Sermon Questions – March 1, 2026

Series: Vice and Virtue (Lent 2026)
Text: Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Title: Sloth and Diligence

Invited: Have you ever been in athletic training? Talk about your experience.

Loved: What are a couple of the skills or strengths God has given you? (Your group can help you respond!)

Shaped:

• The vice of Sloth is distinct from laziness. Talk about what Sloth looks like, using the concept of “lack of care” (acedia).
• Discuss this quote from Pastor Bethany Allen, Bridgetown Church: “Ultimately, sloth is an aversion to the good and the mysterious beauty and potential of the Kingdom.”
• We’re not very good at confessing to one another. But during this series, we will have the opportunity to discuss our sinful habits. Pray for courage, humility, and grace to share. How do you see the vice of Sloth in your life? Share an example of how you have “resisted the demands of love” in your relationship with God, with others, or with yourself.
• Do you trust that the Holy Spirit’s transformation work in you is good? What are barriers to this trusting attitude?
• One way to describe sin and vice is in relation to the Love commands in Matthew 22:36-40. Vices are “disordered loves” or “loves gone wrong.”  Conversely, virtues are “re-ordered loves” or “loves made right.” How does the virtue of Diligence take what Sloth has disordered (insufficient love in our relationships with God, with others, with self) and restore love to its proper place?
• Who is someone you admire for their Diligence? (Remember: this is not simply hard work.) Describe them.

Sent: How can you cultivate the virtue of Diligence in your life during this Lent? Share one step you will take, and invite your group to support you. Pray for one another.