Luke 18:9-14 True transformation begins with authenticity before God. This week’s sermon calls us to come as we are, acknowledge our imperfections, and surrender them to God’s grace. When we let go of pretense, we create space for God to meet us in our real, raw selves. Psychologically, this message invites us to release the armor we wear to protect ourselves from judgment, and to offer our truest selves to God and others. Theologically, God’s grace is most fully experienced when we admit our need for it, and in so doing, find ourselves healed and embraced.