Big Idea: The false self feeds on performance, image, and comparison — but Jesus exposes it with truth and grace. Colossians 3:10 (NLT) Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. You are Created to experience true life, your genuine identity, your deepest meaning, your fullest purpose, your ultimate value in an intimate, loving union with God at the core of your being. ~ Dr Robert Mulholland Luke 18:9–14 (NLT) 9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Jesus our cultural expectation. All of us are , only some know it. The gospel exposes us before it comforts us. You’ll never be transformed unless you’re first unmasked. ~ Timothy Keller What Now? Reflect: Where am I pretending? Confess: Admit where pride has distorted your spiritual life. Receive: Come to God like the tax collector — with open hands and a surrendered heart. Continuing the Conversation 1. The Pharisee represents the “false self” built on pride and comparison, while the tax collector came with honesty and humility. Where do you think people are most tempted to “pretend” — presenting a polished version of themselves instead of their real need before God or others? 2. Jesus came as a doctor for the sick, but we often resist admitting our need. What are some signs in your own life that you might be ignoring or minimizing your “sickness,” and how might you usually hide it? 3. Keller says, “The gospel exposes us before it comforts us.” Has God ever lovingly “unmasked” you—showing pride, sin, or weakness? If so, how did that moment eventually lead to freedom or growth? 4. The tax collector didn’t earn justification—it was received through surrender. What does it look like, in a practical sense, to “come with open hands” before God in your daily life right now?