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Classics: Esther
Barb Roose, Teaching Pastor
July 3 & 4, 2010

10 Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” 12 So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai. 13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” Esther 4:10-16

God’s name is not in the book of Esther…but G_____________ H______________ is all over it.

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

When adversity arose, Esther desired self-preservation… but, she chose self-sacrifice.
1. She recognized her C________________… (God-opportunities)
2. She faced her F_________ and acted C_________________________ (as if God were with her).

Question: Whenever you think about worst-case scenarios, is Jesus present in those thoughts?

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:21

You might be one decision away from the most important turn in your D________________.

13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

“The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to the limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult or worthwhile.” – from the book Drive

All Scripture is from the New Living Translation.

Living It Out – Discussion Questions
(Discuss these questions in your LifeGroup and/or with your family and friends.)

1. Describe a time when you knew God was working in your life. How did you know God was working and what happened in your life as a result?

2. During this weekend’s message, Barb described a “coincidence” as a miracle in which God decides to remain hidden. Do you believe in coincidence or do you think God weaves various circumstances together in our lives?

3. Esther was a Jewish girl who became queen. Imagine yourself in a position of power or influence. How would you handle a situation where you were asked to risk your power and influence to help others? Would your answer change if no one would ever know if you opted out of helping?

4. Have you ever had a “crisis of belief?” A crisis of belief is that rubber-meets-the-road moment when the future of your life (and faith) hinges on whether or not you truly believe that God will do what He says He will do. Discuss your crisis of belief and how that pivotal moment changed you.

5. Everyone has a “villian” in their lives – an illness, a person, a situation that threatens our livlihood, our security and even our lives. Just as God allowed Haman to hatch his murderous plan, God also allows difficult, even tragic events to occur in our lives. However, Romans 8:28 frames what we are supposed to remember about all of the things that happen to us in life. What is the message of Romans 8:28?

6. Like Esther, at one point in our lives or another, we are all one decision away from an important turn in our destiny. Talk about some of the defining moments in your life and whether or not you displayed the courage to do the right thing in those situations. No matter if you acted courageously or not, what have you learned from Esther’s story to encourage you the next time a pivotal moment comes into your life?

Living It Out – Scripture Memory
(Memorize this verse for the month of July.)
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;
it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11:1 (New Living Translation)