42 1 When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? 2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll...
As Esther 4 opens, Mordecai has just learned of the king’s edict for the destruction of the Jews. He immediately goes into mourning and begins fasting, weeping, and lamenting. Esther, still unaware of all that had occurred between Haman and the king, sends new clothes...
One of my favorite nights of the year is Mission to Worship, a night at Grace Church dedicated to celebrating what God is doing in our community and the world through the local church. It is also a call to action – How can we...
37 1 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. 2 For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he...
5 1 On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther...
21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He...
1 O God, pagan nations have conquered your land, your special possession. They have defiled your holy Temple and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins. 2 They have left the bodies of your servants as food for the birds of heaven. The flesh of your godly ones has become food for the...
Thanks to everyone who joined us for Mission to Worship this past Monday. Worship points our hearts to who God is. His character, His holiness, and His grace call us to action....
1 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 2 In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 3 Then he saw...
In the final verses of the second chapter of Esther, Mordecai learns of a plot to kill the king and immediately alerts Esther of the danger. Esther in turn warns the king in Mordecai’s name, and when all is found to be true, Mordecai and...
1 O God, we have heard it with our own ears— our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago: 2 You drove out the pagan nations by your power and gave all the land to our ancestors. You crushed their enemies and set our...
1 When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 2 He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no...
1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! 2 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided...
As I walk through the doors of work with a canteen of coffee in my hand, I mentally prepare myself for the day ahead. The humidity and the heat of the air are increased as I walk from the open air breezeways into the four...
1 Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock. O God, enthroned above the cherubim, display your radiant glory 2 to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Show us your mighty power. Come to rescue us! 3 Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down...
This past weekend we were led through our second week of teaching in the book of Esther. The story of Esther is one that mirrors our own normal lives in terms of seeming randomness, logic, and complexity. What is helpful for us to recognize is...
1 Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. 2 Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, 3 and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. 4 They remained...
I stopped immediately as they walked by, pausing mid-sentence to take it all in – the beauty, the perfectly coiffed hair, the slim figures, the flawless skin, the unique and expensive dresses accessorized with the perfect heels and equally expensive jewelry. They oozed money, status,...
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you...
If I were to take the time to think about all the really bad things that could possibly happen to my children, whether it be physically or emotionally, the list could get pretty lengthy. And then if I added some of the sufferings of children...
21 One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh—who were guards at the door of the king’s private quarters—became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. 22 But Mordecai heard about the...
1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So...
1 How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for...
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And...
This week, Matt kicks off the new series in Esther by teaching through the first chapter of the book. Though Esther does not explicitly mention God, it contains powerful lessons about divine sovereignty. It presents a narrative that clearly displays the transcendence of God’s plan...