Preparations: Faith and Reliance on Jesus for Redemption

This sermon explores Jesus' teaching in Luke 18, where he contracts the Pharisee and the tax collector to show that true righteousness comes from humanity and reliance on God's mercy, not self-righteous actions. Through the tax collector's example, we learn that recognizing our need for God's grace, rather than comparing ourselves to others or trusting in our own moral efforts, is the way to be justified before God. Ultimately, Jesus calls us to approach God with childlike humility and depend solely on His mercy, as only through Jesus' sacrifice are we redeemed and made righteous.