Big Idea: Why Easter is the greatest thing that (n)ever happened to you. Easter 2026I. Hope in your darkest night        Colossians 3:1-4Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.II. Death is a doorway to something better   Romans 8:11The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.III. All that’s broken will be fixed      Colossians 1:15-21Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.Next Steps: Believe: I need to experience the resurrection in my heart today.Become: I will face my challenges with hope this week.Be Sent: I will make Jesus famous this week.Discussion Questions: What is the most meaningful part of your Easter traditions?  Why?What is the last crisis you faced that was too big for you to handle?What are you most looking forward to when Jesus makes all things new?How concerned are you about the environment in the future?What ultimate purpose does our world serve?Who do you most want to see in the afterlife?  Why?Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you live like your resurrection might be tomorrow.

Big Idea: God, where are you!?!? Esther 3:7-15I. Nothing is arbitrary for a sovereign God.        Esther 3:7-9In the first month, the month of Nisan, in King Ahasuerus’s twelfth year, the pur—that is, the lot—was cast before Haman for each day in each month, and it fell on the twelfth month, the month Adar. Then Haman informed King Ahasuerus, “There is one ethnic group, scattered throughout the peoples in every province of your kingdom, keeping themselves separate. Their laws are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to the officials for deposit in the royal treasury.”II. God’s hidden hand moves the king’s hand.   Esther 3:10-11The king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. Then the king told Haman, “The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.”III. God’s plan might seem confusing… at the time.      Esther 3:12-15The royal scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded. It was intended for the royal satraps, the governors of each of the provinces, and the officials of each ethnic group and written for each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring. Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so that they might get ready for that day. The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion.Next Steps: Believe: I trust my future in Jesus’s hands for the first time today.Become: I will live by faith even when it’s scary this week.Be Sent: I will invite someone to hear the Gospel on Easter.Discussion Questions: How do you reconcile the presence of evil and the belief that God has a good plan for you? Is there a danger in oversimplifying this tension when people are suffering?How does God’s “silence” deepen the mystery of his plan? Where does God seem silent in your life? Can you “know” God is at work in your circumstances even if you can’t see any results at the moment?How would you respond to someone who claims the events of your life are just coincidences?Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you hold on to faith even if God seems distant this week. 

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.

Big Idea: Your biggest tool is simple, steady faithfulness in God’s hands.Esther 2:19-23I. Esther is faithful to her promise. Esther 2:19-20When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the King’s Gate. Esther still did not reveal her family background or her ethnicity, as Mordecai had directed. She obeyed Mordecai’s orders, as she always had while he raised her.II. Mordecai is faithful to his king.      Esther 2:21-23During those days while Mordecai was sitting at the King’s Gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, became infuriated and planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus. When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf. When the report was investigated and verified, both men were hanged on the gallows. This event was recorded in the Historical Record in the king’s presence.Next Steps:Believe: Today, I turn over the little and big stuff of my life to King Jesus.Become: I will make a big deal of the small things this week.Be Sent: I will ask God to show me who to invite this Easter.Discussion Questions:How have you experienced unseen acts of God's faithfulness in your life?Do you wrestle with small issues of faithfulness in a big way?  If so, explain.What is one small act of faithfulness you can commit to this week that could contribute to God's overarching plan?How can we support one another in remaining vigilant and purposeful in our roles and responsibilities?How can you live vigilantly like Mordecai today?What are some ways we can act with integrity in everyday situations, knowing God is watching?Pray for God to use our simple faithfulness to touch someone far from Jesus this week.

Big Idea: All faith must be active and courageous.2 Samuel 23:20-231. Be ready for all circumstances2 Samuel 23:20aThere was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He performed many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab.2. Be willing to confront your fears2 Samuel 23:20b-21Another time on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. Once armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.3. Be an agent of change2 Samuel 23:22-23Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the three mightiest warriors. He was more honored than the other members of the 30. And though he was not one of the three, look at this, and David made him a captain of his bodyguard.Next Steps:Believe: I need to believe in Jesus today.Become: I need to live with courageous faith this week.Be Sent: I will go deep with one person this week.

Big Idea: Even with shaking knees, step boldly into your destiny.Esther 2:15-18I. Chosen by character Esther 2:15Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, suggested. Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.II. Crowned by God      Esther 2:16-17She was taken to King Ahasuerus in the palace in the tenth month, the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other virgins. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.III. Celebrated by all   Esther 2:18The king held a great banquet for all his officials and staff. It was Esther’s banquet. He freed his provinces from tax payments and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.Next Steps:Believe: I believe God has chosen me for salvation today.Become: I will work on my character this week.Be Sent: I will pass on God’s blessing to someone in need this week.Discussion Questions:How can you distinguish between circumstances and the hand of God in your life?What area of your character is most like Christ?What area still needs some work?When did God last do something great in your life that might look like a coincidence?  Explain.How can you embrace your God-given destiny this week?Name someone who needs to hear about Jesus this Easter.Pray for God to use you to serve someone in need this week.

Big Idea: God is even working in the small stuff!Esther 2:1-14I. Better to choose wisely than regret badly. Esther 2:1-4Some time later, when King Ahasuerus’s rage had cooled down, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what was decided against her. The king’s personal attendants suggested, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom, so that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem at the fortress of Susa. Put them under the supervision of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, and give them the required beauty treatments. Then the young woman who pleases the king will become queen instead of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.II. God can construct an epic story from your worst moments. Esther 2:5-7In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite. Kish had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the other captives when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jeconiah of Judah into exile. Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.III. Find God’s favor in any circumstance.  Esther 2:8-9When the king’s command and edict became public knowledge and when many young women were gathered at the fortress of Susa under Hegai’s supervision, Esther was taken to the palace, into the supervision of Hegai, keeper of the women. The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters.IV. Borrow wisdom carefully, and share it generously.   Esther 2:10-14Esther did not reveal her ethnicity or her family background, because Mordecai had ordered her not to make them known. Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her. During the year before each young woman’s turn to go to King Ahasuerus, the harem regulation required her to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the palace. She would go in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the supervision of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz, keeper of the concubines. She never went to the king again, unless he desired her and summoned her by name.Next Steps: Believe: I, Jesus, to do his biggest miracle in my soul today.Become: I will trust God with the small stuff this week. Be Sent: I will minister to someone far from Jesus this week.Growth Group Questions: What was the last bad decision you made? What were the consequences?What role did prayer play in your schedule last week?What are some practical examples of God’s favor in your past?  Did you notice them at the time?How do you decide to follow someone’s advice?How quickly do you notice God at work in your worst moments? How easy is it to see God at work in the ordinary moments of your life?Pray for someone by name who is far from Jesus right now.

Big Idea: It takes a strong center to stand tall under pressure from every side.Esther 1:10-22I. The Queen takes a stand for purityEsther 1:10-12On the seventh day, when the king was feeling good from the wine, Ahasuerus commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—the seven eunuchs who personally served him—to bring Queen Vashti before him with her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and the officials, because she was very beautiful. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command that was delivered by his eunuchs. The king became furious and his anger burned within him.II. The King’s feelings get hurt   Esther 1:13-15The king consulted the wise men who understood the times, for it was his normal procedure to confer with experts in law and justice. The most trusted ones were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven officials of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and occupied the highest positions in the kingdom. The king asked, “According to the law, what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey King Ahasuerus’s command that was delivered by the eunuchs?”III. The bad advice born out of selfish fear  Esther 1:16-18Memucan said in the presence of the king and his officials, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the officials and the peoples who are in every one of King Ahasuerus’s provinces. For the queen’s action will become public knowledge to all the women and cause them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti brought before him, but she did not come.’ Before this day is over, the noble women of Persia and Media who hear about the queen’s act will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in more contempt and fury.IV. The law takes center stage     Esther 1:19-22“If it meets the king’s approval, he should personally issue a royal decree. Let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be revoked: Vashti is not to enter King Ahasuerus’s presence, and her royal position is to be given to another woman who is more worthy than she. The decree the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom, so all women will honor their husbands, from the greatest to the least.” The king and his counselors approved the proposal, and he followed Memucan’s advice. He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language, that every man should be master of his own house and speak in the language of his own people.Next Steps: Believe: Today, I surrender to the real King of my soul.Become: Today, I will trust God’s hand even when it’s scary.Be Sent: I will take a stand against evil this week.Growth Group Questions: What pressure were you under last week? How well did you stand up to it?Do you ever feel punished for doing the right thing in God’s sight?How do you respond when doing what the culture expects of you violates what God expects of you?Who in our society pressures women, like in Vashti’s day?How can you support someone who is currently under a lot of peer pressure?How can the people in this group help you find the courage to stand strong when under pressure to compromise your faith?Pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to stand against evil this week.

Big Idea: An unseen hand moves the queen.Esther 1:1-9I. God sets rules of the gameEsther 1:1-3These events took place during the days of Ahasuerus, who ruled 127 provinces from India to Cush. In those days King Ahasuerus reigned from his royal throne in the fortress at Susa. He held a feast in the third year of his reign for all his officials and staff, the army of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the officials from the provinces.II. The board is set   Esther 1:4-5He displayed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness for a total of 180 days. At the end of this time, the king held a week-long banquet in the garden courtyard of the royal palace for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were present in the fortress of Susa.III. The King makes the first move    Esther 1:6-9White and blue linen hangings were fastened with fine white and purple linen cords to silver rods on marble columns. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of red feldspar, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. Drinks were served in an array of gold goblets, each with a different design. Royal wine flowed freely, according to the king’s bounty. The drinking was according to royal decree: “There are no restrictions.” The king had ordered every wine steward in his household to serve whatever each person wanted. Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women of King Ahasuerus’s palace.Next Steps: Believe: Today, I surrender my soul to King Jesus.Become: Today, I will stop fighting against the hand of God.Be Sent: This week, I will demonstrate my peace in God’s plan.Growth Group Questions: On a scale of 1-10, how well did you trust God’s invisible hand last week?How can you recognize God's sovereignty in the small events of your daily life?How often do you turn to Jesus first during times of uncertainty?How can we maintain faith in God's sovereignty during challenging life situationsHow do you see God's hand in unexpected people or situations in your own life?How does your faith cause you to stand up for what is right, even when it's difficult?Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you trust that God is at work around you, even when you don’t see it.

Write this down: Experience is a powerful teacher… and preacher!Psalm 107:1-3Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim that he has redeemed them from the power of the foe and has gathered them from the lands— from the east and the west, from the north and the south.1. Name the pain2. Don’t get stuck in it 3. Where did Jesus show up4. Teach others what you’ve learned the hard way5. Make it part of your story, but don’t let it define youNext Steps: Believe: I need Jesus to give me new life today.Become: I will let Jesus use my pain for his Glory. Be Sent: I will share my story this week.Discussion Questions: How did Jesus show up in a painful moment of your past?Is God still loving, even if he doesn’t “redeem you from the power of the foe”? Explain your answer. Is God able to use your little moments of pain just as much as the big ones?What is a daily practice that helps cultivate gratitude in the middle of pain?How can sharing a painful part of your past help heal your community?What is one specific way you can encourage someone who is going through pain this week?Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you make an impact on one person’s life this week.