The Sluggard Within

1. The Sluggard Within How to wreck everything without doing a thing.

2. Sluggard • The Hebrew root is עצל • Used 16 times in Proverbs and 2 times elsewhere (Judges and Ecclesiastes) • The Context of these verses give us a clear picture of what this word means. • Sluggard Slug"gard\, n. [Slug + -ard.] A person habitually lazy, idle, and inactive; a drone. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

3. Proverbs 6:6-11 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;        consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander,        no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer        and gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?        When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber,        a little folding of the hands to rest- 11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit        and scarcity like an armed man.

7. Procrastinator 6:9-11 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. What is the Sluggard Like?

8. Procrastinator Excuse Maker 26:13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!" What is the Sluggard Like?

9. Procrastinator Excuse Maker Sleeper 26:14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. What is the Sluggard Like?

10. Procrastinator Excuse Maker Sleeper Foolish 24:30-31 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. What is the Sluggard Like?

11. Thorns 15:19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. What the Sluggard Gets

12. Thorns Hunger  19:15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry. What the Sluggard Gets

13. Thorns Hunger Poverty  13:4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. What the Sluggard Gets

14. Thorns Hunger Poverty Bad Reputation  10:26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him. What the Sluggard Gets

15. Thorns Hunger Poverty Bad Reputation Forced Labor 12:24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor. What the Sluggard Gets

16. The Sluggard’s Heart • Self-seeking  • 21:25 The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.

17. The Sluggard’s Heart • Pleasure seeker • 19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

18. The Sluggard’s Heart • No concern about what happens next • 12:27 The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions.

19. Proverbs 26:13-16 13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road,        a fierce lion roaming the streets!" 14 As a door turns on its hinges,        so a sluggard turns on his bed. 15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;        he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes        than seven men who answer discreetly.

20. Serious Business • Seven Deadly Sins

21. Diligence Zeal Seven Deadly Sins Opposites Serious Business

22. Serious Business • Seven Deadly Sins • Opposites • Battle between our sinful nature and the Spirit

23. Breakout Groups

24. Foundation • The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.Proverbs 1:7

25. Discussion Categories A. The Sluggard and His Relationship with God B. The Sluggard Husband C. The Sluggard Pastor D. The Sluggard Church

26. 1. Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise. A good use of the time and talents God has given us, in other words, activity and work are the goals for which we aim. We want to be like the ant, not the slug.

27. The question to discuss: • What would be the diligent task(s) we would carry out with zeal if we weren’t sluggards in this category?

28. 2. Proverbs 15:19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. Proverbs 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him. The sluggard’s path brings hardship and problems, both for himself and those that count on him.

29. The questions to discuss: • What problems or hardships do we face in this category? What problems do we cause others?

30. 3. Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! Or, “I will be murdered in the streets!” The sluggard may think there are very good reasons not to do something.

31. The questions to discuss: • What faulty reasons might be given not to be diligent in this category? Are there any good reasons?

32. 4. Proverbs 26:14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. There are useless uses of time that get in the way of diligent work.

33. The question to discuss: • What sluggardly challenges besides our bed get in the way of diligence in this category?

34. 5. Proverbs 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. The sluggard can be so full of himself and the ease of life he craves, that he fails to heed the wisdom and advice of others.

35. The question to answer: • In what ways can the sluggard be blind to the reality of his failures in this category and what can we do to help?

36. Can somebody be busy yet still be a sluggard? Is being a sluggard the problem or is it just a matter of balancing priorities properly?

37. Can you help? I always leave conference feeling guilty about all the things I am not doing well.