Life.Church Podcast with Craig Groeschel
Episode: The Benefit of Doubt | Part 1
Date: February 16, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Pastor Craig Groeschel addresses the challenging topic of spiritual doubt, emphasizing its often misunderstood but constructive role in the journey of faith. Groeschel seeks to normalize spiritual questioning, providing biblical examples and personal anecdotes to reassure listeners that doubts are not only common but can serve as a catalyst to a deeper, richer relationship with God. The message is delivered with empathy, vulnerability, and practical wisdom, encouraging both individuals experiencing doubts and those supporting loved ones through faith struggles.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Reality of Doubt in Faith
- Doubt is a universal experience, even for devoted believers.
- Common sources of faith struggles: unanswered prayers, personal suffering, deconstruction after negative church experiences, or loved ones stepping away from faith.
- Well-meaning but simplistic “bumper sticker theology” often fails to help those in real pain or with real questions.
- Quote: "With good intentions, we’ll like, drop those little platitudes, those little Christian sayings. I call it bumper sticker theology." (04:55)
2. Personal Vulnerability and Authenticity
- Craig shares his own struggles with doubt, particularly relating to prayer for healing.
- Quote: "You ask me, does God have the power to heal miraculously? And I’ll tell you all day long. But not as often. Whenever I pray, it’s like, it seems like that’s super personal." (09:12)
- Being open about doubts, especially as a church leader, can be difficult but is essential for community and growth.
3. Doubt in the Bible: You’re Not Alone
- The “Relatability Principle”: People trust and relate more to those who struggle as they do.
- Scriptural examples of faith-filled people who doubted:
- Sarah & Abraham: Laughed at God’s promise due to their old age.
- Israelites: Witnessed miracles but still doubted.
- Gideon: Asked for multiple signs.
- John the Baptist: Questioned if Jesus was the One, even after dedicating his life to prepare the way.
- Thomas: Wouldn’t believe Jesus’ resurrection without tangible proof.
- Disciples at the Ascension: "They worshiped him, but some doubted." (Matthew 28:17)
- Quote: "Those weren’t his enemies. Those weren’t skeptics or strangers. Those were his disciples... And some worshiped and some doubted." (24:15)
4. Jesus’ Response to Doubt
- Jesus did not rebuke or shame doubters. Instead, he entrusted them with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
- Quote: "Jesus looked at those who worshiped and those who doubted and said, go into all the world and preach the risen Christ. Baptize them." (27:05)
- Doubt, therefore, isn’t the enemy of faith but can be a path to a more robust, nuanced relationship with God.
5. Why Do We Doubt?
- Craig outlines three main sources of spiritual doubt (31:25):
- Questions you can’t answer: Apparent contradictions, confusion, or mysteries in the Bible.
- Situations that seem unfair: Suffering, injustice, hypocrisy.
- Hurts you can’t resolve: Betrayal or trauma within Christian communities.
6. Encouragement for Doubters and Their Supporters
- Rigid, inflexible faith is prone to “break” under strain (35:20).
- Parents and church members should make space for hard questions; questioning is often part of authentic faith formation.
- Quote: "If you raised your kid in church, your kid grew up watching your faith, and at some point they may need to ask some real sincere questions to make your faith their faith. It’s part of the process." (38:35)
- The church and home should be the safest places for spiritual wrestling.
7. Reframing “Doubting Thomas”: Dignifying Honest Questions
- Thomas asked to see and touch Jesus’ wounds; Jesus granted his request rather than condemning him (46:10).
- Thomas’s honesty ultimately led him to great faith and bold mission.
- Quote: "If you asked me to rank in order, the spiritual strength of the disciples...I’m putting Thomas up high." (51:20)
- Tradition holds Thomas brought Christianity to India and died a martyr—his doubt led to decisive faith.
8. Walking Through the Valley of Doubt
- Drawing from Psalm 23:4, Craig encourages listeners not to give up in seasons of doubt—keep “walking through” rather than setting up camp in uncertainty (01:02:15).
- Faith is a journey, not a static destination; continuous seeking, asking, and believing are necessary.
9. Faith Practices Amid Doubt
- Even when facing uncertainty, Groeschel continues to pray for healing and restoration, relying on whatever faith he can muster (01:05:30).
- Quote: "Even if I don’t feel faith in the moment, I can promise you, with, if it’s a mustard seed of faith, I’ll pray for healing." (01:07:10)
Notable Quotes
- On spiritual platitudes: "It doesn’t help. Everything happens for a reason... it doesn’t actually help others." (04:40)
- On Jesus’ response to doubters: "Jesus continued to love them... Jesus gave them the most important assignment in the history of the world." (26:43)
- On doubt and faith: "Doubt isn’t the enemy of faith. In fact, doubt is often a pathway to a deeper and more meaningful faith." (13:42)
- On safe spaces for questioning: "The church and the home should be the safest places to ask hard questions." (40:18)
- On Thomas’s journey: "Thomas, the disciple that didn’t believe until he saw the spear wound, was killed by his fear for the faith that he once questioned." (01:00:10)
Key Timestamps
- 00:00 – 09:00: Opening scenarios and personal doubts
- 09:00 – 13:45: Why talking about doubt is hard; empathetic approach
- 13:45 – 23:00: Biblical figures who doubted and relationship to faith
- 23:00 – 28:00: Matthew 28: “They worshiped... but some doubted”
- 28:00 – 35:20: Doubt as part of spiritual growth, sources of doubt
- 35:20 – 40:18: Encouragement for parents/church to allow questions
- 40:18 – 55:00: The story of Thomas, dignifying doubt, faith through questions
- 55:00 – 01:02:15: Psalm 23 and moving forward through doubt
- 01:02:15 – 01:07:10: Ongoing journey of faith, practical takeaways
- 01:07:10 – End: Prayer, invitation to faith, closing encouragement
Memorable Moments
- Craig’s candid account of deferring to his wife for prayer due to recent disappointments: "I said, Amy, why don’t you pray? And the reason why I wanted her to pray is because the last time I’d prayed for someone dying, the last four times I prayed and prayed and prayed, and they didn’t live." (10:36)
- The scriptural moment when the disciples both worship and doubt in the presence of the risen Christ, illustrating that faith and doubt can co-exist (24:30).
- The reframing of “Doubting Thomas” as an example of loyal, authentic faith that grew through questioning.
Actionable Encouragement
- For Doubters: Keep walking, keep returning, keep wrestling. Your questions do not disqualify your faith but may be precisely the path to a more authentic relationship with God.
- For Supporters: Offer a non-judgmental, safe environment to process questions. Don’t panic—love, listen, and process together.
Tone
Empathetic, humorous, vulnerable, and honest—Craig creates an atmosphere of permission to wrestle with deep questions, offering comfort found in God’s unfailing presence through times of doubt.
For those wrestling with faith or supporting those who are, this episode affirms: doubt is not the end but often the beginning of deeper faith.