scripture Passage: Memory Verses: ESTHER 1-4; D ANIEL 3

LESSON 10 courage to lead Communicate spiritual leaders must demonstrate courage to fulfill God s calling. Spiritual leaders must demonstrate courage when faced with difficult people, confusing problems, or complicated life situations. To demonstrate courage in doing God s will even when the cost is great. Background Passage: scripture Passage: Memory Verses: ESTHER 1-4; D ANIEL 3 ES THER 4 : 1 0-1 7 D AN IEL 3 : 1 7-1 8 Though Esther recognizes the danger of approaching the king, Mordecai encourages her to do so on behalf of the Jewish people (vv. 10-14). Esther asks for prayer to go before the king, knowing it may cost her life (vv. 15-17). Esther demonstrates courage and says, If I perish, I perish (v. 16). 17 If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up. 80

PREPARING TO TEACH Courage. We admire it, read books about it, watch movies about it, and ponder what we could accomplish with it. Courage is not just a characteristic of elite soldiers and adventurers. Every believer is a spiritual leader who must, and can, demonstrate courage in carrying out God s will. Read Daniel 3 and the entire Book of Esther. Prepare to summarize these well-known Old Testament stories in ways that make them come alive. Study Lesson 10 in your Venture In: Spiritual Leadership Travelogue (pp. 99-108). Complete all the bolded activities and journal about your need and source of courage as a spiritual leader. Pray this lesson will empower adults to be courageous spiritual leaders in the arenas of influence where God has placed them. TEACHING SUGGESTIONS FACING FEARS As adults arrive request they record responses to the Travelogue (p. 100) question: What are you afraid of? After opening the session with prayer, ask adults what posed a bigger challenge for them: thinking of something they re afraid of or fitting all their fears in the space provided. TEACHER TIP Use your discretion about whether or not to invite adults to share their fears. Some adults may laugh at themselves for their fears, but many greatly struggle with fear. Make certain nobody feels belittled for their fears. Encourage adults to state why they agree or disagree with the Travelogue (p. 99) statement: Fear (as a concept or feeling) is not our problem. Ask: Did sin usher fear into the world or just change the object of fear? Explain. 8 1

Note God wants us to fear Him and fear not everything else. Ask: How might fear of anything other than God interfere with our effectiveness as spiritual leaders? Invite a volunteer to read the Travelogue paragraph (p. 100) beginning, Leaders must learn to fear God. State this lesson is one of the tools God can use to give us strength and courage. It provides examples of people who acted courageously and offers strategies to help us develop and demonstrate. TEACHING OPTION Encourage adults to describe the premise of the TV show Fear Factor. Explain this competition reality show challenged contestants to face their worst fears. Dares included hanging out of helicopters, eating disgusting items, and sitting in a tub of snakes. Ask: If you were a contestant on Fear Factor, what dare would result in your elimination because you simply would be unable to get over your fear? COURAGE TO CONFRONT The first example, a young minority woman living in a harem in a male-dominated culture, seems a very unlikely leader. Yet her courage prevented the annihilation of the Jewish people. Summarize Esther 1:1-4:9. Invite a volunteer to read Esther 4:10-17. Brainstorm excuses Esther could have used to not act in this situation. (Examples: The king has a terrible temper, and he and his advisors are not nice men. Things didn t turn out well for the last queen who broke the rules. I don t think the king even likes me anymore. My death wouldn t solve anything.) Ask: What was Esther s final conclusion? Is If I perish, I perish a statement of fatalistic resignation or faithful courage? Explain your reasoning. 8 2

TEACHER HELP The HCSB Study Bible notes: If I perish, I perish does not suggest a person seeking an escape route, but one facing and coming to grips with a danger. This statement recognizes the possibility of failure, yet also expresses the hope though not certainty of success. 1 Invite a volunteer to read the paragraph beginning, Esther models what it means (Travelogue, p. 101). Guide the group to pull principles out of Esther 4:10-17 that reveal how Esther gained courage to confront the king. Add to the discussion with the following thoughts and questions: Esther was realistic about the situation (v. 11). She fully understood she would be breaking the law and what that could cost her. Discuss: When is it appropriate to take a great risk to confront a person or situation? (Travelogue, p. 101). Esther listened to wise counsel (vv. 13-14). Ask: What did Mordecai teach Esther about God s providence and her purpose? How did he emphasize that Esther could not ensure her safety by making the safe choice? Esther fasted and gained the support of others (v. 16). Ask: How did Esther demonstrate she feared God more than she feared the king? (Although the term pray is not present in the passage, it is implied since the purpose of fasting was to focus on prayers.) Esther considered the very worst that could happen if she took action and determined it was worth the cost. Ask adults to silently consider: What situations in your life require courage in the face of opposition? (Travelogue, p. 101). What s the worst that could happen if you took action? Would it be worth the cost? Why? COURAGE UNDER FIRE Our second example of courageous leadership is three young men who were leaders. However, their leadership position didn t 8 3

make them immune to trouble; it put them right in the line of fire. Summarize Daniel 3:1-15. Invite a volunteer to read Daniel 3:16-18. Point out these men were likely standing near the furnace when the king threatened them. Ask: What do you think gave them such courage under fire? Add to the discussion with the following comments and questions as appropriate: They d already made the decision they would remain faithful to God no matter what, so there were no frantic internal debates over what to do. Ask: What determinations can we make ahead of time that can help us show courage when under fire? Ask: What were they certain and not certain of? How are their If statements clearly declarations of faithful courage and not doubt? They were certain of who God was and what He could do, but not what He would do. Like Esther they didn t find courage because they were certain of the outcome but because they were certain God was sovereign and they could trust Him with the outcome. Ask: What was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego s bottom line? No matter if it cost them a painful death, these men absolutely refused to worship anything or anyone other than God. TEACHER HELP The NKJV Study Bible notes: Faith in God may not translate into victory in every circumstance (see Heb. 11:32-39). To these men the outcome was irrelevant, for what was at stake was not God s ability or their own lives, but their faith and obedience to serve Him regardless of the cost. 2 We will all need courage under fire because we will all be placed in situations that test our convictions. Lead a discussion with: Describe situations in your life that require holding to godly convictions (Travelogue, p. 102). What bottom line in those situations would result in cowardly choices? What bottom 8 4

line results in a courageous choice? What must spiritual leaders recognize about displaying courage under fire? Encourage adults to underline in their Travelogue (p. 102): Naïve leaders expect God to always bail them out of every difficulty without personal cost. Mature spiritual leaders know a courageous stand often has a high price attached to it. Ask the Travelogue (p. 102) questions: Why does God allow some courageous leaders to suffer? What does the fourth man in the flames illustrate about God s support of courageous leaders? TEACHING OPTION Read these two Franklin Roosevelt quotes about fear: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. 3 Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. 4 Discuss: Do you think these quotes were true for Esther, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Why or why not? What did they determine was more important than fear? How do their examples challenge and encourage you? COURAGE FOR TODAY Even when our lives aren t in danger for our faith, it still takes great in our homes, churches, and communities. Use the Travelogue (pp. 103-107) and the following questions to guide the class to examine seven ways spiritual leaders need courage: COURAGE TO MAKE DECISIONS Ask: Why does making decisions require courage? Why does it take courage to say no and stick with it? What might it look like in a church for leaders to prioritize purpose over popularity; the good of the many over the comfort of the few? (Travelogue, p. 103). How can we support our church leaders in making courageous decisions? 8 5

COURAGE TO HOLD DOCTRINAL POSITIONS Identify some doctrinal positions spiritual leaders all believers must hold. Ask: Why does it take courage to hold those positions? Why is it absolutely essential we courageously hold doctrinal positions? How can we do so while still being respectful of those with other belief systems? COURAGE TO CONFRONT SIN Ask: Why must sin be confronted? Why does confronting sin require courage and humble compassion? What kind of costs might we pay to confront sin? COURAGE TO CHANGE A PARADIGM A paradigm is a typical model or pattern of something; a theory or group of ideas about how something should be done. 5 In other words, a paradigm is the way we ve always done things. Ask: What might paradigm changes look like in a church or family? Why do leaders need to make paradigm-changing choices? Why do we need courage to change a paradigm? What else do we need? (Tact, patience, trust.) COURAGE TO UPHOLD VALUES Ask: Why are believers going to need increasingly more courage to uphold godly values? What else will we need? COURAGE FOR PUBLIC VULNERABILITY Ask: If given the choice, would you prefer to lead out front or from behind the scenes? Why? Can we lead without any public vulnerability? Explain. Why does it require publicly? How can we support church leaders as they handle the pressures of public vulnerability? COURAGE TO SPEAK PROPHETICALLY Ask: What does it mean to speak prophetically? Do you agree or disagree that some of the hardest settings for courageous speech are small secular settings? (Travelogue, p. 107). Explain your reasoning. How can we speak prophetically without being obnoxious or judgmental? 8 6

OVERCOMING FEAR, FINDING COURAGE The Travelogue provides seven strategies and Scriptures for overcoming fear and finding courage. Guide the group to read and match the Scriptures and strategies. Evaluate which strategies were utilized by Esther, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. CONCLUSION Invite volunteers to share other strategies that help them overcome fear and lead courageously. State one strategy is Scripture memory. Daniel 3:17-18 are this lesson s memory verses. Invite someone to read those verses. Ask: How could having these verses in your memory bank give you courage? What other verses have you memorized that help you face your fears courageously? How do they help? Close in prayer. FOLLOW THROUGH Email participants and encourage them to use the seven ways leaders need courage (Travelogue, pp. 103-107) as a guide for praying for church leaders this week. Enlist trusted friends to pray for you to have courage in areas where you ve been fearful as a spiritual leader. 1. HCSB Study Bible (Nashville: Holman Bible, 2010), 813. 2. NKJV Study Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2014), 1354. 3. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/ 4. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/172689-courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-ratherthe 5. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradigm 8 7