The Apostle Thomas… (pause) I wonder if he was a
good bowler.
Now, most of you know me well enough to know
I’m not exactly… gifted when it comes to sports.
I’m about to tell you something, but I’ll warn you:
most of you probably won’t believe me.”
I actually won a game of bowling against my
family last week?
(Beats look around)
And how many of you would need some proof?
Well, in that first game, I scored a 163—and yes, I
got six strikes.
Still doubting me? That’s fair. Honestly, I would
doubt me too. Which is why—I came prepared.”
Slide: Show a pic of the scoreboard… proof.
“How many of you would believe me if I told you
I actually won the second game too?
both scores
I did- it wasn’t as high as the first, but I still came
out on top with a 119.
Now, I really don’t blame those of you who were
skeptical. Honestly, I would’ve been skeptical too.
I was just as surprised as you are!
Sometimes, it’s hard to take someone’s word for
it. Sometimes, we just need proof.
And that’s exactly where Thomas found himself.
When he heard the others saying, ‘We’ve seen the
Lord!’ he just couldn’t accept it without evidence.
He needed to see Jesus with his own eyes before
he could believe.”
This week, we will be in
John 20:24-31.
Review
We have been going through a series titled Keys of
John. Pastor Billy and Pastor Kevin have shared that
the central purpose of John’s Gospel is to lead the
reader to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.
John uses the word “believe” 98 times in this book,
with each story serving as a testimony that Jesus is the
Messiah, and that He lived, died, and was resurrected.
John wants us to be CERTAIN about Jesus.
In Week 2, Pastor Kevin reminded us through the story
of Lazarus that
Jesus is love.
He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and He loves you
and me. Last week, we examined how Jesus responded
to the adulterous woman with love and forgiveness. He
stooped down and restored her honor, showing Himself
as a God who forgives.
Jesus is forgiveness
So far, all these stories are ones we can relate to. We
have all experienced grief, longed for love and
comfort, and fallen short of the glory of God. We all
know the need for forgiveness.
However, when it comes to doubt and questioning,
many may feel shame or guilt. I came to know the
Lord at the age of 24 and when I asked a question
about something that I didn’t understand or doubted, I
felt I “should know the answer” so I often hesitated to
ask the question. Somewhere along the way, we’ve
been made to feel guilty for asking questions about our
faith.
In faith, sometimes we are expected to believe just
because the Bible says so or because the pastor says so.
But the truth is this: it is through questions, often
sparked by doubt, that our faith can grow deeper
and our relationship with God can become
stronger.
Doubt isn’t the end of faith—it’s often the
beginning of a deeper journey.
After Jesus’ death, after He had been placed in the
tomb, and after Mary, John, Peter, and the other
disciples discovered the tomb was empty, Jesus
appeared to His disciples. He made Himself visible and
spent 40 days teaching them. Today’s scripture drops us
in right at the start of Jesus “come back”
Let’s read John 20:19-22:
“On the evening of the first day of the week,
when the disciples were together with the doors locked
for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood
among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After He
said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The
disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again, Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the
Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that,
He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy
Spirit.
v24
“Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the
Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.”
Anyone struggle with FOMO, the Fear of Missing
Out? Talk about a bad day to be absent! Thomas must
have had serious FOMO. Forty days of hanging out
with Jesus, and Thomas wasn’t there for the first visit.
Slide: “So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen
the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail
marks in His hands, put my finger where the nails
were, and put my hand into His side, I will not
believe.'”
Thomas missed it! He only hears from the other
disciples,
“Thomas, guess who came to visit us?
“Who?”
“Jesus!”
“ yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it.”
And as a result, Thomas is given a nickname!
NICKNAMES:
Who has a nickname?
Anyone know what they called Brian Charette back in
the day, when he was a DJ?
Slide: BC in the Morning.
Catchy, don’t you think?
Can you imagine my surprise when I found out from
his momma, that Kirby Dean’s real name is not really
Kirby. Kirby is his nickname. It’s Gerald.
Pastor Kevin, is often referred to as Griff or Rev Kev.
We used to call my oldest daughter, “Google” cause
when she was in HS she thought she knew everything.
Now many of you might remember that I once had the
nickname “Lala” on the softball field. I received a few
nicknames as a kid. “Chubby” was my least favorite,
“Chubs” for short. But the one that probably suited me
best was was “Llorona” which means, crybaby in
Spanish. And that name was rightfully given, because
I was and still am a crier.
Slide: Show Picture of me Crying
Nicknames sometimes define your character or your
personality. The disciple, Thomas, is often known as
“Doubting Thomas.” Because he “doubted” that Jesus
rose.
Thomas knew Jesus had been crucified.. And though he
knew the grave was empty, he couldn’t yet grasp what
that meant—that Jesus was alive. It went against
everything he had seen and known.
His doubt wasn’t stubbornness; it was based on what
he had experienced.
Let’s face it, Thomas’s heart was broken (pause). And
doubt has a way of creeping in when you are in the
valley.
When I think of the times that I have doubted God’s
faithfulness and goodness, it has been in times of
darkness, fear and despair. There is nothing satan likes
to do more than to kick you when you are already
feeling down. Before we know it, our enemy will use
our doubt against us and start feeding us with lies.
The disciples had the evidence.
It’s one thing to hear about Jesus, but it’s
another thing entirely to encounter Him for
yourself.
They had seen Jesus alive. They had experienced His
presence firsthand. And yet, even as they told Thomas
what had happened, he had not yet encountered Jesus’
presence himself.
The disciples tried to convey it to him: “We have seen
the Lord!” But hearing about it is not the same as
experiencing it for yourself. You can hear how it
happens for others. The word of the testimony is
important, but it doesn’t fully connect until you
encounter it personally. That’s what Thomas needed—
to experience the presence of Jesus for himself.
Someone said,
“Doubt is one foot lifted, poised to step
forward or backward. There is no motion until the
foot comes down.”
Doubting is something we have all experienced. Our
human minds are simply trying to wrap around the
things we hear and learn about God and the immense
love He has for us.
To doubt out loud is better than disbelief in
silence.
Doubting leads to questions, questions lead to answers,
and when answers are accepted and understood, doubt
can move you forward in your faith.
Let’s continue with verses 26-28:
“A week later…”
I can only imagine the wrestling that took place in
Thomas’s mind for 8 days. The questions he might
have asked out loud or in his head.
“Did Jesus really come and I missed it?”
“Then again, I did see him raise Lazarus from the dead
after three days, but that was someone else.”
“If Jesus is alive, what does it mean?”
Thomas, doubting, makes sense. It was true to his
character. Ever have a friend who was bound to say
out loud what everyone was thinking. Thomas was
like that…
We see several times in scripture when Thomas asked
the questions that others may have been thinking but
were too afraid to ask. For example when Jesus said
that He was going away and that He was going to
prepare a place for the disciples and would come again
for them (John 14:2-4) everyone else was silent. When
it seemed no one else would speak up, Thomas asked
“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can
we know the way”
A few weeks ago, when reading the story of Lazarus,
Thomas was the brave one who stood up and said, “Let
us also go, that we may die with him”
v26 “The disciples were together again, and
this time Thomas was with them.”
Despite Thomas’s doubt, he still chose to be in
fellowship with others. He didn’t retract in his
doubt, but stayed connected to those who believed.
v26-27 “The doors were locked; but suddenly,
as before, Jesus was standing among them. ‘Peace
be with you,’ He said. Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put
your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your
hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless
any longer. (And, then, with one of the 98 times it is
mentioned in the book of John, Jesus says) Believe!’
v28 ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas
exclaimed.”
Jesus met Thomas right where He was. (He does that
for you too.)
Never think the God of the universe is
intimidated by your doubt.
He knows that what we really need is a personal
encounter with Him.
Jesus came to Thomas and left no doubt that He was
alive. “Here are my hands, go ahead touch them, my
side, go ahead, check it out!” (Janette Paraphrase)
JESUS IS… the One who turns doubt into
faith
See, this story isn’t at all about doubt, it is about faith.
Thomas shouldn’t be known as “doubting Thomas” but
as “faithful Thomas”. Thomas is believed to have died
as a martyr in India around 72 AD. Thomas ultimately
became a devoted follower of Jesus, and his story is
used as an example of faith and belief.
How do we deal with doubt? We ACT on our doubt.
A.C.T.
A – Ask – Speak your questions instead of keeping them to
yourself. Doubt invites honest conversation. Staying
silent about our doubts isolates and makes us feel like
we’re alone.
Early in my faith journey—I doubted the existence of
God. I had just gone through a miscarriage. I was
pregnant again, and doctors thought I might miscarry a
second time.
I remember vividly sitting on the steps of my home,
crying, and wondering if God was even real. I thought,
“If there really is a God who loves me, why would He
allow me to go through this twice? Wasn’t once painful
enough?”
I voiced my doubts out loud to the very God I was
questioning. And I also shared them with a friend. She
gently walked me through the Scriptures and reassured
me that God was very real and that He understood the
pain I was carrying.
Looking back, Jesus used that moment to strengthen
my faith. What felt like the lowest point became a
turning point—a pivotal moment in my walk with
Him.
You may not have had the same experience, but you
might have questions like, “If God is with me, why do
I feel alone?” ” If God provides, why am I in debt?”
“If God answers prayers, why is my family broken?”
“If God is good, why would all those little girls at a
Christian camp die in a flood.” If God has a plan for
my life, why isn’t He filling me in on the plan?” We
have all had the questions.
- Research shows that a child’s understanding of the
world grows most rapidly between the ages of 3
and 5—their ‘Why?’ stage. Why do the birds
chirp? Why does the plane fly? Why is the sky
blue? ‘Why? Why? Why?’ Every answer sparks
another question. This relentless curiosity is a
natural part of learning and discovery. - It’s no wonder Jesus tells us to come to Him like
little children. Humble, curious, and unafraid to
ask questions, children remind us that faith isn’t
about having all the answers. It’s about a heart
willing to seek, learn, and trust.
C – Connect
Seek God personally. Hearing about Him from others
isn’t enough. Faith grows when it becomes personal.
Experiencing God transforms belief into trust. You can
hear friends describe how amazing a concert was, or
how breathtaking a sunrise looked, but it doesn’t truly
impact you until you witness it for yourself. The truth
doesn’t fully sink in until it became personal. That’s
exactly what Thomas needed: a firsthand encounter
with Jesus, not just secondhand reports from the
disciples. And this is why Jesus invites us to seek Him
with intentionality. As Matthew 6:33 says, ‘Seek ye
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added unto you.’ When we
actively pursue God, when we move beyond hearing to
seeking and experiencing Him for ourselves, our faith
grows stronger, our trust deepens, and we discover the
reality of His presence in our lives.
T – Trust -Let your doubts be answered. When met with truth,
faith grows stronger. After Jesus showed Thomas His
hands and side, Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my
God!” Doubt didn’t destroy his faith. It strengthened it.
When we face our questions honestly and allow God to
answer, our trust deepens and becomes unshakable.
You may know the name Lee Strobel. He was an
award-winning journalist for the Chicago Tribune –
who was also an atheist and the ultimate doubter. He
spent two years trying to disprove the reality of Jesus
and the resurrection. He failed.
Show the video: (1:13)
He has since written many books proving that Christ is
the Messiah and living Christ. There is a movie based
on his life, A Case for Christ.
What started as doubted…triumphed in faith.
The passage ends with Jesus’ words in verse 29:
Slide: “Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because
you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe
without seeing me.'”
You know who that is? (Look around the room)
Earlier, I told you about my shocking bowling victory,
the one many of you didn’t believed until I showed you
proof. Honestly, I don’t blame you. If someone told me
I bowled a 163 with six strikes, I wouldn’t believe it
either. I’d want to see the scoreboard.
But faith isn’t like bowling. You don’t always get to
see the scoreboard. Jesus told Thomas, “You believe
because you’ve seen me. Blessed are those who have
not seen and yet believe.”
Sometimes, you don’t get the picture proof. You don’t
get the scoreboard snapshot. Actually, when I was
taking the picture of the score of the second game, the
screen cleared, and I thought to myself, “No one is
going to believe that I won if I don’t have the proof.”
(Thankfully I was able to recall the score to get the
picture I showed you today.) Sometimes, you don’t get
the physical evidence. But you do get the presence of
God, the testimony of others, and the promise of His
Word. And Jesus says that kind of faith, faith that trusts
even without seeing, is blessed.
So where does that leave us? I don’t know what
questions you have, but I can promise you this: as a
staff and as a community of believers, we want to be
there to walk with you through your questions. If you
need to talk out your doubt, we are here for that.
Honestly, it excites me. I love ministering to the
curious, the seekers, because they have the best
questions. Often times, I learn while helping them
learn.
Ask a mentor. Ask a friend. This is why life groups are
such an important part of our culture here at COTN.
They provide a safe environment where you can build
relationships and ask questions.
Call to Action:
Here’s what I want to invite you to do this week:
- Ask – Bring one honest question you have about
your faith to God in prayer. Write it down today
before you leave and start talking with Him about
it this week. I want to challenge you to pray one
honest prayer. Not fancy words. Just the truth.
Maybe it’s, ‘God, I don’t even know if You’re
real.’ That’s okay—He can handle it. Just be real
with Him. See what happens.” You can start today
at the altar or make your seat at an altar. - Connect – Share that question with someone you
trust—a mentor, a life group leader, a friend, call
someone on staff— or email me at…
pastorjanette@cotnaz.org and let us walk with you
as you search for answers. At this church, you are
NEVER alone. - Trust – As you seek, ask God to meet you in the
middle of your doubt, just like He met Thomas.
And listen friends: Be ready for Him to show up in
ways you may not expect.”
Song: Make Room (Worship Team)
Benediction:
The whole chapter ends with this proclamation of the
purpose of the book of John: one that we have been
hammering repeatedly throughout the series.
v30-31
“The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous
signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But
these are written so that you may continue to believe
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by
believing in him you will have life by the power of his
name.”
Church, I pray that today you don’t feel guilty or
shameful about your doubt or even your unbelief, but
that instead you would use it as a step forward toward
your faith, praying for Jesus to help you with your
unbelief.