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Transcript

Doubting Thomas: When Doubt Becomes the Doorway to Faith · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
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  Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
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  Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
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  Two thousand came and the spark was lit. A testimony raw, it wouldn't quit.
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  His mother's voice, a guiding thread.
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  Before we officially bring in the light of Christ, you know,
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  I want to tell you that there are moments in life when faith feels strong.
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  Moments when prayer comes easily.
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  Hope feels close and we feel certain that God is walking right beside us.
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  But if we're honest, there are other moments too. Moments when life becomes heavy.
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  Moments when prayers feel unanswered.
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  Moments when we quietly wonder God, are you still there?
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  The truth is, even the most faithful people have moments like this.
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  Moments where faith and doubt live in the same heart.
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  Even the disciples who walked beside Jesus struggled to understand what God was doing.
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  Today, we're going to hear a story of Thomas, a disciple often remembered for his doubt.
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  But what we discover is something beautiful.
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  Because when Thomas brought his doubt to Jesus, he didn't find rejection. He found grace.
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  And sometimes the strongest faith is born in the very place where doubt once lived.
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  Let us now bring in the light of Christ.
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  As many of you know, I always like to do a scripture overview just to give you
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  an example of what we're gonna be talking about, a description about what you're
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  gonna hear in the scriptures this morning. So here's your scripture overview.
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  Before we hear God's word, let me briefly connect these passages.
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  We're gonna be reading from Psalms 34. We are reminded that God is near.
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  God is near to those who are hurting.
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  The Psalms tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those
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  who are crushed in spirit.
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  It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, God does not abandon us.
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  Then in the Gospel of John, we encounter one of the most human moments in the
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  entire story of the resurrection.
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  The disciple Thomas, struggling to believe that Jesus has truly risen. He wanted proof.
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  He wants certainty. But instead of rejecting Thomas, Jesus meets him right where he is.
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  Together, these passages remind us that faith is not the absence of doubt.
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  Faith is discovering that even in our questions, Christ is still reaching out to us with grace.
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  So right into the Old Testament reading this morning, Psalms chapter 34, verses 18 through 20.
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  Hear what the good Lord has for us.
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  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
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  The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
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  He protects all his bones.
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  Not one of them will be broken.
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  This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
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  In the gospel reading, John chapter 20, verses 24 through 29.
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  It's labeled as Jesus appears to Thomas. Now Thomas, one of the twelve,
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  was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
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  So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord.
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  But he said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers
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  where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.
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  A week later, his disciples were in the house again. and Thomas was with them.
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  Through the doors were locked.
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  Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you.
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  Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here.
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  See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
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  Stop doubting and believe.
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  Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God, Then Jesus told him,
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  because you have seen me, you have believed.
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  Blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed.
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  This is the word of the Lord. Praise be to God.
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  And one of my favorite parts of today's services, to bring the children up.
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  So come on down, children. We got a cool one today.
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  There's one. Here we go. How you doing, buddy?
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  Hello. Come on over here. Come on over. Right over here. Because we got to do
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  a little guessing game today.
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  Taste my tail. Oh, yeah. Okay. Here we go. All right. Are we ready?
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  This took a long time to put this painter's tape on this broken box for me. It's funny. Okay.
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  Can anybody guess what is in this box? Rainbow? I would love to see that.
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  Nothing what do you think nothing all right ready how about this,
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  try again is there something in the box try it what do you think it's not in my notes.
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  Good try though,
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  how about the how about the adults what do you think ready hold on ready what
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  a bunny rabbit okay rocked donuts somebody get bill some donuts all right so,
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  you like donuts too oh that's good that's good well let me ask you this you
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  can't see what's inside of this right now right you can't well you can't look
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  in the hole you can't see what's inside of it right you can't see can you see
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  what's in here no you can't so if you can't see it, does that mean it's actually not there?
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  No. Okay. Have you ever believed in something that you couldn't see?
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  Let me give you an example. Your parents love you, right? They all love you,
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  right? Your parents love you.
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  Do you believe in the wind, even though you can't see the wind?
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  Yeah. So if I went like this, you can believe that's wind, right?
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  You feel it, but you can't see it.
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  How about the sun that's going to come out tomorrow? That's a great song, by the way.
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  Sun's going to come out tomorrow. Can you believe that the sun will come out?
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  Even though you can't see it? I can see the sun. Oh, you can.
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  But do you believe that the sun will come out tomorrow?
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  You don't know. I would say we believe that. Okay. Let me ask you this.
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  Did you know that when Jesus was on the cross, everybody got upset and nobody
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  believed and people doubted that he would may not return as he stated.
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  And what happened was when he did come back, you know what he first said to
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  the disciples? Right. Peace be with you.
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  And believing in Jesus is the most important thing.
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  So here's a question if i were to open this right now and tell you that seeing
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  truly is believing then i will tell you i'll take it out don't worry,
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  that in this box that you heard go,
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  is actually a flashlight.
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  Come on,
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  why do you think I have a flashlight in here take a guess take a guess why you
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  think I have a flashlight come on take a guess,
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  how about this see right here look up here let's do something cool see how it's blinking,
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  Faith is like a light. It's like a flashlight. Faith. You know why?
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  Because even though you can see light, you can feel faith.
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  And Jesus is within you all the time. You can feel hotness on a light.
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  Well, that'd be a really powerful light.
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  But Jesus is just like light.
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  We may not have to see it, but even though we do see it, we can feel it.
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  And we can feel Jesus in our hearts.
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  Let's pray. Cool? All right. There's more in the box.
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  Let's pray. Let's pray first. No, no, no donuts. If there was, I had to give it to Bill.
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  You lost that deal. Let's pray. Oh, careful. Heavenly Father,
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  we thank you for these children. We thank you for the ability to come together.
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  And we're asking these children to listen to today's story about doubting Thomas.
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  He doubts. But now that he saw Jesus, he believes. and we hope that these children
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  believe in Jesus just as we believe in them.
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  In Jesus' name we pray, amen. You wanna get right into what's in the box. I get it.
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  These are the coolest things ever. I found these. These are little watches with different colors.
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  You have those? Sweet. You have another one.
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  Here you go. Go ahead, take.
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  Cool? Yeah? Which color you want? That one? Come here. I got other ones. Which one you want?
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  Pink one? I think I have a pink one, let's see. How about a yellow?
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  Oh, there you go. Which one you want?
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  There you go. You're welcome.
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  You're good? All right. Thank you. All right. Go right back to your seats.
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  Enjoy. Thank you for participating.
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  You know how long it took me to tape up this box? Want one? Here. There you go. Thank you.
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  Best part of my day is preparing, believe it or not. I get nervous doing sermons,
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  but I love doing children's sermons because you just never know what they're going to do.
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  You never know. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, this message that we're about to
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  hear is one that inspired me from personal testimony,
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  one that inspired me to go deep down into some past things that took me a while to get over.
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  And today I will share those moments with our congregation.
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  I will share this story with the congregation and we will come together as one.
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  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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  So one week after Easter, here we are together as a congregation.
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  And I started thinking, what can I do? How can I follow up Easter Sunday Mass?
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  What can I do? And I remember, and I heard something deep down inside of me say, doubting Thomas.
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  And it just so happens that that week prior, I actually did an assignment about
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  Thomas. And I said, this is perfect.
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  So Thomas is often remembered by one nickname, Doubting Thomas.
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  But if we're honest, Thomas may not be or may be the most relatable disciple in the Bible.
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  The other disciples told him that we have seen the Lord.
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  But Thomas said, unless I see nail marks on his hands, I will not believe.
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  Thomas had watched Jesus die.
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  He had experienced the grief, the confusion, the heartbreak,
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  the heartbreak of believing everything they hoped for was over.
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  Thomas wasn't rebellious. He was human.
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  And sometimes faith and doubt live side by side in the same heart.
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  A week later the disciples gathered again the doors are locked and suddenly
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  jesus appears among them and he says peace be with you then he turns directly
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  to thomas put your finger here,
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  see my hands reach out your hand and put it into my side notice what jesus did not do,
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  He does not shame Thomas. He does not scold him. He invites him closer.
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  Grace meets Thomas right in the middle of his doubt.
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  This morning, I've been thinking a lot about faith, especially when I look at our youth.
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  There's something happening.
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  It's not loud. It's not flashy, but it's real.
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  I see young people asking deeper questions Searching for something solid Something
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  true And in the world that's consistently shifting That kind of faith matters,
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  And then I came across the story That stayed with me and continues to About the U.S.
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  Airman Who was shot down over Iran He was injured He was alone And he was waiting.
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  Not for a few hours but nearly 30 hours can you imagine that kind of waiting,
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  no answers no timeline just silence and that's where faith gets real,
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  not when everything is going right but in the waiting,
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  psalms 27 i remain confident of this i will see the goodness of the lord wait for the lord,
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  be strong and take heart and wait for the lord that word wait,
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  not once but twice because waiting isn't easy,
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  I don't know what that airman was thinking, but I know this.
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  You don't endure that. That's something like that. You don't endure that without
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  something holding you together.
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  And maybe that's where you are today.
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  Waiting. Waiting for answers. Waiting for healing.
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  Waiting for something to change. And that's where doubt shows up. is God still there?
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  Did he forget me? But scripture will remind us to be strong,
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  take heart, wait on the Lord.
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  Because God is still working, even when you don't see it.
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  There was a time in my life when I truly wondered if God had forgotten me.
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  26 years ago, the company I worked for closed their offices in Middletown,
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  where I was employed, and offered me a transfer to Providence, Rhode Island.
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  At that time, I was coming off a very painful breakup, and I thought a change
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  might help me start over.
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  Instead, I fell into a deep depression that lasted nearly three years.
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  The depression didn't help When I went into the new office And my new boss Who
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  didn't want me there Made my experience very difficult,
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  Scheduling meetings And telling me to come Only to show up an hour late And
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  they've already eaten And had the meeting And made me look like I was,
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  Not doing my job And arriving on time.
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  My ex-girlfriend Had stolen my identity And left me with nearly $60,000 in debt,
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  I had no friends in the area No family nearby It was just me and my My little
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  pet dog Buster B Who's since gone on with the Lord,
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  To survive financially I took
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  on several jobs Including my primary job I worked for a catering company,
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  I took a job as a server for TGIF Fridays,
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  I worked as a pharmaceutical assistant at CVS I worked overnight shifts as a
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  janitor For New Bright Cleaning Services Where I would clean 72 cubicles at
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  Washington Neusual And FedEx Warehouse until 4 in the morning,
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  Four jobs, almost no sleep.
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  There were nights while mopping the floors, I'd start to cry.
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  I'd cry in the car ride home. I'd cry to work.
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  I cried during my meal breaks. I'd cry myself to sleep.
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  Then I remember asking, asking a question that many people ask quietly in their hearts.
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  God, have you forgotten me?
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  Then one day, my parents came to visit me. They noticed something that I had overlooked.
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  My apartment was right next to the first reformed church of Riverside, Rhode Island.
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  They suggested that I attend. So the first Sunday that we walked through those
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  doors, the church was celebrating and unveiling their brand new piano.
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  And the first song that they played was Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone.
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  In that moment, I felt something shift.
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  It was as though God was telling me that it was time to let go of the murders.
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  I had been crying, but God wasn't finished.
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  During the fellowship, my mom told some members, without my knowledge,
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  of course, that I was new to the area.
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  Soon thereafter, my parents went away, back home.
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  And all of a sudden, the door began to knock at my apartment.
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  I had elders, deacons, members of the church inviting me to their homes, bringing me meals.
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  Oh, and those amazing banana nut bread.
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  Oh, oh.
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  They welcomed me into their lives And they slowly I realized something,
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  God had not forgotten me And he had surrounded me with people Who cared He surrounded me with servants,
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  With that I could only describe them as angels in my life That church family
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  helped lift me up During the darkest times and years of my life.
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  And that's why the story of Thomas speaks so deeply to me.
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  Because Thomas thought hope was gone.
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  But Jesus walked into the room where he was hiding, right into his doubt, right into his pain.
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  And Thomas responded with one of the most powerful declarations in the scripture.
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  My Lord, my God.
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  Sometimes the strongest faith grows in the place where doubt once lived.
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  So I'm going to ask you a question this morning.
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  Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you?
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  Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you?
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  Maybe life didn't turn out the way you expected. Maybe the road became harder than you imagined.
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  Maybe you've prayed and waited and waited and waited and waited some more.
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  And somewhere along the way, a quiet thought slipped into your mind.
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  God, are you still there?
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  If you have ever felt that way, I want you to hear this clearly right now.
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  God has not forgotten you.
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  He has not turned his back on you. He has not abandoned your story.
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  In fact, the very reason you are here today, Maybe because God is reminding
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  you something important.
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  This moment, this hour, this service, and this message.
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  It may be the very way that Jesus can only reach out to you right now.
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  Just like he reached out to Thomas.
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  Just like he reached out to me when I walked into that church in Rhode Island.
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  And just like he reaches out to every one of us when we begin to wonder if we are alone.
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  So, if you came here today feeling tired. If you came here today feeling uncertain.
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  If you came here today because you felt forgotten.
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  Here's the reality. Here's the truth. Jesus loves you.
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  Jesus believes in you.
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  Jesus trusts in you.
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  Jesus will never, ever leave your side.
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  And Jesus sees you.
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  And he's never stopped walking beside you. The story of Thomas reminds us of
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  something we often forget.
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  Faith is not about having every answer. Faith is about trusting that even when
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  we struggle, Christ is still reaching for us.
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  Thomas thought he needed proof. But what he really needed was an encounter with Jesus.
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  And when Jesus appeared before him, everything changed.
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  Thomas didn't just believe. He proclaimed one of the most powerful declarations in the Bible.
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  I've said it four times already, and I'll say it again. My Lord and my God.
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  You see, doubt was not the end of Thomas' story.
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  It became the doorway that led him to a deeper faith.
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  And the same can be true for us because every one of us will face moments when
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  we feel life is uncertain.
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  Moments when the doors of our hearts feel locked.
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  Moments when we are not sure what God is doing.
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  But the good news of the resurrection is this. Jesus still walks into a locked room.
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  He still meets people in their fear He still meets us in our questions And He
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  still speaks the same words today That He spoke to His disciples that night,
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  Peace be with you.
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  So, if you ever find yourself wondering if God has forgotten you,
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  Listen to the promise in the greatest book the greatest love story,
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  the greatest book that is provided to each and every one of us. We know it as the Bible.
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  Hebrews chapter 13, verse five, only backs up that statement.
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  Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.
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  God has not forgotten you. He has not abandoned you. And he's still walking beside you today.
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  So remember, the truth as you leave this morning is that even when we doubt,
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  Christ still comes to us.
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  Let's do that together. Even when we doubt, Christ still comes together to us.
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  Even when we struggle, Christ still comes to us.
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  Christ comes to us even when we wonder if we have been forgotten.
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  To my congregation, to our deacons and elders, to our pastors,
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  Christ loves you. Because Christ has risen.
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  Amen.
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  Let's do a quick prayer, a blessing. Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding
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  us that your grace meets us wherever we are.
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  As we live this place today, help us carry the peace of Christ into our homes,
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  our workplace, and our communities.
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  When we are encountered with doubt, remind us of your presence.
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  When we encounter struggle, remind us of your promises.
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  And may the risen Christ walk beside us, strengthen our faith,
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  and guide us through our steps in the days ahead.
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  In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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  Our time of worship is now concluded. It is always a joy to be with you and
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  I will be with you watching the next sermon and the next sermon and the next sermon.
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  As we go out into the world today, remember the most important thing. Christ is risen.
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  And remember that Jesus loves you,
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  that Jesus believes in you, that Jesus has not forsaken you,
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  will never leave your side, because Jesus trusts in you and your story has not finished.
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  It is only begun.
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  In the words of my family, que Dios te bendiga, which means may God bless you.
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  And of course, my father's favorite line, let's eat. Have a good day.