Esther lecture

Thanks to all of you who prayed for my lecture on the book of Esther. It was my final lecture of the 08/09 school year, and it was a success!!!

My main application points for the lecture were:

• value and identity: surveying the different characters in the story, and noticing where it seemed they got their value and identity. Was it from what others thought? power? wealth? God? etc and how their actions were a resutl of this - pride? humility? strength? wickedess? -- which leads to an examination of our own hearts - how do we value ourselves and where do we get our identity? how do we treat and/or interact with members of the opposite sex in light of this?
  
• steppping out: Esther and Mordecai were able to do incredible things because they identified with God, rather than their circumstances, and they took strength in him...I encouraged the students that they too are capable of doing things that are beyond them if they truly stand firm in who they are in God, and who God says they are...they are capable of changing the world, just as the hero and heroin in the story were...what is your "such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)
  
• Remembering: we had some fun learning about the Jewish Holiday of Purim (which remembers how God used Esther to save his people from total annihilation) and then celebrated it ourselves at the end of class - this was a fun and interactive time for us...and was a challenge for us to be a people who remember who we are in God and what God has done for us

This was probably the funnest lecture for me to this year, and I know first hand from the students that God is doing alot in them through this book.

students talk: one student, a girl name Abby, told me that God is using this book to speak into some very specific situations in her life, as well as other students. She explained that this is a book that they as a class really needed, to study during this specific season in many of their lives, and that this is likely a favorite book for many, including her self. I say this is entirely to God' credit, and not mine, but to encourage you, that God is using SBS to change lives. Many of you are a part of that change. Thank you for choosing to be a part.

I have absolutely loved teaching this year! It has been one of the biggest stretches for me thus far, but incredibly rewarding, and worth every second of it!!!!!

What does the rest of the Year hold? While my teaching portion of the school has concluded, I am far but finished with my SBS duties. I will continue doing everything else that I already do: Attending classes, hospitality ministry, student discipleship, grading etc. I will take the week before my wedding and the two weeks after my wedding off and will be back in time to see the students finish out their career as SBS students. The school year ends June 28th...but us staff will stay on for another week or so. Then we will have a little bit of time off in the summer, and its back in August to prepare for next year's school. Whew!

Well, that's it for now!

How can you pray?

please pray for the students: that they will finish the year out strong!

Please also pray for my finances! Please pray specifically for at least two hundred and fifty dollars more a month to come in. This is my minimum financial need at this point. I also appreciate if you could pray about how you could be a part of meeting this need through giving.
Please see the top of this blog page for more info on how you can give, or contact me with any questions.

Love ya!