overview

now you see Him;

now you don t
topic
Faith and the issue of doubt
description
Faith and doubt are some of the biggest issues that students face. What is
faith? Why do we sometimes feel as if we doubt God all the time? This
study addresses the issue of faith and where our faith should be placed.
key verse
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see (Hebrews 11:1).
biblical basis
John 20:19-31; Hebrews 11:1; Revelation 2:10
the big idea
You must have faith to believe in a God you cannot see.
aims of the study
Examine how Gods Word defines faith.
Help students discover how faith affects their relationship with Christ.

Help students implement a choice to live out faith in areas of doubt.

preparation
For the introduction, you will need an apple, a lemon, an orange and a
pear (or similar fruits) and four paper plates (one for each type of fruit).
Cut the apple, lemon, orange and pear into several slices before the les-
son and place them on the paper plates.
For the challenge, you will need 3x5-inch index cards and pens or pen-
cils, enough for each student to have one of each.
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outline
now you see Him;
now you don t
introduction
Divide the room down the middle. The left side of the room will be the
agree side while the right side of the room will be the disagree side.
Have the students stand up and move to the appropriate side of the room
based on whether they agree or disagree with the following statements.
Interact with a few of the students on the agree side and the disagree side
as you discuss each statement:
1. Believing in things I cant see is easy.
2. Faith is for those who need something to believe in because they
cant deal with reality.
3. Faith is believing in something only when you know its true.
4. Jesus disciples were always men of faith.
5. If a Christian doesnt always have faith, something is wrong with
him or her.
6. Believing in Jesus is sometimes difficult because I cant see Him.
7. I can believe in God without having any faith.
Have the students return to their seats and then read or say the following:
In every part of our lives, we are required to believe in things that we
dont see. At school, we have faith that what we are learning will
someday help us. When we get in a car, we have faith that it will start.
When we turn on the water faucet, we have faith that the water will
pour out. In fact, most things we do require some faith. Lets see how
faith works.
The following exercise is designed to demonstrate how faith works.
Select four students and send them outside the room. Call each student
back into the room one at a time. Have sample pieces of fruit hidden from
the student. Have the student put on a blindfold and then give each of the
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fruits one at a time to the student. Before the student eats the fruit, say,
you will now eat a piece of ____________________________________.
The trick is to feed the student the lemon when saying orange the
first time. The second time you say orange, see what he or she does, but
make sure he or she gets the orange the second time. Be truthful when you
name the rest of the fruits before asking each student to taste the fruit.
After you have fed each student the four pieces of fruit, have him or her re-
move the blindfold. When all four have tasted the fruit, discuss the follow-
ing questions:
1. How did you feel eating something you couldnt see? Did you believe
it was what I said it was going to be before you ate it?
2. How did you feel when you tasted a lemon when I told you that you
were going to receive an orange?
3. What did you think you were going to get when I again told you that
you were going to receive an orange?
4. Did it take faith for you to eat what you were given without seeing it?
in the word
I. It Takes Faith
A. Read Hebrews 11:1 and discuss the following questions:
1. Did you agree or disagree with the statement, Faith is
believing in something only when you know its true?
2. How would you explain what being sure of what we hope
for means?
3. How would you explain what certain of what we do not
see means?
4. Does faith then require us to believe in something that we
cant see?
5. Since we cant see God, does it take faith to believe in Him?
Why or why not?
B. After discussing the Hebrews passage on what faith is, have the
students divide into small groups of four to six members. They
will discuss the story of doubting Thomas in John 20:19-31.
II. Doubting Thomas
A. There are many of us who dont always have faith. All of us at
various times in our lives will have doubts.
B. Even one of Jesus disciples doubted that He was raised from
the dead. (Read John 20:19-31.)
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C. Have the students discuss the following questions in their groups:
1. Was Thomas sure of things hoped for and certain of things
not seen? Did Thomas have faith? Explain your answer.
2. How have you felt like Thomas in the last week?
3. Is believing in things that you cannot see easy? Explain.
4. How does John 20:29 relate to Hebrews 11:1?
challenge
Now that we know God is with us even though we cant see Him and we
know that He helps us even though we cant see Him, we need to make a
decision to leave doubt behind and start trusting Him completely with
our whole lives.
action steps
Give a 3x5-inch card and a pen or a pencil to each student. On the 3x5
card, have the students write down one area in their lives where its tough
for them to have faith in God. Give the students an example from your
own life.
After everyone has written down their answers, have them write Gods
promise in Revelation 2:10 (Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I
will give you the crown of life) or Hebrews 11:1 (Now faith is being sure
of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see) on the other side
of their cards. Instruct students to place this card in their wallet, purse,
notebook or backpack, and that whenever they start to worry, doubt, or
lose faith in the area indicated on their cards, to read the card to remember
that theyve given the problem over to Him and He will indeed be faithful.
Conclude the time together by praying for each other that God would
continue to be evident in their lives and that they would be able to believe
and have faith while in a world that seems to have none.
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