13 Leg Parlay

***Introduction

Who I am, thankful for opportunity

How being in law enforcement has let me see the importance of our responses to hard situations

But first you must know what a parlay is

***Body

Philippians 4:4-7 — 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Lack of professing Christians at work / would not be enough evidence to prosecute

Partner #1 agreed if our shift had the most Christians it should look different

Others noticed after several rotations that it wasn’t the circumstance that determined the attitude

Partner #2 was very outgoing about his faith but had a terrible attitude

Others noticed this and it gave them a reason to not want his faith

***Conclusion

Partner #2 wagered his joy and peace on a parlay that never paid out

Partner #1 wagered his joy and peace on the goodness of God that is true in all things

How many things have to go right for you to be satisfied? Or is the goodness of God enough?

That’s the what we should do. Here is the why.

“Oh, that God might teach us how to avoid the evil that is here forbidden, and to live with that holy carelessness which is the very beauty of the Christian life—when all our care is cast on God, and we can joy and rejoice in his providential care of us. Charles Spurgeon.

Our response is a testimony to the grace and goodness of God

The world is longing to something different, they don’t want what they already have, it is our opportunity to show them there is something different by being different.

Partner#1 was also the better officer and harder worker.

*** Call

Christian men to let your peace and joy be a testimony

To non believers there is a better way. Not because we are so good but because God is so good