God gave us this dark horse story of Esther so that we would know that even when we can’t see him on the page, He’s there. He’s right where you are right now. Don’t be afraid; be brave. You are not alone. If we are going to live courageous Dark Horse lives, we have to know that we don’t have to be the hero. The hero is writing the story behind the scenes. We have to say yes to the role he is asking us to play— for such a time as this.

We long for you to experience God’s grace in your life and be free from something you’ve struggled with for a long, long time. We don’t want anyone living with guilt and shame. But that means acknowledging what David acknowledged. That we’re all people who have sinned. And while we’d rather hide it, minimize it, or rationalize it away, owning it is the beginning of real freedom in real life.

We're just a bunch of bad people who have been saved by the only good person who ever lived-Jesus. We invite everyone else to do the same. That’s what the power and grace of Jesus does. He redeems and restores our broken lives. He washes you, sanctifies and justifies you. You are not your affair. You are not your divorce, your porn addiction, your victimization, your sexual immorality, or orientation. That no longer defines who you are. Jesus defines who you are. And he went to the cross so that you can be cleansed and be made holy and be made right with God.

Sex was divinely designed by God before sin entered the world. The same God that created sex loves you, is for you, and doesn't want you to allow this to make you feel further from or separated from God. Here’s something to know for sure about Jesus: Jesus consistently encounters sexual sinners and sexually broken people. And he never shames them, he never scolds them, he never rejects them, and casts them out. And he won’t shame or scold you either. He simply wants to love you, change you, and give you his grace.

You may be dealing with Anxiety or Depression or both, but know this: when that keeps you up at night, there is biology to it that God is fully aware of, because he knows how he made you. And some situations have caused that feeling, that emotion to spin in your brain, and He cares for you and loves you enough to know that situation too. He has provided you with tools and people who can help you hear him. And the beauty of it all is that all of it, all of it, is Spiritual because you are IN CHRIST. And HE DOES NOT go away.

We can’t fathom that he loves us that much but he does. We live with regrets because we’ve convinced ourselves that he can’t love us that much. But He does. He loves lost people and confused people and addicted people and sinful people and immoral people and rebellious people and people who think they are good people. Jesus says, “All of you who are burdened, worried, sleepless at night. Come to me and I’ll give you peace and hope and rest.”  Leave your life of regret behind and take one step into a life of forgiveness and grace and love.

Our worries, concerns, and sleepless nights about parenting are greatly reduced when we are serious about fun, trust them with responsibility, discipline them with love, help them see the future, and point them to Jesus. That's what we do during the day, so it doesn't keep us up at night.

Jesus never promised an easy life, but He guaranteed that He would be with us no matter what. So, when the fear comes and we, like Peter, feel like we are drowning, all we need to do is look up and find His hand waiting to pull us up and onto firm footing.

When you've been hurt and there's bitterness and you want to hold a grudge, the way of Jesus is forgiveness. And when it wakes you up at night, the answer is forgiveness. Rest is found in forgiveness. Forgiving someone doesn't mean that you invite them back into your life. Forgiving someone doesn't mean you set yourself up to be hurt again. The whole point of Jesus's way is to move forward, not to keep looking over your shoulder at the past.

There are numerous evangelism styles: In your face style, life story style, serving style, intellectual style, relational style, invitational style. Which style are you? Remember you don’t have to be who you are not. But he has made you who you are so that armed with the power of the Holy Spirit the you that you are will be a powerful witness for him in your Jerusalem.