We’re
Teaching This:
Can God hear me? Does God even exist? Did
Jesus actually rise from the dead, really?
And what about all the other stuff in the Bible? Did it really happen? How do
you know? When it comes to faith, we all have our doubts. Every single one of
us. And yet, for many of us, church can feel like the last place we would go to
ask questions. Why is that? For most of
us, doubt feels like something we should hide, ignore, or silence. If there’s a
volume dial, we should turn it down. But is that always true? Does having faith
mean I can’t have doubt or does having doubt cancel out the faith I do have?
When we look closer we find that amplifying our doubt, turning up the volume on
the right questions, may just be the best thing that ever happened to our
faith.
Session 1 Summary: Let’s Talk About It (4/1)
Everybody
has doubts. Your pastor. Your small group leader. Your friends. At some point
we all have questions about faith. And
if we’re honest, most of us have tried to ignore them, hide them, or just hope
they go away. But what if doubt isn’t such a bad thing? What if our doubt
doesn’t make our faith go away, but instead makes it stronger than before? Face-to-face
with Jesus, one man was brave enough to admit that he had faith and doubt at
the same time. In his story, we find that owning our doubt can lead to growing
our faith.
Session 2 Summary: Yesterday and Today (4/8)
For a lot of us, faith can feel messy and
complicated. Not because we don’t have enough answers about God, but because it
feels like we don’t have enough answers from God, about us. Is God there for us? Does He even care? We certainly aren’t the first generation to
have these doubts. The nation of Israel had a history of trusting God, then not
trusting Him, and then trusting Him again. Through a tradition called Passover,
God gave the Israelites a simple tool to help them through times of doubt. It’s
a tool that Jesus practiced and then passed on to His followers, and when we
choose to continue the tradition, we find that sometimes going forward in our
faith begins with looking back.
Session 3 Summary: History in the Making (4/15)
A fake bunny. Uncomfortable clothes. Searching for
hidden eggs filled with melted chocolate. If you grew up confused about Easter,
you’re probably not alone. Maybe you grew up in church and you know it has to
do with Jesus, but what exactly are we celebrating? Here’s a hint: It’s not the
death of Jesus. Yes, Jesus did die for our sins, but then real people, eye
witnesses saw him alive. He had told them he would rise from the dead, but no
one really expected Him to do it! The
resurrection not only proved that Jesus was who he claimed to be, but it
separates Christianity from every other religious tradition. We do not
celebrate someone who is dead. We celebrate that He is alive and because of
that we can trust Him.
Think
About This:
Why do we have belly buttons? Why does the lawn mower make that
funny noise? Why do I have to take a bath? Every young kid goes through that
stage. The one where it seems there is a question about everything. At the time
it made us crazy, but if we’re honest, a lot of us wouldn’t mind going back to
those types of questions. At least those had easier answers.
As our kids grow into teens, the questions may be fewer but they
become way more complicated. It’s harder for us, but completely normal for
them—part of maturing is asking questions and pushing back on what has been
taught. Especially in the area of faith, this can be really healthy. But, tough
questions about faith can leave parents feeling a lot of pressure to have all
the answers right now.
Thankfully, in his article, “I Doubt it”, Reggie Joiner suggests
that maybe having all the answers isn’t the best approach. “Relax when your children ask
skeptical questions. … If you want your children to own their own faith,
then you have to let them face their own doubts.”
In other words, letting our
students face their doubt doesn’t mean we ignore their more challenging
questions, but instead we hear them, and refuse to panic when we do. This alone
can go a long way in teaching teens that having doubt is not necessarily a bad
thing. Sometimes just saying, “I don’t know” or “let’s find out together” can
be the best response to a tough question.
Reggie
goes on to remind parents that doubt is part of a long journey.
You may have a primary role in shaping your kid’s faith, but you
will never be able to control what they believe or don’t believe. If you could
simply talk your kids into believing what you believe, then chances are someone
else will talk them out of it one day. The spiritual growth of your children
will take a number of twists and turns during their life. Most of us tend to
forget the complicated spiritual journey that has shaped our faith. We expect
our kids to skip that somehow. (from http://www.orangeparents.org/i-doubt-it/)
Try
This
Most students don’t need a
parent who has all the answers, but they do need an example of how to live out
your faith even when you still have doubts. They need a model of healthy
curiosity—the kind that doesn’t give up just because tough questions arise.
Next time a question or a
doubt arises in your mind, try mentioning it to your student. It doesn’t have
to be very serious or formal. You can begin this way:
- “You
know, I was just thinking. I wonder why God does this… ”
- “I’ve
never been able to figure out …”
- “I
wish I knew… ”
You don’t have to have an
answer prepared. Just being honest about the question may go a long way in
helping your teen have faith even when they experience doubt.