PRIDE

This powerful message confronts one of the most insidious threats to our spiritual lives: pride. Unlike obvious sins we can easily identify in others, pride wears countless masks and hides in places we least expect—even in our acts of service and expressions of humility. The sermon draws from Proverbs 12:1, which bluntly states that whoever hates correction is foolish, and Isaiah 14, which illustrates how pride was the very first sin that led to Satan's fall. We're challenged to examine our hearts honestly and ask a penetrating question: is self at the center? When we focus on ourselves—our reputation, our way of doing things, our need for recognition—pride has taken root. The message explores how pride manifests in three critical areas: how we view ourselves, how we serve, and how we receive correction. Perhaps most convicting is the reminder that pride doesn't just destroy us individually; it divides churches, splits families, and severs friendships. The story of two church leaders who allowed a theological disagreement about the Trinity to destroy their fellowship illustrates how pride can disguise itself as standing for truth while actually standing for self. We're called to move from asking 'who is right?' to asking 'what is right?'—a shift that requires genuine humility. The path forward is clear: face our pride, own it without blame-shifting, and surrender it at the cross. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, making this not just a moral issue but a matter of whether God is working for us or against us.