Bible Study & Discussion Guide — “For Such a Time as This” (Esther 3–4)

Passage

Esther 3–4

Theme

Following Jesus in a time when “things can only get worse.”
This message explores Esther’s courage in the face of fear, Mordecai’s faith in God’s unseen hand, and the call to die to self in order to truly live. When everything seems dark, God’s purposes are still unfolding—and His invitation remains: “Perhaps you were called for such a time as this.”

1. Where Is the Hope?

“I’ve heard many people asking, in various ways, where is the light, where is the hope?”
“It’s hard to imagine what Esther is going through… little does she know, things are about to get worse.”
  • When you look at our world today, what makes it hard to feel hopeful?
  • How do you usually respond when life feels like it’s “only getting worse”?
  • Where do you see God’s hand at work, even if quietly, in dark or difficult times?

Prayer Focus: Ask God to open your eyes to His hidden work even in seasons of confusion or despair. Pray for renewed trust in His sovereignty when hope feels distant.

2. Esther’s Crisis and Mordecai’s Challenge

“Esther’s entire life has been taken away from her… forced into a relationship with an extremely powerful and unpredictable man.”
“Perhaps Esther… just perhaps, God has called you for a time such as this.”
  • What emotions might Esther have been feeling at this moment?
  • How does Mordecai’s faith contrast with the fear surrounding him?
  • Can you recall a time when obedience to God felt risky or costly? What happened?

Prayer Focus: Pray for courage to obey God even when the outcome is uncertain. Ask for faith like Mordecai’s—to trust that God will remain faithful, even when everything seems fragile.

3. “For Such a Time as This” — The Call to Die to Self

“We often romanticise these words… but in Esther’s story, she speaks them at rock bottom.”
“God does not call us to the armchair; He calls us to the cross.”
  • Why do you think we are so drawn to comfort and self-preservation?
  • What does “dying to self” practically look like in your current season of life?
  • How does Jesus’ own example—“for the joy set before Him”—shape how we see sacrifice?

Prayer Focus: Pray for grace to surrender every part of your life to Christ. Thank Him that true joy and freedom come through laying down your own will and following Him in love.

4. Expensive Words and Costly Faith

“The most powerful words we speak are usually the ones that cost us the most.”
“Perhaps God has called me to suffer well—for such a time as this.”
  • What do “expensive words” look like in your own walk with God?
  • How can suffering deepen—not destroy—your faith?
  • Who in your life has shown faith through hardship, and how has it shaped you?

Prayer Focus: Pray for those walking through pain or hardship. Ask that their lives and words would carry the authority of the cross and reveal Christ’s power.

5. Living the “If I Perish, I Perish” Life

“Imagine a church that fully embodies and fully surrenders to this way of life… where forgiveness comes naturally, humility marks all we do, and generosity flows freely.”

Practical Challenge:

  • Forgive someone who hasn’t said sorry.
  • Do something unseen and kind.
  • Let someone “win” in a disagreement.
  • Encourage someone who makes you jealous.
  • Step outside your comfort zone and serve.
  • Which of these challenges speaks most to you right now?
  • How might our church look if we all lived this way?
  • What’s one area this week where you can say, “Perhaps I was called for such a time as this”?

Prayer Focus: Pray that our church would be a community that dies to self and lives fully for Christ. Ask God to make us people who love sacrificially and serve joyfully—for such a time as this.

Summary Thought

“If I perish, I perish.”
In the story of Esther—and in the life of Jesus—love always looks like death to self. But death in God’s kingdom always leads to resurrection.