Pastor cautions youth against modern day gambling

He bemoaned the rate at which young boys and girls were actively engaged in sports betting, saying if such practice was not checked and brought under control, society would bring up godless youth who had no fear for God.

Pastor Ankutse gave the caution when he delivered a sermon on the topic "power of freedom from sin" at the opening session of the District's Easter Retreat of the Youth Division of the Church underway at Abesim near Sunyani on Friday.

The five-day retreat being attended by the youth of the church drawn from Tanoso and Abesim on the theme "power from the present hour" would also provide an opportunity for the church to listen to live transmission sermons from Pastor Dr William Kumuyi, the General Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Ministry from Nigeria, via the internet.

Pastor Ankutse expressed worry that many young people were "selling their souls to the devil" through sports and other betting activities and condemned the get-rich-quick syndrome among the youthful generation.

"It is extremely sad that the systems of this world have gradually entered into many churches. You can't differentiate between the world and church because what the world is doing the church is doing the same", he said.

"Many of the youth are seriously engaged in masturbation, lesbianism, homosexuality and alcoholism. I am a teacher and sincerely, I know what I am talking about. Youth are going astray and as a Deeper lifer, I urged you not to join them before it's too late", Pastor Ankutse stated.

That notwithstanding, Pastor Ankutse said there was still hope for the youth, and called on churches to center their sermons on holiness and righteousness to help instill godly values in young people.

The retreat would also take the youth through evangelism seminars on various topics including, the "inescapable command to evangelise", "strategies for effectively evangelizing our city" and "technique for effective personal evangelism during the break".

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