Restoration
A Rooted Yearlong Curriculum – $225
This 31-lesson curriculum on Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and Zechariah that teaches students about the redemptive and restorative work of God.
BUY NOWWatch our introductory videos here:
Why teach the Restoration package?
While they can often be overlooked, the post-exilic books of Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah have an important story to tell about the redemptive and restorative work of God. Written to men and women who were discouraged, distracted, and disillusioned, these books will serve as a loving wake-up call to students, just as they did to the Israelites. Additionally in the Restoration package, students will read the tale of Esther: the story of a brave woman whom God used to usher in His redemptive purposes in the most unexpected of ways.
Ezra: Written by Kendal Conner, Edited by Rebecca Lankford
Nehemiah: Written by Kendal Conner, Edited by Rebecca Lankford
Esther: Written by Mac Harris, Edited by Rebecca Lankford
Zechariah: Written by Rebecca Lankford, Edited by Kendal Conner and Mike McGarry
Lesson Outline
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Ezra
Written by Kendal Conner, Edited by Rebecca Lankford
- Lesson 1: God Provides for His Promise (Ezra 1-2)
- Lesson 2: Laying the Foundation (Ezra 3-4)
- Lesson 3: Joy Comes from the Lord (Ezra 5-6)
- Lesson 4: The Second Wave of Exiles Return (7-8)
Lesson 5: Turning from Sin and Turning to God (Ezra 9-10)
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Nehemiah
Written by Kendal Conner, Edited by Rebecca Lankford
- Lesson 1: Prayer and Action (Nehemiah 1-2:8)
- Lesson 2: Opposition and Waiting (Nehemiah 2:9-4:23)
- Lesson 3: Injustice and First Fruits (Nehemiah 5:1-19)
- Lesson 4: Adversity and Success (Nehemiah 6-7)
- Lesson 5: Joy and Sorrow (Nehemiah 8)
- Lesson 6: Conviction and Repentance (Nehemiah 9)
- Lesson 7: Renewal and Return (Nehemiah 10)
- Lesson 8: Celebration and Homecoming (Nehemiah 11-12)
- Lesson 9: Return to Sin and Prayer for Remembrance (Nehemiah 13)
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Esther
Written by Mac Harris, Edited by Rebecca Lankford
- Lesson 1: A King’s Feast and a Queen Deposed (Esther 1:1-22)
- Lesson 2: Winning the King’s Favor, by Any Means Necessary (Esther 2:1-18)?
- Lesson 3: Mordecai vs. the Madman (Esther 2:19-3:15)
- Lesson 4: A Desperate People and a Divided Queen (Esther 4:1-17)
- Lesson 5: Courage, Cunning, and a Colossal Temper Tantrum (Esther 5:1-14)
- Lesson 6: Sleepless in Susa (6:1-13)
- Lesson 7: Schemes, Surprises, and the Sovereignty of God (Esther 6:14-8:2)
- Lesson 8: Reversing the Curse (Esther 8:3-10)
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Zechariah
Written by Rebecca Lankford, Edited by Kendal Conner and Mike McGarry
- Lesson 1: God Is Up to Something Good (Zech 1-2)
- Lesson 2: Promises for Joshua and Zerubbabel (Zech 3-4)
- Lesson 3: A Scroll, a Basket, a Chariot, a Crown (Zech 5-6)
- Lesson 4: Future Prosperity for God’s People (Zech 7-8)
- Lesson 5: Saved From Our Enemies by the Coming King (Zech 9)
- Lesson 6: Jesus, Our Shepherd and Cornerstone (Zech 10)
- Lesson 7: A Rejected Shepherd (Zech 11)
- Lesson 8: A Shepherd Struck, a People Purified (Zech 12-13)
- Lesson 9: A New Jerusalem (Zech 14)
Contributors
Kendal Conner, Writer and Editor
After spending over 10 years working in youth ministry, Kendal currently serves as the Director of Sunday Schools at Redeemer Kansas City in Missouri where she also continues to serve in youth ministry. Originally from Memphis, Tenn. Kendal received her BA from Union University with a minor in theology. After graduation, she served two years overseas working with youth. After returning to America, she worked full-time in parachurch youth ministry before moving into local church ministry for the last decade. Kendal is a proud aunt, loves to travel, and dreams of one day being able to say she has enjoyed coffee in every country.
Rebecca Lankford, Writer and Editor
Rebecca serves as the Ministry Development Coordinator/Assistant Editor for Rooted. Previously, she has worked in both youth and young adult ministries. She is a graduate of Furman University and recently completed her Master’s in Theology at Beeson Divinity School. Rebecca is happiest on a porch swing, in a boat, or on the dance floor.
Mac Harris, Writer
Mac serves as the Assistant Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministry at Hope Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. After graduating from Davidson College, Mac received his MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte), and hopes to continue working in youth ministry for the long haul. An avid Alabama football fan, Mac also enjoys fly fishing, ultimate frisbee, and Bojangles’ fried chicken.
Mike McGarry, Editor
Mike McGarry is the Director of Youth Pastor Theologian, has served as a Youth Pastor for 18 years in Massachusetts, and has two youth group aged kids at home. He earned his D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has published three books – most recently, “Discover: Questioning Your Way to Faith.” Mike is committed to training youth workers to think biblically about what youth ministry is and to training them to teach theologically with confidence. You can connect with him on social media @youththeologian.
Rooted’s Scope & Sequence
Don’t know where to start? Check out our Scope & Sequence
All the lessons you need for your students’ entire time in your ministry — from brand new middle schooler to high school graduate. Whether you choose to walk through the Bible chronologically or you’d rather stick with a developmental stage approach, we have both plans written out for you, free of charge! Download the Scope & Sequence Plans for free, and purchase all the included curriculum in the Scope and Sequence Bundle to get started.
LEARN MORE“Unlike some of the other Student Ministry curriculum we have used that tries to cover the entire Bible in a year, Rooted allows us to carefully and exegetically walk through books of the Bible at our own pace. We truly enjoy the fact that Rooted has many options that allow us to pick the books of the Bible that we want to study for the year. We love how engaged our students have become with the Holy Scriptures, the lesson, and each other.”
James N. | Youth Pastor | Southern Oaks Baptist Church
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Want to try our curriculum for free?
Try out our Philippians curriculum for free so you can see for yourself how the studies work!
Download NowWhat will students learn from Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Zechariah?
In Ezra, students will see how God encouraged and spurred His people on as they worked to rebuild Jerusalem. Students will learn to see themselves in the Israelites’ story: one of God making His power perfect in our weakness.
In Nehemiah, students will be presented with a wonderful portrait of godly leadership. They will learn about the importance of worship, obedience, and prayer through the story of God’s people.
Though God is not explicitly mentioned in the book of Esther at all, they are sure to see that He was behind the scenes all along, working through His servants to ensure the safety of the Jews in exile. Students will begin to make connections between the ancient Persian world and their modern-day surroundings.
Finally, in Zechariah students will learn about a God who is faithful to His covenant promises; One who fights against our enemies and brings restoration out of despair. Additionally, they will be given tools to help interpret the somewhat strange and difficult apocalyptic passages in Zechariah, all ultimately pointing to the person and work of Jesus.
In each book, our hope is that students will be led to Jesus, the ultimate means through which God would bring about salvation, hope, and restoration to His people.