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A Tale of Two Confessors - October 27, 2024

This Sunday is Reformation Sunday.  In my sermon we’ll explore one of Jesus’ most powerful parables in Luke 18:9-14, often referred to as the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. In this story, Jesus contrasts two men praying in the temple: one who boasts of his righteousness and another who humbly asks for mercy. Through this parable, Jesus challenges us to examine our own hearts, asking whether we trust in our own goodness or rely fully on God’s grace. We'll look at how this message, though spoken thousands of years ago, speaks directly to our modern tendency to divide ourselves into categories, just as the Pharisee did.

As we prepare for worship, I invite you to reflect on the ways we sometimes fall into self-righteousness or, on the other hand, isolate ourselves through feelings of unworthiness. 

  1. How do we let these mindsets affect our relationship with God and others? 
  2. What might it look like to approach God with true humility, trusting not in ourselves but in God’s mercy?


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