Embracing Doubt: A Journey to Deeper Faith
Summary
Each of us finds ourselves at different points on our faith journey, and sometimes, the punctuation marks of our lives—exclamation points, ellipses, question marks—can describe where we are spiritually. Some of us are in seasons of certainty and joy, while others are wrestling with doubts, questions, or even pain. But what if, instead of seeing doubt as a barrier to faith, we saw it as a doorway? Jesus invites us to bring our honest questions to Him, not to hide them or feel ashamed. The story of Thomas, often called “Doubting Thomas,” is a powerful example of how Jesus meets us in our uncertainty.
Thomas wasn’t defined by his doubt; he was chosen, loyal, and a seeker. He had spent years with Jesus, yet when faced with the resurrection, he needed his own encounter. His doubt was not a sign of weak faith, but of a faith that was personal and hard-won. Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for his questions; instead, He met him with gentleness and gave him what he needed to believe. In the same way, Jesus meets us in our doubts, not with judgment, but with compassion and understanding.
Faith is not inherited or absorbed by osmosis; it must be owned and wrestled with personally. Many of us have seasons where we feel on the outside looking in, especially when life is hard and God seems silent. In those moments, it’s not more information we need, but an encounter with the living God. Jesus is not just an idea or a set of beliefs—He is a person who invites us to trust Him, even when we don’t have all the answers.
There is a time to seek, to ask questions, and to be open-handed. But there is also a time to close our hands around the truth we have encountered and take steps of trust, even if they are small. Jesus calls us not just to be seekers, but to be finders—people who move from doubt to relational trust. The journey of faith is not about achieving certainty, but about learning to trust Jesus, especially in the midst of uncertainty and pain. As we are honest with God, revisit the stories of faith, and stay in community, we open ourselves to encounter the living Christ, who meets us right where we are.
Key Takeaways
- Doubt is not a sign of spiritual failure, but an invitation to deeper faith. Like Thomas, our honest questions can lead us to a more authentic relationship with Jesus, who welcomes our curiosity and meets us in our uncertainty. Rather than hiding our doubts, we are called to bring them into the light, trusting that God is not threatened by our questions. [05:22]
- Faith must be personal and owned, not simply inherited from family or culture. Each of us must wrestle with what we believe and why, moving beyond a borrowed faith to one that is deeply rooted in our own encounter with God. This process may involve seasons of deconstruction, but it is through this wrestling that genuine conviction is formed. [13:12]
- Jesus meets us in our places of pain and doubt with gentleness, not judgment. In the hardest moments of life, when God feels distant and prayers seem unanswered, it is often then that we experience His kindness most profoundly. Our doubts can become sacred spaces where we encounter the living God in new and unexpected ways. [17:07]
- The goal of faith is not certainty, but relational trust. Jesus is not primarily interested in us moving from doubt to absolute certainty, but from doubt to a trusting relationship with Him. Even when we don’t have all the answers, we can rest in the promise that we are not abandoned, but deeply loved and accompanied by Christ. [28:34]
- Practical steps for navigating doubt include being honest with God, revisiting the stories of faith, and staying in community. By naming our doubts, reflecting on the encounters of others like Thomas, and remaining connected to a community of seekers, we create space for God to meet us. Faith grows not in isolation, but in the honest, ongoing journey with God and others. [31:55]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Faith and Punctuation: Where Are You?
[02:30] - The Value of Honest Questions
[03:30] - Deconstruction: Tearing Down or Rebuilding?
[05:22] - Thomas: More Than a Doubter
[08:07] - The Heart of a Seeker
[09:38] - Reasonable Doubt and Real Faith
[11:16] - The High Cost of Following Jesus
[13:12] - Faith Must Be Personal
[14:22] - Eight Days of Doubt and Longing
[15:37] - Doubt in the Hardest Places
[18:20] - From Seeking to Finding
[19:35] - Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
[20:36] - Imaginative Encounter with Jesus
[22:46] - Jesus Meets Thomas’ Doubt
[24:39] - From Doubt to Deep Belief
[25:41] - Jesus’ Blessing for Us
[28:34] - Moving from Doubt to Trust
[29:35] - Three Practical Steps for Navigating Doubt
[32:58] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Doubt as a Doorway to Deeper Faith
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### Bible Reading
John 20:24-29 (ESV)
> 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
> 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
> 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
> 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
> 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
> 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 14:5-6 (ESV)
> 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
> 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Matthew 7:7 (ESV)
> 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
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### Observation Questions
1. What was Thomas’s response when the other disciples told him they had seen the risen Jesus? (John 20:25)
2. How did Jesus respond to Thomas’s doubts when He appeared to him? (John 20:27)
3. What title does Thomas use for Jesus after his encounter, and why is this significant? (John 20:28)
4. According to the sermon, what are some of the “other names” that could describe Thomas besides “Doubting Thomas”? [08:07]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus chose to meet Thomas’s doubts with gentleness instead of rebuke? What does this reveal about Jesus’s character? [22:46]
2. The sermon says, “Faith must be personal and owned, not simply inherited from family or culture.” What does it look like for someone to move from a “borrowed faith” to a personal faith? [13:12]
3. The pastor described doubt as a “doorway” rather than a “barrier” to faith. In what ways can honest questions actually deepen someone’s relationship with God? [05:22]
4. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” What do you think He means by this, and how does it apply to us today? (John 20:29)
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon mentioned that many people feel like they’re “on the outside looking in” when it comes to faith, especially during hard times. Have you ever felt this way? What was that experience like for you? [14:22]
2. When you have doubts or questions about God, do you tend to hide them, ignore them, or bring them to Jesus? What would it look like for you to be more honest with God about your doubts this week? [29:35]
3. The pastor shared that in his hardest moments, he experienced God’s gentleness rather than judgment. Can you recall a time when you felt God’s kindness in your own struggles or doubts? How did that impact your faith? [17:07]
4. The sermon encouraged us to revisit the story of Thomas and to use our imagination to “be in the room” with Jesus. How might this practice help you encounter Jesus in a new way? Would you be willing to try it this week? [20:36]
5. Jesus calls us to move from being seekers to being finders—people who take steps of trust even when we don’t have all the answers. What is one small step of trust you could take this week in your faith journey? [18:20]
6. The pastor suggested that faith grows “not in isolation, but in the honest, ongoing journey with God and others.” How can you stay connected to community when you’re wrestling with doubts? Is there someone you can talk to or pray with about your questions? [31:55]
7. If you grew up in a Christian family or culture, how have you made your faith your own? Are there areas where you still feel like you’re living on “borrowed faith”? What would it look like to take ownership of your beliefs? [13:12]
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for courage to be honest with God, to encounter Jesus personally, and to support one another in seasons of doubt and faith.
Devotional
Day 1: Doubt is a Doorway to Faith, Not a Barrier
Doubt is not a sign of spiritual failure but can be the very place where authentic faith is born. Many people, even those closest to Jesus, have wrestled with questions and uncertainty, and yet Jesus meets us right in the midst of our doubts. Rather than seeing doubt as something to hide or be ashamed of, we can recognize it as an invitation to deeper relationship and understanding. When we bring our honest questions to God, we open ourselves to encounter Him in new and transformative ways. [05:22]
John 20:24-25 (ESV)
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Reflection: What is one honest question or doubt about faith that you’ve been carrying? Can you bring it to God today, trusting that He welcomes your questions and meets you there?
Day 2: Jesus Meets Us with Gentleness in Our Doubt
When we are at our lowest, feeling distant from God or overwhelmed by life’s hardships, Jesus responds not with judgment but with gentleness and compassion. In the moments when our doubts are strongest, God’s presence can be most tender, offering us comfort and assurance even if our circumstances don’t immediately change. Rather than needing more information, what we truly need is an encounter with the living God who knows our hearts and meets us with love. [17:07]
Psalm 34:18 (ESV)
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Reflection: Think of a recent moment when you felt distant from God or overwhelmed by doubt—how might you invite Jesus to meet you with His gentleness and presence in that place today?
Day 3: Jesus Invites Us to Move from Seeking to Finding
There is a time for open-minded seeking, but Jesus ultimately invites us to move from standing at the doorway of doubt to stepping through in trust, embracing Him as the living truth. Faith is not about having all the answers or perfect certainty, but about taking intentional steps toward Jesus, who is not just an idea but a person who wants to be known. As we encounter Him, we are called to close our hands on the truth we have experienced and build our lives around Him. [19:35]
John 14:6 (ESV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Reflection: What is one step you can take today to move from simply seeking answers to embracing Jesus as the truth in your life?
Day 4: Encountering Jesus Transforms Doubt into Deep, Personal Faith
When Thomas encountered the risen Jesus, his doubt was transformed into a profound and personal declaration of faith. Jesus did not shame Thomas for his questions but invited him to see and touch, leading Thomas to proclaim, “My Lord and my God.” This encounter shows that faith is not distant or abstract, but deeply personal—Jesus desires to meet each of us in our questions and draw us into relationship with Him. [24:39]
John 20:27-29 (ESV)
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to move from distant belief to a personal encounter with Jesus? How can you invite Him to reveal Himself to you today?
Day 5: Be Honest, Stay in Community, and Keep Pursuing God
The journey of faith is not about achieving certainty but about cultivating a trusting relationship with Jesus, even in the midst of uncertainty. We are encouraged to be honest with God about our doubts, to revisit the stories of faith, and to stay connected in community as we continue seeking. Jesus promises never to leave or forsake us, and as we take steps—however small—He is coming toward us with love and grace. [31:55]
Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Reflection: Who is one person you can be honest with about your faith journey this week, and how can you encourage each other to keep seeking and trusting God together?
Quotes
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