First Baptist Church, Lagrange, Georgia

Among the sins that can destroy lives, ministries, and relationships, pride stands as the most dangerous and deadly. C.S. Lewis called it 'the great sin,' and Proverbs warns that 'Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.' While Billy Graham identified love of money, sexual immorality, and judgmentalism as serious temptations, excessive pride or arrogance surpasses them all because it blinds us to our own sins that need confrontation and correction.Jesus illustrated this danger in Luke 18:9-14 through the parable of two men praying in the temple. The proud Pharisee boasted of his righteousness and looked down on others, while the humble tax collector simply asked for mercy as a sinner. Jesus concluded that the tax collector went home justified rather than the Pharisee. Pride becomes a breeding ground for destructive emotions like anger, bitterness, envy, and hatred, which wreak havoc in relationships and communities. Scientific research confirms biblical teaching that humility lead