Destiny Christian Church

Books to read:
Glittering Vices, A New Look At The Seven Deadly Sins And Their Remedies, by Rebecca Konyndk DeYoung

Steering Through Chaos, Vice and Virtue in an Age of Moral Confusion, by Os Guinness

The Summa Theologiae by Thomas Aquinas

Poem:
“We are the seven deadly sins,
Be careful or we shall win.
We come and go, but we are strong
Ignoring us will do you wrong.
You may not see, but there we sit
Waiting for our chance to hit.
So make sure that you end our crave
Or we shall put you in your grave.”
Author Unknown

The List we will be using for the 7 Deadly Sins are:

Wrath
Greed
Sloth
Pride
Lust
Envy
Gluttony

A vice (or a virtue) is a habit or a character trait . Virtues and vices are acquired moral qualities. - DeYoung

1. This is NOT Christian Self-Help, but Spirit-Empowered Living

“Discipleship takes discipline- the work of straightening what is bent, retraining and strengthening our capacities, working loose the bonds that constrain us.” DeYoung

2. How Can I Know What Is Right And What Is Wrong?

“It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them.” – Alfred Adler

“What’s the use you learning to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and wages is just the same?” Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin

“Today’s course in applied ethic does not seek to convey a set of moral truths but tries to encourage the student to think carefully about complex moral issues… the principle aim of the course is not to impart ‘right answers’ but to make the student more perceptive in detecting ethical problems when they arise.” Derek Bok, Harvard University’s “President’s Report” 1986-1987

3. What Has Become of Becoming?

What’s become of becoming? “The question to be asked at the end of an educational step is not “what has the student learned?’ but ‘what has the student become?’” – President James Monroe

“In the Christian tradition of vices and virtues, it means translating the knowledge of right and wrong into character and consistent action.” Os Guinness

“An ounce of virtue is worth more than tons of sophisticated talk about virtue” – Os Guinness

“Knowing the cardinal virtues and deadly vices provides essential moral compasses for us as modern people.” Os Guinness

4. Where Did We Get This List of Virtues and Vices?

“Prosperity unmasks the vices; adversity reveals the virtues.” Diderot

“The difficulty with pride is that it can show itself in many guises we have identified only the main seven here. When we carefully examine each of the vices, we eventually unearth the same familiar prideful pattern: a quest to provide happiness for ourselves through whatever god-substitute we choose – pleasure, approval, wealth, power, status. We are not willing to let God be in control, so we refuse to keep these good in their place and accept them as gifts from his hand.” DeYoung