Esther: Daring Faith for Such a Time as This - Bible Study for Women with Video Access

by Kelly Minter

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2024

About the author

Kelly lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and serves the Lord passionately both across the U.S. and internationally in a variety of creative roles. An acclaimed author, musician, Bible study creator and teacher, she is passionate to see women impacted by Jesus and His Word.

Growing up outside of Washington, DC, Kelly was raised in a Christian home, the oldest of four children and daughter of a pastor. Her childhood was seasoned with competitive sports, learning the guitar, singing, and a litany of church activities in the congregation her father founded and still pastors. Like many young women, Kelly dealt with inner struggles – anxiety and depression were a part of her growing-up years. “Those struggles are what drove me to Scripture,” Kelly says, “and the catalyst for me to learn for myself who God is.” Throughout her high school career, Kelly played basketball competitively, expecting that to be her path into college. But after a scholarship fell through, she began playing music. And God began a new thing.

Kelly moved to Nashville in the summer of 2000 and released her first record with WORD, followed by a subsequent release on a different label, leading to her first #1 Single on the Inspirational Charts, This Is My Offering. Shortly after this success and several cross-country tours her record company folded leaving Kelly to rethink her vocation and ministry. In the middle of an ever-changing music industry and on a tour through Colorado, Kelly met a book publisher who would two years later sign her to her first book deal.

Kelly’s first book eventually led to LifeWay approaching her about writing a bible study. Authoring curriculum was a new challenge, but one she quickly fell in love with. Kelly’s first three studies include, No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern Day Idols, followed by Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy and Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break. Respected Bible Study teacher and speaker, Beth Moore, chose each of Kelly’s resources for three of her widely-reaching online summer studies. Thousands of women participated and were challenged by Kelly’s writing and her unique perspective on Scripture.

Kelly now writes, teaches, and sings across the United States and also in other countries. Speaking at multiple conferences and events, as well as four Women of Faith events in 2012, Kelly has become a steady and respected teaching voice to women, particularly when it comes to the Scriptures. She also partners closely with Justice and Mercy International (JMI), a ministry that serves in the Amazon jungle; she especially loves working with the jungle pastors who encourage her through their remarkable faith.

When home, Kelly’s days are spent writing, cooking, gardening, enjoying her neighborhood, loving her community, investing in her local church, and walking forward in the things God has for her. She is relevant, palatable, and uncompromising in her teachings from the Bible, and women relate to this.

Reviews

[Haley Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Kelly Minter’s Bible studies and books for many years, and I always look forward to a new release. I recently re-read her study on Joseph, and it blessed me once again. She is part of the reason why I have grown to love the Old Testament so much.

As for this study, her traditional format is the same: 5 days of study, a 30-40 minute teaching video, and a delicious recipe written in her familiar, friendly tone. There is an addition of short articles that give more historical and cultural information at the end of several weeks.

What I love about Kelly, and why this study may be for you:

1) Her excitement and passion for the word of God

2) Her well-researched portrayal of the Scripture, including both accuracy and faithfulness, alongside an expectation that you (the studier) will also commit to an in-depth understanding and connection with God’s Word

3) The humility with which she shares: Kelly shares freely from her own life when applicable, and she writes and speaks as a woman who simply loves people and loves God. She’s never overly sentimental or emotional, as many women’s Bible studies can sometimes become, but perfectly combines sound biblical teaching with personal application.

I would recommend any of her studies, including this one. If you love the book of Esther and are a seasoned studier of Scripture or you aren’t really sure about the whole Bible study thing and want to see what it’s about, this study will be a great choice.

[Jessa Kindel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok my 8 week Bible study is done. The Bible is a 10/5 stars obviously so the actual book of Esther I loved- this workbook however, not so much. I hate when things feel drawn out and THIS WAS DRAWN OUT. I swear she was trying to connect passages and stories that weren’t even remotely related to get more information. We would have 8 pages of homework for 3 verses. 3 VERSES. And Esther is rich but it’s not that rich we can’t break it down that intensely it’s just not that kind of book. So overall I thoroughly enjoyed the study because of my lovely women’s group and Esther and the conversations we had, but the book I was not a big fan.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
This was a nice study, but not a favorite. Felt pretty full of filler “personal application” questions. There could have been some editing and some aspects that needed a deep dive that were barely touched on. On the other hand, it was a nice refresher on Esther and Mordecai and the fact that God uses us whether we’re afraid or ready or not.

[Teresa Biggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very unfamiliar w Esther. What made this Bible study was the accompanying video. She is so passionate about the story and explains very well. I thought many of the questions in the book were pretty personal and many people would not like to discuss this aloud w others The video questions got my group to have pretty good discussions
If you were doing this in a group and using only the book questions for personal reflection then you would probably be ok.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esther is a young Jewish virgin in a harem when she earns the favor of the Persian King. As queen, she has to put her life on the line to save the Jewish people. The words God or prayer are never mentioned in Esther, but HE is directing the timing, events, and placement of people. If you are tired of government leaders handing over their authority to evil individuals, this study is for you. Mordecai (Esther's uncle) is an example of a leader to works for the good and welfare of his people. He is motivated by good, not money.

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esther is packed full of great lessons to study and learn from.

I struggled with this study a little, but there were some great nuggets in there. Minter is a good teacher, but I didn't love the structure of this study and the kinds of questions she asked in the homework. They often felt repetitive and not particularly enlightening. We'd read a text and then she'd ask a question and then the answer would be in the next paragraph of the study. And I didn't always feel like the questions challenged me to dig deep, though as the study progressed, I think we got a little deeper.

I did really enjoy the recipes at the end of each week. It was a creative addition to the study and the one I made was really good! There were also some pages scattered throughout the text with cultural or historical information that added context to the story of Esther.

The group discussion for the study was fruitful and I'm glad I did the study. Even if it wasn't my favorite one, it had some great bits in it and others may enjoy it more than I did.

[Stephanie Tyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me longer than I planned, but I finally finished this study. The story of Esther is so beautiful despite its tragic start. A couple of quotes from Minter that stuck with me in this study are, "God is pleased to reach into the darkest corners of our world to accomplish His purposes on behalf of His people." "Whether you're a mother, businesswoman, missionary, caretaker, full-time student--or queen--you are to steward your God-given authority and resources for His kingdom purposes." I continue to enjoy the way Kelly Minter creates and dives into the studies she writes. Her ability to connect the historical relevance of the time to our current culture always helps make the past relevant to my individual life today.

[JoyfulJules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went through this with my lady’s bible study group at church and loved it! This was my first study from Kelly and I think she will end up being my favorite Bible study author/teacher. I would love to go back and read everything else she has written. I have read the book of Esther multiple times over the years, but this helped me to consider things about the story I had never noticed or thought about before. The videos were great, and the daily homework was interesting and enjoyable. The amount of homework was very manageable for me, and I looked forward to doing it every day. Kelly’s writing is great, with personal stories and humor mixed in with deep thoughts and revelations. I really liked her personal reflection questions. If you can, I recommend starting this study in January so you can finish in March. That’s what we did, and it was really neat to read about these events during the time of the year that they actually took place.

[Janet Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in a study with other women at church. We also watched the videos and discussed the book and videos which added to my love of this book. The author is so good at helping you not only understand and interpret the Book Of Esther in the Bible but to understand the context and meaning both within bliblical times and in our own lives. Given that the title includes For Such a Time As This it was very pertinent to our lives in these difficult political times and amidst personal struggles. I recommend both the book and the free videos to anyone wondering if God is still here with them in our time and troubles.

[Jenn Soehnlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Kelly Minter's Bible studies and this one is no exception. I've read and studied the book of Esther multiple times and still learned many new things from this study. I love how her lessons allow you to connect the Scriptures to your personal life, as well as show you connections to other events in the Old Testament, while also beautifully connecting it back to Christ. How she was able to connect the characters and the events in Esther to the life of Christ was simply beautiful and my favorite part of each lesson. Highly recommend.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard copy. Attended this as a 7 week Bible study at Fellowship Bible Church.

I absolutely loved this study! Kelly Minter's insights and stories really helped me understand the concepts in Esther and why this was such an important story in the Bible.
The videos and her lectures deepened the lessons in the guide.

Would highly recommend!

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digging deeper into Esther than I ever have before. It was a page-turner, just couldn't wait to delve into the next part of the study. Deep and thorough and well-researched with supporting documentation. Daring faith for such a time as this. Practical applications to living and acting in today's world.

[Macey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished my small group 8 week study! I love Esther and everything it has to offer is so rich. However, I basically just read through the book and did none of the homework because it was twice as long as my normal homework. For that reason, I honestly wouldn’t prefer to do another one of these 8 week video studies. I did really enjoy the videos though so it gets a 3 star;)

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great study... the book, small group discussion and videos were great! Loved that we ended right before Purim! That along with it being Women's History Month made the timing of this study perfect!!!

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite Bible study- a little too heavy on the personal application and drawn out at times. But I learned new things about Esther and God's sovereignty. I also liked the creamy pasta recipe which was an unexpected bonus.

[Becca Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly is a great author. I preferred her Joseph study to this one, and it feel as though it could have been a 5 or 6 week study instead, but her heart for women knowing God’s word is evident and I am grateful.

[Jaclyn Sears · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completed this Bible study with my women’s group at church. I enjoy the videos that accompany the workbook, but there are times where the workbook assignments took me longer than expected. I loved the connections in the book and the historical background.

[Barb Schettino · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent Bible study! Our group all agreed this is one of the best we’ve done.

So much richness and encouragement in the book of Esther! Lessons in wisdom, courage, faith and trust ~ all wrapped in lots of drama. It’s now one of my favorite books of the Bible.

[Calo123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love a Bible study!

[Marissa Meltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bible study. So rich with lessons and knowledge about God’s Word. I’ve learned so much and highly recommend this.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a phenomenal study! I led a group of 17 women through this study and it reached every one of us. I loved how she wove in Gospel moments at the end of each day of study.

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing Bible study on Esther. I learned so much that I had never even thought of before, even though I loved reading the book of Esther.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start to finish Kelly keeps making you go deeper & deeper to grow in your relationship with God. The deeper your roots get set in His word, the stronger you’ll be when trials come your way.

[Kenya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Bible study. I have read Esther many times but never read it like this. Kelly gets you to dig deep into the Bible with this study. Can’t wait to start my next one.

[Jamie Rawlins]

Spring 2025 - First Vaquero Women's Bible Study

[Lori Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written Bible study by Kelly Minter!!! I love how she brought the reversals up. It made me think of all the other ones in the Bible.

[Beth Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bible study. I learned many things about the Old Testament.

[Phyllis Bahou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent Bible Study. I totally recommend it to large groups, small groups or even individually.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did this Bible Study this fall and loved it. I enjoyed Kelly's insight and videos sharing the historical significance of the story of Esther.

[Charity Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second Kelly Minter bible study I've done, and just like the other I highly recommend. It truly feels like you are studying the bible and not just regurgitated "milk" like I feel so many are. If you like the flow of Beth Moore studies, Kelly's feel a lot like them...though not quite as intense. It's totally doable in 15 to 20 minutes each day. the videos were helpful, interesting, and well done. This was a great study, and I learned a lot more than I thought I would. the two biggest things I learned were:
1. Mordecai was a descendent of King Saul, and Haman was a descendent of the king of the Amalekites that King Saul disobeyed and didn't kill and got his kingdom taken away by God for. So in the end, God's will WAS done and justice served.. just many, many years later. It was encouraging that God may be on His own timetable, but He does fulfill His plan/ judgment no matter what.
2. How Esther is a beautiful representation of the gosple. The king made a decree that could not be changed (even by him) that allowed the Jews to be killed. The same king then made a way for them to overcome that decree and save them from death. Just like God made a way for us to be saved from sin when Adam and Eve crossed the line of a command he couldn't take back.