Esther: For Such a Time as This

It's odd to have Father's Day land smack dab in the middle of a series about women. So, today we decided to talk about Esther, the most well-known woman in our series, but one whose story was surrounded by examples of the ways men engage in the lives of women today. Fair warning, there will be some references to sexual topics in this week's message. 

Men, this Sunday's message will be primarily directed to you, but for the women listening, I hope that in this story you will see yourself as God sees you, not as an object, or an afterthought, but as an equal to men; uniquely created to make a difference in the world.

Esther's story is rich and complex, so I encourage you to read it beforehand as we will only be reading chapter 4 during our gathering. I expect that an exploration of the men in Esther's life will help us to see how our choices as men can make a large difference in whether or not the stories of women are forgotten. May our gathering challenge, inspire, and encourage us all to draw closer to God and one another this week.