Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Local pastor Nathan Peeler has a new book coming out at the end of August that takes a close look at the damage that the tongue can do. Set a Guard Over My Mouth: The Sin of Gossip defines “gossip” and describes how it can “sneak into our lives,” says Peeler. He points out that Proverbs 18:8 explains one reason why gossip can be such a difficult problem: “The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles: The gossip and evil reports brought by the talebearer are almost impossible to resist.”
In the book, Peeler takes the reader through many of the scriptures in the Bible that touch on the topic of gossip, especially drawing from the Book of Proverbs. The 15-chapter book also offers guidance on how to stop gossip. Peeler says the format is suitable for an individual to read straight through or for a study group to take chapter by chapter over several meetings.
Peeler was inspired to write a book about gossip from the response he got to a sermon he delivered on the topic.
“Some years ago I was preaching on it, and … around that time people started telling me how they had been affected by rumors and people betraying their confidence,” he says. “The stories kept piling up.”
Knowledge of how the perpetuation of malicious falsehoods had destroyed the reputation of baseball star Ty Cobb also influenced Peeler's decision to write about the powerful dangers of gossip.
Set a Guard Over My Mouth: The Sin of Gossip can be pre-ordered now for just $9.95, a discount off the $12.97 list price, at truthbooks.com.
For the cover of the book, Peeler enlisted the services of Quincy McElroy, who just graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. McElroy has been a member of the congregation at Monticello Church of Christ, where Peeler is the pastor.
He originally hailed from Tennessee and has been living and ministering in Monticello for four years now. He and his wife, Hayley, have three young children: Matthias, Malachi and Eden.
Peeler's first book, From Dogs to Disciples, was published in 2021 and is available from
amazon.com. It examines the theme of inclusion throughout the Gospel of Matthew and draws its title from Matthew 15:27, in which a Canaanite woman seeking help from Jesus says, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Peeler became a preacher while working on a bachelor's degree in History at St. Leo University and has been a minister for about 16 years. He earned a master's degree in Bible and Theology from Lincoln Christian University and is finishing up a second master's degree in Church History from the same university. When he's not busy with family, church or school, Peeler enjoys woodworking in his garage, where he crafts simple tables, stools and shelves – just what anyone would need to store a few good books and sit down to study them.
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