Timeless Ten: Small Group Discussion Guide-Do Not Bear False Witness

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
based on a sermon by Tim Bach, 11/8/26

You Shall Not Bear False Witness: Guarding Our Tongue, Watching Our Tone

Session Overview
This session looks at the ninth commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).
We will see how seriously God takes false witness, how lies and slander have been used against God's people, and how Christians today can damage their public witness through outrage, gossip, and harsh words, especially online. We will also look at Jesus as the perfect example of truthful, gracious speech, and leave with practical ways to protect the reputations of others.

Suggested Time Outline
Welcome and Opening Prayer: 5 minutes
Icebreaker: 5 minutes
Scripture Readings: 10 minutes
Discussion Topic 1, God's View of False Witness: 8 minutes
Discussion Topic 2, False Witness in Christian History: 7 minutes
Discussion Topic 3, Christian-on-Christian Attacks and Social Media: 8 minutes
Discussion Topic 4, Guard Your Tongue and Watch Your Tone: 8 minutes
Discussion Topic 5, Practical Steps and Assuming a Good Motive: 5 minutes
Follow Up Exercise and Closing Prayer: 4 minutes

Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing us together tonight. You are the God of truth, and there is no deceit in You. As we open Your Word, search our hearts and show us where our words have hurt others or failed to honor You. Guard our mouths, soften our hearts, and help us speak with grace and truth. Make us people whose words build up and do not tear down, so that our lives point others to Jesus. We ask this in His name, Amen.
Icebreaker

Mark Twain once said, "There are 869 different forms of lying, but only one of them has been squarely forbidden." Share a time when you heard a rumor that turned out to be untrue, or when you saw a story spread quickly that wasn't the whole picture. How did it make you feel? Keep it light and avoid naming anyone.

Scripture Readings
Ask different group members to read these passages aloud.
Exodus 20:16
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Proverbs 6:16-17, 19
"There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood... a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers."
John 8:44
"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
James 3:6
"And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell."
Proverbs 15:1
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Colossians 4:6
"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."
1 Peter 2:21-24
"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Discussion Topic 1: God's View of False Witness
In a courtroom, witnesses swear to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God." The ninth commandment reaches beyond the courtroom into everyday conversation. Proverbs 6 lists a false witness and one who spreads strife among brothers among the things God hates. Dr. Thomas L. Constable summarized the commandment this way: "Let us not malign anyone with slanders or false charges, nor harm his substance by falsehood, in short, injure him by unbridled evil-speaking."

Questions

1. Why do you think God included false witness in the Ten Commandments alongside murder, adultery, and theft?
2. Proverbs 6 places a lying tongue next to hands that shed innocent blood. What does that comparison tell us about the harm our words can do?
3. Constable's summary includes slander, false charges, and "unbridled evil-speaking." What forms of false witness happen in daily life that people may not think of as lying?
4. John 8:44 calls the devil "the father of lies." What does it mean that lying comes from his nature, while truth comes from God's nature?

Discussion Topic 2: False Witness in Christian History
False witnesses have often been used against God's people. Naboth was falsely accused so King Ahab could take his vineyard (1 Kings 21). The religious leaders looked for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death (Matthew 26:59). Stephen was falsely accused of blasphemy before he was stoned (Acts 6:11).

Questions

1. What do these three stories have in common? What motivated the false witnesses in each case?
2. How did a lie lead to real and lasting harm in each story?
3. Have you ever been misrepresented or falsely accused? How did it affect you, and how did you respond?
4. Why is it especially painful when false witness comes from people who should be on your side?

Discussion Topic 3: Christian-on-Christian Attacks and Social Media
The message names several ways believers bear false witness against each other today: outrage culture, dehumanizing people from a distance, "armchair theologians," and aggressive, opinionated behavior online. One quote says, "Unfortunately we love to hear something we like about someone we don't." With 77 percent of Americans using social media, these habits can spread quickly and publicly. The message warns about "the self-righteous pontificator," the person who looks for things to be angry about and attacks people who won't join in. It also lists the impact on the world's view of Christianity: a poor public witness, unbiblical behavior "in the name of God," a shift from God's mission to tribalism, and division in the faith.

Questions

1. Why do we enjoy hearing negative things about people we already dislike? What does that reveal about our hearts?
2. How does distance, whether through a screen, a headline, or a group label, make it easier to dehumanize someone?
3. What is the difference between standing for truth and being a "frustrated heckler in search of a fight"?
4. When non-believers watch Christians attack each other publicly, what do they conclude about Jesus and His church?
5. Galatians 6:10 says to do good to all people, "especially to those who are of the household of the faith." How should that shape the way we talk about other believers, churches, or ministries we disagree with?

Discussion Topic 4: Guard Your Tongue and Watch Your Tone
The message gives two principles. First, if you want a good witness, guard your tongue. James 3:6 compares the tongue to a fire, and Proverbs 25:18 says a false witness is "like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow." Second, if you want a good witness, watch your tone. Ecclesiastes 7:9 warns against being eager to be angry, Proverbs 15:1 says a gentle answer turns away wrath, and Colossians 4:6 calls us to speech that is seasoned with grace. Jesus modeled this perfectly. No deceit was found in His mouth, and when He was insulted, He did not insult in return. Instead, He entrusted Himself to the Father (1 Peter 2:21-23).

Questions

1. Proverbs 25:18 compares false witness to a club, a sword, and an arrow. Which of those images feels closest to the kind of harm you have seen words cause?
2. Can we say something that is technically true but still harmful because of our tone or timing? Give an example.
3. What does speech "seasoned with salt" look like in a tense conversation or a heated online thread?
4. Jesus did not retaliate when He was falsely accused. What did He do instead, and how can trusting God as the righteous Judge free us from needing to defend ourselves or get even?
5. Which is harder for you: guarding what you say, or watching how you say it?

Discussion Topic 5: Practical Steps and Assuming a Good Motive
The message offers three practical steps for conversations, especially with other believers:

1. Ask yourself: Is it true? Is it necessary? Does it protect or harm someone's reputation?
2. Be willing to say, "I'd rather not discuss that," or "They should be here if we're going to talk about them."
3. Assume a good motive.
   Bias is a disproportionate weight, preference, or inclination for or against a person, group, or idea, usually in an unfair way. Attribution bias is our tendency to assume the worst about other people's motives while giving ourselves the benefit of the doubt. James 1:23-24 warns that hearing the Word without doing it is like looking in a mirror and immediately forgetting what you look like.

Questions

1. Which of the three questions (Is it true? Is it necessary? Does it protect or harm?) would most change your conversations this week?
2. Why is it so hard to say, "I'd rather not discuss that"? What could help you say it graciously?
3. Where do you see attribution bias in yourself, in how you read texts, emails, posts, or people's actions?
4. How would assuming a good motive change a current tension in your family, workplace, or church?
5. Based on James 1:23-24, what is one thing from tonight you want to actually do, not just hear?

Follow Up Exercise
This week, take a "Truth and Tone" challenge.

1. Before you speak about someone who is not present, or before you post or comment online, pause and ask the three questions: Is it true? Is it necessary? Does it protect or harm their reputation?
2. Each evening, write down one moment when you guarded your tongue or watched your tone, and one moment when you could have done better.
3. Think of one person whose reputation you may have harmed, even in a small way. Ask God whether you need to make it right by speaking well of them, correcting something you said, or asking their forgiveness.
4. Speak or write one intentional word of encouragement each day to a fellow believer.
   Be ready to share what you learned at the next group meeting.

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us what truthful, gracious speech looks like. No deceit was found in Your mouth, and when You were insulted, You did not insult in return. Forgive us for the times we have spread rumors, assumed the worst, spoken harshly, or joined in tearing others down. Set a guard over our mouths and fill our hearts with Your love so that our words are true, necessary, and kind. Help us protect the reputations of our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Make us a church whose witness draws people to You and does not push them away. Help us be doers of Your Word, not hearers only. In Your name we pray, Amen.