202. [Lent Study] 7 Deadly Sins

What if the sin you confess isn’t the sin that’s driving you? We draw from the early church’s wisdom on the seven deadly sins to diagnose the roots beneath our most familiar habits. Rather than chasing quick fixes, we ask the harder question: what's your motivation behind the things you're doing?

We start by reframing confession. Overwork, gossip, withdrawal from church, and short tempers with kids often look like problems to solve, but they’re usually symptoms. Pride can whisper “I’m indispensable,” greed says “never enough,” and acedia numbs us with distraction and listlessness until silence feels unbearable. By tracing actions back to motives, we show how real transformation begins when desires change first, and behaviors follow as fruit.

Pride takes center stage because it hides in plain sight, quietly corroding  relationships. You’ll hear twenty practical “fruits of pride” to spot in everyday life—sinful competitiveness, people-pleasing, craving recognition, resentment in serving, self-sufficiency, interrupting, and the subtle “I deserve it” mindset that kills gratitude. We connect the dots with Scripture, from Jeremiah’s blunt diagnosis to James’ promise that God gives more grace to the humble. Along the way, we tackle parenting anger, church disengagement, and the restless boredom of acedia, offering language and examples that make the inner landscape unmistakably clear.

We close with three simple practices to kill pride and grow humility: make your life about others, submit to trusted people who can name your blind spots, and repent often by naming the root sin, not just the behavior. If you’re ready to stop managing symptoms and let grace heal the cause, this conversation will give you a path forward. If this helped you see your heart more clearly, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show.

My hope is that this podcast helps grow your faith and equips you to accomplish your dreams and goals!

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Transcript

Wilderness, Temptation, And Lent

Why The Church Named Seven Sins

Sin Begins Inwardly, Not Outwardly

Surface Confession Versus Root Sin

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today I'm going to be sharing a teaching that I recently did at our staff chapel. My hope is that this encourages you and that your love for God's word deepens. Well, hey, I'm excited that we're here. We're in Lent. How is your Lenten season going? Is it going good? We are gonna continue our thoughts today. Last week we talked about how Jesus, um, this Lent season is marked by the same way that Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days. Um He sought the presence of God in that place. And um, in seeking the presence of God, he was being tempted uh by the devil. And so with this, we explored the idea of how for us in this Linton season, it's a reminder to us as well that we are going to have moments of like being confronted with different uh sins. We're gonna be tested in wilderness seasons of our life. And that that's what the enemy is gonna throw at us in this time. And so today I just want to kind of continue that idea of Jesus being in the 40 days and um talk to you about um seven sins. Um, seven sins is what we're gonna start on this Friday. And during the Lent cycle, uh the church would teach on the what's called seven deadly sins leading up to the resurrection Sunday. Um, this began in the fourth century. Um, it was called the eight thoughts. Um, Gregory the Great in the sixth century uh made them seven, and they're called the seven deadly sins. And in this, um, they answered, they were wrestling with this question of how can somebody be baptized and yet they're still the same? Like they're they're dealing with these sinful things. But before we move it off as somebody else, and you're thinking of them, let's think about us. How can we be baptized, be in the presence of God every Sunday, and yet we're still not producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, you know, in measures. So that's what the church was wrestling with. And so um, this Lint asks the question of what rules you besides Christ. And so when they were going through the seven deadly sins, they're confronting what is it that's actually taking allegiance to my heart and confronting that thing in the Linton's Tins season. And so the church believed that sin begins inwardly before externally. Historically, that's what the church has believed. Now we've seen as secularism has risen, we do behavior modification more and more. So, meaning we're trying to change what we do instead of changing the root issue on the inside. And so, with this, um, salvation in its purest level transforms our desires, not behaviors. So Jesus is more interested in our motivating desire to pray than that we prayed. Are y'all following me? The motivating desire of why I give more than just giving. And it's as I confront those desires in me that my behaviors begin to change. But we, it's easier and faster to modify behaviors. So it's easier and faster to say, these are the 10 things to do, these are the five steps, these are the three ways. It's harder to confront the desire that's going on in the inside. And so, with this, um, I would just like to submit to you that I don't think that we really even know what sin is. Most of the time, whenever we have confession for sin, we're confessing the action, not the actual sin. So I'm gonna give you an example. So the surface confession might be I just work too much. Like I work too much. So we come down to the altar on a first Wednesday, we tell a prayer partner, can you just pray for me? I'm I'm I've been working too much, I've been prioritizing work over my family. That's the surface confession. But the possible root sin to that, it could be pride because I have a belief that I'm indispensable. Or that I define my worth by my productivity. So the problem, the actual problem, the sin is not working too much. The desire is what's driving the action. Are you following me? So, example, in this situation, it may be greed. It may not be that you think that you're indispensable. It may not be that you're worth your value is coming from your work, but it could be that you're never satisfied with how much money you have. You're never satisfied with how much growth you have. You never like you're always striving for the next thing. And so the sin is not that you work too much. The sin in that scenario is actually greed. Acadia, acadia is, and just because we don't use this word often, acadia can show up in several ways in our life. Um, but basically, it's just this dissatisfaction, it's nihilism, kind of like think about it in that way. It's the endless scrolling that we do, it's constant distraction. We don't want to face what's happening in our interior world. And so we are constantly distracting ourselves with other things. Um, example would be silence bothers you because you don't want to hear what's happening in your heart and your mind. So you fill your life with noise all the time. The sin of that is acadia. It's this, it's listlessness, it's a chronic dissatisfaction. It almost feels like depression, but it's not depression. Um, it it in acadia, like you go to different things um, and you're just like, eh, it's okay. You have like the nicest dinner, the best thing, everybody's like full of joy. And I'm not talking about depression, I'm talking about acadia that it's like a spiritual dissatisfaction with it. You're like, could be better. Like, I think we have acadia a lot of times in our worship services. Like the presence of God is moving, and we're just like, meh. KK didn't really play my song. So in this, I just work too much. It could be acadia. I'm avoiding stillness with God. I'm avoiding spiritual connection with my family. Are y'all following me? But if I'm confessing, if I think the problem is working too much, then I rearrange my schedule, but I'm just gonna find something else for that pride to attach itself, for greed to attach itself with, for acadia to attach itself with. Okay, another example is I struggle with gossip. So that's the surface confession. We think gossip is the sin. And the seven deadly sins, gossip is not sin. Um, but gossip, it possible root sins could be envy. Envy says I diminish others because I resent their success.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Your problem's not gossip, it's envy.

SPEAKER_02 8:13

What about this? Your gossip issue could be pride. I elevate myself by lowering someone else. I want to look good to everybody else. So someone confesses to you their shortcoming in a community group, and you can't wait to call somebody to tell them what they just told you.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

It's quiet in this Presbyterian church.

SPEAKER_02 8:40

Or it could be acadia. I distract myself from my own spiritual emptiness by magnifying the weakness of somebody else. Your problem isn't gossip, it's it's these root things, anger. It could be anger. I punish indirectly someone else instead of confronting them directly. So it's more fun to talk to Pastor Jimmy about how mad I am at Isaac than to just go talk to Isaac. Well, I'm just speaking the truth. No, you're not. You're gossiping. And you're wanting to publ punish that person privately instead of directly talk to them about it. And again, if I think my problems gossip, then I'm like, God help me with gossip, but I never explore why I am gossiping? Why do you keep running your mouth about people? And until I take the time to figure out what's going on underneath, I'll give you another one because maybe none of these are as fun. I lose my temper with my kids. So I need to work on being a more patient parent. I lose my temper with my kids. Okay. Well, perhaps what's going on is pride. My child's behavior feels like it's a reflection on me. And my lash out in that moment is actually because I see something in me that I'm supposed to confront in me. But it's easier to punish Bear for what I see in me. To hold him accountable for something I don't hold myself accountable for. It could be pride as well, that I just love control. And in that moment, my kid didn't even need correcting. It was just that I have to be okay that sometimes I'm not in control. And I want control. It could be envy. I resent the freedom they have. It could be that you're lashing out at your child in that moment because they have the childhood you wish you would have had. It's an unresolved pain from your childhood. Is this helping anybody right now? Okay. It could be acadia. I'm spiritually exhausted and I'm just overreacting. So because I'm depleted spiritually, I don't have the reserve I need to extend patience to somebody else. But it's because I'm listless. I've been doom scrolling. How many of y'all know when you've been doom scrolling for a long time, you're more on edge when somebody like pulls you out of it? Is it science?

SPEAKER_00 11:27

You get more, it activates your like parasympathetic system, and you get you activate fight or flight mode because of the constant, like short video. So you will be more on edge.

Gossip’s Roots: Envy, Pride, Anger

Parenting Anger And Hidden Motives

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Literally, you start like snapping at people. I think about Charlie. Charlie has this toy, she calls it her baby, and you know she's happy when she's holding her baby. She just, it's like this little round stuffed animal, and she just sits there and she's like, and she just holds it. Like we're talking like for an hour. She's like, and if you try to grab her baby, she's gonna be like, like she starts like going after you. I think about us with our phones, we're that way. We're in a state of acadia, and when you try to snap us out of it, we're so maybe the problem isn't your kid, maybe it was a problem you were numbing. So if I'm trying to correct my response to my child without addressing what's actually going on, it's never it's never gonna fix itself. You're gonna be down at the altar confessing the same sin that isn't actually the sin because you're confessing the behavior. Uh surface confession confession. I pulled back from church. I pulled back from church. I've heard this before. Like I pulled back from church. I really want to get more involved. It's it's time for me. Okay, that's the action, but what's the root? It could be pride, and pride says, I don't need accountability. Did you pull back from church because you didn't want accountability? You wanted to live your life the way you wanted to live your life. Is it anger? I was wounded and I refused reconciliation. Is it acadia? Spiritual fatigue disguised as independence. That I was numb spiritually. That's why I pulled out. It wasn't because church was wrong or that my priorities were wrong, it's that I was numb spiritually. Envy, bitterness at others belonging. I the truth is I pulled out of church because KK picked somebody else on worship team and she didn't pick me. If I try to fix the church attendance, then I'll only come for a few weeks because the envy problem's still there because KK rostered them again. Are y'all following me? So I've got to confront what's the actual sin. Again, I think we don't even know what sin is. Like we're labeling actions instead of like going, okay, this action is a symptom of something deeper. It's something more that's going on. So Jeremiah, um, he does this whole message. Basically, all of the book of Jeremiah is a compilation of his sermons. It's like his sermon records. I'm pretty sad. Um, he would be your favorite preacher for sure. And uh in it, in Jeremiah chapter two, he comes to the end of one of these sections, and he's talking to them and he's telling the people of Israel um, like, why what's wrong with us? Basically, he's like, guys, like you're asking what's wrong with you, like what's going on? Um, why are things falling apart? He's like, I'm gonna tell you why. In Jeremiah 2.19, he says, your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God and the fear of me is not in you, says the Lord of God of hosts. So he's like, hey guys, like the thing that you're dealing with, the the why your life is falling apart, why things aren't working out, why this behavior modification thing isn't happening, is because you've denied the very sin that you're committing. And I think if we're not careful, we we we're like misdiagnosing ourselves and we're wondering why we're not progressing. Like, why am I still in this sin pattern? Why am I still, why am I coming to God saying I'm sorry for the same thing again? But in in the early church, they did the seven deadly sins every year leading up to the cross. Because I cannot celebrate the cross and what it did if I don't understand the sins that I've been redeemed from. And so it's identifying the sins that Christ is already victorious over, because all these sins, I'm not a slave to it. Like Jesus is already victorious, but it's identifying what is the driving thing on the inside of me. And so um in James 4, uh six through eight, he says, but he gives more grace. How many grateful that he gives more grace? Therefore, he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God, resist to the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. So I want to talk to you today. We're just gonna focus on pride, and then we'll kind of work through the other seven deadly sins. But today I want us to talk about pride. And I feel like this is always a good reminder for me. Um, going through this every single time, it's it's this teaching on pride. Um, it changes me every time. I'm reminded of it all the time. But for us, as we go into this, gratitude is the overflow of a humble heart. Complaining is the overflow of a proud heart. And so, three things about pride pride is difficult to detect.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Pride's like BO. Everyone smells it but you.

Withdrawing From Church: True Causes

Jeremiah’s Diagnosis And Mislabeling Sin

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Literally everyone, and you're unaware. And if you if you don't know what that's like, go to youth camp and you'll smell a lot of BO. Y'all know what I'm talking about. And what's funny is the ones that are most guilty of the B.O. think it's somebody else. And I'm like, bro, it's you. 100%, it's you. 100%. But it's difficult to detect. Meaning, when you're sniffing it out on someone else, just know someone's sniffing it out on you. Number two, pride destroys relationships. Proverbs 21, 19, it says, better to live alone than with a nagging wife. Isn't it interesting that God said it's not good for man to be alone? But it is preferable for him to be alone than with a nagging wife. And when you're nagging someone, it's because they're not living up to the standard that you've set, which is pride, because you want them to be made into your image and likeness. Proverbs 11:12 says, Proverbs 11:12 says, when swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also. But with the humble, those who are lowly, who have been uh pruned and chiseled by trial and renounced self are skillful in godly wisdom and soundness. I want to be that person. Pride will destroy a relationship. Don't don't let it in. Number three, pride is what God hates more than anything. There's nothing God detests more than pride. You know, um, Pastor Brian, whenever he spoke on relationships, the opening verse he used in Matthew on weeks one and two, um, it talks about marriage. And then Jesus, in the the verses that follow that section, he talks about how Moses offered a certificate of divorce. And he said the reason for it is because of your hard hearts. Anytime divorce happens, it's because one of the people got a proud heart. You want to have a great marriage, it's two great forgivers. Two humble people coming together and saying, It's not my way, I'm not perfect, I'm not the standard God is. And so I'm coming in low and I'm trusting God to change you as He changes me. But pride is pride is what God hates more than anything. Proverbs 16, 5 says, everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord. Be assured they will not go unpunished. Uh Proverbs 16, 15, put that on your refrigerator, guys. And here's the thing is that if you're hearing all this and you're thinking of someone else, that's pride. You're disgusting to God. It's kind of like the smell at the college that we can't get to go away. That's your pride filling the room every place you go. 20 fruits of pride. I've done these before, but they're bangers. Number one, you're sinfully competitive. You've got to be the best. Some of you college students got fricked up because you you not the grade you got, but you wanted to know if you were better than someone you've been comparing yourself with. Sinfully competitive. You gotta be first, you gotta be the best. Win at all costs. Like pride yourself in that. I take less PTO than anybody. I work harder than anyone. It's gross. Number two, you want to impress people.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

You're like, you're a people pleaser. That's pride. You want to impress people. You can't stand criticism like it totally crushes you. That's pride. Number three, desire for Recognition and praise. Pride says, I have to be honored as like the best.

Grace, Humility, And Drawing Near

Pride: Why God Hates It

SPEAKER_02 22:08

I need somebody to affirm what I did. They didn't send me a thank you card. I got them a gift and they didn't send me a thank you card. Well, was it a gift? Did you do it for the recognition? Well, they didn't. I never made Dream Team member of the month. Guess we quit that. We're killing recognition and praise. I mean, honestly, it says that in eternity all of our crowns are going to be burnt up. So all the medals that you're so proud of, they're all gone. They're all trash. Desire for recognition and praise. Number four, um, not fulfilled in serving others. Like you get to the end of the day, and your question is not like, how did I make somebody else's life better? It's like, how did some how did somebody make my life better? You're not fulfilled in serving others. You're like resentful. Well, I did this for them, I did that for them. That's pride. You get done with a serve roster, and you're like, well, nobody thanked me. Like I it's so unfulfilling, like all these kids, da-da-da. No, that's pride. All right. Number five, self-sufficient. Self-sufficiency is pride. I had to work this third in counseling. My inability to ask for help is because I want to be seen as self-sufficient. So I won't ask another staff member to help me out. I won't ask a team member to come set up a classroom. I won't ask because I've got to be seen as self-sufficient. I won't ask my spouse, well, they should just know that I need the trash taken out. They don't know. And you want to be self-sufficient. Because asking for help is vulnerable. Because it's admitting weakness. And in admitting weakness, you have to say, I'm not self-sufficient. Okay. Um, insecurity can be rooted in pride. It also can be rooted in shame. So it's asking yourself, what is this actually rooted in? Is my insecurity from the driving? If it's rooted in pride, it is rooted in the belief of I have to be the best. I want to be perceived as perfect. I need to be like top. If it's rooted in shame, insecurity says isolation, it pulls you away. It doesn't make you want to do something and if to prove your worth. Does this make sense? But it makes you want to run and hide. My insecurity is rooted in shame. It's like, well, I never thought I could do it anyways. Typically. Um, number seven, self-serving. Self-serving. So pride does things that are self-serving. So if it benefits you, then you'll help someone. If you know that if you're gonna get a Christmas gift for them and you know they're gonna get a good Christmas gift for you, that's why you got them a gift.

SPEAKER_01 25:19

That's pride. All right. Uh number eight, feel undeserving.

SPEAKER_02 25:30

Oh, I'm sorry, feel deserving. Sorry, feel deserving. It's the attitude of I deserve it. I deserve it. Oh, I got a raise? Yeah, I deserve it. I hate, you guys know I hate this. Brian and I went on vacation, and so many people were like, you deserve it. No, I deserve hell. I actually I don't deserve God's not going, oh wow, Crystal deserves Mexico. No, like, no, I deserve hell. Actually, I deserve eternal damnation. That's what I deserve. Um, I got to go to Mexico, but I deserve hell. Like, somebody's like, oh, treat yourself. What is that? It's rooted in the belief of I deserve it.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

All right, number nine, ungratefulness, being ungrateful. Yeah, I think we have to fight this.

SPEAKER_02 26:22

It's like this overconsumption instead of God, thank you for the shoes I have. Well, I could have nicer shoes, could have a nicer house, could have a nicer car. Well, yeah, but I'm grateful. God, I'm so grateful. I am so grateful for this building. I'm so thankful for our team. I'm so thankful for what God's entrusted me to. I'm so thankful for my spouse. I'm so thankful for my kids. Um, number 10, captive to self-pity. A prideful person loves a pity party. They love to wallow in their sorrow, self-pity. Number 11, the jealous and envious. Jealous and envious. It's pride.

Twenty Fruits Of Pride

SPEAKER_01 27:06

I want what you have. I feel like I deserve what you have. I'm gonna just pick on KK more because it's fun.

SPEAKER_02 27:17

I can't even enjoy a worship set because I'm so envious of who's leading it, and I'm thinking of how I could do it better. There's people that do this, y'all. I remember when God first called me to preach, I remember listening to people preach and think, I could do it better than that. That's so gross. And now I'm like, please, God, don't choose me. Like anyone. Please just choose anyone, but please don't choose me. But then that's also pride. So then here you go. Number 12, you're know it all. You know everything about everything. Your way's the right way. The know it all. Y'all know what I'm talking about. They're like, well, if they'd only listen to me, you're not Lord of all creation. 13. I like people to know that I know. I like people to know that I know. Like somebody will go to tell you a story and you're like, I know. You cut them off. You already told me that. Just smile and listen. Your time's not that important. Listen to the story as though it was your first time to ever hear the story. Like, wow, this is great. Number 14, it's hard to admit that I don't know. This is so hard for me. I I literally have been trying to practice. Like when Brian reminds me of something, thank you so much for reminding me of that.

SPEAKER_01 28:53

It's so hard to say I don't know.

Recognition, Service, And Self-Sufficiency

Calls To Subscribe And Share

SPEAKER_02 28:58

15. I find it difficult to listen to other people. So even right now, while I'm talking, you're like zoned out. Or when you're in a conversation with someone, you're just thinking about what you're gonna say next. You're not even listening to what they have to say, you're just thinking about your defense. I'm out of time, so we'll burn through these. Are you okay? Number 15, or I'm sorry, that's number 15. Difficult to listen to people. 16, you interrupt. Interrupting is pride. Because you're saying what I have to say is more important than what you're saying. So you cut people off. Notice whenever you're in a heated fight with your spouse, how much you interrupt each other. Because pride is just rampant. And when you're in that space, like you're not gonna resolve anything because you you think that what you're saying is more important than what they're saying. Number 17, you have an attitude of this. I don't get much out of teaching. I really don't get much. I've heard that before. It's like the Google review. Find a new story in the Bible. Already heard the story of the woman with the issue of blood. Don't really get much out of that. I've already heard messages on pride. Preach something new. 18. Um thinking of others during the teaching. It's pride. So maybe on one of these you were thinking of your friend or your spouse or your family member. That's pride. All right. Number 19, not teachable. So you get you hear a teaching and then you don't apply it. You get pastoral correction, you don't apply it. You ask for advice and then you don't do it. That's pride. Number 20, contentious and argumentative. You like love to get in a good argument with someone. That's pride. So, how to overcome pride? Three things real fast. How to overcome pride. Number one, make your life about others. It's not about me. It's about God, it's about others. Brian, um, Brian's Nana, she's got dementia. And every time I'm with her, she's gonna tell me the same stories to her. It's the first time she told me the story. My gift to her is to listen like it's the first time. So I respond as though I've never heard the story before. I'm like, and then what, Nana? Why? Because it's not about me, it's about her. She's telling the story. Give her the joy of telling the story. Make your life about others. It's not how I can be served, but how I can serve. How am I making someone else's life better? Number two, submit yourself to others. Literally, when we see these cycles in our life, like admitting it, like, man, I'm I'm sorry. Can you catch me when I do this? Can you like call it out in me? I give you permission to call me out and I won't get offended. Number three, repent often to God and others. Literally, after I did this teaching the first time, we so many times, um, because I talked about it to the college and then I did it on or to the youth students, and then I did it on a Sunday. I told them I'm like, the best way to stop is to eat crow often. And literally, when you catch yourself interrupting, call it what it is, call it the sin that it is. The problem isn't that you interrupt people, it's that you're prideful and be like, I'm sorry. I just that was prideful of me to interrupt you. Does that make sense? Catch yourself, repent often to God and to others, and you'll begin to reshape your heart. So, Father, we just thank you. Uh Lord, we just thank you for this reminder, Lord. Uh, we don't want to be proud. Lord, don't let one church be a stinky church. Don't let one college be a stinky college. Um, but God, I thank you that our hearts are sweet smelling aroma to you. Um, Lord, I thank you that your word um rids pride out of our heart. Lord, I thank you for breeding humility within us. Um, may we be humble, may our hearts be soft towards you in Jesus' name. And somebody who believed it said, Amen. I love you guys. Have a great day. Thanks so much for hanging out here on my podcast. Do me a favor and hit the subscribe button if you haven't done so already, so you never miss out on anything here on my podcast. Also, one of the best ways for us to begin to reach other people is by you sharing. So if you can do me a favor and share this podcast with a friend, family member, or maybe on your social media, help us get the word out so we can help others.