Romans 1:28 “Furthermore, since Romans 1:28 “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to they did not think it worthwhile to

retain the knowledge of God, he gave retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do them over to a depraved mind, to do

what ought not to be done. what ought not to be done.

1:29 They have become filled 1:29 They have become filled with every kind of with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are and malice. They are gossipsgossips,

1:30 Slanderers, God-haters, 1:30 Slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; insolent, arrogant, and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they invent ways of doing evil;

they disobey their parents; they they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, are senseless, faithless, heartless,

ruthless. ruthless.

they are senseless, they are senseless, faithless, heartless, faithless, heartless,

ruthless. 1:32 Although ruthless. 1:32 Although they know God’s righteous they know God’s righteous decree that those who do decree that those who do

such things deserve death, such things deserve death, they not only continue to they not only continue to do these things but also do these things but also

approve of those who approve of those who practice them.” practice them.”

Listening to Listening to gossip is like gossip is like eating cheap eating cheap candy; do you candy; do you

really want junk really want junk like that in your like that in your

belly?belly?

“What you don't see with

your eyes, don't witness

with your mouth.”

““What is told What is told in the ear of a in the ear of a man is often man is often heard 100 heard 100 miles away.” miles away.”

““The things The things most people most people want to know want to know

about are about are usually none of usually none of their business.” their business.”

Friends of the Friends of the Queen of Soul Queen of Soul all say, “I have all say, “I have never heard never heard her say her say anything bad anything bad about another about another singer.”singer.”

Exodus 20:16 You shall Exodus 20:16 You shall not give false testimony not give false testimony against your neighbor.against your neighbor.

Leviticus 19:16 Do not Leviticus 19:16 Do not go about spreading go about spreading slander among your slander among your people.people.

Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from from evil and your lips from speaking lies.speaking lies.

Psalm 101:5 Whoever slanders Psalm 101:5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.heart, him will I not endure.

• With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape... A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

The words of the wicked lie in The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.of the upright rescues them.

Proverbs 20:19 A gossip Proverbs 20:19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too avoid a man who talks too much. much.

Without wood a fire Without wood a fire goes out; without goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.man for kindling strife.

They must first be tested; and They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, deacons. In the same way, their wives[a] are to be women their wives[a] are to be women worthy of respect, not worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in temperate and trustworthy in everything.everything.

The tongue is a small part of The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.itself set on fire by hell.

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

I am a direct descendant of the I am a direct descendant of the father of lies.father of lies.I have no respect for justice.I have no respect for justice.I maim without killing.I maim without killing.I break hearts and ruin lives.I break hearts and ruin lives.I am cunning and malicious and I I am cunning and malicious and I gather strength with age.gather strength with age.The more I am quoted, the more The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.I am believed.

The more I am quoted, the more I The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.am believed.

My victims are helpless. They My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves cannot protect themselves against me because I have no against me because I have no name and no face.name and no face.

To track me down is impossible. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more The harder you try, the more elusive I become.elusive I become.

I am nobody’s friend.I am nobody’s friend.Once I tarnish a reputation, it is Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.never the same.I topple governments and wreck I topple governments and wreck marriages.marriages.I ruin careers and cause sleepless I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartaches, and nights, heartaches, and indigestion.indigestion.I make innocent people cry in I make innocent people cry in their pillows.their pillows.

I make headlines and I make headlines and headaches.headaches.

Even my name Even my name hisses. hisses. I am called I am called Gossip. Gossip.

The Greek scholar Godet describes a gossiper as “someone who pours out his poison by whispering in our ears.”

I. The Seriousness of I. The Seriousness of Gossip Gossip

Romans 1:28-32 Romans 1:28-32

II.II.The Source of GossipThe Source of Gossip

ConclusionConclusion::

The Solution for GossipThe Solution for Gossip