Christians don't always feel like Christians. They don't feel like praying or going to church. This is spiritual doubt and Jesus shows us how to deal with it.
Talking Points:
- We want to believe, but we aren’t always sure if we have it in us. Notice that Jesus does not cast the father aside for his wavering belief. He heals the boy. Jesus doesn’t cast us aside either because of our doubts. Mark 9:24
- Thankfully, you only need a small measure of faith in order to start a relationship with God. Jesus points out that you can accomplish much with just a little faith. And great faith takes time to develop through many small acts of obedience. Luke 17:6
- We can have wavering faith and still be right with God. This is because our hope is not based on our ability to trust without doubt, but on Jesus’ ability to save.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Read Mark 9:24. What do you do when you sense that your faith in God is wavering? Do you reach out to a friend? Talk to God about the problem?
- How comfortable are you coming to God when you are struggling with doubts and your faith feels weak? If you are uncomfortable coming to God in those moments, why?
- Describe a time when you were in a situation where only God could help you. What did God do in that moment?
- Read Luke 17:6. Can you think of a moment when you had very little faith? How did God work in that moment even though your faith was small?
- Give some practical examples of what it looks like to act on your faith, not on your doubts.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
