The Struggle is Real: Gambling

Pastor Moss began a new series called "The Struggle is Real" by addressing gambling. He provided statistics showing the US gambling industry generates $120 billion annually, more than Starbucks, McDonald's, and Nike combined. Using the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25, he argued that since everything we have belongs to God, we are managers of His resources, not owners. He defined gambling as "the act of risking what you've been given on what you cannot control in the hope of gaining what you have not earned." Moss approached gambling from both biblical and wisdom perspectives, noting that while not explicitly forbidden in Scripture, gambling promotes love of money and preys on the poor. He concluded with four questions for evaluating gray area topics: Will this be helpful? Will this enslave my soul? Will this encourage others or evangelize? Will this emulate Jesus?

In this message:

Managers don't gamble with their master's money.Everything we have belongs to God, and we are stewards of His resources.Gambling promotes a love of money and takes advantage of the misfortune of others.Those in the lowest income bracket spend 13% of their yearly income on lottery tickets.We should ask whether our actions will be helpful, enslaving, encouraging to others, and emulating of Jesus.