Locations & Times

Kids - For the Good

The Beauty Pageant - Week 2

November 9-10, 2019 |

In this four-week video series, kids will hear the whole dramatic story from the book of Esther that details the near annihilation of the Jewish people exiled in Persia. In all of the story’s ups and downs, God’s faithfulness is clear. In everything, he works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

WORSHiP

BIBLE VERSE

“We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love him," Romans 8:28a.

GROUP Q&A
  1. How was Esther chosen as queen?
  2. What did Mordecai overhear the guards talking about?
  3. What made Mordecai a hero?
  4. God put Mordecai and Esther in the right place at the right time. He is always working for our good. Discuss some ways you have seen God put you in the right place at the right time.
  5. Bad things happen but what does God promise he will do for those who love him?
PARENT BIBLE STUDY

Read: Esther 2

King Xerxes just issued the decree that all virgins should be brought before him to audition for queen. Esther was one of those young virgins at the palace, and she won favor in the eyes of all those around her, including the king. He was instantly pleased with her, and crowned her queen instead of Vashti (Esther 2:17).

While it may be tempting to think that because Esther was crowned queen, she had it all; brains, beauty, and position, we cannot forget what the circumstances of her life actually were. Esther was a Jewish orphan in Persia, raised by her cousin Mordecai. It was an unstable time for Jewish people, and they lived in fear. When King Xerxes issued his infamous decree, Esther was forced to go. And, make no mistake – the king was not evaluating the character of the young virgins brought before him. Rather, he took advantage of each one of them until he found one that physically pleased him the most. If they didn’t live up to his standards, they became a part of his harem. In short, Esther’s story went like this: exiled Jew – abandoned orphan – sex slave. Her life was dark and hopeless.

As queen, Esther endured the lust of the king and lived in constant fear of his emotional instability. She couldn’t see the victorious end to her story while she was living out each fearful moment. We don’t get to see the end of our stories either. But Esther remained humble, patient, and obedient. Her story can encourage us that Romans 8:28 is indeed true. God does work all things together for our good. “All things” includes our darkest, most fearful, most confusing moments; all the moments where we’re asking, “how did I get here?”

We have the choice before us to believe that God is still good even when our circumstances are not. Will we trust him? Let him be God? Let him work when there is nothing we can do? A lot of times that means that like Esther, we have to endure pain and fear long before we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. But we can hold onto the hope that God is faithful to his promises.

Redemption is coming.

Most often our instinct when something is hard and painful is make it change or run away. Are you tempted to do that? Have you done that?

Usually, neither running away nor changing our circumstances are truly possible, and we just have to sit with our pain. What are some ways Esther’s story reflects Jesus? How does her story encourage you to sit with your pain? How does it remind you God redeems?

ASK YOUR KID

Q. Who won the beauty pageant?
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