For Such a Time as This | A Sermon on Fate, Calling, and Courage

In this sermon, we reflect on For Such a Time as This and the enduring human question of how we discover our purpose in a world shaped by forces we did not choose—and what it means to respond when a moment of moral clarity and courage is placed before us.

This sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway on January 18, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, on the Second Sunday after Epiphany. The scripture readings for this message are Romans 12:9–21 and Esther 4:1–17.

January 18, 2026 Bulletin

Drawing from the story of Queen Esther, this sermon explores the difference between fate—the circumstances we are born into or find ourselves in—and destiny—the calling we discover when we listen for God's voice and choose to act. Esther's story becomes a lens for our own time, when silence, comfort, or going with the flow can feel easier than risk, truth, or faithfulness.

In this message, we explore:

• The tension between fate and God-given purpose
• How calling often emerges in moments of crisis
• The courage to speak and act for the sake of others
• What it means to live a transformed life shaped by love, justice, and hope

Whether you are joining us from Charlotte or beyond, this sermon offers a thoughtful and timely invitation to listen for what God is asking of us—not in some abstract future, but here and now, in the world as it is.

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Topics: Esther sermon, for such a time as this, Christian calling, courage and faith, Romans 12, purpose and destiny, discipleship, Christian ethics