Thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread Devotional.

Our reading titled Extending Dignity was written by Tim Gustafson.

Maggie's young friend showed up in church, shockingly dressed.

No one should have been surprised, though. She was a prostitute. Maggie's young friend showed up in church, shockingly dressed. No one should have been surprised,

though. She was a prostitute. Maggie's visitor shifted uneasy in her seat, alternately tugging

at her much too short skirt and folding her arms self-consciously around herself. Oh, are you cold,

Maggie asked, deftly diverting attention away from how she was dressed.

Here, take my shawl. Maggie introduced dozens of people to Jesus, simply by inviting them to come

to church and helping them feel comfortable. The gospel had a way of shining through her winsome

methods. She treated everyone with dignity. When religious leaders dragged a woman

before Jesus with the harsh and accurate charge of adultery in John chapter 8, Christ kept the attention

off her until he sent her accusers away. Once they were gone, he could have scolded her. Instead,

he asked two simple questions.

Where are they?

And has no one condemned you?

The answer to the latter question, of course, was no.

So, Jesus gave her the gospel in one brief statement.

Then neither do I condemn you.

And then the invitation, go now and leave your life of sin. Never underestimate the power of genuine love for people, the kind of love that

refuses to condemn, even as it extends dignity and forgiveness to everyone.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from John chapter 8 verses 2 through 11.

At dawn, he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him,

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