The stories of Daniel and Esther take place outside of Israel, a hundred years apart. What can we learn from God’s people as they continued to live faithfully in the midst of ungodly people?
(Preaching on the exile of Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 27, 2025.)
The exilic writing of the Old Testament is some of the most powerfully applicable Old Testament Scripture to the modern reader. I am excited to arrive at them in our journey through the story of the Bible this year.
The final two chapters of Esther (though one of them is very short) illuminate the entire purpose of the whole book: to tell the story of and establish the celebration of a holiday to be remembered throughout the generations. Why was this so important, and what should we learn from it?
(Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on December 17, 2023.)
After several delays, Esther finally confronts Haman on the night of her second feast. What contributes to the final showdown, how does it all play out, and what should we learn from this dramatic evening?
(Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on December 10, 2023.)
The story of Esther has three crescendos, the first of which is when Esther risks the wrath of the king. Why did Esther need to approach the king, and what in her life built up to this moment?
(Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on November 19, 2023.)
The casting of Pur before Haman in Esther chapter 3 is the even that is explicitly remembered by the Feast of Purim. What was Pur, why was it significant, and why does it matter for us?
(Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on November 12, 2023.)
The second chapter of Esther finishes setting the stage for the story of Purim, establishing the rest of the main characters. What can we learn from the people at the forefront of this story?
(Preaching through Esther. You can find the timeline alluded to at the beginning here. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on November 5, 2023.)
We are going through Esther in our Sunday evening sermons at Dewey, so I made this chart to help us keep the overall narrative in mind. It might be surprising to see the length of time the story covers. You can get the pdf here.
The first chapter of the book of Esther isn’t really about Esther at all, but rather sets the stage for a biting satire skewering the incompetence of those in power in Persia. What can we learn from the ineptitude of Ahasuerus?
(Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on October 8, 2023.)
We begin our study of Esther with some top-level considerations of the book: it’s place in the story of the people of God in the Old Testament, it’s historical context, and the timeless themes in the book for God’s people in any era.
(Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on October 1, 2023.)
Watts in the Word 