Esther: The battle is real—keep these three weapons ready. / Pastor Jeff Struecker

Big Idea: The battle is real—keep these three weapons ready. Esther 3:1-6I. Don’t let power go to your head        Esther 3:1-2After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials. The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.II. Don’t let pressure guide your hands   Esther 3:3-4The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” When they had warned him day after day and he still would not listen to them, they told Haman in order to see if Mordecai’s actions would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.III. Don’t let pride go to your heart      Esther 3:5-6When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him homage, he was filled with rage. And when he learned of Mordecai’s ethnic identity, it seemed repugnant to Haman to do away with Mordecai alone. He planned to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom.Next Steps: Believe: Today, I totally surrender to King Jesus.Become: I will keep my weapons ready this week.Be Sent: I will fight for my neighbor’s soul this week.Discussion Questions: When was the last spiritual battle that you fought?  Explain.What practical thing did you do with your hands last week to build Jesus’s Kingdom?How do you evaluate your thoughts to make sure they honor Jesus and reflect Scripture?Do negative thoughts or doubts make God angry with you?  Explain your answer using Scripture. How can you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you without succumbing to evil?Who points out pride in your life?Pray for the Holy Spirit to use you to invite someone to view or visit with you this Easter.