Introduction: Thus far we have seen the writer of Esther setting the stage for the conflict, and it is here in this chapter that the conflict actually begins. In the aftermath of the discovery of an ...
Queen of the Persians #4
Queen of the Persians #3
Introduction: Now if you have been following how this story has unfolded thus far, we have to this point seen that Vashti was likely courageous, that Ahasuerus was feckless and easily manipulated, ...
The Queen of the Persians #2
Introduction: In the first message, we considered the broad context and setting. As we come to treat the first chapter of Esther, we are looking at particular events that begin to drive a very intricate ...
Queen of the Persians #1
Introduction: We are going to be studying the book of Esther, and most of the action in this book occurs in the ancient city of Susa. This was located about 300 miles southwest of modern Tehran, and ...
Coming of Age and Life Between the Sexes #3
Introduction: We live in egalitarian times, and consequently I have selected a text which makes many moderate complementarians flinch, and which makes patriarchal types, of the eighth-grade-boy school ...
License, Legalism, and Liberty in Between
Introduction: By the grace of God, we have seen a genuine Christian community grow up in our midst over the years. We have wanted to be a Bible people, which means Christian liberty on issues like ...
Coming of Age and Life Between the Sexes #2
Introduction: Sermon Video It is certainly true that he who finds a wife finds a good thing (Prov. 18:22). This verse also tells us that such a fortunate man has obtained favor from the Lord. ...
Coming of Age/Life Between the Sexes #1
Introduction: We live in a community where the idea of courtship has taken root to such an extent that it is a widespread community assumption. It is not a church “rule,” or anything like that, ...
Joanna and the Resurrection
Introduction: In literature and in movies, an Easter egg is some little detail that is hidden away. It might be an inside joke, or secret point, or something else that is not immediately obvious on ...
The Culmination of the Triumphal Entry
Introduction: In order to understand the Triumphal Entry properly, we need to grasp the fact that the Cleansing of the Temple was the culmination of that Triumphal Entry. Everything that happened that ...