Week 1 - DOUBT

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE DOUBT
WEEK 1: DISCUSSION GUIDE

This week Scott kicked off our Christmas series by talking about Joseph. Joseph was faithful to God, and obedient in taking Mary as his wife, but his obedience began with a struggle. He struggled to believe Mary. He struggled to trust what God was doing. In the end, we see that Joseph was a man of faith. Faith isn’t about blindly believing. We see a lot of people “of faith” throughout the Bible, who also struggle with God. In our current Christian culture, struggling with questions, or having doubts are often judged as being a sign of faithlessness.

Joseph was never judged for his struggles. Within the church, people often conceal their struggles and doubts. We can think that it is weak to doubt. We can feel like it is embarrassing to have questions.

DISCUSS

Just for fun...
Tell us about your favorite Christmas tradition.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were afraid to ask questions?

Do you often deal with doubt?

What are the things that can cause you to have doubts and struggles with God?

When you have doubts and struggles, do they make you feel like you are not faithful, or spiritual?

Struggles and doubts are not a sign of faithlessness. To the contrary, they are things that great leaders in the Bible endured as well. Knowing this, do you need to allow yourself to struggle with some things?

What do you need from other people when you are working through struggles and doubts?

How can you be there for others who are working through these kinds of things?

PRAY

Pray that we will be honest with each other, with God, and with ourselves when it comes to the struggles and doubts that we face. Pray that we will not pretend that these things don’t exist, but that we will learn to face them head-on.