Episode Details

This week’s message comes from Reformation Sunday, a time when the church pauses to remember that God’s Spirit is always reforming us — reshaping our lives and our community in grace.

Our scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, verses 9 through 14 — a parable about two people who go to the temple to pray: a Pharisee and a tax collector. It’s a story that gets to the heart of what true humility looks like… and what happens when faith turns into comparison.

In this sermon, Pastor Chad Wright-Pittman reflects on what Jesus’ words might mean for the church today — and how the quiet poison of contempt can corrode both our spiritual life and our relationships. Drawing on the insights of psychologist John Gottman, this reflection reminds us that contempt is not just the opposite of kindness; it’s the erasure of another person’s worth. And yet, the gospel tells us something astonishing: that in God’s eyes, no one is nothing.

So wherever you’re listening from today, take a deep breath, settle in, and open your heart to what the Spirit might be saying to the church.