Conspiracy
1 February - 1 March 2026
Many of us love a conspiracy theory, but there is really one conspiracy FACT behind them all. Even when we can’t always see his hand at work.
‘In all things, God works silently, yet certainly’
Susanna Wesley
In an age obsessed with conspiracy theories and hidden agendas, we often find ourselves searching for what’s real—yearning for a truth that cuts through the noise.
Join us for a five-week series where shadows loom large, motives are mixed, and danger is never far away. Yet woven through every twist is a deeper story: a truth that sets you free. Behind the schemes, the whispers, and the unseen threats, there is a hand at work. A hand guiding, aligning, and redeeming — even when it seems silent.
The ancient biblical story of Esther reminds us that God is present in the gaps, active in the shadows, and faithful in the uncertainties. Across five weeks, Conspiracy uncovers the hidden workings of God in a world that feels out of control, revealing that the greatest truth is not the one shouted the loudest, but the one quietly shaping history.
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Esther 1 - 2
A lavish party, a reckless king, a silenced queen, and a young woman quietly carried into a story far bigger than she realises, the book of Esther opens with chaos, power plays, and deeply human decisions. God’s name is never mentioned, yet His fingerprints are already all over the story, working through flawed people, broken systems, and moments that feel anything but holy.
When life feels out of control and certainty is hard to find, this ancient story reminds us that God is still at work.
Study Questions
What’s the funniest or strangest conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard?
Read Esther 1:10-22 & 2:1-10, or play it from the Riverside Youtube stream from Sunday.
Why do you think Queen Vashti refused the king’s command?
What do you think it may have cost her?In Daniel 6:8 we read that the laws of Persia and Media could not be changed once issued.
What are the pros and cons of laws that can never be reversed?Why do you think Esther chose to keep her Israelite identity hidden?
What risks might she have been weighing up?Can you think of a situation — from your own life or someone else’s — that nobody would have chosen, but where God later brought good out of it?
In the book of Esther, God is never mentioned and no one is recorded as praying.
Why do you think God was still clearly at work in the story?If you could have one thing that made you feel truly secure, what would it be — and why?
Can you recall a “simple” prayer you prayed that God didn’t answer the way you hoped?
How did that experience affect your faith or understanding of God?Take time to pray, asking God to reveal His purpose in situations where He feels hidden or silent.
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Esther 3 - 6
In a story full of intrigue, pride, danger, and surprising reversals, we see how God works quietly behind the scenes—through prayer, patience, courage, and ordinary faithfulness. As Haman’s pride swells and Esther risks everything with the words “If I perish, I perish,” we’re invited to ask where God might be at work in our own lives when He feels hidden. What if you are exactly where you are for such a time as this?
Study Questions
What funny ‘fool’s errands’ have you heard of? (Being sent to a DIY shop for tartan paint, for example).
Read Esther 5:1–14.
Esther carefully delays her request and invites the king and Haman to two banquets. Why do you think that is? What do you think might be happening beneath the surface?
Esther chooses patience over urgency. Where in your life do you find waiting hardest, especially when you want clarity or change now?
Haman has wealth, honour, and influence, yet Mordecai’s refusal to bow ruins everything for him. Are there distractions, frustrations, or unresolved issues that stop you (or people you know) from enjoying the good things in life?
Zeresh advises Haman to publicly impale Mordecai rather than quietly kill him. What does this reveal about pride, power, and the desire to be seen as ‘winning’?
The book of Esther is full of what look like coincidences. Have you noticed any moments recently that felt small but significant - where timing, people, or events lined up unexpectedly?
Read Esther 2:21–23. Mordecai’s loyalty saves the king, yet he receives no immediate reward. Why do you think this is?
Esther calls the Jewish people to pray and fast before she acts. Why might fasting create space for God to move, and how does it challenge our sense of control?
PRAY: Ask God to help you see this week why you might be exactly where you are for such a time as this - and to give you courage to trust Him even when His work feels hidden.
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Esther 7-8
Why do we love it when the villain finally gets what they deserve? The book of Esther is packed with drama - pride, prejudice, political manipulation, explosive anger, and a shocking twist of justice. But beneath the surface of this ancient story lies a question that feels uncomfortably modern: what do we do with our anger, and what do we secretly hope happens to our enemies? Join us as we explore rage, revenge, and redemption - and discover how Esther’s story points us to a very different kind of Saviour than we might expect.
Study Questions:
What’s something small that can make you disproportionately angry (for example, bad driving, slow Wi-Fi, messy kitchens)? Why do you think it gets under your skin?
Read Esther 3:1–6; 3:8–11; and 7:1–10 together, or watch the reading on our Youtube channel.
What emotions stand out most in this story? Who is angry, and why?
Haman’s anger at one man (Mordecai) grows into hatred for an entire people group.
Why do you think anger can so easily turn into generalisation and prejudice?The king appears passive and easily influenced.
What does this show about the danger of unchecked power or of failing to think critically?The end of Haman’s story sees him impaled on a pole. There is another Old Testament character who is impaled on a pole - the baker in the story of Joseph (Genesis 40).
What other similarities, themes, reversals, or “inversions” do you notice between the story of Esther and the story of Joseph?In both stories, God is working behind the scenes through unlikely circumstances.
How does seeing God’s hidden providence in these stories encourage you when He feels absent in your own life?When Haman is defeated, it feels like justice.
Why do we instinctively long for the downfall of the ‘villain’? What does this reveal about our understanding of justice?The talk pointed us to Jesus who, unlike Haman, was innocent yet was hung on a ‘pole’ (the cross).
How does Jesus redefine what victory, justice, and salvation look like?Take time to pray:
Ask God to search your heart for anger rooted in pride or fear, to help you love even those you struggle with, and to trust Him as the true and righteous judge who brings redemption in His way and timing.
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Esther 9-10
The book of Esther ends with a victory feast - and a body count. The villain is impaled. God is never mentioned. An entire people group celebrates their survival. And you’re left wondering what to do with it all. Where is God in stories like this? What do you do when the “good guys” don’t look entirely good? And what happens when you realise the line between hero and villain might run through your own heart? Esther refuses to give easy answers. Instead, it invites you into something deeper — a posture of humility in a world obsessed with being right, and a stubborn, defiant hope when everything feels dark.
Study Questions
What was your GCSE/’O’ Level set text at school?
Read Esther 9:20-28 together, or listen to the reading on our Youtube channel.
In verse 26, what does ‘Purim’ mean and why is the name significant in light of Haman’s original plan?
The festival of Purim celebrates deliverance - but the deliverance involves large-scale violence. Why do you think this ending feels uncomfortable for modern readers?
The talk suggested that we often see ourselves as Esther or Mordecai - rarely as Haman.
Why is it easier to identify as the ‘good guys’? What might humility look like in light of this?
What might our perceived ‘enemies’ say about us — as a nation, a church, or as individuals?
How does that challenge our instinct to divide the world into goodies and baddies?Are there famous or historical people you feel glad will one day face God’s judgement?
How do you hold together justice and the truth that God’s mercy is available even to them?The sermon described two invitations: humility instead of pride, and hope instead of despair.
Which of those feels more personally relevant to you right now and why?
Read Romans 3:22–24.
‘There is no difference… for all have sinned…’If you substituted modern-day enemies (e.g. ‘Russians and Ukrainians’) how might that feel?
What does this passage teach us about humility at the foot of the cross?Mordecai ends the book using his influence ‘for the good of his people.’
PRAY that God will show you where he might be inviting you to use your influence - however small - to bring hope to others?
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Esther 4:14
→ Listen here
Study Questions
If you could be famous for one good thing (like sport, kindness, invention, helping others), what would you want it to be?
In the quiz we heard about people like Nelson Mandela, Florence Nightingale, and Malala Yousafzai.
What made their lives influential - talent, opportunity, courage, character or something else?Read Esther 4:14.
What do you think Mordecai means when he says, “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this”?Esther probably didn’t choose her situation - yet God used her there.
Can you think of a time you didn’t choose your circumstances (school, job, family situation), but God might still be able to use you there?Mordecai says that if Esther stays silent, deliverance will still come “from another place.”
What does that tell us about God? Does it take pressure off us, or give us responsibility?The service reminded us that we are all part of someone else’s story.
Who has helped you know more about Jesus and how did they do it? (Was it something big or something simple?)Sometimes we worry that if we miss one opportunity, that’s it.
Have you ever felt you “missed your moment”? What does it mean that God gives second (and third!) chances?We heard that Jesus is the one story where you are central - that He came because He loves you (see John 3:16).
How does knowing you are central to Jesus’ story change the way you see your own importance?Where might God have placed you “for such a time as this” this week - at home, school, work, online, in church?
Pray for courage to speak when needed, wisdom to act kindly, and confidence that God is at work even when you can’t see immediate results.