流言蜚語 Gossiping

Group Activities - Gossiping

Ice-breaking game:

以訛傳訛

• Each group will pick 4 people for 4 lines to play the game.
• Anthony will give out some critical questions without answer to help them get into the discussion section.

Discussion:

1. How do you define gossip and sharing?
2. If you get some "information" about others, what will you do (stop it or spread it out)?
3. How might you stop people who are gossiping badly?
4. How might the relationships being destroyed if gossip is a norm (cell group development that Anthony mentioned)? Or put it this way, how might this deter us from establishing deeper sharing mode within a group if whatever secret you say might be disclosed?
5. If you get some "information" about yourself from others finally, what will you do or feel?

Scriptures:
Let’s see how Bible teaches us.

箴 Proverbs 10:19 多言多語難免有過；禁止嘴唇是有智慧。
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

• Don't speak too much.

箴 Proverbs 10:21 義人的口教養多人；愚昧人因無知而死亡。
The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
箴 Proverbs 10:31-32 義人的口滋生智慧；乖謬的舌必被割斷。義人的嘴能令人喜悅；惡人的口說乖謬的話。
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
箴 Proverbs 12:6 惡人的言論是埋伏流人的血；正直人的口必拯救人。
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.
箴 Proverbs 12:18 說話浮躁的，如刀刺人；智慧人的舌頭，卻為醫人的良藥。
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
箴 Proverbs 12:25 人心憂慮，屈而不伸；一句良言，使心歡樂。
An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
箴 Proverbs 15:2 智慧人的舌，善發知識；愚昧人的口，吐出愚昧。
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
箴 Proverbs 16:21 心中有智慧，必稱為通達人；嘴中的甜言，加增人的學問。
The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.
雅 James 3:9 我們用舌頭頌讚那為主、為父的，又用舌頭咒詛那照著神形像被造的人。
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

• Our mouths should be used to encourage, comfort, teach, bring joy/happiness and praise our God.

箴 Proverbs 11:13 往來傳舌的，洩漏密事；心中誠實的，遮隱事情。
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
箴 Proverbs 20:19 往來傳舌的，洩漏密事；大張嘴的，不可與他結交。
A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.
箴 Proverbs 26:20 火缺了柴，就必熄滅，無人傳舌，爭競便止息。
Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
箴 Proverbs 26:22 傳舌人的言語，如同美食，深入人的心腹。
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

• Not to gossip, but to 遮隱事情, In some cases, 甚至替受害者講好說話及辯護。
• Keep yourself away from gossips and meaningless/foolish talks.
• Stop spreading any gossip. No one spreads, then no gossip. Simple!!
• It's the fact that gossips are like tasty bit of food. People enjoy them. It's hard for us to resist.

箴 Proverbs 15:23 口善應對，自覺喜樂，話合其時，何等美好。
A man finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!

• 在適當的時間和場合說適當的說話。