Esther spent a lifetime doing what she was told and letting others dictate what she did and didn't do. Then the moment came where she was called to shape not only her own destiny but the destiny of a generation. There was every reason for her to say 'No', but she trusted God's timing, His positioning, and His faithfulness and changed the course of her entire people. Who are you in your story?

God consistently chooses people the world would overlook. This story is as much about God as it is about Gideon. I want to communicate that God is our ultimate equipper and while we might disqualify ourselves, He is the one who gives us what we would need in purpose and ability. 

In this story we see three characters: Jesus, Zaccheus and the crowd. In our lives we will have the opportunity to be any of these three. Will we be like Zaccheus, trying to experience Jesus but from afar, where it's safe? Will we be like the crowd, that can't see past a mistake and can't accept that Jesus would be with someone "like that?" Will we be like Jesus, and take a step closer to those others despise and offer a second chance.

Jesus chose a sinful, outcast, half-breed, lowly woman to be the first person to reveal he was the messiah. God values us enough to actively seek out connection with us, right where we are. Right now.

Even if folks don't know if they have been through the rigors of the wall, or that inward journey, we can still talk through the things that we learn from the wall that leads us to grace.  What would it look like if we as a church were honest and vulnerable about the ego that drives us - surrender that ego and walk  with a Jesus given compassion and grace for all people.  

Understand the journey inward, the wall, and the isolation we sometimes feel in our faith is not only ok, but is many times the needed next step in our faith to help us draw closer to Jesus and to help us love and live out the call Jesus puts on our life.  We worry we are losing our faith, but God is strengthening us on the inside.

Our next step in our journey comes when we see ourselves as part of God's work on this earth. We have to take a risk and step into places of influence. We must acknowledge that we have gifts and they are worthwhile. What do we step into: What are you enthusiastic about? The meaning of enthusiasm is "God within." Start there. 

Community is the environment in which faith grows. We need each other - teachers, mentors, and a people to belong to. A healthy community should always be drawing us deeper into God, not just deeper into the group. The goal of community is not conformity, it's formation, becoming a disciple of Jesus

Sometimes we think of faith as a noun, but the faith of the bible is a verb.  Its the journey.  A journey involves process, action, movement, change, experiences, starts and stops, blah times and surprising times.  I want to talk about the dynamic journey of faith, and the discovery of His love  throughout the journey.

This is Jesus' first appearance to gathered disciples post crucifixion and his words to them are, "Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you." That's a tough thing to hear from a person who has just been executed. Our path will be one of service and sacrifice. It is a downward arc.