Pride
Humility
A sermon series
Why do I do
what I do?
We like to imagine that we exercise free will and self-mastery. And yet, our own behaviour can be a mystery—even to us.
Explore the series“I have no idea why I did what I did.”
“The devil made me do it.”
The ancient Christian teaching around the seven deadly sins speaks directly into this mystery and confusion. Sixteen centuries old, it offers startlingly contemporary insight into what drives us, what holds us back, and why changing our behaviour is rarely enough.
This series is an invitation to grow in spiritual maturity: to become more aware of what is happening within us and discover how we might live differently, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Look beneath the surface
Seven vices.
Seven ways toward freedom.
Over seven weeks, we’ll look beneath our actions to the desires, thoughts and habits that quietly shape a life. Christian tradition pairs each vice with a virtue: a life-giving way of becoming more like Jesus.
Greed
Charity
Anger
Patience
Envy
Kindness
Lust
Chastity
Gluttony
Moderation
Laziness
Diligence
The story behind the series
A sixteen-hundred-year-old school for the soul
The tradition began in the early fourth-century Egyptian desert, where the first Christian monastic communities became spiritual guides for the wider Church. They developed a profound understanding of the inner life: what motivates, drives, afflicts and relieves us.
One of these teachers, Evagrius Ponticus, named eight recurring “thoughts” at the root of temptation. His aim was not simply to manage bad behaviour, but to take the spiritual battle to the front lines of the heart—before temptation had gathered momentum.
In the sixth century, Gregory the Great shaped the list into the seven we know today. Across the centuries, Christians have returned to this wisdom not as a catalogue of condemnation, but as a way of telling the truth about our inner lives—and opening them to God’s transforming grace.
More than a list of bad actions
What does “deadly” really mean?
Not simply actions
The seven describe the inner drives that give rise to many different actions. They are the roots, not merely the visible fruit.
Patterns that shape us
They have also been called “capital vices”—patterns of thought and desire that can orient an entire way of life.
Passions that overwhelm
These are interior states that can leave us feeling passive: doing what we do not want to do, rather than living with freedom and self-control.
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
Romans 7:15
Read along
Go deeper
Two companion books offer different ways into the themes of the series.
An accessible introduction
The Seven Deadly Sins
A practical overview from an experienced pastor and theologian, with a clear focus on how these patterns show up in our lives—and how we can begin to overcome them.
A deeper exploration
Glittering Vices
A rich exploration of the vices, their ancient origins, and their history of interpretation—filled with relevant psychological and practical insight.
Seven Deadly Sins
The biggest battle
is often within us.
Join us as we learn to recognize what shapes us—and discover the life of freedom Jesus offers.