Learning to Doubt Your Doubts
by Tom Goodman
March 19, 2008

In one of the old Peanuts cartoons, Peppermint Patty stepped up to the store counter at the start of a new school year.  "I need some school supplies," she said.  "Some pencils, some paper, a loose-leaf binder -- and some answers....  I need a lot of answers."

Don't we all.

We've all struggled with religious questions and doubts, and this is true for those who are following Christ as well as those who are considering a commitment to him.

In his book, If I Really Believe, Why Do I Have These Doubts? Lynn Anderson identified different things that cause doubt.  He says there are "congenital doubters" like himself (and myself) whose personality draws them to uncertainties and questions.  Other doubters are rebellious people who say, "I'm not going to let somebody run my life or do my thinking."  Then there are people whose doubts stem from their disappointment with God.  Others have personal or family wounds -- Anderson pointed out how many of history's most famous atheists had a strained relationship with their father or their dad died early or abandoned them at a young age.  Sometimes doubts come at particular seasons of life -- people can be great believers at one point in life and then get too busy for prayer and Bible study and find that doubts have crept into a faith they have not been cultivating.

If you can identify with those who doubt, join us at Hillcrest this Easter Sunday.  I'm bringing a study from Matthew 11 called, "Learning to Doubt Your Doubts."  We'll look at John the Baptist's crisis of faith and how Jesus dealt with him.

It's the first in a new series called "The Final Four."  Across the next several weeks we'll look at how to beat the obstacles to real faith.

Invite someone to this important series starting this Easter Sunday, 9:30am or 10:45am!
 
--Tom

Reminder: The Anchor Course is for believers who want to explain the faith and for seekers who want to examine the faith.  To learn more about the Course, come to my "Get Anchored" Dinner this Wednesday, March 19, starting at 6:30pm.  If you decide to sign up for the 8-week study, you will receive your book at the end of the dinner.

Drop By the Blog, Leave a Comment.  At my weblog, "Get Anchored," every Sunday I post a new "Song of the Week" (This week, "O Come and Mourn with Me Awhile" by Jars of Clay).  Also, every Tuesday I post some entertaining and informative "Links to Your World."   This week, you can also see comments and photos from our trip to Israel, a surprise about Katherine Heigl, and the continuation of my LeaderLines series called "unChristian Christianity."

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