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Key Bible Verse: "Yes, the way to identify a tree or person is by the kind of fruit that is produced" Matthew 7:20. Bonus Reading: Matthew 7:15-21

Years ago Linda and Jerry lived in the same condominium building as Leslie and I, and so we got to know each other well. Our daughter, Alison, became best friends with their daughter, Sara.

But what Linda and Jerry didn't realize was how much we were scrutinizing their lifestyle. They were up-front about the fact that they were Christians, and we were curious to see whether they were real. Do you know what I mean by that?

We wanted to see whether we could detect a holier-than-thou attitude toward those who didn't subscribe to their theology. We wanted to see how they'd handle conflict in their marriage. We wanted to see whether they'd put on a Christian happy face and pretend they never got angry, worried, or frustrated.

We wanted to see whether they'd be truth-tellers and whether they'd ask for forgiveness when they made a mistake. We wanted to see whether they'd hold a grudge if we did something to hurt them. We wanted to see if they were honest about the little things in life. We wanted to hear the comments they would make about people who weren't around.

We watched over a long period of time, and guess what we found? [continued 1/31]

—Lee Strobel in God's Outrageous Claims

My Response: How do I distinguish the contrived from the genuine in another person?

Thought to Apply: Where one man reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me.—Dwight L. Moody (evangelist)

Adapted from God's Outrageous Claims (Zondervan, 1997, 2005) by permission.

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

May you receive glory and praise, Father, because the faith I claim and the life I live square up.

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