DANGEROUS PEOPLE Week 2: EstherStand Up Against Injustice This includes: 1. Leader Preparation 2.

Lesson Guide

1. LEADER PREPARATION LESSON OVERVIEW The news is filled daily with reports about natural disasters, tragedies, and war. We hear about people losing their homes and loved ones. We hear about nations ravaged by disease and starvation and corruption. We hear about people in our own communities battling hunger and homelessness. Drawing on the life of Esther, this lesson will encourage your students to see themselves as people who can make a difference by meeting needs and confronting injustice in our world. LESSON OBJECTIVES 1. WHAT: As followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity and obligation to help people in need and to address injustices. 2. WHY: When we help people in need, we are allowing God to use us and giving others an opportunity to experience Gods love for them. 3. HOW: Students will be challenged to consider specific ways they can get involved in meeting needs or confronting injustice in our world. PRIMARY SCRIPTURE Esther 4 SECONDARY SCRIPTURES James 1:26-27; 2:14-17 TEACHING PREP The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson. While you may not want to convey this information word-for-word with your teenagers, youll definitely want to refer to it as you lead your lesson. Read Esther 4. If you have enough time, we encourage you to read morefrom chapter 1 through chapter 8. You wont be able to read this entire chunk of Scripture with your students, but its important for you to know how the story unfolds. Weve provided summaries along the way that you can use to help your students experience the story. Esthers peoplethe Jewswere in danger. Due to an evil scheme by the kings adviser, all of the Jews in the Persian Empire had been sentenced to death. The king was unaware that Esther was Jewish. When her cousin Mordecai told her of this news, he challenged her to view herself as uniquely placed in a position of influence so she could save her people. Esther could remain silent and her life would be sparedas long as the king didnt learn that she was Jewish. If she chose silence, she would lose her family and her peopleshe wouldnt be used by God. Or she could choose to act. She could put her life on the line and stand up against injustice. Thats the path she selected, and God rewarded her faithfulness by protecting the Jews through a series of miraculous events.

Making a decision to follow Christ is a defining moment because we become a part of something bigger than ourselves. Being a Christ-follower gives us a purpose that is bigger than our own. Esther had lived her life as one of Gods chosen people. She believed in God and knew that he cared about his peoplebut it wasnt until she chose to act on what she knew was right in the eyes of God that she was able to witness firsthand his mercy and love. Challenge your students this week to discover and experience the joy of putting their faith into action by helping the needy and standing against injustice in the world. If youre using the Getting Things Started activity, youll need one or two copies of a local newspaper. THE BEFORE & AFTER [optional] Text Message Questions Weve provided a couple of different text message questions to send out to your students prior to your meeting. Feel free to use one or both of the questions below. As with the rest of the curriculum, edit these questions to fit the needs of your ministry. What are some of the injustices in our worldunjust acts against people or violations of peoples rights? Lets talk about it tonight at small group. Ever feel like the world is filled with only bad news? Looking for a way to make a difference? Dont miss small group tonight.

Parent Email Weve provided you with an email below that you can send to your parents following the lesson. Our hope is to encourage parents to continue the conversation at home. Feel free to edit and customize the email to fit your ministry needs. Dear parents, Our small groups continued their three-week series on Dangerous People by examining the life of Esther and her role in saving the Jewish people from annihilation in the Persian Empire during King Xerxes reign. Making a decision to follow Christ is a defining moment because we become a part of something bigger than ourselves. Being a Christ-follower gives us a purpose that is bigger than our own. Esther had lived her life as one of Gods chosen people. She believed in God and knew that he cared about his peoplebut it wasnt until she chose to act on what she knew was right in the eyes of God that she was able to witness firsthand his mercy and love. We challenged our students to discover and experience the joy of putting their faith into action by helping the needy and standing against injustice in the world. Here are some questions that could fuel conversation from this weeks lesson: What are some ways youve seen God uniquely work in your lifein other words, evidence that your life isnt an accident? What are some of the injustices in our worldunjust acts against people or violations of peoples rights? How do you feel when you hear or read about these things? Why is it so important for Christ-followers to help those in need?

Have a blessed week!

DANGEROUS PEOPLE Week 2: EstherStand Up Against Injustice 2. LESSON GUIDE GETTING THINGS STARTED [optional] Welcome your students and invite them into your meeting area. Open in prayer, and then jump into the activity below: Bring one or two copies of a local newspaper. Ask your students to find a partner, and then distribute different sections to your students. Ask the pairs to spend about five minutes searching for articles that reveal needs in your areaneeds representing individuals, families, organizations, groups, or communities. ASK:

Tell us about some of the needs you and your partner discovered. Do these needs represent individuals, families, organizations, groups, or communities? Did you read anything that surprised you? Explain. Do you feel compelled to try to help with any of these needs? Explain.

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: You may have heard people talk about being in the right place and the right time. Today we are going to meet a woman in the Bible who was in the right place at the right timebut it wasnt a coincidence. It was part of Gods plan. God has a plan for your life, too, and God wants to use you in big ways to make a difference in other peoples lives. Before we read our main Scripture for today, let me give you a little background. Our story focuses on a woman named Esther. The first two chapters of this book in the Bible reveal how King Xerxes of the Persian Empire banished his queen and how he chose a new one this woman was Esther. In chapter 3, we learn about a plot concocted by a guy named Haman against the Jews living in the empire. Esther and her family were Jewish, so this plot meant they would be killed. This leads us to chapter 4, where Esthers relative named Mordecai seeks help from the queen to address this injustice against the Jewish people. If you came up with an opening activity, movie clip, or game that worked well with your group, and youd like to share it with other youth workers, please email us at ideas@simplyyouthministry.com. TEACHING POINTS The goal of the Teaching Points is to help students capture the essence of each lesson with more discussion and less lecture-style teaching. The main points we have chosen here are (1) Your life is not an accident, (2) God will give you opportunities to act, and (3) You can help others. Remember: All throughout these lessons, its up to you to choose (1) how many questions you use, and (2) the wording of the main pointskeep ours, or change the wording to make it clearer for your audience. Read Esther 4 together as a group. Consider allowing one or more of the teenagers to read the text.

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Today we are going to spend a few minutes talking about Gods plans for your life, based on what we learn from the life of Esther. 1. Your life is not an accident ASK:

What are some of the things in your life that you are grateful for? What are some ways youve seen God uniquely work in your lifein other words, evidence that your life isnt an accident? In this chapter, Esthers relative Mordecai reveals the details of the plot against the Jews and asks her to take action. Read Mordecais words in verses 13-14. Whats your reaction to what he said? How might these verses relate to your own life?

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Your life has purpose and meaning. I want you to remember that. You are not an accident. God has a unique plan for your life. Right now, you may only have a brief glimpse of everything God will do in your life. But thats OK. Gods plan will continue to unfold as you get older and as you continue following Jesus. 2. God will give you opportunities to act SAY SOMETHING LIKE: In chapters 5 and 6 of the book of Esther, we see more about how God used Esther to save the Jews from Hamans evil plot. In chapter 5, Esther boldly approached the king and invited him and Haman to attend a special banquet she was holding. This was actually risky to do, because the king didnt have to let her enter his presence. This leads us into chapter 7, where a wonderful twist of fate leads the king to honor Mordecaiand makes Haman do the honors! ASK:

Think about a time that you ignored someone you saw in need. Why didnt you help or get involved? God gave Esther an opportunity to act, but she had to do something bold. Why does God often require us to be bold when we obey him? When you watch the news of a crisis or see a video of people in need, what does your heart tell you to do or how to respond? What are some of the injustices in our worldunjust acts against people or violations of peoples rights? How do you feel when you hear or read about these things?

3. You can help others SAY SOMETHING LIKE: As we reach chapter 7, our plot reaches the crucial moment. Queen Esther has invited Xerxes and Haman to a second banquet, and on this night, the king says he will grant his queen any request. Her request is simple: Save me and my people from being killed by this evil plan. The king grants this request, and Haman is punished for his deeds. So, the Jews are savedand in chapter 8, we find out that King Xerxes makes this decision official and even called for special protection for the Jews throughout the empire. To this day, Jews celebrate this miraculous event during the Festival of Purim. ASK:

Tell us about your most recent experience helping a person in need. Did it take courage? Did it take a lot of time and effort to help out? Explain. What would you think of Esthers faith in God if she had chosen not to help the people? How might God use you to uniquely help othersparticularly people who are the victims of injustice around the world? Why is it so important for Christ-followers to help those in need? Think about how this story would have ended if Esther had stayed quiet and didnt do anything. How might this motivate you to get involved in helping people in need and people facing injustices?

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Caring for others can take time. If you live each day only doing the things you want to do, spending all your money on stuff you want to buy, and hanging out with only your closest friends, then your life is all about you. But God loved us first and gave us the gift of salvation through Jesus as a reminder of his deep love for us. God put our needs first by giving us what we neednew life in Christ. God calls us as followers of Jesus to help others, and through our actions, we pray they will begin to follow Jesus, too. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION [optional] SAY SOMETHING LIKE: St. Francis of Assisi once said, Preach the gospel always. If necessary, use words. Although it is important to tell others what Jesus Christ did for them, its also important to live as Christ lived because it provides people a fuller picture of who Jesus is. Jesus cares about people and the challenges and struggles they face in life. ASK:

Read James 1:26-27 and James 2:14-17. According to these passages, why is it so important that we turn our faith in Jesus Christ into action? What does it mean to say that faith without actions is dead and useless, like we read in James 2:17? Look at James 1:26-27 again. Do you think this passage about taking care of people in need is limited to widows or orphans? Who else might it refer to? What might happen if everyone helped the widows and orphans and others in need? Why do you think many people dont help even if they have the resources?

APPLICATION ASK: On a piece of paper or on your handout, write three needs in your family, three needs in your school, three needs in our community, and three needs in the world. Put this paper someone where you will see it every day, and begin praying daily for those needs to be met.

Think about your life and your unique abilities, skills, and opportunities. How might you use these things this week to help someone in need? Think of one habit or pattern of behavior that you want to give up so that God can

help you grow. Take a moment and commit that to God through prayer. Then share it with someone in the group and ask them to pray for you. Lets think about things beyond our own community. What is an injustice in our world that causes you to react with strong emotions? Maybe its AIDS victims in Africa, or human trafficking, or rampant hunger and poverty. How might we as a small groupor our youth group or churchaddress this injustice? What can we do to make a difference?

SUMMARY End your small group lesson here. Provide your teenagers with a quick summary or takehome challenge based on (1) the content of this lesson, (2) the dialogue that took place during the lesson, (3) your understanding of the issues and struggles your teenagers are facing, and (4) the big picture of your youth ministry and what your leadership team wants accomplished with the teaching and discussion time.

FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE] Encourage and/or challenge your teenagers to memorize the verse below. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this? (Esther 4:14).