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Key Bible Verse: For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard (Romans 3:23). Bonus Reading: Jeremiah 17:9–10

Richard was the kind of kid your folks warned you about. He was bad news! A manipulator and a liar, Richard took the stigma of "bad boy" to a new level. No one who knew him trusted him for very long. He worked hard to earn the reputation as the troublemaker at our high school. He had "sinner" written all over him. After a string of felony convictions, Richard was found dead one morning—murdered after being released from prison on a drug conviction.

Raymond was the all-American kid any dad would want his daughter to date. He attended church every Sunday and dazzled everyone with his winsome smile. He was polite and trustworthy. And Ray was an actor—both in the drama club at school and in real life. He played the "good guy" role so well that no one suspected his alcoholism and drug addiction. It was hard to believe that he was capable of what was eventually uncovered. But in the end the mask came off.

We'd all like to believe that the window to our hearts is beautiful stained glass. No one wants to admit that the glass is smeared and caked with sin. The sooner we admit it, the closer we are to having the window cleaned.

—Skip Heitzig in Jesus Up Close

My Response: What mask am I wearing? To whom can I admit it?

Thought to Apply: All sin, whatever the degree, is equal in its capacity to separate us from God's heart of love. —George Macdonald (Scottish author)

Adapted from Jesus Up Close (Tyndale, 2001) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Forgive me, my Savior, for my denial of, or my cavalier attitude toward, my sins that cost You Your life.

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