Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life.

In the time it takes to get to work.

I'm Patrick Miller.

A few months ago, sad news about Philip Yancey came out.

If you don't know him, he's one of the best-selling Christian authors of our generation. Over 14 million books sold.

And his books are well known not only for their lovely prose, but also for the way they

continually point readers to the heart of God, to the gospel, to his grace.

But then, two months ago, he publicly confessed that he'd been in an eight-year-long affair.

It's sobering.

He's 72, and for most of his life, he was faithful to his wife, faithful to God.

But at the end, he stumbled.

It's easy for outsiders to judge someone like Philippiancy.

But I don't.

I can't really, because no one knows their future. The one who throws stones in her 20s may be the one receiving those stones in her 70s. The Bible is full of stories of people who start well, but stumble later in their journey. Some fall away entirely like King Saul. Others start well like David, fall away for a time and then return in need of healing.

There's Judas's who spend years beside Jesus only to betray him and leave him.

Then there's Peters who spend years beside Jesus only to deny him, but then return.

You can't measure a life until it's fully lived. That's true

of other people as it is of you. So I think it's important to allow stories like Philip Yancey's to

sober us, because you and me, we are no better. We are no more righteous. We are no more upright.

The truth is that we all go through seasons where we allow sin to fester.

When we hide sin from others, when we stop caring about how sin hurts the heart of God,

we act as though he doesn't see it, as though it doesn't matter. We become like the people in Psalm

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