Perhaps more than ever before, the church needs to address the fundamental questions about the Christian faith. Increasingly, our culture is becoming more secular, and a higher percentage of Christians are wandering away from their faith heritage, often times because they find the Church to be afraid of their questions and doubts, rather than embracing them.
The Room for Doubt series wants to change that. At the heart of this series is that it’s okay to ask questions, and even express doubts about the Christian faith. At the same time, we want to offer some compelling considerations for the hope provided by the message of Jesus and to do so with gentleness and respect.
Week 1: The Upside of Doubt (January 13/14)
Doubt can be scary. Maybe you doubt that God can actually forgive you. Or you wonder whether the Bible is the actual Word of God. Or you question why God lets people suffer. Many people struggle with these issues and more in silence because they don’t feel like they have a safe place to wrestle with their doubt. Or, they feel like they’re somehow less of a Christian if they have doubts.
Week 2: How Can We Be Sure God Actually Exists?
We live in an age of growing skepticism where we’re increasingly asked to defend our belief in God. In fact, many of the top-selling books of recent years were written by a group of authors who have become known as the “New Atheists.” People like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others have been active in not only writing popular books, but also in spreading their anti-God agenda on social media, blogs, and even rallies. As a result, many Christians are joining the chorus of non-Christians asking the question, “How can we be sure God actually exists?”
Week 3: Isn’t the Bible Full of Myths and Mistakes?
The Bible is the most scrutinized piece of literature in history, and yet over and over, it continues to stand strong against its accusers. If the words of the Bible point us to eternal life and teach us how to live as those redeemed through Christ, how can we be confident that what it says is true and accurate?
Week 4: Why Do Christians Say that Jesus is God’s Son?
The skeptic might say, “Anyone can claim to be God, but that doesn’t make it true.” And that’s accurate. The question is whether the person making the claim can back it up with any good evidence. Jesus could, and in week 4 of our Room for Doubt series, we will study the evidence of Jesus’ claim and how the resurrection is the exclamation point to it.
Week 5: Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering?
It’s clear to see that our world is filled with unthinkable tragedy, pain, and suffering. From shootings in schools and malls and military bases to families being ripped apart and sold into slavery, our history is filled with horrific stories of pain. And for many, these stories cause them to question or doubt God. People often times ask, “Why? Why does God allow these things to happen?”
Week 6: Tolerance, Truth, and the Exclusive Claims of Christ
A common objection to all religions, not just Christianity, is, “Don’t all religions basically teach the same thing and lead to the same place?” In a word, “No?” Then, how do we know the claims of Christianity are true compared to, say, that of Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism? For that matter, why do we need religion at all? Can’t we get along just fine without it? Who are we to say what’s right and what’s wrong? Isn’t truth relative? How do we even know Jesus was telling the truth?