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Was anyone allowed to enter the kings gate in sackcloth? Esther promised to ____________________________ for her people. Who was hung on Haman’s gallows? LESSON: It is interesting to read the Bible and see God at work in the lives of individuals. You can see him working throughout history and you can see him at work today in the lives of people and events. Prayer: Father, I know that you are at work in the lives of people, and you are at work in my life. Amen. 
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Did the king love Esther above all others? Yes or No? Vashti refused to obey the _________________________ Did Mordecai save the king’s life? Yes or No? LESSON: We too often think of God in terms of do’s and don’ts. But God is a God of love. We see this as he works in the lives of people. He loves each of us and he desires to bless us. Do we love him? Prayer: Lord, I feel the love you have for me and I rejoice in that love. Lord, I love you, too. Amen.  JESUS! WHATA FRIEND FOR SINNERS
Jesus! What a friend for sinners! Jesus! lover of my soul; Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior makes me whole. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus! What a strength in weakness! Let me hide myself in Him; Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing, He, my strength, my vic’try wins. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus! What a help in sorrow! While the billows o’er me roll, Even when my heart is breaking, He, my comfort, helps my soul. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus! What a guide and keeper! While the tempest still is high, Storms about me, night o’er takes me, He, my pilot, hears my cry. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus! I do now receive Him, more than all in Him I find, He hath granted me forgiveness, lam His, and He is mine. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end How many sons of Perez dwelt in Jerusalem? What did Nehemiah do when he found out Eliashib had built a room for Tobiah in the temple? What did Nehemiah do to prevent the transport and sale of goods on the Sabbath? LESSON: God expected his people to work hard. He expected them to be faithful in worship. He expected them to be their best. And you know what? God has not changed. So, how is it with you? Prayer: God, help me not to be lazy, but to work hard and serve you faithfully. Amen.   How long did they read the Book of the Law (Ch. 9)?
God led the children of Israel by the ________________in the night.(9-12) The children of Israel were commanded to bring the first fruits into the House of the Lord. T/F LESSON: Note that God always gave the best to his people. In return they were to give their best. As the song writer wrote, “Give of your best to the Master.” Are you giving God your best? Prayer: Lord God, thank you for always blessing me. Help me to love and serve you. Amen. MISSED BLESSINGS Have you heard the story about Mr. Jones, who dies and goes to heaven? When he arrives, St Peter is waiting at the Pearly Gates and takes Mr. Jones on a tour of heaved. Mr. Jones is awestruck. The streets are paved with gold, beautiful mansions glisten in the sunshine, choirs of angels sing the most beautiful songs. Part way through his tour of heaven, Mr. Jones’ eye is drawn to an odd looking building, an enormous warehouse with no windows and just one door. What an odd structure for heaven! “You don’t really want to see what’s in there” says St Peter. “But I do, I do” says Mr. Jones. He races across the lawn and pushes open the door to discover rows and rows of shelves, floor to ceiling. Stacked on the shelves are thousands of white boxes. The boxes all have names on them. “Is there one with my name on it?” asks Mr. Jones as he rushes to the “J” aisle. He finds the box with his name on it and opens it up. His mouth drops, his pulse quickens, and finally he says to Peter, “What are all these wonderful things inside my box? Are they the good things in store for me now I’ve reached heaven?” “No,” replies St Peter. “They’re all the blessings God wanted to give you while you were alive on earth, but which you never received.” A sad look came over Mr Jones. He looked into the box, to St Peter and then back to the box. “Why?” he asked St Peter. “Why did I miss out on all these blessings?” Well, that’s a long story..." replied St Peter. Story adapted from Bruce Wilkerson, The Prayer of Jabez Nehemiah found Jerusalem was somewhat hard to defend because the people within it were ______________________and the city was large. Where did the law say they should live during the Feast of the Seventh Month? How long was the feast? LESSON: It is interesting to note that even when they were very busy rebuilding the wall, they still needed time to worship. We are busy today but we need to take time to worship. Prayer: My Father, help me to not get so busy that I do not have time for you. Amen.   What did the people who weren’t working do to give protection?
Nehemiah served as governor for ___________________without pay. How long did it take to rebuild the wall? LESSON: Notice that when the people worked to rebuild in a difficult time, they cooperated together. Everyone had a job to do and they did it. Likewise, we need to labor together to do our part and help others when we can. Prayer: Dear God, I will do my part, and I will seek to work with others when possible. Amen. THE ROSETTO EFFECT In the early 1960’s, a doctor told the Head of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma that heart disease seemed much less prevalent in the town of Rosetto than in its neighbor, Bangor. This set in motion some remarkable research. Rosetto was a town of 1,600 Italian-Americans. Every home in the town had three generations living in it and the sense of community was very tight. Teams of medical researchers spent time in Rosetto trying to determine why the rate of heart attack was so much lower than nearby Bangor. There were many different comparisons made--diet, genes, physical environment. In the end, health officials tracked the secret to good health in Rosetto to a close sense of community, very strong bonds of family and friendship. The head of the research team wrote in his report: “In terms of preventing heart disease, it’s just possible that morale is more important than jogging or not eating butter.” Interestingly, the initial research team predicted that the health benefits would diminish as successive generations ‘Americanized’ and lost their tight knit sense of community. A fifty-year study found their prediction to be accurate. Source: research reported in “The Roseto Effect: A 50-Year Comparison of Mortality Rates” American Journal of Public Health, 1992 What did Nehemiah do when he heard of the problems of the remnant in Jerusalem? What did Nehemiah begin rebuilding first? LESSON: This was a difficult time to begin rebuilding of the walls. God wanted it done regardless. There are many situations in life that we may find difficult. The question we need to ask is, “Does God want us to do it?” Prayer: Help me, Lord, to in the good times as well as in the serve you bad times. Amen.  How will you serve?
 The people caused Ezra to tear his clothes and pluck his hair because they wouldn’t separate themselves from the people of the lands. T/F
The priests rid themselves of their guilt by putting away alI their _____________ that were of the people of the land. Did Ezra mourn because of the transgressions of the people? Yes! No LESSON: Ezra looked at the sins of the people and he was disturbed about it. As we watch the news, we see the degradation of the world, but have we looked at our outlook on life. Are our lives adding to a better society? Prayer: Father, as I see the sin about me, help me to look at the sin in my own life, and be responsible for my own life. Amen HIDING IN THE ROCK OF AGES In Proverbs 30:26, we are told about an animal called a CONIE. This small animal is described as being the size of a large guinea pig and looks like a rabbit. Some say that it is a badger, while others identify it as being an animal called the hyrax that lives in Syria. Whatever kind of animal it is, the, Lord is calling our attention to it for a particular reason. Apparently, the CONIE is extremely vulnerable to attack by predators such as snakes, eagles, buzzards, lions and other wild beasts. Yet, the little CONIE is always able to survive and escape its enemies. He is able to do so because he lives in the clefts in the rocks of steep cliffs. The Bible tells us, “The conies are a feeble folk, yet make their houses in the rocks.” God’s children are very similar to the conies. We are susceptible to many dangers--disease, depression, temptation, wars, accidents, and threats--which surround us constantly. If only we could find a way to survive like the little conie. Well, we can! We, too, have a Rock in which to hide--the Lord Jesus Christ. Trusting Him doesn’t exempt us from life’s troubles, but it does give us protection, peace and strength. If the burdens of life are heavy upon you, look to Jesus Christ, our Rock of Ages. |
