Chapel - Gossip Day 3 (October 6th)

October 6, 2021 John Essig

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18

We gossip because of an unmet desire to be significant, to matter to others. When we do not find the validation we need in God, we may try to find it in our technology
- Have you or anyone you know ever tried to find significance via social media? What did that look like?
- Have you ever struggled to compare yourself to others on social media?
Read Galatians 1:10 and have each person answer the questions, “For am I now seeking the favor of me, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
- Was there a time in your life that you were trying to both follow God and please others? How did it work out?

Send an email to Pastor John with the answer to the below question(s) (jessig@ecaoh.com). Engage this section as a group or on your own. If you are in a group, designate someone to send the answer on behalf of your group.
With social media and the viewing of around 3,000 advertisements per day, it is easier than ever to compare ourselves to highlight reels or unrealistic portrayals of others. We must choose to fight against comparison and for contentment in Christ. Jesus, God himself, loved us enough to sacrifice Himself for our ransom. When we stop focusing on what other people have and instead focus on our beloved status, and all we do have in Christ, we will be motivated by love and a feeling of profound significance.
- What role do our conversations play in the community at Emmanuel?
- How can we as a community of believers encourage each other to love and to find our significance in Christ?
- What is the most destructive behavior to our community committed by students at Emmanuel? What can we do about it?

Use this time to pray for each other. You can do that by keeping a prayer request journal or by asking for personal prayer requests or prayers that relate to the day’s topic.
- Ask each person to share one prayer request.
- Spend your remaining time praying for each other.