Should I marry this woman?

Question: Hi, I’m a male in my late twenties. I’ve been dating my girlfriend, who is a few years older, for several years. It’s been rocky because we didn’t have God as the center of our relationship until the last few months. To make a super long story a lot shorter, there have been many…

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Gossipers

by W. C. Hinton After denouncing tattlers and gossipers, the apostle immediately defines what he means by a “busybody.” He says that they speak “things which they ought not.” In other words, they misuse their tongues! (See I Timothy 5:13). Do you ever gossip about others? Be honest now! It’s a very common sin. Many…

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Is it gossip to comment about someone at dinner?

Question: I had another question about gossip. I was at dinner with my family, and we were talking about some funny times during our last vacation trip. These stories only stay within our family. We don’t tell them to anyone else. One story involved a stranger, whom I mentioned something without thinking. He was sitting…

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Is reporting a possible theft gossiping?

Question: This is complicated so I’ll sum it up for you: I play a sport and there is a guy who runs the state championship tournament. Our team and a few local teams in the area think he’s been possibly pocketing money from us because of recent events that have gone down. Anyway, we don’t…

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Seeking to Ruin a Reputation

by Floyd Chappelear Sentry Magazine, December 1999 He had seen Jesus after the resurrection (Acts 9). He had been left dead and had seen things on the other side that it was not lawful to speak about (see Acts 14:19; II Corinthians 12:4). The man was powerful, influential beyond measure. His influence must be destroyed.…

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What Is a Gossip?

by Floyd Chappelear Sentry Magazine, March 2000 Too many people think that “gossip” is the communication of information. Not so. The household of Chloe told the apostle Paul about some unflattering things that pertained to the saints at Corinth (I Corinthians 1:11). Paul was given a unique opportunity to lambast them for gossip but did…

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He Who Sows Discord Among Brethren

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HeWhoSowsDiscordAmongBrethren.mp3 Text: Proverbs 6:16-19   I.         Some people are not satisfied with the way things are.             A.        They want people to change, but they go about it the wrong way.             B.        They are missing any love for their brethren II.        Gossiping and Talebearing             A.        Talking about other people.             B.        People who engage in it have too much time on their hands…

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Can giving a warning about a false teacher be gossip?

Question: I was reading an article written by someone on your website about the subject of gossip. Gossip was condemned by the person who wrote the article. But, what about if you’re exposing a false teacher, whether they’re well known by others or not? I believe that we should raise awareness of a wolf in sheep’s…

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Jamaica Patois Wisdom – Meddling

by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…

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Internet Dangers

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013Spring6InternetDangers.mp3 by Lance Blackburn Lessons for Our Time

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I ruined my husband’s reputation with my family. How do I repair it?

Question: Good morning my brother, I’m a believer and married. I have a problem that does not allow me to sleep. For the past three years my husband cheated on me with a woman I forgave him because I love my husband. He is a good husband apart from his mistake. I believe it happened because…

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What is the difference between venting and gossiping?

Question: I have a friend that shares with me about other coworkers that have either said something that she did not like or hurt her feelings, in the past and currently, and I was wondering what exactly is the difference between just venting and gossiping.  She sometimes begins by saying “I am just venting,” which sometimes I know that I do,…

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The First One to Plead His Cause Seems Right

by Bryan Matthew Dockens “The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). Wise Solomon observed the reflexive tendency on the part of man to accept as truth the first version of events presented in a potential controversy. When gossip circulates through the workplace, the neighborhood,…

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Is Apple a satanic organization?

Question: I found on this website, in the extra information, it says the first Mac sold for 666 dollars. So would it be bad to buy Apple products because that number is the sign of the devil or something? I don’t know exactly why the number was bad, but I remember the Bible said it…

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Is it wrong to hire a preacher who has been divorced?

Question: There’s a congregation in town that just hired a young preacher who is divorced and it wasn’t for adultery. This was told to me by a sister who knew them well. Is it okay for them to hire a preacher who is in this circumstance? Answer: Neither you nor I know what happened. According to the…

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Conspiracy Theorists

by Gardner Hall via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 36, Sept. 9, 2007. “Richard Nixon is a communist!” the man told me with certainty. “Why do you say that,” I asked. “He went to China to talk to them. Must be one of ’em,” was the response. Another man told me something to the effect that…

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Doesn’t a publicly known sin need to be confessed?

Question: Hello! I have a question about an article that I have recently found. I am a Christian and grew up in the church always believing you “need to let the congregation know you have repented of your public sins” by going forward. In the article “Does sin require a public confession before a congregation?”…

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Does sin require a public confession before a congregation?

Question: It is with great difficulty that I find myself writing to you with this question. I have been married for about several months now.  Shortly before the wedding, we made a grievous error and fell into sexual sins.  A child was conceived from this sin.  We are overjoyed over the child but do admit…

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The Ten Commandments on How to Get Along with Each Other

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TenCommandmentsOnHowToGetAlong1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.         Introduction             A.        No man is an island                         1.         We cannot exist alone. We are in constant need of contact with other people.                         2.         In order to get along in this world, we must get along with others.             B.        As Christians, our main purpose should be to bring more souls to Christ                         1.         How can we…

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Bearing Tales to Others

Reading Psalm 15   I.         Some sins are overt. They are clearly and obviously wrong. But other sins are subtle. We don’t realize that what we are doing is wrong.             A.        Gossiping can be that way.                         1.         Oh, I’m sure we see that the loud-mouth neighbor on a TV sitcom is wrong. After all, the person is all…

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How do you handle people trying to pull you into their problems?

Question: I am a Christian and so is the rest of my family.  I request your prayer on behalf of my son, myself, and fellow Christians.  My son and I used to work at a Christian school.  However, we no longer are there — by choice I might add. The little school is really being…

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