When Righteousness Becomes a Trap 

Sunday 26th October 2025

You are welcome to worship in person at this Sunday Service at 10.15am.

We are also live streaming our services.  The service can be seen each Sunday morning commencing at 10.15am.  Here is the link to our YouTube channel to access the live streaming:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEm1fJeADpcP6gO1BsBKcg/live

Luke 18: 9-14 / When Righteousness Becomes a Trap 

This week’s message focuses on Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector—a story about pride, humility, and the kind of heart God accepts.

The Pharisee, confident in his religious devotion, stands apart and thanks God that he’s not like “other people.” He fasts, tithes, and keeps the law—but uses his prayer to compare himself to others. The tax collector, by contrast, stands at a distance, ashamed and broken. He simply prays, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

To the surprise of Jesus’ original audience, it is the tax collector—known for corruption—who goes home justified before God, not the outwardly righteous Pharisee.

Jesus uses this parable to challenge those who trust in their own righteousness. It’s a warning against religious pride and a call to honest self-examination. The tax collector had no spiritual accomplishments to boast of—only a heart humble enough to ask for mercy.

This story reminds us that God isn’t impressed by appearances or achievements. He looks at the heart.  IL-WOONG

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