God's heart for missions is reflected most clearly in his sending Jesus into the world to accomplish salvation for sinners. God's call to missions is heard clearly in Jesus' words to his followers in John 20:21, "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." We continue our series on Living with a Missions Mindset, as we consider what it means that we are sent like Jesus by Jesus.

The scene in Revelation 7:9-12, where we see “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” is truly breathtaking. And the redemptive history that leads to this joyous and triumphant picture reveal to us the great love and saving purpose that God has for all His creation. Pastor Dan kicks off our new sermon series, “Living With a Missions Mindset,” and takes us on a tour of key Biblical events that unfold God’s heart for missions, and challenge us to have a heart like His by joining in the mission to make Jesus Christ known to all the peoples of the earth.

As we come to the end of our study together in the Book of Esther, we find that the appointed day for the destruction of the Jews in Persia has come. Yet, thanks to God’s providence and fidelity to the promises made to His people, the tables have been turned and instead, the Jews prevail against their enemies. And to commemorate the epic event, a new festival – the feast of Purim – is inaugurated as a way for the people to ever be reminded of the great deliverance that God has provided. Here we consider these things together and are encouraged to commemorate and celebrate our own great deliverance from the enemy of death through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sometimes in the midst of life's most difficult circumstances there just seems no way to avoid the inevitable, and we find ourselves resigned to simply suffer the consequences. Certainly that was a temptation for the Jews of Esther's day who faced a death sentence ordered by the King. But because of the faith and courage of Queen Esther to expose Haman's evil plot and to plead with the King for mercy on behalf of her people, God's people are given hope for deliverance from death. Join us as we learn from Esther how God turns mourning into joy through his promised salvation.

We've all know the familiar proverb that "pride goes before a fall." (Prov. 16:11), and yet we don't have to look far beyond our own hearts to see that pride is at work in each one of us to some degree, especially when it comes to our natural desire to want to be accepted and honored by others. But God's kingdom functions on the paradoxical principle that the humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled. And nowhere is this seen more vividly than in the unexpected turn of events at the center of the book of Esther. We continue our study in Esther and look at the man the king delights to honor.

Every one of us faces defining moments in our lives. Of course for believers, the greatest defining moment comes as we embrace Jesus by faith and we become citizens of God's kingdom. However, those defining moments don't end there as we continue to face circumstances, decisions, encounters in this life that force us to choose whether we will openly be defined by our faith in God or whether we will be conformed by the ways of this world. As we see in the story of Esther this week, as difficult and even dangerous as those moments can be, God uses those defining moments not only to stretch our faith, but also to serve his sovereign purposes in the life of his people.

Most of us know what its like to see the wrong people rise to power. The manipulative, opportunistic coworker who gets the promotion over the steady, hardworking employee. The outspoken, pushy, self-appointed committee chair, who ignores the input of the more reserved, service oriented members. The national leader who rises to power through political maneuvering and personal prowess over the more principled, sincere public servant. Some would say that's just the way of the world, but for many it raises the question, "Why do good things often happen to bad people?" In the story of Esther, just when God's own people seem to be making inroads in the halls of a pagan government, the tables turn and they suddenly find themselves facing total annihilation. We continue to follow the story of Esther and see what happens when nations rage and kings take a stand against God's people.

The story of Esther seems more at home in a Hollywood studio or Harlequin novel than in the Holy Bible. It’s a riveting tale of sex and romance, villainy and violence, power and wealth, intrigue and plot twists, all taking place while God is nowhere to be found. Or so it seems. The book of Esther presents an honest look at life in a messy, manipulative world where God appears absent or uninvolved. And yet the message is timeless: the hidden providence of our unseen Sovereign is always at work in the most unexpected ways and through the most unexpected people to accomplish his purposes and to be faithful to his promises. Join us for this short series as we see the hidden hand of God at work in the story of Esther.

Opening gifts on Christmas morning is always an adventure. It comes with great excitement and expectation, but also with it's share of surprises. Sometimes we open a gift and wonder why someone would give us this particular thing. Matthew's gospel records the gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus when they came to visit him in Bethlehem. We're not told why they chose the gifts they did, but we do know that not only were the gifts given with joy, but the gifts themselves give us a glimpse into the reason why Jesus was born into this world. Listen to what Jesus got for Christmas and what we can learn from those gifts.