By Jeff Larson, The Back Pew

“It is troublesome to see how badly gambling has infiltrated the church. Gambling is a sin. It feeds covetousness. God’s Word calls on us to be content with what we’ve been given.
“The apostle Paul wrote, ‘I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little’ (Philippians 4:11-12).
“Gambling touches us right at the heart of our sinful natures: It doesn’t matter how much we’ve been given; we still want more. And with gambling, we are willing to take it from our neighbor without providing something of equal worth in return. Covetousness violates the 10th Commandment, which is the mother of all sins.”
-Rev. Mark Creech