Since Easter, I have wanted to visit with you about Doubts.
We all have them.
The disciples are looked down upon for their frequent bouts of doubt.
Thomas particularly is vilified for his doubting ..unless I see His hands and touch the nail prints and put my fingers in His side
Hey, I'm not a ghost, got any fish?
Doubts, we all have them
Some random thoughts/quotes about dorbts:
- Real relationships are grounded in clean air..brave people are not afrian to ask the hard questions.
- If you don't have any doubts, you are kidding yourself. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.
- Doubts keep us from taking our faith for granted.
- Doubt is often the source of honest, humble, authentic faith.
- Faith is not just one more interest or attachment in life. Faith demands full commitment, everything or nothing. Consequently, believers attach a deeply serious effort to their searching about faith.
- Faith without doubt is dead.
- Healthy doubt searches for more faith. Lord I believe, help my unbelief.
- Better a little self doubt than to see ones self as always right
- Some pretend, covering their doubts with bravado> Others get lost in dogmatism and arrogance
- Those who do not doubt are dangerous
- Your are brighter when you ask for opinions that are different from your own.
Doubting....Confidence in life - can effect our daily living
When I was in seminary there was a teaching about Speaking things into existence
Mt. 21, Mark 11:23
Say to this mountain.
Implication is that those who cannot do these things don't have enough faith
It's a metaphor. If it isn't then move a mountain.
He is saying, hey get your chin up, put your best foot forward.
You can't step out into life thinking that you will fail.
There is a truth to this.... if you don't believe then you are like Eore
"Well Pooh, I guess I;m not going to get this job
argue for your limitations, and guess what, they are yours
Christians should have a sense of personal confidence...you are loved and created by God
Christians should also remember that we are God's handiwork, created to be in relationship with him. We are dependent.
Where does our help come, our help comes in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Ps. 124
We doubt God sometimes-I look for reasons to believe
- creation
- the human body
- the soul that I see in you
- the acts of Christians through the centuries
- the change that I see take place in your heart
- the innate goodness of the God who is love
I what we believe is not true, then something else must be
We evolved a one celled critter
It takes more faith to be an atheist that to believe in a loving omnipotent creator
A Christian has to explain disorder
A non believer has to explain order
Is the world really millions of years old? How did God do that?
When cells divide, how do they know what part of the body to become? DNA? But why does it work like it does?
There are always going to be questions about life and God's world
God is bigger than our questions.
Unto disciples he said, gentlemen,
Remember the story..remember who I am
See my hands, touch my side......Consider the truth
We doubt our faith sometimes.......
Have I really given my heart to Christ?
I don't feel very faithful
I am discouraged
The role of feelings and reality in doubting
Your can't trust your feeling, you can't go by them
How you feel about something does not change reality
Ask yourself, what is real, what is true
Remember your faith stories
Conclusion
If you don't have a faith story, then maybe today is the dayfor you to receive one
The power of faith is greater than the power of the human mind.
Hebrews 11
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2this is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
If you don't have a faith story, then maybe today is the day for you to receive one
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