobadly about people immediately
after hearing the word of Godtaught with such power.
I remember how this womanalways looked so elated when she
found a new choice morsel ofinformation about someone else
at church that she could startbroadcasting.
Yet most that she was gossipingabout was based on hearsay.
(11:18):
She didn't even know if thetidbits she shared were factual,
as long as they were enticingto hear.
She knew she'd always have asmall clan of devoted listeners.
But even if the things thiswoman gossiped about had been
(11:39):
factual, she had no businesstalking about them with others.
How does God feel about peoplewho gossip?
Ephesians 4.29 says Let nocorrupt communication proceed
out of your mouth, but thatwhich is good to the use of
edifying that it may ministergrace unto the hearers.
(12:02):
The following verse continuesto say and grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God.
The implication is that whencorrupt communication comes out
of a believer's mouth, it causesthe Holy Spirit to be grieved.
(12:25):
You see, gossip is a sin thatgrieves the Holy Spirit.
Did you notice that Paul callsit corrupt communication?
Calls it corrupt communication.
This phrase comes from theGreek word P-H-A-U-L-O-S phallos
(12:48):
, which refers to something thatstinks or to something that is
rotting, such as meat that isfull of maggots.
This kind of communication isdead, decaying and it stinks.
It's offensive to the Spirit ofGod and it grieves him.
(13:10):
Gossip is so destructive andoffensive that Paul forbids
gossip in 2 Corinthians 12,verse 20.
In this verse Paul saysCorinthians, chapter 12, verse
20.
In this verse Paul says for Ifear lest when I come I shall
not find you such as I would,and that I shall be found unto
(13:31):
you as you would not, lest therebe debates, envyings, laughs,
stripes, backbiting, whisperings, swelling tumults.
Do you not see the wordwhisperings?
This is the Greek wordpsithurimos, which means gossip.
(13:54):
To make sure we know how evilgossip is, paul lists it side by
side with several otherhorrible attitudes and actions.
He places gossip rightalongside with debates, which is
actually translated as words,quarrels or wranglings.
(14:25):
Wrath from the Greek wordthermos, portraying a person who
suddenly flares up and loseshis control of some kind of
unresolved, deep-seated anger.
Right someone who suddenlyflares up and loses his control
of some kind of unresolved,deep-seated anger.
(14:46):
This is a person who literallyboils over with anger and blows
up, erupting in an ugly outburstthat negatively affects other
people.
Strifes this is the picture ofpeople taking sides in the
church, thus dividing, splittingand splintering the church into
(15:08):
opposing factions.
Backbiting this is somethingthat can be translated as the
word slander.
Whisperings this is the idea ofa gossiper.
The reason they whisper is thatthey know this kind of talk is
(15:30):
wrong and they get in troublefor what they were saying.
Therefore, they whisper theirtidbits of information or their
secrets to others quietly.
Swellings this is the personwho is puffed up in pride about
something that isn't evenimportant.
(15:51):
Nevertheless, he has allowedthis thing to delude him into a
false sense of over-significanceor even being better than
others.
This word could also betranslated as the word arrogance
.
Now Rick goes on to say let's besure we understand what the
(16:16):
word gossip describes.
It describes a person whohabitually reveals personal or
sensational facts, rumors orreports of an intimate nature
that are none of his business.
For instance, gossip wouldinclude talking about other
(16:36):
people's business and thingsthat concern you people's
business and things that concernyou.
Repeating what someone elsesaid, even though you don't know
whether it's true or not.
Talking to others as if youwere an authority about matters
that are other people's business, when in reality you don't know
what you're talking about.
(16:57):
You're talking about.
In a certain sense, gossip islike a deadly poison.
It hurts people, it killsrelationships and destroys trust
.
In the workplace, gossipusually happens between two
employees who have becomefriends and feel like they could
truly share with each other.
(17:18):
There are often people who havebeen offended or hurt by the
one who is the subject of theirgossip.
Therefore, every rumor theyhear becomes a choice morsel to
share with others who areoffended by that same person.
This is what Proverbs 18.8 istalking about when it says the
(17:39):
word of a gossiper are likechoice morsels.
They go down to a man'sinnermost parts.
Gossip is usually based onhearsay.
It is usually inaccurate, itcreates suspicion and it divides
people.
It is so evil that I absolutelyforbid it in our ministry.
(18:01):
I say praise God.
It is interesting to note.
The Greek word for gossip meansto whisper.
This means that gossip almostalways takes place in secret.
Just think about it.
Where does gossip usually takeplace?
If you have engaged in gossip inthe past, you've probably
(18:22):
listened to someone tell youinformation, hearsay about other
people, which you thenwhispered to someone else In the
woman's bathroom at the office,in your office, when the doors
were closed and no one waswatching or listening.
In the lunch break room when itwas only you and the other
person to whom you were talking.
In a prayer meeting, whereother people often whisper about
(18:43):
others under the camouflage ofprayer, in a corner where the
boss, director, pastor orsubject to gossip couldn't hear
what you were saying.
You need to know that Gospersusually attract to each other
like magnets.
When they get together, theysee things alike and therefore
(19:05):
begin to think that they areright.
They form a little factioninside the office or church,
often concluding that they aredoing God's business as they
meet together to discuss all thethings that they are talking
about.
And he concludes by saying,since the word gossip really
(19:30):
means to whisper, it would begood, when you are about, to
tell something to someone you'veheard, to ask yourself first
will I say these things publicly?
Will I say this in front of theperson I'm talking about?
If your answer is no, you canconclude that you shouldn't say
(19:53):
it privately either.
So I urge you not to allow thedevil to snag you and drag you
into the sin of gossip.
James 3.8 tells us that thetongue is an unruly evil, full
of deadly poison, but you canrefuse to be the source of
gossip or to participate in itwhen it takes place.
If you really love Jesus, whywould you want to participate in
(20:17):
something that will poisonpeople's opinions and ultimately
divide and hurt others?
Think of it If it were you whopeople were talking about,
wouldn't it be hurtful to you todiscover that you were talking
this way behind your back?
It is too hurtful to get intothis business.
If you have to whisper, thenyou probably shouldn't be saying
(20:39):
it at all.
In fact, a good rule to live byis this If you can't say it
publicly, don't say it at all.
Make the decision today torefrain from gossip and stay
away from those who practice it.
Wow, wow, and this is a guythat I, for some reason, I
(21:04):
didn't like.
Like I said, I didn't like theway he looked, I didn't like the
way he sounded and I didn'tlike the people that he hung out
with.
But I was wrong and I want topublicly say that I really think
that the wisdom that comes fromGod to and through this man's
(21:29):
ministry is very good, and soI'm going to read some things
from my notes and then we'll capthings off, and I realize this
is a little bit of a heavy andpotentially touchy subject, but
(21:49):
it's a good.
It's good to address, it'simportant to address, needs to
be addressed, and so we'readdressing it.
Address it's important toaddress, it needs to be
addressed, and so we'readdressing it.
So, in my notes, gossip can beharmful consequences.
Excuse me, gossip can haveharmful consequences, ranging
(22:13):
from damaged relationships andreputation to reduced trust and
increased conflict.
It can also lead to mentalhealth issues such as anxiety,
depression and low self-esteemFor the person being gossiped
about.
In the workplace.
(22:33):
Gossip can negatively impactmorale, productivity and
employee retention.
Here's a more detailed look atthe potential dangers Harm to
individuals, damagedrelationships.
Gossip can strain or breakfriendships and family bonds,
especially if it involvesbetraying competences or
(22:55):
spreading untruths.
Reputation damage Gossip cantarnish a person's reputation,
leading to mistrust andisolation.
Mental health issues being thetarget of gossip can lead to
anxiety, depression and lowself-esteem, and in some cases,
even suicidal thoughts.
(23:15):
Erosion of trust Gossip canerode trust within social
circles, workplaces andcommunities.
Physical health the stresscaused by gossip can negatively
impact physical health as wellas mental health.
Harm in workplaces.
Decreased morale andproductivity Gossip can create a
(23:38):
negative work environment,leading to lower morale and
reduced productivity.
Strained relationships Gossipcan damage relationships between
colleagues, leading to distrustand tension.
Loss of good employees A toxicwork environment created by
(23:59):
gossip can lead to goodemployees leaving Other dangers.
Spreading misinformation Gossipcan involve spreading rumors and
false information, which can beharmful and damaging.
Feeling of isolation the targetof gossip may feel isolated and
(24:19):
excluded from social circles.
Cultivation of negativityEngaging in gossip can cultivate
a culture of negativity andjudgment.
Personal gain Gossip can beused to manipulate situations,
gain power or even get revenge.
Gain power or even get revengeA little bit more.
(24:52):
Gossip can be incrediblydamaging to a small community by
fostering division, erodingtrust and hindering overall
well-being.
It can create a toxicenvironment, damage reputations
and make it difficult forindividuals to move forward from
making mistakes or challengingtimes Right.
Here's a more detailed look atthe negative effects of gossip.
(25:16):
Damage to reputation Gossip,even if not strictly false, can
unjustly damage someone'sreputation by revealing true or
false faults, leading tofeelings of isolation and
exclusion.
Erosion of trust.
Rumors and misinformation cancreate a toxic atmosphere where
(25:37):
residents feel uncomfortable andinsecure in their homes.
Division and lack of community.
Gossipers can foster division,weaken social bonds and reduce
the sense of community that'soften valued in small towns,
hindered progress and innovation.
Gossip can create anenvironment where individuals
(25:59):
are hesitant to share ideas ortake risks, potentially stifling
progress and innovation.
Impact on relationshipsNegative gossip can strain
friendships, familyrelationships and even romantic
relationships, leading tocommunication difficulties and
(26:20):
lack of trust.
Mental and emotional harmAlmost done Excuse me, turn the
page, difficulty moving forward.
Gossip can make it challengingfor individuals to learn from
(26:43):
mistakes or move on fromdifficult situations,
potentially prolonging negativeemotions and behaviors.
Perpetration of negativebehavior Engaging in or
perpetuating gossip cannormalize and encourage negative
behaviors, creating a culturewhere toxic communication is
(27:03):
accepted.
Gossip, detraction and calumnyare harmful to communities
because they turn people againsteach other and, in general, do
not foster a loving environmentbetween those who ought to be
friends.
Spreading gossip and enjoyingthe drama is offensive to
(27:26):
others' dignity.
That about sums it up, and Ithink it's clear, or clearer,
now that gossip is not just somesilly little thing that people
(27:48):
do, that you know.
You got to kind of tolerate itand you know it's not all that
harmful.
No, it actually can be lethal.
I know I have been part of it,guilty of it in the past and
(28:11):
with God's help I have been notonly freed from it inwardly but
I no longer express it outwardlyNow.
We don't need a bunch of copsyou know gossip police running
around trying to find out who'sgossiping.
(28:32):
But I believe there are ways inwhich we can address it and I
think that's what this is reallyabout.
Also, that you know if you findsomeone trying to share gossip
with you, initially just don'tbe, don't just say you know what
(28:53):
, I'm not interested, and let ithang there, because sometimes
that's enough.
Or you might want to say youknow, I think I'm going to ask
the person that you're talkingabout whether or not that's true
and you'll find a verydifferent reaction coming from
(29:19):
the person sharing theinformation.
Or you can be very direct insaying you know, don't do that
man, that's wrong.
But then to go around tellingother people about them kind of
defeats the purpose.
So if they receive thecorrection from you, amen.
(29:45):
And if not, well then you knowthere are other steps that we
need to take.
But right now it's important toput this thing out of our
communities, man, out of ourrelationships, to be free and be
(30:11):
rid of gossip and actually tohave a community where the
culture is one of honor, wherewe actually lift each other up
and we don't tolerate gossip,and actually to have a community
where the culture is one ofhonor, where we actually lift
each other up and we don'ttolerate gossip.
We just don't do it, and thatcreates that environment that is
so wonderful and attractivethat it causes other people to
(30:35):
say what's this all about?
And then we can begin to sharethe gospel, the good news of
Jesus Christ.
Amen, amen, let's pray.
Father, thank you for theclarity that you bring to us,
god, really.
Thank you for the clarity thatyou bring to us, god, really,
(30:58):
and for loving us enough to getthis situation under control, to
correct and to discipline us,chastise us if need be, so that
(31:19):
we can be free from these thingsthat bring about such damage to
individuals and to communities.
Holy Spirit, we invite you tomanifest the character and
nature of Jesus in us, causingit to rise up and communicate in
(31:45):
ways like he did, and he doesHis life, so that we can
demonstrate it in love to youand to each other.
And we thank you for that andwe pray these things in the name
of Jesus.
Standing here.
In his name, we say amen, amen,amen, amen, amen.
(32:11):
All right, folks, I love you.
If you have any thoughts,questions, concerns, please feel
free to drop us a line atlifearoundthefire, at gmailcom,
or type in lifearoundthefire andlook us up on the web.
We would love to hear from youIn the meantime.
God bless you.
Adios amigos.
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