Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

The two men who go to the Temple to pray contrast in character, belief, and self-examination. The contrast shows how to be justified before God.


More Righteous Than the Pharisees?

Sermon by John O. Reid

The Pharisees were in the office or seat of Moses. Jesus taught His followers to follow their words (pertaining to the Law of God), but not their personal examples.


The Pharisees (Part 3)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Although the Pharisees imposed harsh regulations, they found loopholes for themselves while proudly and hypocritically displaying their piety for show.


The Pharisees (Part 2)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God is less impressed in our rote compliance to a set of rules than thoughtful application of godly principles extending justice, mercy, and faith.


Was Job Really Self-Righteous?

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Self-righteousness is defined as being smugly proud of one's own opinion and intolerant of others. What Job repented of was his misunderstanding of God.


Overcoming (Part 3): Self-Righteousness

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

On the heels of self-deception and self-justification often comes self-righteousness. This occurs when we set our own standards rather than God's.


On Self-Righteousness

CGG Weekly by John W. Ritenbaugh

Self-righteousness lies at the root of many other sins. Because we are self-centered, self-righteousness will follow as surely as water runs downhill.


Doorway to the Kingdom

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

Any time we feel prompted to exalt ourselves, we demonstrate Satan's spirit of pride, thereby jeopardizing our entry into God's family.


Forgiveness and Reconciliation

CGG Weekly by John W. Ritenbaugh

Forgiveness from God is directly tied to our forgiving those who have sinned against us! We must reciprocate God's forgiveness by forgiving others.


Delusions of Perfection

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We need to exercise humility and forbearance when we deal with the weaknesses of our brethren, restoring them in love as we would expect them to do for us.


Grace, Mercy, and Favor (Part One): To the Beaten

Sermon by Mark Schindler

God's people may fall into the trap of forgetting the sinful past from which God rescued them and come to look disdainfully on those not yet called.


Pride, Humility, and the Day of Atonement

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Atonement, when we are commanded to afflict our souls, is a time of self-evaluation and repentance. This is the only way to have real unity with God.


The Danger of Trusting in Oneself

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Those wise in their own eyes, including philosophers, politicians, educators, and religious leaders, have failed in their quest to make the world better.


New Covenant Priesthood (Part Six)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We must have both perseverance and humility in prayer to keep our vision sharp and clear. Without humility, the doorway to acceptance by God is closed.


Living By Faith: Humility

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Paradoxically, God stoops to us when we humble ourselves. Humility produces honor from God; if we humble ourselves, He will hear us.


The Beatitudes, Part Two: Poor in Spirit

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

What is it to be poor in spirit? This attribute is foundational to Christian living. Those who are truly poor in spirit are on the road to true spiritual riches.


Is Ignorance Truly Bliss?

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

The 'people of the lie' do not believe they have any major defects and, consequently, do not have any need to examine themselves, let alone change.


Is There a True Church?

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Many 'church of God' organizations claim to be part of—or even the only—church of God. The Bible reveals specific characteristics of God's church.


Living by Faith: Human Pride

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Our human nature is pure vanity with a heart that is desperately deceitful and wicked, motivated by self-centeredness, a deadly combination for producing sin.


Evil Is Real (Part Four)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Vanquish the sins at their point of origin—the human heart—and our deeds will be clean before God.


From Pride to Humility

Sermon by John O. Reid

Two tests to reveal the presence of pride are the way we treat others (especially our own family) and the way we receive instruction or correction.


A Worthy Manner?

CGG Weekly by Pat Higgins

Why does it mean to observe the Passover in a worthy manner? It is not about works. It begins with realizing the depth of our sin, yet our focus must go beyond this.


Hypocrisy: The Last Sin of America

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Having its roots in a Greek word denoting 'actor', hypocrisy suggests pretending or deceiving—a filthy inside disguised by a clean outside.


Faith (Part Six)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The hallmark of Christian character is humility, which comes about only when one sees himself in comparison to God. Pride makes distorted comparisons.


The Rest of the Story

Sermon by Mark Schindler

In I Corinthians 11:29, we are cautioned not to partake of the Passover in an unworthy manner, a primary example of which is the shabby treatment of brethren.


Pride, Humility, and Fasting

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The intent of fasting is to deflate our pride—the major taproot of sin—the biggest deterrent to a positive relationship with God. Humility heals the breach.


Grace, Mercy, and Favor (Part Four): Favor to Live as God Lives

Sermon by Mark Schindler

We earn God's favor by obedience; there is a direct tie between submission to His will and His favor. The more one submits, the more favor and grace accrues.


Living By Faith and Human Pride

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

God wants us to walk—live our lives—by faith, but our pride and vanity frequently get in the way. Critically, pride causes us to reject God and His Word.


The Secret Sin Everyone Commits

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Self-righteous people tend to trust in their own heart, be wise in their own eyes, justify themselves, despise or disregard others, and judge or condemn others.


Faith in the Healer

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We must establish an iron clad trust in God for spiritual matters, including healing, rather than having a misguided trust in self or other human beings.


The Weightier Matters (Part 4) : Faith and Fidelity

Article by Staff

Faith and fidelity to God and His way of life should be a major part of our character. Here is what faith and fidelity are, how to recognize a lack of them.


'He Who Has an Ear, Let Him Hear . . .'

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

A man with myopic judgment will take the good times he has as evidence of God's pleasure, and conclude that the bad times must be caused by Satan's persecution.


The Merciful

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The harsh religion of the Pharisees was unfeeling, placing more attention on rituals and man-made laws, and had turned their super-righteousness into sin.


Habakkuk: A Prophet of Faith (Part Four)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We may find God's means of correction discouraging, but when we place His actions in context with His overall plan, we can find peace in God's sovereignty.


The Spirit of Gratitude

Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

Pride, the kind demonstrated by Nebuchadnezzar when he boasted about what he had accomplished, militates against any feelings of gratitude.