How many sermons have you preached or even heard preached on Esther? How many sermons would you like to preach about Esther? Hershael York admits that Esther is a strange book. It doesn't mention the name of God. It doesn't have miracles or prophets or prayers. And even worse, Esther joins the royal harem and "spends a night" with a pagan king—which means exactly what we think it means (hence Hershael's title, "For Such a Slime as This"). But Dr. York shows us how to preach the gospel from a strange story with a morally compromised heroine. In the end, Esther is us and we all desperately need God's grace.

Here's part of Dr. York's stirring conclusion to this sermon: "He is a God who is so great that in his providence he uses a lying Jacob, and a lecherous Judah, a disobedient David, and a dying thief. He takes a murderous religious zealot like Saul of Tarsus and transforms him into a champion of grace, and then pierces his flesh with a thorn."

Check out these new preaching resources as well:

• Featured Illustration: Contentment Is the Secret to 80-year Marriage
• Preaching Skills Article: The Gospel According to Esther by Hershael York
• Video: Turkey Talk

In Christ,

Matt Woodley
Managing Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. Help raise your friends' PQ (preaching quotient)—and maybe their IQ too! Click here to give them 3 FREE months to PreachingToday.com. No cost and no credit card info required.

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.