Preaching Through Seven Deadly Sins

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What if one of your most spiritually formative sermon series was also one of your most attractional?

Pride, lust, greed, envy, sloth, wrath, gluttony — these aren't just ancient categories or Roman Catholic relics. They're principal vices, the thick branches from which countless other sins grow. And when you preach them well, something powerful happens: people don't just feel convicted, they feel dissatisfied with the status quo and hungry for a different way of life.

Here's the distinction that changes everything: The seven deadly sins aren't just morally wrong but they're bad for you. They don't just earn you a bad grade on the heaven test. They ruin your life. And when you preach that with good argumentation, people start to go, "I don't want to live this way anymore."

This episode unpacks everything you need to consider before preaching a series on the seven deadly sins:

• Four preliminary questions you'll need to answer (and why your congregation is already wondering about them)
• The historical origin of the list and why it's not a Roman Catholic thing
• How to pair each vice with its corresponding virtue for a "don't do this, do this" framework
• Why this series demands personal sanctification from the preacher, and how to navigate vulnerability with integrity
• The surprising attractional quality of confronting sin head-on

The seven deadly sins don't just exist in grotesque, extreme forms. They show up in ordinary life... in your scrolling, your striving, your silence. And just when you think you've beaten pride, here comes vainglory knocking on the door.

If you're looking for a series that offers both spiritual depth and missional intrigue, this one belongs on your preaching calendar.

Mentioned Resources

Glittering Vices by Rebecca K. DeYoung

Seven Deadly Sins Sermon Series (Ironwood Church)

Seven Deadly Sins Resources from Ironwood

The Preaching Lab Cohort

Related Episodes

Preaching Through the 4Gs

Preaching Through Argumentation

Preaching Through an Annual Theme

Evergreen

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