If you do something wrong and no one else knows, is it still sin? Why or why not? (Hint: Job 34:21-22; Isaiah 29:15)

In your own words, what does it mean to draw close to God with an open heart? Share your thoughts with him today.

I love the smell of baby shampoo; it reminds me of childhood innocence. I wonder if our prayers for forgiveness smell as precious to God.

You know how some cleaning projects require a little extra elbow grease? That’s how our sin can be, but we have to keep scrubbing at it.

Have you ever conveniently ignored a rule or set of instructions? Maybe you parked in a no-parking zone and justified it because you would “only be a sec” and come right back. Maybe you dropped the ball on a task at work for which you were responsible. Maybe your parents grounded you, and you went behind their backs, thinking that you wouldn’t get caught.

And perhaps, you got away with it. It could be that your transgression went completely undetected – no blame, no fuss, no problem … or, is it?

In Hebrews 10, the early church is reminded to press on in their faith, despite push-back from unbelievers. I find it interesting that although much of the chapter does talk about perseverance and standing strong in the face of opposition, a big chunk of the passage deals with sin and guilt. What do guilt and faith have to do with each other?

The author tells us in verse 22 that we need to draw close to God with open hearts, but in order to be sincere, our guilty consciences need to be cleared. How can we become all that God has planned for us if we are clinging to sin? We have to let God wash our hearts clean so that we can become more intimate with him. I love the way The Message paraphrase describes this process as becoming “presentable inside and out.”

The purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice was not to condemn us; we did a knock-out job of that already by our sin. Instead, his gift to us is a thorough heart-scrubbing that will wash our guilty consciences clean. Only after we’ve owned up to our failings and accepted his forgiveness can we enjoy the guilt-free life that he wants us to have.

Paul knew about persecution first-hand. How does it make you feel to read that Christ will never abandon you, even when others do?

What does being hard pressed by the world look like in your own life? Share your frustrations with God & thank him for being faithful.

Paul talks about being hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down, yet things could always be worse. Think on that today.

We are taught to be independent, get a good job & work hard for a living. How does it sit with you that our worldly “stuff” is temporary?

What does Paul mean in 2 Corinthians 4 that we need to focus our eyes on the unseen? Meditate on that thought today.