Judy Newz

Preparation with God-Lesson two. Do before March 3rd. February 24, 2010

Preparation with God ~ Lesson 2 Esther

1. Read our memory verse (Psalm 112:7) in several different translations. Personalize it by placing your name in the verse. Read it aloud.
2. Read the story of Esther once again in a modern translation such as “The Message”. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart as you read.
3. Review the Overview of Esther worksheet. Pay special attention to the scenes we marked with the symbol of an eye. Begin thinking about how God was working behind the scenes in each of these scenes.
4. Review the Main Characters In Esther by doing this matching exercise.
   • King Xerxes Cousin of Esther/Governmental Official
   • Vashti Beautiful Jewish Orphan
   • Esther Wife of Haman
   • Mordecai First Queen, now deposed
   • Haman Thugs bent on killing the King
   • Zeresh Evil Prime Minister of Persia
   • Bigthan & Teresh King of Persian Empire
5. Our theme sentences are: God is Sovereign. God is Providential. God is in Control. Using a dictionary, look up definitions of the following words.
   1. Sovereign________________________________________________
   2. Read Esther 4:11 and 5:1,2. Compare them with Prov. 21:11. How does this help you courageously face your future?
   3. Providential______________________________________________
6. Look up these verses. Write the word that you feel best describes each verse, choosing either ‘sovereign’, ‘providential’ or ‘In control’.

Proverbs 16:9 __________

Psalm 37:3 __________

Proverbs 16:33 __________

Proverbs 21:1 __________

Psalm 46:10 __________

Psalm 37:23 __________

Read Genesis 45:5-7and Genesis 50:20. What similarities do you see between the story of Joseph and the story of Esther?

Read Hebrews 13:8. Has God changed since the time of Esther?____________

Read 1 Peter 5:7. Write a prayer to God, giving Him your burdens, worries and cares. _____________________________________________________________

(Homework sheets are posted at www.judynewz.com)

Preparation with God:Pre-Lesson 1 Esther February 15, 2010

Pre-Lesson 1: Esther

Preparation with God

Memory Verse: Deuteronomy 31:8

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Before we begin our study of Esther next week spend time with this preparation.

1. Read the book of Esther as you would read a novel. Choose a modern translation such as The Message or The New Living Translation.
2. Look up our memory verse (Deuteronomy 31:8) reading it several times each day, perhaps using Lectio Divina. Read it in several different translations. Write out what God seems to be saying to you.
3. Scan the headlines of this week’s newspaper and write down a headline to share with your group.
4.  After reading the book of Esther, write a sample newspaper headline that may have appeared in “The Persian Times”.

People Watching With a Purpose! February 7, 2010

Have you ever noticed that there are people out there who are different from YOU? Just try sitting down at the mall or local park and watch the variety of people going by.  Recently, I attended a fascinating conference regarding how we are all ‘wired’ differently. I will post some photos soon.At this conference on ‘Personality’  I learned that there are 4 different temperment or personality types. You may find you are mostly one temperment type, or you may be a blend of two different types. 

1. The most easily recognized Personality is the Popular Sanguine .They are like a ray of sunshine, they love sparkly bright clothing and their motto is ”I just want to have fun!”.
2. Next is the Powerful Choleric personality. They get more done in a day than most do in a week. They walk fast, talk fast, do everything fast. Their motto is “I just want to have control.
3. The Perfect Melancholy people would say their motto is ”I  just want perfection .” They dress to blend into the woodwork and do not like flashy clothes.
4. Least recognizable is the  Peaceful Phlegmatic. They are calm like green, green grass. They love to wear  clothing that above all is comfortable! Their motto is ” I just want to have peace!”

When you learn to recognize and identify these four different Personality types, you are well on your way to “People Watching with a Purpose”. To learn more, read Florence Littauer’s book “Personality Plus”.