Dealing With Doubt (4 of 10)
Series: Real Jesus
Craig Smith
John 9
Big Idea: We must cling to the un-deniable, not the in-explicable.
I. Introduction
A. Doubt
Our topic for today is something that Christians aren't very comfortable discussing: doubt. Can we just be honest with each other? How many of you, at any point in your life, have ever entertained even as teeny tiny bit of doubt about the truth of the Christian faith?
B. Doubt vs. Faith
Let me tell you two things about doubt that rarely get recognized:
1. The first is just that doubt and faith are not mutually exclusive. We have this idea that doubt is the opposite of faith, and therefore, you can't have faith and have doubt. But that's wrong. Doubt is not the opposite of faith and they can and do exist together, simultaneously. Think about it: when you make the decision to step out onto a frozen lake, that's faith, it's an act of trust. When you step onto a frozen lake, you're choosing to trust that it's strong enough to hold you up. But when was the last time you stepped onto a frozen lake with 100% certainty that it would hold you up? Right...there's always a little bit of doubt, which means that even as we're trusting, we're also doubting. So the two can exist together. Doubt and faith are not mutually exclusive.
2. The second thing I want to get straight right from the beginning is that a healthy approach to dealing with doubt can lead to greater faith. I think we often believe that doubt is shameful, so we keep our doubts in the dark. But how many healthy things do you know that grow in the dark? Rather than doubt always diminishing our faith, doubt can be the path to greater faith, greater trust. When I was in college, I had a professor that challenged my belief that the Bible was historically accurate. And he was a smart, persuasive guy...and I'll be honest with you. I began to experience doubts about what I believed. But I handled those doubts by acknowledging them and ...
Series: Real Jesus
Craig Smith
John 9
Big Idea: We must cling to the un-deniable, not the in-explicable.
I. Introduction
A. Doubt
Our topic for today is something that Christians aren't very comfortable discussing: doubt. Can we just be honest with each other? How many of you, at any point in your life, have ever entertained even as teeny tiny bit of doubt about the truth of the Christian faith?
B. Doubt vs. Faith
Let me tell you two things about doubt that rarely get recognized:
1. The first is just that doubt and faith are not mutually exclusive. We have this idea that doubt is the opposite of faith, and therefore, you can't have faith and have doubt. But that's wrong. Doubt is not the opposite of faith and they can and do exist together, simultaneously. Think about it: when you make the decision to step out onto a frozen lake, that's faith, it's an act of trust. When you step onto a frozen lake, you're choosing to trust that it's strong enough to hold you up. But when was the last time you stepped onto a frozen lake with 100% certainty that it would hold you up? Right...there's always a little bit of doubt, which means that even as we're trusting, we're also doubting. So the two can exist together. Doubt and faith are not mutually exclusive.
2. The second thing I want to get straight right from the beginning is that a healthy approach to dealing with doubt can lead to greater faith. I think we often believe that doubt is shameful, so we keep our doubts in the dark. But how many healthy things do you know that grow in the dark? Rather than doubt always diminishing our faith, doubt can be the path to greater faith, greater trust. When I was in college, I had a professor that challenged my belief that the Bible was historically accurate. And he was a smart, persuasive guy...and I'll be honest with you. I began to experience doubts about what I believed. But I handled those doubts by acknowledging them and ...
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