Joseph, Daniel, and Esther were people of faith separated by hundreds of years. Both found themselves in tenuous positions in foreign cultures. Joseph was sold into slavery, transported to the land of Egypt. Daniel was conquered and carried into Babylonian exile. Esther was caught up in the politics of the Persian Empire. All had to rethink their faith in the context of foreign cultures and foreign religions.
Many argue that followers of Jesus now live in exile. The systems of this world are becoming increasingly oppositional and secularized.
What does it mean for God's people to live out their faith in our current state of exile?
What can we learn from the stories of Joseph, Daniel, and Esther?
Join us for this sermon series restarting on November 1.
Sunday, July 5: Joseph & His Dreams (Genesis 37:12-28) -You can view the entire service here: “Joseph & His Dreams.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Joseph & His Dreams”
Sunday, July 12: Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife (Genesis 39:1-23) - You can view the entire service here: “Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife.”
Sunday, July 19: Joseph & Pharaoh (Genesis 41:25-45) - You can view the entire service here: “Joseph & Pharaoh.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Joseph & Pharaoh.”
Sunday, July 26: Joseph & His Family (Genesis 45:1-15) - You can view the entire service here: “Joseph & His Family.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Joseph & His Family.”
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Sunday, August 2: Daniel & the King’s Food (Daniel 1:1-21) - You can view the entire service here: “Daniel & the King’s Food.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Daniel & the King’s Food.”
Sunday, August 9: Daniel & Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:12-23; 46-49) - You can view the entire service here: “Daniel & Nebuchadnezzar.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Daniel & Nebuchadnezzar.”
Sunday, August 16: Daniel & Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1-31) - You can view the entire service here: “Daniel & Belshazzar.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Daniel & Belshazzar.”
Sunday, August 23: Daniel & The Lions (Daniel 6:1-28) - You can view the entire service here: “Daniel & The Lions”. You can download the audio podcast here: “Daniel & The Lions.”
Sunday, August 30: Daniel & His Visions (Daniel 7:1-22; 28) - You can view the entire service here: “Daniel & His Visions.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Daniel & His Visions.”
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Sunday, November 1: Esther: On Display (Esther 1:1-12; 2:5-11, 15-18) - You can view the entire service here: “On Display.” You can download the audio podcast here: “On Display.”
Sunday, November 8: Esther: Hate & Power (Esther 2:19-23; 3:1-11) - You can view the entire service here": “Hate & Power.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Hate & Power.”
Sunday, November 15: Esther: Risk & Choice (Esther 4:1-17) - You can view the entire service here: “Risk & Choice.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Risk & Choice.”
Sunday, November 22: Esther: Feasting (Esther 8:3-8; 9:20-22) - You can view the entire service here: "Feasting.” You can download the audio podcast here: “Feasting.”
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What we’re reading:
Liam Goligher, “Joseph: The Hidden Hand of God”
John C. Lennox, “Joseph: A Story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power, and Forgiveness”
Edmund Clowney, “The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament”
John C. Lennox, “Against the Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel in an Age of Relativism”
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The image above is a 500 year old gothic mural in Tirsted church in Denmark.
Here is a helpful summary of the Esther story produced by the Bible Project: