today on Summit Life with J.D. Greer.

It doesn't matter what your history is.

It doesn't matter what your ability is.

It only matters what your availability is.

God has placed you at a specific place with specific opportunities,

with a checkered history for the purposes of his kingdom.

Welcome to Summit Life with Pastor J.D. Greer.

As always, I'm your host, Molly Bidavitch.

We trust you had a wonderful weekend of worship and rest,

and we're so glad that you're back with us today as we begin a quick two-day series titled For Such a Time as This. Pastor Jady will be opening up the book of Esther, a book that surprisingly

never even mentions the name of God, yet is mysteriously full of God at work. We are going to see that God

has sovereignly arranged our circumstances, just like Esther's, to be strategically involved

in his mission. Sounds like a timely message for us all. So grab your Bible, grab a pen and a notebook,

and take some notes as we dive in. Here's Pastor J.D.

Well, if you got your Bibles this week yet, I want you to take them out now and open them to the

book of Esther. The Book of Esther, you say, where is the book of Esther? It's in the Old Testament.

It is right after the book of Nehemiah and right before the book of Job. Esther is one of only

two books in the Bible in the Old Testament that is named for a woman.

And believe it or not, it is a pretty controversial book.

It's not controversial because it was named for a woman.

It is controversial because God's name is not mentioned in the book of Esther not one single time. Not one time in the entire

book from cover to cover will you find the name of God even mentioned. He's not prayed to

...