5 Years of Resisting Gossip

Rejoice with me!

Resisting Gossip was released 5 years ago today. Back in September of 2013, I could never have imagined all of the places it would go and the ways it has been used by the Lord. Today, my heart is overflowing with thankfulness for the blessings of the last half decade.

To name just a few:

- Resisting Gossip is now translated into 5 other languages around the world: Spanish (including an e-book), French [in both Canada and France], Russian, Romanian, and Korean. I’m excited to think that I’m getting to teach people God’s Word that I would never meet nor ever be able to converse with all over the globe.

- Resisting Gossip has been a bestseller for CLC Publications every single quarter since its release. For me, those sales translate into real people I hope have been helped to win the war of the wagging tongue in their own lives.

- Resisting Gossip has been recognized by many readers and leaders as helpful in the fight for holiness and love. The gracious words of folks like Kevin DeYoung (and on video), Tim Challies (once, twice, and then thrice at World Magazine!), Joe Valenti, Deb Welch, Monergism.com, Andy Naselli, Alex Chediak, Steve Kemp at BILD, Greg Strand, Bob Kelleman, Daniel Holmquist, Todd Hardin at the Biblical Counseling Coalition, Marci Ferrell at the Thankful Homemaker, Benjamin Vrbicek at Fan and Flame, Will Turner, and Mark Lauterbach at TGC have encouraged me to no end. It’s got 67 reviews on Amazon, and all but 1 of them are very positive. I'm also very thankful for the heartening support that WTSBooks has always shown for the book, as well.

- The message of Resisting Gossip and Resisting Gossip Together continues to resonate with people through online videos [Vimeo, YouTube], live seminars, podcasts, articles, and personal interactions. I love getting to share at conferences like CCEF and Challenge, teach at retreats, camps, and schools like Miracle Mountain Ranch, and speak in local churches such as the upcoming event at Hope EFC in Fertile, Minnesota. I feel so grateful to get to be used in this way.

Into the future:

Unfortunately, the global gossip plague continues to rage on unabated. My little book is just a drop in the bucket of what is needed to effect large scale change. I knew that going in (see the “final word” “The End of Gossip” on pg. 151). But hopefully it’s a drop in the right bucket and continues to be used by the Lord to move the right people in the right direction. That’s my prayer.

The good folks at CLC Publications are making arrangements right now to offer a special 5 year anniversary sale price and maybe even release an audiobook version of Resisting Gossip this Fall. I’ll let you know when I know more about those things. What I do know right now is that I never could have predicted how this would have turned out, and I give all the praise to Jesus Christ. May He receive all the glory due Him forever.

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Resisting Gossip Teaching Series Now on Vimeo

Rejoice with me!

The videos we created a few years ago to go with Resisting Gossip Together have now been uploaded to my Vimeo channel and arranged into an album. [They are already available on YouTube.]

So if Vimeo is your preferred site for watching and sharing video, you can now watch and share the 10 teaching videos, an introduction/trailer, and the blooper reel. Enjoy!

And one of the great things about Vimeo is that in addition to being watchable and shareable, they are also downloadable from this site so you can take them places with no internet!

Thank you again to Spencer Folmar of Third Brother Films for creating them and, especially, to CLC Publications for making these available free to the public!

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Resisting Gossip Teaching Series Now on YouTube

Good news! The videos we created a few years ago to go with Resisting Gossip Together have now been uploaded to my YouTube channel and arranged into a playlist.

Anyone anywhere with YouTube can now watch and share the 10 teaching videos, an introduction/trailer, and the blooper reel. Enjoy!

Thank you to Spencer Folmar of Third Brother Films for creating them and, especially, to CLC Publications for making these available free to the public!

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The Walrus and the Carpenter Podcast

Listen in to my interview with Garry and Jason at the curiously titled podcast "The Walrus and the Carpenter."

They asked me questions about the 4 year anniversary of the release of Resisting Gossip and about how its teaching relates to prayer requests, pastoral ministry, and a bunch of other things. It was fun to hang out with a couple curious pastors who are passionate about ministry.

They are currently running a contest to win a free copy of Resisting Gossip provided by CLC Publications. Listen to the podcast to find out how to win.

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Three Years of "Resisting Gossip"

Aww. Our little book turns three today!

It's hard to believe, but Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue was released on September 3, 2013.

Yesterday, I went through all of the posts on this blog marked Resisting Gossip, and reviewed what a wonderful adventure it has been over the last twelve months.

This year has definitely been a quieter year than the previous one when we had the release of Resisting Gossip Together, the ten-part Resisting Gossip Video Teaching Series (free online!), and the Spanish translation Resistiendo El Chisme (remember that time it was on Colombian national television?!?!).

But even though it hasn't been as busy, I am still amazed at how far Resisting Gossip has traveled and thankful for how it continues to have an effect on people's lives.

En français!

A year ago, the French version, Résister à la médisance was released in both France and Canada.

I got to actually be present for the Canadian release. Dave Almack of CLC Ministries and I traveled up to the beautiful city of Montreal where I got to meet Antoine Roberge and the rest of the CLC Canada team and share the message of my book through a translator.

In a word, this experience was "Merveilleux!"

In Wales, Too

The next international stop was an article in the Welsh magazine originally titled, "Y Cylchgrawn Efengylaidd," or in English, "The Evangelical Magazine." They published an adapted form of chapter 6, "Instead of Gossip: Listening."  Thank you to CLC Publications for giving them permission to share this with their readers.

CCEF National Conference

In between those two international events, I had the privilege of presenting a breakout seminar at the CCEF National Conference entitled, "Behind the Back: When Gossip Distorts Side-by-Side Ministry."

Speaking at CCEF was a "bucket list" level event for me and brought Resisting Gossip full circle as it started its life as a doctoral project encouraged by Ed Welch. I spoke to a room full of highly-engaged listeners who asked great questions to interact with what I had to share. I would do it again in a heartbeat.



Hope Church

In January, I had the opportunity to present the Resisting Gossip Seminar and preach at Hope Church in Spenser, Iowa which is pastored by my friend Russell Muilenburg. Russell wove the seminar into a sermon series he was doing on "Taming the Tongue" for which he interviewed me.

Still Being Read

I'm encouraged that Resisting Gossip continues to be a bestseller for CLC Publications, and I still get emails and mail from readers who are being helped to fight the good fight against this pernicious temptation.

I'm so glad that we went with CLC as our publisher, especially because of their international missions outreach. In April, I was invited to be the speaker for their special 75th Anniversary Celebration at their annual conference in Philadelphia. What a joy to be with those precious people who pour out their lives to get solid evangelical literature into the hands of the nations!

More Still To Come

The good folks at CLC tell me that the Russian translation has been completed, and they hope to release it this Fall and that the Korean translation is in the final stages of translation and may even be out this month. How exciting to think about the impact of our little book on people around the world.

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"Resisting Gossip Together" Turns 1 Year Old

One candle on the cake!

Happy birthday to Resisting Gossip Together the companion book for groups and individuals studying Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue.

It's been one year since RGT was released in conjunction with the video teaching series. It's a bestseller for CLC Publications, and they've already had to order a second printing.

It's been so encouraging to hear stories of groups using these materials and growing in grace and also to get positive reviews like this one from Pastor Brad Bigney of Grace Fellowship Church in Florence Kentucky who said, "A+++ I would use them again."

To learn more about Resisting Gossip Together, read this interview I did with the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

I also have a page on this blog dedicated to extra resources that fit with RGT. Read the introduction here to get a sense of what RGT is all about. And here is a list of all of the wonderful people who helped make it possible.

I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to create these resources and lead CLC to make them available to the Church!

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Two Years of "Resisting Gossip"

It's hard to be believe, but Resisting Gossip has just turned two years old.

Yesterday, I went through all of the posts on this blog marked Resisting Gossip, and reviewed what a fun ride it's been over the last twelve months.

Some highlights from this second year:

Resisting Gossip Together

In October, CLC Publications released Resisting Gossip Together: Participant's Guide and Bible Study as a companion book. This Summer, RGT already went into its second printing. I'm thankful for the chance to provide this study guide for folks who want to go deeper into God's Word on gossip. I was able to include material that didn't make it into the original book.

For more information, see this page on my blog which include even more resources and my interview with the Biblical Counseling Coalition.


A great place to purchase Resisting Gossip Together is Westminster Bookstore who also has a starter pack of 5 books and study guides at 35% off the list price.

The Resisting Gossip Video Teaching Series

At the same time, CLC Publications also released a complementary set of videos featuring me teaching on the ten chapters of Resisting Gossip. They were produced, filmed, and directed by Spencer Folmar of Third Brother Films and have great music from The Gray Havens.

What I love most about these videos is that they are available for FREE to the world--downloadable and sharable. The first video has already been viewed more than a thousand times. (A DVD set is available for those who need it.)

Restiendo el Chisme on Colombian National Television

I never saw this one coming!

On March 31st, the Spanish version was featured in an 18 minute segment on the morning show of Channel One, the national television station in Colombia. (Click on the picture here to got to the YouTube video.)

I don't know much Spanish, but from what I can tell, they did a great job of covering the contents and even the corny humor from the book.

I love the international reach of CLC Ministries.

The Korean and Russian translations are in production, and I can't wait to learn how the Lord might use those in parts of the world I will never see.

Disciplemaking, Not Just Resisting Gossip

The best part of being the author of this book is that it's not about me, it's about ministry. It's not just about resisting gossip; it's about making disciples of Jesus Christ.

So, my favorite part is hearing stories from people who have been helped by the material.

Stories from folks like Allison Bies, the Federated Church's Adult VBS, this ladies' Bible study group, this family, Uche in Sudan, and this anonymous pastor.

It's a great privilege and joy to be used in ministry.

What's Next?

1. Résister à la médisance!

The French translation has just been released by CLC France in Europe and will soon be released in Quebec by CLC Canada.

I'm particularly excited about this new release because I get to be a part of it in Montreal! On September 25th, Dave Almack and will be traveling up Montreal for the launch of Résister à la médisance. I'll be sharing more about this event as it gets closer.

CLC France has posted the cover, table of contents, the foreword, introduction and a bit of the first chapter in French.

2. "Side by Side."

Next month, Heather and I will be traveling to Virginia Beach to participate in the 2015 CCEF National Conference. I've been asked to teach a breakout session on "Behind the Back: When Side by Side Ministry is Distorted by Gossip."

I love the ministry of CCEF so I consider it a great honor and a high privilege to get to serve in this way. I can't hardly wait!

In preparation for the conference, CCEF ran a new version of my article on how to keep gossip out of prayer requests.



My heart is full of thanks to God for all of these blessings (and also the countless ones I have no idea He's sending me). May He get the glory now and forever.

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Resisting Gossip Adult VBS Class at the Federated Church

Earlier this Summer, my friend Ed Huntley, a pastor at The Federated Church sent me this note about Resisting Gossip:

***

Hey Matt,

Ed Huntley here, to tell you that the book that Connie and I bought when we saw you in April is going to be used, along with your videos and the group workbook (both of which I just ordered), when I lead our Adult Vacation Bible School here in August.

Connie has devoured the book, and I'm going to be reading it this coming week on vacation, and I suspect that it's going to bear some good fruit in our lives and in the lives of the people we're serving.

Just wanted to encourage you with this news, and I'll be giving you a report after the AVBS, assuming the folks don't run me out of town for ruining their fun!

Bless you, brother!

Ed.

***

And just yesterday, he sent along his full report with permission to share it with you. How encouraging! What a joy it is to see God using this material in ministry to His church.

***

Hey Matt, here's my report. In a word, it was GREAT! As I wrote the other day, the people were VERY interested in your material and greatly challenged by it. They also enjoyed the way that you delivered the message, with a different setting each lesson.

I've attached the note-taking sheets that I prepared for each lesson. You might want to take a couple of minutes to review what I did, because it will show you how a fellow pastor used your material. I showed your lesson, and they took notes, and then we discussed what we heard, to make sure everybody "got it" and to apply the lesson.

The positive critiques are many: your teaching is solid, your delivery is so creative, your focus on the sin is strong and your application of the gospel is equally strong. You make people squirm but you also give them hope; you're an excellent pastor/teacher!

One small "negative" critique: the audio on lesson 10 was very different from every other lesson, too much bass, difficult to understand at certain points. Perhaps it was a problem on only my DVD?

Here's the ultimate compliment: One of our students is teaching a ladies' Sunday School class, and she asked if she could show the material to her class. I passed it on to her on the last day, and they will be studying it starting this coming Sunday! So your teaching is going to continue to ruin people's fun, for the glory of God!

Blessings,

Ed

***

Note for those new to these resources: The videos Ed is talking about are free, downloadable, and shareable on this website. The group workbooks he's mentioning are Resisting Gossip Together (linked to extra material here) and correspond lesson by lesson with each video and each chapter in Resisting Gossip.

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A Second Printing for "Resisting Gossip Together!"

Rejoice with me!

CLC Publications has had to order a second printing of Resisting Gossip Together, the participant's guide and Bible study.

To learn more about Resisting Gossip Together, read this interview I did with the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

I also have a page on this blog dedicated to extra resources that fit with RGT and each lesson in the book also has a corresponding video that teaches the essential message of each chapter.

It's wonderful to hear stories of people who are using RGT to deepen their understanding of the biblical teaching on gossip and also bring together a study group to work through the material with one another.

Pastor Brad Bigney of Grace Fellowship Church in Florence Kentucky recently said, "A+++ I would use them again." So encouraging!

A great place to purchase Resisting Gossip Together is Westminster Bookstore who also has a starter pack of 5 books and study guides at 35% off the list price.

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Taking Resisting Gossip Seriously

One of the most gratifying thing about being the author of Resisting Gossip is interacting with readers who are using it to study God’s word and grow in discipleship.

I recently had this email interaction with a Bible study leader whose group had been struggling with questions that the opening story of chapter seven (about a landlord who was hurt by the gossip spread by a supposedly Christian tenant) had raised.

It’s so encouraging to hear that people are taking these truths to heart.

***

Bible Study Leader:  Hi Matt,

One of the ladies in my Resisting Gossip group came to me yesterday. We are studying the chapter this week concerning when you are the target of gossip. She was significantly concerned about the fact that "William" did not confront "Nicholas" as a brother in Christ about what he was doing. She asked if you were saying that confrontation of the gossipers was not a valid step in the process when you are the target.

I told her that I doubted very much that that was what you were trying to communicate, but that your focus was on turning to God to help us deal with it. She asked if I could ask you about it. It genuinely disturbed her.  I think she felt that if William didn't confront, he was unnecessarily allowing himself to be more of a victim than he was, and that he was not allowing God the option of working conviction in Nicholas' heart.

Is there more to the story about this that you didn't share because of the focus you were aiming at?

Thanks for clearing this up!

Me:  Great question!

Please thank your classmate for caring so much about my friend "William!"

You are right that this chapter is about trusting God with our reputations. The next chapter is about loving our enemies–one of the valid biblical strategies there is confronting. You'll probably get to it in your next class time. Hopefully that will help her.

So, what I was emphasizing here was how William tried to control his reputation but couldn't and needed to trust God with it.

I'm not sure if in real life William did confront "Nicholas" about that part of their conflict. He definitely confronted him on other parts of their broken relationship and the gossip would have been fair game. But even if he had, William would need to continue to trust God with all of the places where the lies had been spread.

Does that help?

Bible Study Leader:   Sure does. I've read the book, but am working through it again chapter by chapter and had forgotten that. I will share your answer with her and set her heart at ease.

Me: Great!

I do mention William again in the next chapter briefly, but I don't bring up his story to say that he should have or could have confronted. That would have been a good way of tying the two chapters together.

I love that people are reading this and thinking deeply about living as Christian in these situations.  It's a joy to be used in this way. Please thank your friend for me for reading it and interacting with it so thoroughly.

Bible Study Leader:  All of the women in my group are.  They have even committed to holding each other accountable in this area. I've been so excited to see how seriously they are taking it. I also have 3 others, in addition to the 11 in the group, who are reading it one their own and interacting with it at a deep level. It has been one of the most applied studies that I've done in a while.

We recently lost one of our pastors – he was asked to resign. That usually leads to a lot of gossip and rumors. That was one of the main reasons I had wanted to do this book. I think it has helped put out a couple of little fires that could have spread among certain groups.

Me: So encouraging to hear these stories!

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The Definition of Gossip and the Art of Pastoring

Recently, I had an email conversation with a wise pastor who had some good practical questions about how to use my definition of gossip in pastoring people. Our interaction demonstrated a few things to me. First, that this is an important thing to be thinking about because it involves real people in real situations. Second, sometimes there are no easy answers. It's an art not a science. Third, pastoring is a terrific privilege and worth the hard work of learning to love people well.

I asked my new friend if I could post our conversation for others to read, and he said yes so long as we kept it anonymous. We don't want to gossip about those who might be gossiping! Below is a lightly edited version. Chime in, too, if you like, in the comments below.

***

Hi, Pastor Matt,

I have a read and watched many of your resources and am thankful for your ministry to the church. I have a couple questions on gossip and would love to hear your thoughts if you have some time:

• Is it gossip for people to tell me (as a pastor) things in a counseling session? If not why would that be different than one friend coming to another friend to receive counsel? 
• For that matter is sharing things in counseling, or in small group settings when people share their personal history or testimony in general about family history, conflict, etc. gossip? 
• Is it gossip to share parts of our story that involve others negatively? A woman in our church often talks with other gals sharing her experience of abuse by her ex-husband. But is she gossiping about him in order to minister to others? 
• Is it gossip to tell someone to watch out for another person because of danger? Paul seems to do this with various people. If it’s not gossip does that mean one single gal telling another single gal “I wouldn’t date that guy because he did…”? 
• Can spouses share everything with one another since they are one or is that still gossip? 
• Last one: if there is distance of relationship does it not counted as gossip? For instance, if someone shares with their friend about how they struggle with their Mom’s trying to be involved in their parenting is it okay to share that since the friend doesn’t know the mom at all and it doesn’t become divisive. 

If your able, thank you in advance, if not no worries.

Pastor Anonymous

***

Pastor Anon,

Great questions! Thanks for asking.

The short answer to all of them is, "It depends." It could be sinful gossip in any of those cases, but it might not be, especially depending upon motivations and how the information sharing was conducted (carefully and in love or carelessly, recklessly, and divisively?).

I've written a brief article about this on my blog, "So, Is This Gossip?" that might be helpful to you.

After reading that, let me know what you think.

Blessings,

-Matt

***

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the quick response. I appreciate it.

I had read that blog and I think I’m still left with questions. I’m sure I’m looking for a hard fast rule that simply doesn’t exist.

Most all of the instances I listed are done in a hidden way so that part of the definition is present. However, the “bad heart” seems hard to define. I think many times the way people defend their (potential) gossip is by saying “I wasn’t doing it to harm anyone I just needed counsel.” While that may be true it can still cause harm. In addition “bad heart” might not be trying to harm another person but rather trying to make ourselves look, appear, feel good, etc. So…I guess maybe a follow up question would be how would you define bad heart in these contexts? And isn’t it possible to do something that’s not from a bad heart but still has bad effects and thus we should refrain to begin with? I don’t know the answers to these…want to help folks not gossip, and not participate in it in my role as a pastor but also don’t want to draw unnecessary and even harmful lines in the sand.

Thanks for listening,

Pastor Anonymous

***

Dear Anony,

I understand. I went looking for those hard and fast rules when I did my biblical research and was disappointed to not find them.

The hard and fast rule we do have is that if we are loving those whom we are talking about and loving those to whom we are talking then we aren't going to be gossiping. What's difficult about that is that we can fool and justify ourselves and others can fool and justify themselves to us.

For ourselves, the more we are aware of our sinful tendencies and the biblical truth that undoes them, the more able we can be to see our own sin and turn away from it. That's the focus of my book. It's written to those who want to resist gossip in their own lives.

In ministry to others, we have to both (1) try not to judge others motives when they are doing something that looks, at first glance, unloving and sinful, and at the same time, (2) be discerning of possible motives that would be sliding a conversation into a dangerous place. We can really tell a lot about why someone is talking about someone else negatively by how they do it. Does it appear to be just someone running someone else down? Do we get facts and story that doesn't help anyone? Is there an attempt to provide alternate explanations for someone else's behavior or do they seem to be jumping to conclusions? Are the warnings being offered to others careful and nuanced based on facts or cutting and rash and based on feelings or hearsay? Is there evidence of the Golden Rule at work in this conversation or is it one-sided? In a conflict, has person A gone to person B, or are they talking about it with people C through Z who don't reasonably need to know any of these facts? Is there an obvious true, constructive, loving purpose to this conversation or is it aimless, careless, entertaining? You're right that our bad hearts may not be malicious to the one we are talking about but they might be careless and not thinking about the one we are talking about. That's a lack of love, as well.

Our pastoral response needs to be in proportion to what we discern is going on. If someone is spreading bad information, it's more cut and dried. If someone is calling families one-by-one in the church about a conflict to make sure that everyone knows all the details and won't go directly to the subjects of the talk, that's more obvious. But a few of your case studies call for more discernment.

Is that helpful? I could write more, but I'm trying to give the principle and let you work it out in your own practice.

-Matt

***

This is good Matt, thanks for helping me to continue to think through this. Appreciate the time very much so.

- Anonymous

***

You're welcome. It's a privilege to have gotten to study this on this level and share with others what I've been learning.

Blessings on you and your church family.

-Matt

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Westminster Bookstore's fantastic sale on all resources for Resisting Gossip ends tomorrow.

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More Sweet Tweets

As the fantastic Westminster Bookstore sale continues, I've seen some more neat tweets about our Resisting Gossip resources--so encouraging!

Our staff is reading #ResistingGossip, a helpful book on a tricky subject. Discounted at WTS with new study guide: http://t.co/brwqBCSnYP
— Kevin DeYoung (@RevKevDeYoung) October 16, 2014

Every church would be blessed by a series on "Resisting Gossip." A great resource: http://t.co/AyqTGJx7FL @ResistingGossip
— Barry McCarty (@barrymccarty) October 24, 2014

Fun fact: "Resisting Gossip" by Matthew Mitchell began life as a DMin project at Westminster Theological Seminary @WestminsterTS
— WestminsterBookstore (@wtsbooks) October 24, 2014

Finally, this looks like an important book for the church today. http://t.co/1kcJnJcnco
— Matt Haines ن (@haines_matt) October 23, 2014

"The foolish people of the world do not exist for my entertainment." ~ Matthew Mitchell // @ResistingGossip
— Brian Dempsey (@BrianDempsey) October 23, 2014

Especial por esta semana en la Librería Westminster — material sobre el chisme y su poder destructivo en la iglesia. http://t.co/icNGFq8gI5
— Salvador Gomez (@GomezDickson) October 23, 2014

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Fantastic Prices on "Resisting Gossip Together" Packs at WTSBooks.com

I am humbled by the strong affirmation of our new Resisting Gossip resources by the folks at Westminster Bookstore.

Today, they announced their special sale prices in their e-newsletter, including a 5/5 pack of Resisting Gossip and Resisting Gossip Together at 47% off the retail price and $36 less than what it would cost on Amazon to buy them!

I was so encouraged by the letter by a WTS staff member included in the special offer. He said:

Amen. May it be so, to God's glory.

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Mail Call

Look what came in the mail this weekend!

Me and Resistiendo el Chisme

Me and Resisting Gossip Together

All four Resisting Gossip resources, including the new DVD of the video teaching series!

Nothing like physical copies to make it all seem real. I'm a blessed man.

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Big Sale at WTSBooks.com!

Looking for the best prices for Resisting Gossip and the brand new Resisting Gossip Together?

The folks at WTSBooks.com them both on sale here.

The special prices include:

Individual Books
Resisting Gossip Together: $4.00 (20% off)
Resisting Gossip: $8.00 (40% off)

Bundles
5 Book + 5 Participant's Guide Pack - $50.00 (47% off) includes .99 UPS Ground Shipping and free USPS shipping

[Coming Soon] 10 Resisting Gossip Together: $30.00 (40% off)

E-Books
Resisting Gossip ebook: $7.99
Resisting Gossip Together ebook: $4.00

It's so pleasing to see these deep discounts. I hope many small groups take advantage of these offers!

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"Gossip and Prayer Requests" Guest Posts

Yesterday, Ed Stetzer and the Biblical Counseling Coalition both ran versions of my "Gossip and Prayer Requests" article on their blogs, which makes 3 guest post versions of the article, including the LifeNotes one from last week.

So encouraging to see this get out to more people!

Ed Stetzer's "The Exchange" Blog

The Biblical Counseling Coalition "Grace and Truth" Blog

Life Notes LifeLetter Cafe

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Resisting Gossip Together was released on Tuesday, October 7th.

View The Resisting Gossip Video Teaching Series online or order the DVD.

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Sweet Tweets

So encouraging to start getting some good feedback on Resisting Gossip Together and the new videos.

Thank you, friends, for helping get out the word these new resources exist!

I'm finding these videos by Matt Mitchell (@ResistingGossip) helpful. On the nature of gossip and avoiding it: http://t.co/H84ZXYS74s
— Matt Perman (@mattperman) October 10, 2014

New free video curriculum from @ResistingGossip http://t.co/0oQX31u503
— David Murray (@davidpmurray) October 9, 2014

Looking for a great resource to promote unity in your church? http://t.co/z5g9USirTt @ResistingGossip @alversonboyd @BruceABorders
— David JB Miller (@DavidJBMiller) October 5, 2014

Check out the new Resisting Gossip resources from Matt Mitchell (MDiv '98)! http://t.co/q183AhQLaR
— TEDS Alumni (@TEDSAlumni) October 3, 2014

I want to commend to you my good friend Matt's new video teaching series on resisting gossip. You can find the book and small group...
— Sean Matthew O'Brien (@seanmattobrien) October 6, 2014

Share Check out "Resisting Gossip Teaching Series: Trailer" on Vimeo http://t.co/uHJhfPsWv2 #Vimeo #resistinggossip #mattmitchell
— Ed Catherman (@enc2000) October 10, 2014

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A Interview about "Resisting Gossip Together"

The Biblical Counseling Coalition has posted a brief interview with me about Resisting Gossip Together and also included the complete course of teaching videos.

Questions include:

1. How does Resisting Gossip Together relate to your previous book, Resisting Gossip?

2. “What is unique about Resisting Gossip Together? How is it designed?”

3. Tell us more about the videos that go along with Resisting Gossip Together.

4. What are your hopes for these resources?

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Resisting Gossip Together In Only 6 Weeks

Only 6 Weeks

A group leader recently wrote me with this question, "I will be teaching a six week class at my church using the Resisting Gossip Materials starting in November. Could you let me know what 6 chapters you would pick to focus on, since I won’t have 10 weeks to work with?"

I thought that my response might be helpful for others using the materials under the same constraints:

Here are some possibilities depending on what your goals for the class are:

Option 1

When I do the Resisting Gossip Live Seminar, I don't normally get into the stuff in the later chapters (responding to gossip, regretting gossip, church chapter). So, you could just do the first 6 chapters. That's a simple plan and focuses everything on just the teaching on resisting the temptation to gossip. At the seminar, I normally have Q&A time where I share thoughts on the material in #7-10, as well.

Lesson #1.    What, Exactly, Is Gossip?
Lesson #2.    Why Do We Gossip?
Lesson #3.     A Gallery of Gossips
Lesson #4.    Believing the Best
Lesson #5.     Instead of Gossip: Speaking
Lesson #6.    Instead of Gossip: Listening

Option 2

You can combine a few of the chapters and skip the church chapter. Then you're not dividing up the material as much but still covering everything. Have the group read two chapters but only have one discussion.

1. Lesson #1.    What, Exactly, Is Gossip?
2. Lesson #2.    Why Do We Gossip?
    Lesson #3.     A Gallery of Gossips
3. Lesson #4.    Believing the Best
4. Lesson #5.     Instead of Gossip: Speaking
    Lesson #6.    Instead of Gossip: Listening
5. Lesson #7.    Responding in Faith
    Lesson #8.     Responding in Love
6. Lesson #9.    Regretting Gossip

Option 3

One more approach is to combine it a different way and skip the judging and regretting chapters. Participants can read those on their own and bring the ideas into the discussion if there's time.

1. Lesson #1.    What, Exactly, Is Gossip?
2. Lesson #2.    Why Do We Gossip?
3. Lesson #3.     A Gallery of Gossips
4. Lesson #5.     Instead of Gossip: Speaking
    Lesson #6.    Instead of Gossip: Listening
5. Lesson #7.    Responding in Faith
    Lesson #8.     Responding in Love
6. Lesson #10.   Gossip and Our Church

The option is always available for people to watch the videos for multiple lessons but only discuss some of them.

Your Turn

What plan might you use? Leave a comment with how you would do it.

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Thank You!

Acknowledgments for Resisting Gossip Together.

I am a grateful man because I am a blessed man.

Thank you, Heather Joy, for your steadfast love through the ups and downs and twists and turns of this “book thing.” I am a blessed husband. I love you.

Thank you, Robin, Andrew, Peter, and Isaac for being such cheerleaders for Daddy’s book. I am a blessed father.

Thank you, Chuck and Anita Mitchell, for your listening ears, earnest counsel, and overwhelming support. I am a blessed son.

Thank you, Lanse Free Church Family, for praying me through this process and for letting me set aside time to write this guide and to produce the videos. We, as a church, are resisting gossip together! I am a blessed pastor.

Thanks, Gary Foster, for ably representing me once again as my intrepid agent. And thank you, David Almack and your growing team at CLC Publications. It’s a humbling joy to see these resources come into existence and help people around the world. Thanks for giving the videos away online! I am a blessed author.

Thank you, Laurel Eriksen, for the webdesign of matt-mitchell.blogspot.com, especially adding the new page with resources for Resisting Gossip Together. And thank you, Elizabeth Nelson, Dennis Wadsworth, and Dan Ledford for some on-the-spot editing at just the right moment. I am blessed to have you as my friends.

Thank you, David Platt, for the idea of adding “together” to the name of the study guide. When I first read Radical Together, I loved the concept of building community around this teaching. That’s what it’s all about!

Thank you, Spencer Folmar of Third Brother Films, for producing the Resisting Gossip Video Series with such high quality. I wouldn’t have believed that it could be so much fun!

I’m really grateful for those folks who opened up their homes, businesses, or other sites for us to shoot the videos “on location.” Thank you, Cody & Holly Crumrine, Jerome Nevling, Tom & Leesa Folmar, Maxine Orwick of the West Branch Dairy Diner (a.k.a. “The Pumpkin House”), Jeff Spanogle and the Clearfield Alliance Christian School, Bob Selfridge of TMM Data, Joe Greenland and the board of the Oak Hill Memorial Cemetery, and Lanse Evangelical Free Church.

Thank you, Susan Stallings, for being my biggest collaborator on this project. Thanks for sharing all of your notes with me from your women’s Bible studies and giving me permission to freely use your ideas for digging deeper–especially those helpful charts. You’ve taught this material on resisting gossip more than anyone but me! I love your commitment to inductive Bible study and not just fluffy storytelling. Thanks also for your lighting-fast and eagle-eyed editing of the first drafts. This little book may not have ever been finished without you, and it certainly wouldn’t have been as good. I am a blessed nephew.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these people who have blessed me in so many ways. You are the greatest giver and the best gift of all. May you and your Father get all the glory.

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