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OneLife Church
Esther - Part 1: In the Silence
Locations & Times
Ball Road Campus
7421 Ball Rd, Knoxville, TN 37931, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
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http://www.onelifeknox.com/giveBottom Line: God's silence is not evidence of God's absence.
1. What looks impressive to me is insignificant compared to God.
2. What looks like a disruption to me may actually be divine.
3. People make decisions. God makes history.
4. God is preparing the answer before I know there is a problem.
START TALKING:
When have you been in a situation where you needed an answer but it seemed like all you got was silence, only to find out there was work happening behind the scenes?
When have you been in a situation where you needed an answer but it seemed like all you got was silence, only to find out there was work happening behind the scenes?
START THINKING:
Read Esther 1:1-9. What does the author tell us about the Persian Kingdom and King Xerxes throughout these verses? How does this seem to set up the impressiveness of Xerxes and Persia so that it shows how it doesn't compare to the significance of God?
Read Esther 1:10-12. After reading how much of a "big deal" Xerxes was in verses 1-9, why do you think he is now so furious? How do we often end up in similar situations?
Read Esther 1:13-22. What do you think we can learn from this about getting advice from the wrong people? What else can we learn from this, especially when people make decisions that seem crazy but yet God is able to use it to set up something for His or our purpose?
Read Esther 1:1-9. What does the author tell us about the Persian Kingdom and King Xerxes throughout these verses? How does this seem to set up the impressiveness of Xerxes and Persia so that it shows how it doesn't compare to the significance of God?
Read Esther 1:10-12. After reading how much of a "big deal" Xerxes was in verses 1-9, why do you think he is now so furious? How do we often end up in similar situations?
Read Esther 1:13-22. What do you think we can learn from this about getting advice from the wrong people? What else can we learn from this, especially when people make decisions that seem crazy but yet God is able to use it to set up something for His or our purpose?
START SHARING:
When have you seen something impressive only to ultimately experience it was insignificant compared to God? What were you intimidated by or insecure about in what seemed so impressive? How would comparing it to God's significance help in the future?
When have you experienced a disruption only to find it was actually divine intervention, the working out of a plan that you didn't even know was at work?
When has God been preparing an answer for you before you even knew there was a problem? How do you now see how God's hand was at work and He was not at all absent even though at the time He seemed silent?
When have you or someone else in your life made a decision, but you now see how God was actually the one making history? What was it about this decision that ultimately changed the trajectory of your life or even your entire family tree? How did you experience your Father's perfect love and protection through this?
When have you seen something impressive only to ultimately experience it was insignificant compared to God? What were you intimidated by or insecure about in what seemed so impressive? How would comparing it to God's significance help in the future?
When have you experienced a disruption only to find it was actually divine intervention, the working out of a plan that you didn't even know was at work?
When has God been preparing an answer for you before you even knew there was a problem? How do you now see how God's hand was at work and He was not at all absent even though at the time He seemed silent?
When have you or someone else in your life made a decision, but you now see how God was actually the one making history? What was it about this decision that ultimately changed the trajectory of your life or even your entire family tree? How did you experience your Father's perfect love and protection through this?
START DOING:
What is a disruption that are facing now or faced recently, and how will you give it over to God and trust that He is working?
Where has God seemed silent to you lately? Even though He has not answered (or hasn't answered how you wanted or expected) where do you see Him working, and how will you remain patient and faithful?
Maybe God seems silent in terms of leading your "one" to respond to your efforts to lead them to experience Jesus. How will you continue to trust God and give Him the results in the waiting?
What is a disruption that are facing now or faced recently, and how will you give it over to God and trust that He is working?
Where has God seemed silent to you lately? Even though He has not answered (or hasn't answered how you wanted or expected) where do you see Him working, and how will you remain patient and faithful?
Maybe God seems silent in terms of leading your "one" to respond to your efforts to lead them to experience Jesus. How will you continue to trust God and give Him the results in the waiting?
START PRAYING:
Have each person share how they may believe God is silent in a circumstance or situation in their life. Pray against the enemy's attack to try to convince us that this means God is absent. Pray for each person to experience God making history and working behind the scenes even when we don't see it. Thank God that Jesus and the Gospel continued to move forward even when it may have seemed that God was silent in the process, only to ultimately prove that He was working all along.
Have each person share how they may believe God is silent in a circumstance or situation in their life. Pray against the enemy's attack to try to convince us that this means God is absent. Pray for each person to experience God making history and working behind the scenes even when we don't see it. Thank God that Jesus and the Gospel continued to move forward even when it may have seemed that God was silent in the process, only to ultimately prove that He was working all along.
We want your experience with Jesus and this community of faith called OneLife to be so much more than an hour on Sundays! See below how you can take a next step.
Take a Next Step!
Don't just attend church for an hour a week. Take a step! What step should you take?
1. Follow Jesus! If you have followed Jesus...
2. Get baptized! If you are following Jesus, then that's all you need to be "ready" to take this step.
3. Volunteer! Don't simply be a consumer, but be part of making a difference in the lives of those who come to OneLife to experience Jesus. There are weekday and Sunday opportunities. Get info about what opportunities there are for you!
4. Join a micro church! You can't have true community sitting in rows with a large crowd. That's not the church - it's an event! Micro churches are small "churches" of 10-12 adults that meet in homes throughout the week to learn together, pray together, serve the community together, and care for each other together.
Get more information about any of the above, send us your prayer requests so we can pray with you, or ask any question we can help you with by filling out the online connection card!
http://www.onelifeknox.com/connect1. Follow Jesus! If you have followed Jesus...
2. Get baptized! If you are following Jesus, then that's all you need to be "ready" to take this step.
3. Volunteer! Don't simply be a consumer, but be part of making a difference in the lives of those who come to OneLife to experience Jesus. There are weekday and Sunday opportunities. Get info about what opportunities there are for you!
4. Join a micro church! You can't have true community sitting in rows with a large crowd. That's not the church - it's an event! Micro churches are small "churches" of 10-12 adults that meet in homes throughout the week to learn together, pray together, serve the community together, and care for each other together.
Get more information about any of the above, send us your prayer requests so we can pray with you, or ask any question we can help you with by filling out the online connection card!