Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – October, 2026, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
October is a month when masks are everywhere. Children dress as superheroes, princesses, and characters from another world. For one night, pretending to be someone else is part of the fun. But masks aren’t only for Halloween.
Most of us learn how to wear them every day. We answer, “I’m fine,” when we’re struggling. We smile when we’re hurting. We project confidence while privately battling fear, disappointment, guilt, or loneliness. We carefully show others the version of ourselves we want them to see. The problem is, wearing a mask can become exhausting.
There is something within each of us that longs to be fully known and still fully loved. Yet we often wonder: If people really knew me—my failures, regrets, thoughts, and struggles—would they still accept me? The Bible tells us that God already knows!
Psalm 139 says, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.” Nothing about us is hidden from Him. He sees beyond appearances and knows the parts of our lives we would rather keep concealed. And remarkably, He loves us anyway.
That is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus Christ did not come for people who have everything together. He came for sinners—for ordinary, imperfect people like you and me. He took our sin upon Himself at the cross and rose again so that we could be forgiven and brought into a relationship with God.
You don’t have to clean yourself up first. You don’t have to pretend. You simply come honestly, turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus.
This October, when it comes to God, take off the mask. He already knows you. And He is inviting you to know Him.