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I have heard and read about a lot of men (and women) in ministry that have made major moral mistakes, but I never knew any of them very well. I found it much easier to be judgmental and dismissive of their future when they were relative strangers.

So, when I learned on Sunday that my good friend and one of the biggest (and earliest) supporters/cheerleaders of Courageous Church, Gary Lamb, resigned abruptly as Pastor of Revolution Church after confessing to an affair with another woman on the church staff, I was a bit surprised at just how heavy a ton of bricks really feels. Because Gary is my friend and I love Revolution Church so much, I mainly found myself sad and hurt for him, his family, and the church. I also wallowed in self-pity for just a few seconds because it has given me great confidence since launching our church to know that I had a pastor-friend right up the road that was pushing the envelope to reach and grow people that had given up on the church or never gave it a chance in the first place.

Two pastors that I admire a great deal have written awesome posts this week to give us all some perspective and insight on moral failure that I suggest we all read:

Perry Noble: Gary and Two Facts about Spiritual Warfare

Geoff Surratt: An Open Letter to Pastors

I only have one thought that I want to add that has been on my heart this morning.

Gary got caught. You didn’t. Does this dismiss Gary? Of course not. What it means is that the grace of God has sustained your sorry tail all these years, but this very public embarrassment should be a lesson to all of us that private behaviors and secrets tend to become public fodder eventually.

You might not have had an affair with your assistant, but you’ve looked at pornography and masturbated. You’ve looked at people other than your spouse and imagined having hot sex with them. You’ve lied and convinced yourself that it was a necessary lie or didn’t really matter much. You’ve fueled the flames of rumors about other people by running your mouth way more than is respectable. You’ve stolen something before and creatively justified it. You’ve considered evil or even violent schemes. The primary difference is that everyone doesn’t know your dirty, nasty business.

You, too, are a sinner saved by the grace of God. Jesus didn’t just die for Gary Lamb.