On Friday, Jesus was crucified, and his followers were overcome with pain. On Saturday, they waited, and nothing made sense. But on Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, and they experienced deliverance. Whether you find yourself in a time of waiting or pain, Easter means that Jesus still delivers us from death to life, hope, and love.
Sloth is painful to watch, but easy to fall into. When we give in to sloth, we become indifferent to those around us. But throughout his life, Jesus models a better way—the way of diligence.
While it's easy to see greed as a temptation only for the very rich, the desire for more affects all of us. Instead of accumulating as much as possible and holding on for dear life, though, Jesus teaches that generosity sets us free from greed and lets us live lives of blessing for others.
Whether it's food, shopping, or scrolling on our phones, we all struggle with wanting more than is good for us, and the excess leads to ruin. But God desires our freedom, and through the virtue of temperance, helps us trust that Jesus is enough. Find sermon notes and more at https://acts2umc.org/sermons/gluttony-and-temperance/.
Lust can wreck our relationships and reduce our capacity for love. The virtue of chastity helps us overcome lust so that we no longer see others as object for our use, but as people with whom we can have real relationships.
It's easy to respond with anger when things don't go our way, but patience allows us to let go of the anger that ensnares us.
Pride distorts our sense of self and prevents us from seeing clearly, but when we humble ourselves before God, God's truth leads to life, freedom, and connection with God, self, and others.
