Gossip

Two Scrawny Frogs

[403 words] A man who had just purchased his first house in the country came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The proprietor asked where he could find so many frogs. “I’ve got a pond at home just full of them,” the homeowner replied.…

Shall We Condemn Someone Before Hearing from Him? 

  [212 words] The Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus, but after they heard Him teach, they could not bring themselves to arrest Him, for they had never heard anyone speak like Him. The Pharisees then blasted the officers, asking if they were deceived, and that none of the rulers or Pharisees had believed in…

What Gossip Says About You

[160 words] Many people think gossip is a harmless diversion. However, a study on gossip found out that it indeed hurts someone, one you might not expect. Researchers set up a test where subject watched a video were actor talked about a third party. In the videos, the actor would either say something very negative…

Mind Your Own

A few weeks ago Neil Wheeler gave me a note he had written as the result of our discussion in a Bible class. The note said, we should “Be careful of the dirt you rake up, you never know what nasty things might take root.” We both laughed because the lesson was about tale-bearing and…

Rumors

Some time ago, Dr. Albert Cantril, a professor at Princeton University, conducted a series of experiments to demonstrate how quickly rumors spread. He called six students to his office and in strict confidence informed them that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were planning to attend a certain university dance. Within a week, this completely…

Gossips: Worse Than Thieves!

[312 words] Our words can be extremely powerful, either for good (Eph. 4:29) or ill (James 3:6). One form of evil use of the tongue is gossip. The following illustration by an unknown author drives this point home: Once upon a time, an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief, As a…