Esther Week 1- CHANCES

Recap:
God had a purpose and a plan for Esther's life, and she was given chances to take and opportunities to seize in her journey to become the woman that God had called her to be.

You and I are no different; we were created with a purpose, God has a plan for our lives, and we will have God opportunities placed in front of us along our journey in becoming a godly man/woman.  Do you know how to identify the opportunities that God is placing in front of you?  Do you know how to distinguish between a good idea and a God idea?

Icebreaker:
1- Describe the most extravagant party you have ever been to. Does it compare to the gala Xerxes is throwing in Chapter 1?

2- What’s one of your biggest regrets about an opportunity that you let pass you by?

Transition:

God is orchestrating every opportunity for the good of those who love Him. Sometimes those opportunities seem like obstacles or can be seen as coincidental, unimportant, or maybe downright risky. Regardless, the chances we are presented with each and every day matter. They might have been sent from heaven to orchestrate life change in you and/or people around you. Let’s look at the story of Esther to see how God presented a few seemingly insignificant people a chance to make a significant impact on the history of His people.

Study:

3- Before this series, what did you know about Esther?  
In what way does the fact that the book of Esther has a woman as the central character affect your perspective on studying this book?

4- Read Esther 1:11-12.  
Why do you think Queen Vashti refused to appear before the king?  
Do you think she had any idea of the consequences of that refusal?  
Would you say her situation was "lose-lose"?  
What lose-lose situations have you ever been confronted with and how did you deal with them?

5- Unless you knew God was working in the background, it would appear that Esther's life (and everything around her) was totally out of her control. In what ways have events occurred in your life that are out of your control?

6- What are some examples of difficult circumstances in your life that have arisen over the past year or two and how have they shaped your view of God? 

READ Esther 2:5-7

OPPORTUNITIES FROM GOD SOMETIMES LOOK LIKE OBSTACLES

7- Mordecai and Esther were taken captive by the Babylonians before this story takes place. Most people would view that as a defeat; yet, God had other plans. Discuss a time in your life or the life of someone you know that seemed like an obstacle but was actually an opportunity from God.

8- Do you tend to embrace obstacles and see them as a chance for growth and forward momentum?  
Or are you easily frustrated and discouraged by obstacles in life?

READ Esther 2:8-9

OPPORTUNITIES FROM GOD COME THROUGH PEOPLE

9- God used people throughout Esther's life to provide her with the opportunities to be the woman she was created to be.  Who has God used in your life to help you become the man/woman that He has called you to be?
Has God ever used you in a powerful way to be that voice in the life of someone else?

10- When you look for opportunities from God, what do you look for specifically?  
How has God revealed these "God Opportunities" to you in the past?  (through the study of the Word, prayer, encouraging words from others, God speaking through a message or song)

READ Esther 2:16-18

OPPORTUNITIES FROM GOD OFTENTIMES COME AFTER PREPARATION

11- Time passed doesn't mean that the promise from God is dead.  Have you ever given up too early on something you felt like God wanted you to do?  
Is it too late now, or can you recommit to obedience and faithfulness this week to see God use you in a powerful way in that specific situation?

Next Steps:

12- Mordecai realized that while this opportunity may not be best suited for him, it could change the life of someone around him. So, he followed his cousin to meet the King. Leverage the obstacles in your life as opportunities for others to meet the true King Jesus!

13- Make out a list of things that you need to prepare in your spiritual life in order to be ready for the opportunities that God has for you moving forward.

14- Instead of focusing on what has happened in the PAST, trust God for what He has planned for your future.

Additional Study:

Timeline of Events leading up to Esther: 

• Many Jewish people in Judah were besieged and eventually sent into captivity at three separate times (~605 BCE, ~587 BCE, and ~581 BCE). During this time, the prophet Jeremiah was given the words we read in Jeremiah 29. 
• Read Jeremiah 29:1-14
• Mordecai’s great grandfather Kish was most likely among those referenced in verse 1 as exiled in Babylon. 
• In 539 BCE, King Cyrus allowed Jews to return to their land fulfilling the promise found in 29:10. These Jews finished building a new temple in 512. 
• The story of Esther takes place in 486 BCE. So, while many Jews returned to their homeland and to the rebuilt temple, Mordecai and Esther chose to stay in Babylon.

15- Think about Mordecai and Esther staying in Babylon. What are situations in your life that you choose to view as an opportunity from God despite the difficulty of it? How could you trust God to work behind the scenes in your personal ‘Babylon’ like He did for Esther and Mordecai?  (Leader note: Difficult situations can range from workplace struggles, to estranged family relationships, to fighting negative thoughts).

16- Jeremiah 29:7 says to “seek the peace and prosperity” of the place where you are in exile. In those same difficult situations we just discussed, how can you seek peace and prosperity for those involved? 

17- Many of us love the words of Jeremiah 29:11. How does understanding it within the historical context of the Babylonian Captivity give deeper meaning to the plans of the Lord and His perfect timing? (e.g. It may take much longer than we want or expect, but God’s timing is perfect. In this scenario, God orchestrates the opportunity for a young woman to become Queen and save the lives of her people!)