Such A Time As This.pdf

SZN 1 — 2019

JOURNAL

for such a time as this

X X X X

BOOK OF ESTHER

VOUS CHURCH

X X X X

01

This journal belongs to:

Full Name

If found, please return to

VOUS CHURCH

REFERENCE

how to S.O.A.P Items needed for each day: 1. Bible 2. Pen 3. Journal

S — SCRIPTURE

Which verse stood out to you?

Open your Bible to your reading for the day. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.

O — OBSERVATION

What is God saying to you?

What do you feel God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you.

A — APPLICATION

How can you apply it today?

Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today. P — PRAYER

This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or even a prayer for a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.

002

Ask God to help you use what you’ve learned.

REFERENCE

how to PRAY The ACTS Model

A — ADORATION

Tell God how much you appreciate him.

This is a great way to begin your prayer time. Tell God how much you appreciate him. Express your love for him. Praise his power and majesty. You should never run out of praise.

C — CONFESSION

Tell God where you have fallen short

Tell God where you have fallen short. Be specific. Thank him for the forgiveness you have in Christ and ask for help and strength to turn away from future temptations. T — THANKSGIVING

Express gratitude for what he’s doing in your life.

We have so much to be thankful for. Thank God for his love, his faithfulness, his patience. Express gratitude for what he’s doing in your life.

S — SUPPLICATION

Share your desires with God.

Share your desires with God, no matter how big or small they may seem. Nothing is too big or too small for God. He cares about every detail of your life. Pray for your own needs and for the needs of others.

003

REFERENCE

VOUSCHURCH.COM/PRAYFIRST

how to FAST HOW TO BEGIN

Start with a clear goal. Be specific. Why are you fasting? Do you need direction, healing, restoration of marriage or family issues? Are you facing financial difficulties? Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Pray daily and read the Bible.

PREPARING SPIRITUALLY

Be honest with God. Let him know where you need help. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of weakness. Invite him to challenge and change you over the course of your fast. Watch as he expands your vision and strengthens your faith.

DECIDING WHAT TO FAST

Fasting is about giving something up for a time in order to seek God in a deeper way. It’s not about losing weight, it’s about gaining vision! The type of fast you choose is up to you. Whether you choose to follow biblical examples and give up food or apply the same principle to other areas of life like TV or social media, we believe that as you remove distractions you will hear from God in a clearer way.

DECIDING HOW LONG

Twice a year at VOUS, we set aside 21 days to fast and pray together. You’re invited to come on the journey! Feel free to adapt the period of time to what is healthy for you. Fasting is not an obligation, it’s an opportunity to go deeper in our walk with God. Use wisdom and pray for guidance. If it’s your first time fasting, decide what you can commit to and go for it!

WHAT TO EXPECT

When you fast your body detoxifies, eliminating toxins from your system. This can cause mild discomfort such as headaches and irritability during withdrawal from caffeine and sugars. And naturally, you will have hunger pains. Limit your activity and exercise moderately. Take time to rest. Fasting brings about miraculous results. You are following Jesus’ example when you fast. Spend time listening to praise and worship. Pray as often as you can throughout the day. Get away from the normal distractions as much as possible and keep your heart and mind set on seeking God. Adapted from https://www.jentezenfranklin.org/fastingtips

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REFERENCE

Esther: THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD Esther 1 Es 1:1-22

Esther 2 Es 2:1-23

Esther 3 Es 3:1-15

Esther 4 Es 4:1-17

Esther 5 Es 5:1-14

Esther 6 Es 6:1-14

Esther 7 Es 7:1-10

Esther 8 Es 8:1-17

Esther 9 Es 9:1-32

Esther 10 Es 10:1-3

Esther’s Exaltation

Haman’s Cunning Pot

Haman’s Humiliation

Mordecai’s Exaltation

Feast of Ashasuerus

Feast of Mordecai

wFeast of Esther

Feast of Purim

Exaltation

Persecution

Preservations

Commemoration

Jewish Existence Threatened

Gentile Setting

Jewess Elevated

Threat to Jews

Feast of Ashasuerus

Jews Spared

Influence of Jewess

Deliverance of Jews

A Jew Exalted

Feast of Esther and Purim

005

21 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING BEGINS MONDAY, JANUARY 7

WEEK

01

WEEK 01

ESTHER 2:15

And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.

008

WEEKDAY:

SERMON TITLE:

Sunday, 06 DATE:

SPEAKER:

SERMON NOTES:

009

WEEK 01 WEEKDAY:

Monday, 07 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

010

DAY 01 #PRAYFIRST TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 1:1-12 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

DAY 02 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

Tuesday, 08 DATE:

WEEK 01 TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 1:13-22 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

011

WEEK 01 WEEKDAY:

Wednesday, 09 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

012

DAY 03 #PRAYFIRST TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 2:1-9 SEE YOU AT PRAY FIRST TONIGHT!

WEEK 01

DAY 04 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

Thursday, 10 DATE:

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 2:10-18 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

013

DAY 05 #PRAYFIRST

WEEK 01 WEEKDAY:

Friday, 11 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

014

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 2:19-22 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

WEEK 01

DAY 06 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

THOUGHTS:

Saturday, 12 DATE:

The Book of Esther It seems odd that the awareness of God, or even of the people of God, brings out the worst in some people. God, the source of all goodness and blessing and joy, at times becomes the occasion for nearly unimaginable acts of cruelty, atrocity, and evil.

to speak the final and definitive word: You can’t eliminate God’s people. No matter how many of them you kill, you can’t get rid of the communities of God-honoring, God-serving, God-worshiping people scattered all over the earth. This is still the final and definitive word.

There is a long history of killing men and women simply because they are perceived as reminders or representatives of the living God, as if killing people who worship God gets ride of God himself. We’ve recently completed a century marked by an extraordinary frenzy of such “god” killings. To no one’s surprise, God is still alive and present.

From: This unknown Persian Jew probably lived sometime within 150 years of the events. That is, he probably lived while Persia was still in charge of the Middle East, before Alexander the Great took over.

The book of Esther opens a window on this world of violence directed, whether openly or covertly, against God and God’s people. The perspective it provides transcends the occasion that provoked it, a nasty scheme to massacre all the exiled Jews who lived in the vast expanse of fifth-century B.C. Persia. Three characters shape the plot. Mordecai, identified simply as “the Jew,“ anchors the story. He is solid, faithful, sane, godly. His goodness is more than matched by the evil and arrogant vanity of Haman, who masterminds the planned massacre. Mordecai’s young, orphaned, and ravishing cousin, Esther, whom he has raised, emerges from the shadows of the royal harem to take on the title role. It turns out that no God-representing men and women get killed in this story—in a dramatic turnaround, the plot fails. But millions before and after Esther have been and, no doubt, will continue to be killed. There is hardly a culture or century that doesn’t eventually find a Haman determined to rid the world of evidence and reminders of God. Meanwhile, Esther continues

Citation: The Message: remix / 636-637 / Eugene H. Peterson

To: Haman wasn’t the only one in the vast Persian Empire (or the Greek empire that followed it) who hated Jews. Jews refused to say that their God was only one among many options, and for that they endured social put-downs, job discrimination, and sometimes violence. Re: About 483-478 B.C. After the Persian king Xerxes dethroned Queen Vashti, he took a 150,000-man army and a 600-ship navy to avenge his father’s defeat by the Greeks. He beat the Greeks in one great battle, but a year later they skunked him badly. His army and navy limped home. That was when he started having girls rounded up in the villages in his hunt for a new queen.

A generation or two before Esther became queen, a few thousand Jews returned to Judah from Babylon and began trying to recreate some kind of Jewish homeland. Despite severe challenges, they had managed to rebuild a small temple, but in Esther’s time Jerusalem was still a shabby settlement without defensive walls. The walls were finally restored during the time of Xerxes’ son, Artaxerxes I.

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WEEK

02

WEEK 02

ESTHER 4:14

And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

018

WEEK 02

DAY 07 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

SERMON TITLE:

Sunday, 13 DATE:

SPEAKER:

SERMON NOTES:

019

DAY 08 #PRAYFIRST

WEEK 02 WEEKDAY:

Monday, 14 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

020

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 3:1-6 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

DAY 09 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

Tuesday, 15 DATE:

WEEK 02 TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 3:7-15 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

021

DAY 10 #PRAYFIRST

WEEK 02 WEEKDAY:

Wednesday, 16 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

022

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 4:1-17 SEE YOU AT PRAY FIRST TONIGHT!

DAY 11 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

Thursday, 17 DATE:

WEEK 02 TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 5:1-7 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

023

DAY 12 #PRAYFIRST

WEEK 02 WEEKDAY:

Friday, 18 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

024

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 5:8-14 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

DAY 13 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

WEEK 02 THOUGHTS:

Saturday, 19 DATE:

The History Books The twelve biblical books stretching from Joshua to Esther are conventionally designated “the history books.“ But the word “history” doesn’t tell the whole story, for this is history attentive to the conditions in which people encounter and experience God. The Hebrew people were intent on observing and participating in what happened in and around them because they believed that God was personally alive and active in the world, in their community, and in them. Life could not be accounted for by something less than the life of God, no matter how impressive and mysterious their experience was, whether an eclipse of the sun, spots on the liver of a goat, or the hiss of steam from a fissure in the earth. God could not be reduced to astronomical, physiological, geological, or psychological phenomena; God was alive, always and everywhere working his will, challenging people with his call, evoking faith and obedience, shaping a worshiping community, showing his love and compassion, and working out judgments on sin. And none of this “in general“ or “at large,“ but at particular times, in specific places, with named persons: history. For biblical people, God is not an idea for philosophers to discuss or a force for priests to manipulate. God is not a part of creation that can be studied and observed and managed. God is person—a person to be worshiped or defied, believed or rejected, loved or hated, in time and place. That is why these books immerse us in dates and events, in persons and circumstances—in history. God meets us in the ordinary and extraordinary occurrences that make up the stuff of our daily lives. It never seemed to have occurred to our biblical ancestors that they could deal better with God by escaping from history, “getting away from it all” as we say. History is the medium in which God works salvation, just as paint and canvas is the medium in which Rembrandt made created

Citation: The Message: remix / 281-282 / Eugene H. Peterson

works of art. We cannot get closer to God by distancing ourselves from the mess of history. This deeply pervasive sense of history—the dignity of their place in history, the presence of God in history—accounts for the way in which the Hebrew people talked and wrote. They did not, as was the fashion in the ancient world, make up and embellish fanciful stories. Their writings did not entertain or explain; they revealed the ways of God with men and women in the world. They gave narrative shape to actual people and circumstances in their dealings with God, and in God’s dealings with them. But for the Hebrews there simply was no secular history. None. Everything that happened, happened in a world penetrated by God. Since they do not talk a lot about God in their storytelling, it is easy to forget that God is always the invisible and mostly silent presence in everything that is taking place. But if we forget for very long, we will understand neither what is written nor the way it is written. God is never absent from these narratives and never peripheral to them. As far as these writers were concerned, the only reason for paying attention to people and events was to stay alert to God. This is a difficult mindset for us to acquire, for we are used to getting our history from so-called historians, scholars, and journalists for whom God is not involved or present in what they study and write. We are thoroughly trained by our schools, daily newspapers, and telecasts to read history solely in terms of politics and economics, human interest and environmental conditions. If we have a mind for it, we can go ahead and fit God in somewhere or other. These historical books—Joshua through Esther—are radically refreshing and different. They pull us into a way of reading history that involves us and everyone around us in all the operations of God.

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WEEK

03

WEEK 03

ESTHER 5:6

Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.

028

WEEK 03

DAY 14 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

SERMON TITLE:

Sunday, 20 DATE:

SPEAKER:

SERMON NOTES:

029

DAY 15 #PRAYFIRST

WEEK 03 WEEKDAY:

Monday, 21 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

030

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 6:1-14 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

DAY 16 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

Tuesday, 22 DATE:

WEEK 03 TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 7:1-10 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

031

WEEK 03 WEEKDAY:

Wednesday, 23 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

032

DAY 17 #PRAYFIRST TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 8:1-8 SEE YOU AT HEART & SOUL TONIGHT!

WEEK 03

DAY 18 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

Thursday, 24 DATE:

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 8:9-14 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

033

WEEK 03 WEEKDAY:

Friday, 25 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

034

DAY 19 #PRAYFIRST TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 8:15-17 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

WEEK 03

DAY 20 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

THOUGHTS:

Saturday, 26 DATE:

The Example of Esther Esther’s example of bold faith in the face of opposition is inspiring. As Christians, it is important for us not only to walk away from our time in prayer and God’s Word inspired, but also to ask ourselves what we can do differently in light of what we have learned. As you read these six lessons from the life of Esther, consider how you can apply these insights to your own life.

3. We must stand with courage

1. God has a plan for our lives

God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther even once. But Esther was clear that in this particular situation, a heavenly response was needed for an earthly situation. Esther needed direction. When we need God’s grace, fasting and prayer open the portals for spiritual growth, remove distractions, and place us on a path to humility.

Mordecai nailed it when he said, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the royal palace for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 NIV). God loved the Jewish people. And he didn’t create Esther’s beauty and finesse for her and her alone. Esther was placed in a royal position to assist in the delivery of God’s divine plan. 2. We are given divine moments to alter circumstances

As believers, there are no such things as accidents or coincidences. God’s timing is providential. Esther’s divine moment of providence came by accepting her responsibility to go to the king. However, Mordecai was clear when he said to Esther that she could be the one who saved the people, or not. God will use you only if you’re ready—or he will find someone else.

“I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16 NIV). Esther was willing to die to save her people. Sometimes we must stand in courage, even when it is not popular to do so, and risk it all. 4. Fasting and prayer bring clarity and hope for deliverance

5. God demands obedience

Esther’s obedience saved God’s people from genocide. The reality is that Esther didn’t know what would happen when she approached the king. She acted in obedience and by doing so she saved a nation and stepped into the destiny God had for her. 6. God uses everything and everyone for his divine purpose

No part of our lives is untouched. God is in control of every aspect, whether we want him to be or not, and there is nothing that is not subject to him (Hebrews 2:8 NIV). The best thing we can do for our lives is to search for and surrender to his will.

NOTES:

Citation: Adapted from https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/6-powerful-life-lessons-from-the-book-of-esther.html

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WEEK

04

WEEK 04

ESTHER 7:3

Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.

038

WEEK 04

DAY 21 #PRAYFIRST WEEKDAY:

SERMON TITLE:

Sunday, 27 DATE:

SPEAKER:

SERMON NOTES:

039

WEEK 04 WEEKDAY:

Monday, 28 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

040

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 9:1-10 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

WEEK 04 WEEKDAY:

Tuesday, 29 DATE:

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 9:11-19 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

041

WEEK 04 WEEKDAY:

Wednesday, 30 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

042

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 9:20-28 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

WEEK 04 WEEKDAY:

Thursday, 31 DATE:

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 9:29-32 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

043

WEEK 04 WEEKDAY:

Friday, 01 DATE:

S — SCRIPTURE

O — OBSERVATION

A — APPLICATION

P — PRAYER

044

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Esther 10:1-3 Grab your Bible and read today’s scripture. Write down the verses that stand out to you the most.

WEEK 04 WEEKDAY:

THOUGHTS:

Saturday, 02 DATE:

HOW LONG WAS YOUR FAST?

WHAT DID YOU FAST FROM?

WHAT WAS MOST CHALLENGING?

WHAT WAS MOST REWARDING?

WHAT DID GOD SPEAK TO YOU?

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WEEK

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WEEK 05

ESTHER 9:28

These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city.

048

WEEK 05 WEEKDAY:

SERMON TITLE:

Sunday, 03 DATE:

SPEAKER:

SERMON NOTES:

049

NOTES:

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NOTES:

051

NOTES:

052

NOTES:

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