In this final episode of the first season of Let's Talk, Jasmine Holmes, Jackie Hill Perry, and Melissa Kruger talk about taming the tongue—both in face-to-face life and online. We may dismiss sins of speech, from gossip to complaining to tearing someone down, as minor. But James compares the damage our words can do to a blazing forest fire lit by just a spark (3:5).

Jackie points out that Christians often say online what they would not say to someone's face. But if we truly fear God, we would honor him with our online speech. Melissa talks about how gossip breeds false intimacy in the moment, but ultimately destroys trust in a friendship. And Jasmine recommends safeguards to avoid rash speech online so that we don't get carried away and have to publicly apologize later.

Related content:

• How Do You Keep a Rein on Your Tongue?
• 3 (Evangelistic) Reasons to Keep Complaining
• How to Resist the Allure of Gossip

Today’s episode of Let’s Talk is brought to you in part by International Justice Mission. IJM is a global nonprofit working to end slavery and violence around the world. To get an idea of what this work looks like, take this story from South Asia: Several families living in slavery were being brutally abused, poorly fed, and forced to sleep outside in make-shift tents. When IJM and local authorities heard about the abuse, they planned a rescue operation to set these families free—and that operation took place in March of this year, setting 50 people free. You can help make this kind of restoration possible by becoming a Freedom Partner and sending IJM to rescue others. Freedom Partners give a monthly gift to IJM, so IJM teams can show up month after month to rescue people from slavery and walk with survivors as they heal. Visit IJM.org/LetsTalk to join today.