Our reputation must begin from the inside out.
— Knute Larson

I sat in the waiting area of a car wash, reading a newspaper, waiting for my car to move through the automated wash. Glancing sideways, I saw a pair of female legs in Bermuda shorts. I fought the urge to take a second look and buried my face in the newspaper. The woman stopped and dropped into the seat next to me.

"Well, did you run this morning?" she asked.

Surprised, I looked over. "Yes, I did." I didn't recognize her. "How did you know I run?"

"I attend the early service at The Chapel, and a couple of times you've mentioned your running."

After she left, I shuddered at what might have been: had I taken a double-take at her legs and then met her eyes — that would have been a dumb misstep on my part.

I recently read a comment by an nba star who, when asked about the effect his immoral off-the-court behavior had on young admirers, said, "Hey, I didn't ask to be a role model." In one sense, we pastors have asked to be role models. ...