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1. What effect does the presence of habitual sin have in our lives?

Emphasize the corrosive effect it has, leading to a person fully experiencing spiritual—and even physical—decay. The Holy Prophet and King David’s psalms demonstrate two important effects: 1) It results in a loss in joy (because it breaks communion with God), and 2) the person will suffer because of this sinful life.

2. Beyond the corrosive effect of sin, what is another effect of sin in our lives that results in lost joy?

Sin necessitates God’s discipline. Hebrews 12 gives an excellent explanation of precisely why God disciplines us: it is not meant to be punitive, but instead to “yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness” and make us “partakers in holiness.” You will particularly want to point out that, even though the discipline itself is unpleasant, we can rejoice in the fact that God loves us enough to bring us back into communion with him.

3. What does it mean (within this context, of course) to have a vision problem?

It means to remove our focus from God—Who gives us joy—to material and emotional things that cannot do so (you can bring in St. Theophan’s teaching that these things give rise to depression because “they are unable to content the heart”).

4. How does our culture create vision problems?

Because our economy is largely consumer-driven, the emphasis is on consumption. Therefore, we are continually being prompted to buy more things, with the promise that these will bring us happiness. Lead your group in a discussion of some of the false messages being presented in modern commercials and advertisements they’ve encountered, particularly prompting them to identify precisely what is false about the message.

5. What is the cure for our vision problems?

Focus on St. Theophan’s exhortation to make a habit of thinking about God; be sure to bring in his call for each of us to examine ourselves in regards to our prayer life, because “maybe you will find the door to the peace of God there.”