engaging atheism

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Engaging

athEism

Table o ContentsqClick on a session you’d like to seeq

ChristianBibleStudies.com ©2011 Christianity Today Internation

2 Session 1: Is God Real?Participant’s Guide

8 Session 2: Is Faith Foolish? Participant’s Guide

14 Session 3: Is God Good?Participant’s Guide

21 Session 4: What About My Doubts? Participant’s Guide

http://www.christianbiblestudies.com/

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ChristianBibleStudies.com ©2011 Christianity Today Internatio

Note To Leader: Provide each person with the

Participant’s Guide included at the end o this study.

P a r t O n e

idefy e iue

Video Debrieng

[Q] What is your reaction to the atheist bus

advertisements? Are they oensive, or an opportunity

to start a conversation?

[Q] Student and atheist Chris Hammond told Lorna Dueck

that “i religion wants to convert people to whatever

aith or belie they have, just to ask someone to have

aith alone is not good enough anymore.” Do you

agree or disagree?

Exploring the most important question for humanity

For as long as human

beings have been alive

on planet Earth, we have

attempted to orge a

connection with something

beyond our experience and

understanding—something

divine. Consequently, we have

worshiped, we have served,

we have sacrifced, and we

have obeyed. And so the mostimportant question a Christian

can grapple with is, Has it all

been a waste of time?

Scripture: Genesis 1:1–2

Featuring: The video

“Answering Atheism,” rom

Listen Up TV.

is god Rel?

Session 1

LEADER’S GUIDE

Open this session by

reading Genesis 1:1–2 and then

showing the video clip.



http://www.listenuptv.com/listenup/home







Session 1: Leader’s Guide | Is God Real? | 3

[Q] Atheist Justin Trottier believes that the burden o proo regarding the existence o God

is on Christians, because they are “making a claim.” How would you respond to this

statement?

[Q] Is it possible to prove the existence o God? Why or why not?

To explore the question o God’s existence, we’ll look at three separate tests that can be used to

help us nd an answer.

Teaching Point One: The Test of Reason

Justin Trottier made the claim that we are living in an “age o rationality,” which means

that in order or something to be proclaimed as true, it must be evaluated and conrmed by

the scientic method. And certainly our Western society operates primarily by hypothesis

and experiment. That’s how we identiy cures or diseases, determine which schools our

children should attend, conrm the accuracy o entries on Wikipedia, and evaluate just about

everything else.

So, can Christians identiy any evidence or the existence o God?

[Q] The ollowing ideas and concepts have been explored as scientic evidence or the

existence o God. Please explain any o the ideas/concepts that you are amiliar with:

uThe Big Bang Theory (the universe had a beginning, thereore it must have had anInitiator).

uThe First Law o Thermodynamics (matter/mass cannot be created or destroyed,

only changed).

uThe Second Law o Thermodynamics (the universe is winding down and

thereore must have had a beginning and an outside source o available energy).

uThe Teleological Argument (the laws o the universe seem to be uniquely crated

to support lie).

u Intelligent Design (the universe and the existence o lie are too complex to have

developed randomly).

uHistorical evidence o the Bible (it is the most historically accurate book ever

written).

uHistorical evidence or the lie, crucixion, and resurrection o Jesus Christ.









[Q] Are you aware o any other scientic arguments or the

existence o God? I so, explain them to the best o your

ability.

[Q] Which o the arguments/evidences above seem strongest

to you? Why?

[Q] Let’s explore this question again: Is it possible to prove

the existence o God?

Teaching Point Two: The Test of Morality

One o the most compelling arguments or the existence o

God is the universal moral code that seems to be present in

humanity. Across dierent cultures and across dierent times,

there seem to be specic attitudes and behaviors that are

consistently labeled as “right” or “wrong.”

[Q] What actions or attitudes are always “right”?

[Q] What actions or attitudes are always “wrong”?

[Q] Read Romans 2:12–16. Do you think that all people really

have a “conscience” that guides them in situations where

they have to make moral decisions? Explain.

[Q] How does the idea o a conscience connect with a

universal moral code? How does it connect with the

existence o God?

[Q] Read Romans 6:23. How does the idea o sin connect with

a universal moral code? How does it connect with the existence o God?

Teaching Point Three: The Test of Practice

This nal test asks: Does the Christian lie really work? I we assume that God does exist, is it

actually possible to live lie the way he commands in the Bible? The best place to begin this test is by

exploring your own personal experience.

[Q] I you identiy yoursel as a Christian, have you been able to consistently live in a way that

refects your belie in God and adesire to obey his commands?

Optional Activity d Purpose:

To explore how much o our

behavior is tied to theexistence o God.

d Activity:Have your group divide intosmaller units o three or ourpeople, then ask eachsubgroup to discuss thesehypothetical questions: I it were proved beyond ashadow o a doubt that Goddoes not exist, how wouldyour lie change? What would you stop doing? What would you start doing? What would you do dierently?

Have each subgroup comeup with ve major thingsthat would change, and thenshare their answers wheneveryone has nished. Take amoment to talk about the

possible changes in behaviorthat were common todierent groups.









[Q] Read Romans 3:21–24. How does this connect with the Test o Practice?

[Q] It is easy or dicult to live as a Christian? Explain.

Many people—both believers and non-believers—view the Christian lie as extremely complicated.

But that is not how Scripture presents a lie lived in obedience to God. Read Micah 6:6–8 and

Matthew 22:37–40.

[Q] In what ways do these verses represent a simple view o the Christian lie?

[Q] In what ways do these verses represent a dicult view o the Christian lie?

[Q] How have you been rustrated or conused in your day-to-day walk with God?

[Q] How can this group help, support, encourage, or equip you in that walk?

P a r t T w o

apply Your FdWhen people question the existence o God, it oten causes Christians to react—sometimes harshly. We

have built our lives on the oundation o God and his Word, and it can eel threatening when someone

declares that oundation to be invalid.

But beore engaging atheists (or anyone else) in a bid to stand up or God, we need to take a step backand consider our own lives. Do we live in a way that makes our position on God’s existence clear? Even

more, do we live in a way that brings glory to the God we believe in? Concentrating on loving God and

loving others will go a long way in our eorts to “stand up” or God—and it’s a better long-term plan

than arguing about his existence.

Action Point: Christians know that aith is an important part o the Christian lie, but

we sometimes think that everything related to God has to depend on aith. We can orget

that much o the world around us, and much o history behind us, points to God. Take

some time this week to do a little research regarding the frst two tests mentioned in thisstudy. Find books or websites that discuss the scientifc and moral evidence or God’s

existence and brush up on your understanding o these concepts.

—Study by Sam O’Neal








Exploring the most important question for humanity

For as long as human

beings have been alive

on planet Earth, we have

attempted to orge a

connection with something

beyond our experience and

understanding—something

divine. Consequently, we have

worshiped, we have served,

we have sacrifced, and we

have obeyed. And so the mostimportant question a Christian

can grapple with is, Has it all

been a waste of time?

Scripture: Genesis 1:1–2

Featuring: The video

“Answering Atheism,” rom

Listen Up TV.

is god Rel?

Session 1

P a r t O n e

idefy e iue

Teaching Point One: The Test of Reason

[Q] The ollowing ideas and concepts have been explored

as scientic evidence or the existence o God. Please

explain any o the ideas/concepts that you are amiliar

with:

uThe Big Bang Theory (the universe had a

beginning, thereore it must have had an Initiator).

uThe First Law o Thermodynamics (matter/

mass cannot be created or destroyed, only

changed).

uThe Second Law o Thermodynamics (the

universe is winding down and thereore must have

had a beginning and an outside source o available

energy).

uThe Teleological Argument (the laws o the

universe seem to be uniquely crated to support

lie).

PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE










Session 1: Participant’s Guide | Is God Real? | 7

u Intelligent Design (the universe and the existence o lie are too complex to have

developed randomly).

uHistorical evidence o the Bible (it is the most historically accurate book ever

written).

uHistorical evidence or the lie, crucixion, and resurrection o Jesus Christ.

Teaching Point Two: The Test of Morality

Teaching Point Three: The Test of Practice

P a r t T w o

apply Your FdWhen people question the existence o God, it oten causes Christians to react—sometimes harshly. We

have built our lives on the oundation o God and his Word, and it can eel threatening when someone

declares that oundation to be invalid.

But beore engaging atheists (or anyone else) in a bid to stand up or God, we need to take a step back

and consider our own lives. Do we live in a way that makes our position on God’s existence clear? Even

more, do we live in a way that brings glory to the God we believe in? Concentrating on loving God andloving others will go a long way in our eorts to “stand up” or God—and it’s a better long-term plan

than arguing about his existence.

Action Point: Christians know that aith is an important part o the Christian lie, but

we sometimes think that everything related to God has to depend on aith. We can orget

that much o the world around us, and much o history behind us, points to God. Take

some time this week to do a little research regarding the frst two tests mentioned in this

study. Find books or websites that discuss the scientifc and moral evidence or God’s

existence and brush up on your understanding o these concepts.











P a r t O n e

idefy e iue

Video Debrieng

[Q] The video opened with comments rom Pat O’Brien,

who is a member o the Canadian Humanist

Association. How did you react to what he had to say?

What emotions did you experience?

[Q] O’Brien said that “or 2,000 years now, religion has

had its way in the world; there’s been a lot o blood

spilled, as we all know, and some good done.” How

would you respond to that statement?

[Q] How have you personally encountered atheism in the

last year or two?

Taking a closer look at the

decision to believe.

Oten, when we think about“what would Jesus do” in

modern situations, we are

orced to extrapolate (or just

plain guess) based on what

we think we know about him.

That’s why Jesus’ conversation

with Nicodemus in John 3 is

such a treat: it’s an engagingconversation between a

skeptic and the Savior on

topics like belie, salvation,

and eternal lie.

Scripture: John 3:1–21

Featuring: The video “Is Faith

Stupid?,” rom Listen Up TV.

is FthFoolsh?

Session 2

LEADER’S GUIDE


reading John 3:1–21 and then











Session 2: Leader’s Guide | Is Faith Foolish? | 9

Teaching Point One: Faith and belief are rarely straightforward.

It’s well-known that the Pharisees were the religious powerhouses o Jesus’ day. They were the

ones that really knew the Torah, which meant that they were viewed as the ones who really knew

Jehovah.

Nicodemus was one o those powerhouses. He was a member o the Sanhedrin—kind o like the

Supreme Court or the Israelites. And in John 3, he approached Jesus in secret to see about giving

Jesus his ocial seal o approval.

Read John 3:1–2.

[Q] How do you react to Nicodemus’s plan o giving an ocial “thumbs up” to Jesus? Does it

strike you as silly, genuine, manipulative, noble, arrogant, or something else?

[Q] What do Nicodemus’s actions reveal about his view o Jesus’ mission and motives?

As he oten did, Jesus responded to Nicodemus in a rather unexpected way. Read verses 3–15.

[Q] Is it possible that Jesus was having a little un at Nicodemus’s expense? Why or why not?

[Q] Since we have the rest o the New Testament to help us, we understand better than

Nicodemus what Jesus is saying about being “born again.” How would you explain that

concept to someone unamiliar with Christian doctrine?

[Q] What is the connection between Moses liting up the snake in the wilderness and Jesus?

Leader’s note: Jesus is reerring to Numbers 21:8–9, when Moses responded to an

inestation o poisonous snakes by attaching a bronze serpent to a pole. Anyone who

looked at the bronze serpent was healed—a oreshadowing o Jesus on the cross and

our need to respond to him in aith.

[Q] Why didn’t Jesus just come out and say what he meant directly? Why was he intentionally

conusing?

Teaching Point Two: Faith and belief require a supernatural experience.

When we really dig down into Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, we see that they aren’t as conusing as

they may seem at rst glance. For example, Jesus clearly and directly lays out several distinctions

between dierent ways o thinking. He talks about the “fesh” versus the “Spirit” in verse 6. He

mentions the existence o “earthly things” and “heavenly things” in verse 12.









In today’s language, Jesus is making a strong distinction between

the natural and the supernatural. Read verses 4–8 again.

[Q] Did Nicodemus view Jesus as a “natural” or a “supernatural”

being?

[Q] What does it mean that “[]lesh gives birth to fesh, but the

Spirit gives birth to spirit”?

Leader’s note: Jesus is making clear that i we approach

something in an earthly or natural way, we will only have

natural experiences—not supernatural ones. We can only

transcend our esh when the Holy Spirit becomes involved.

This was important because Nicodemus and the other

Pharisees saw the Messiah mainly as an earthly king, while

Jesus knew that his kingdom was something spiritual and supernatural.

Verse 8 is the key to understanding what Jesus is saying because it

identies “the wind,” which is the Holy Spirit. The word translated

as “wind” here is pneuma, which is also translated as “spirit”

throughout much o the New Testament.

Read Ezekiel 37:1–14.

[Q] What words and phrases appear in both the passage in

Ezekiel and in John 3:1–21?

[Q] What kind o thematic connections do you see between the

two passages?

Leader’s note: The most notable connection is that God’s prophet is speaking to a

collection o bones, which are purely natural. They are dead. And even when the

prophet’s work results in the bones coming together and growing sinews and esh, they

are still dead. The “breath” (or wind) o God was required to move the army rom death to

lie. The same is true or people who are spiritually dead.

Teaching Point Three: Faith is both foolish and wise.

Here is what psychologist Jordan Peterson said during the video: “Rationality wants to know

everything. And that means it has a very powerul temptation to exclude rom consideration


To introduce the topic o

“supernatural” events orexperiences.

d Activity:Ask your group membersthe ollowing question: “Othe movies you have seenin recent years, which onesdelved most deeply into asupernatural reality?” Thiscan include things likeghosts, the aterlie,alternate dimensions, andso on. Give everyone a ocouple minutes to thinkand then ask or volunteersto describe a movie that comes to mind.

Ater several people havecontributed, ask i anyonenotices any commonthemes or elements among

the movies described. Dothose common elementsaccurately refect how ourculture views the super-natural? Why or why not?









anything that is not known. And so it has a tendency to squeeze out anything that is mysterious and

incomprehensible and to enorce a very tight and dogmatic interpretation on the world.”

[Q] Is this true o “secular society” in your experience?

[Q] What are the benets o having a “rational” view o the world? What are the limitations?

The upshot o our culture’s ocus on what is “natural” is that atheists and others eel justied in

automatically rejecting the supernatural elements o Christianity. Ater all, when you only ocus on

things you can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste, you don’t have any room or a God that is spirit—a

God that is unseen. And to believe in such a Being seems oolish.

This echoes Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the message o the cross is oolishness to those

who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power o God.”

[Q] What does that mean or those o us who choose to believe, and or those o us who want tohelp others believe?

[Q] Is there a way to communicate our supernatural experiences with people who reject anything

supernatural?

P a r t T w o

apply Your FdBeore engaging in conversations with atheists and unbelievers, it’s important that we as Christians

get a rm understanding o how we approach the natural and supernatural worlds. We need to be

sel-aware about our view o God as a supernatural Being, and about our souls being connected to

him in a supernatural way through the Holy Spirit.

Action Point: As you go about your lie this week, try to take a step back and look

objectively at your interactions with God and other Christians. Are they more natural or

supernatural?

For example, as you have your devotions and/or quiet times during the week, do

you approach them as a way to connect with the Holy Spirit, or as a way to gather

inormation? Or are they a way to “do what Christians are supposed to do”? Or when you

go to church, do you have experiences or connections that go beyond what you have at

the supermarket?”









Taking a closer look at the

decision to believe.

Oten, when we think about“what would Jesus do” in

modern situations, we are

orced to extrapolate (or just

plain guess) based on what

we think we know about him.

That’s why Jesus’ conversation

with Nicodemus in John 3 is

such a treat: it’s an engagingconversation between a

skeptic and the Savior on

topics like belie, salvation,

and eternal lie.

Scripture: John 3:1–21

Featuring: The video “Is Faith

Stupid?,” rom Listen Up TV.

is FthFoolsh?

Session 2

P a r t O n e

idefy e iueTeaching Point One: Faith and belief arerarely straightforward.

Teaching Point Two: Faith and belief requirea supernatural experience.

Teaching Point Three: Faith is both foolishand wise.

P a r t T w o

apply Your FdBeore engaging in conversations with atheists and

unbelievers, it’s important that we as Christians get a

rm understanding o how we approach the natural and

supernatural worlds. We need to be sel-aware about our

view o God as a supernatural Being, and about our souls

being connected to him in a supernatural way through the

Holy Spirit.











Session 2: Participant’s Guide | Is Faith Foolish? | 13

Action Point: As you go about your lie this week, try to take a step back and look

objectively at your interactions with God and other Christians. Are they more natural

or supernatural?

For example, as you have your devotions and/or quiet times during the week, do

you approach them as a way to connect with the Holy Spirit, or as a way to gather

inormation? Or are they a way to “do what Christians are supposed to do”? Or when

you go to church, do you have experiences or connections that go beyond what you have

at the supermarket?”











P a r t O n e

idefy e iue

Video Debrieng

[Q] Who would you rather see taken to court or what is

wrong with the world: God, the devil, or yoursel?

[Q] Paul Young, author o The Shack, neatly summarized

the basic idea o this week’s study: “What is God like? Is

he good, and is he involved?” How would you respond?

Leader’s note: Some o your group members may

want to turn the discussion toward Young’s book, The

Shack, and you may need to remind them that such

a discussion would not be the best use o your

group’s time.

Session 3

is godgood?

And if he is good, is he

responsible for everything on

Earth that’s bad?

When Christians dialogue with

people who do not ollow God,

the conversation usually hovers

around the question o God’s

existence. Is there a Divine

Being or is there not? But there

is another question that needs

to be addressed: Assuming there is a God, can we say or

sure that he is good? Does he

have our best interests in mind,

or is he nothing more than a

“cosmic Watchmaker” who set

the universe spinning but no

longer checks in to see what’s

happening with his creation?

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:16–19

Featuring: The video “God on

Trial,” rom Listen Up TV.

LEADER’S GUIDE


reading Habakkuk 3:16–19 and

then showing the video clip.










Session 3: Leader’s Guide | Is God Good? | 15

[Q] Is God responsible or the bad things that happen in the world? Why or why not?

[Q] Is God responsible or the bad things that have happened in your lie? Why or why not?

Teaching Point One: Human beings are limited in what we are able to see.

The Book o Habakkuk is an ideal launching point or this discussion, because it presents a brie

conversation between God and his prophet regarding the bad things that were happening in the world.

At the time, the nation o Judah was experiencing mild prosperity. Unortunately, the ruling class in

Jerusalem had become corrupt; Judah’s leaders were oppressing the poor and helpless in order to

improve their own lives. Habakkuk had been orced to witness injustice or years, and it caused him to

cry out to God and ask, “Why does so much evil go unpunished?”

Read Habakkuk 1:1–4.

[Q] Have you ever asked God any o these questions?

[Q] Was it right or wrong or Habakkuk to address God in this way and in this tone?

God heard Habakkuk’s questions, o course, and answered them. Unortunately or Habakkuk (and the

rest o Judah), it wasn’t an answer he really wanted to hear.


[Q] How would you summarize God’s answer to Habakkuk?

[Q] Using the evil Babylonians to punish the injustice in Jerusalem sounds unair. Is it?

Leader’s note: Read Habakkuk 2:2–20 to get God’s answer to this question.

Habakkuk is initially stunned by the revelation that God will punish the injustices in Jerusalem by

allowing the Babylonians to destroy the city. But he doesn’t despair. In act, he learns to trust in spite o

his conusion and dismay.


[Q] What statement is Habakkuk making about God in these verses?

[Q] What statement is he making about the condition o the world?

[Q] How do those two statements t together in your mind?









Teaching Point Two: God is not responsible for the results of human actsof evil.

The troubling situation that caused Habakkuk to cry out to God with his rst round o questions

involved human decisions resulting in injustice and oppression. Interestingly, Habakkuk

doesn’t blame or accuse God or allowing evil decisions to be made; rather, Habakkuk is initiallyimpatient that God seems to be slow in punishing those decisions.

But when people talk about the “problem o evil” today, they oten go straight to the question

that Habakkuk didn’t ask: “Why does God allow evil people to harm and oppress the innocent?”

[Q] When you think about evil, what are some o the events or individuals rom history that

come to mind?

[Q] Read Deuteronomy 30:15–20. These and other verses in the Bible make it clear that

human beings have the reedom to make choices that are good or evil. How does thisreedom impact the “problem o evil”?

[Q] Is it possible or God to both grant human beings ree will and prevent them rom

making evil decisions? Why or why not?

u Is it possible or God to grant human beings ree will and prevent the consequences o

their evil decisions? Explain.

[Q] Read Ephesians 6:10–17. What responsibility do Christians have to ght against the evil

present in our world?

As Habakkuk noted, God is most certainly responsible or punishing those people who choose

to engage in evil and cause harm to others. And this is a responsibility that God does not take

lightly. Reread Habakkuk 2:2–20.

[Q] Does the act that God will eventually punish evil deeds bring any comort to you? Why

or why not?

[Q] How should we deal with our rustration that God’s timing doesn’t always match up with

our preerred timing when it comes to these punishments?

Leader’s note: The proper way to deal with our rustration is to understand that God

is God and we are not, which results in submission and trust. Read Habakkuk 3:16–19

again to see how the prophet handled his own rustration and conusion.









Teaching Point Three: We may never understand why God allows natural disasters and other “actsof God.”

In the video, theologian Charles Price notes that “i an avalanche

takes place on a mountain, that’s not in itsel ‘evil’—that’s not

a moral issue . . . that is a tragic accident.” And he is certainly

correct. Natural catastrophes are not evil in a moral sense. And

yet, they have caused a great amount o pain and suering among

people whom God claims to love. How can we explain this?

As a hypothetical situation, imagine that a tornado is going to

wipe out a Midwestern town on Thursday morning. It’s currently

Wednesday; what options does God have in dealing with this

situation?

uHe can prevent the tornado rom occurring (either

naturally or supernaturally).

uHe can divert the tornado to an unpopulated area.

uHe can warn the inhabitants o the town and give them a

chance to escape.

uHe can choose to do nothing.

[Q] Are there any other options that have not been covered?

[Q] Which option seems to be the “best”?

[Q] Which option seems the least good?

[Q] Why does God almost always choose to do nothing about natural disasters when he has the

knowledge and power to stop them?

It is unlikely that humanity will ever be able to answer this question, because to do so would mean

that we have achieved a deep understanding o the mind o God. To speak as Scripture does, “God’s

ways are not our ways.” To speak rankly, our only option when thinking about this question is to trust

in the goodness o God.

Read Habakkuk 3:16–19 again.

[Q] In what ways is this a satisying answer or you? In what ways is it unsatisying?


To highlight our

expectations when it comes to preventing othersrom experiencing pain.

d Activity:Find a movie that has athrilling rescue scene. Thiscould be a super-heromovie like Batman or The Incredibles , or it could bea disaster lm like Twister

or 2012 .

Show the entire clip to yourgroup and then ask: “What would we think about thehero i he decided to takeno action to save thosewho were in danger? Howis that the same or dierent rom God?”









P a r t T w o

apply Your FdThe “problem o evil” has been a sticking point or many people through the ages when it comes

to belie or aith in God. People have a dicult time understanding how a God lled with love andgoodness could allow so much pain in our world, and they decide to reject God because o it.

Christians need to show a proper respect or these questions when speaking to people who do not

ollow God—pithy answers are almost never helpul. Even more, we need to be open and honest

about our own doubts and conusion. These are tough questions that need to be grappled with, and

the act o wrestling with them as a community is a valuable witness to the rest o the world.

But at the end o the day, our only recourse is to trust in the goodness o God. Fortunately, there is

one thing that makes it easier to trust as we consider the ups and downs o the story o lie here onEarth: We know how the story ends.

Action Point: Read Revelation 21 and 22 this week during your devotional times to see

how the story ends. Keep this question in mind as you read: “How does knowing human

beings’ eternal destination impact how I view pain and suering on Earth?”









Session 3

is godgood?

And if he is good, is he

responsible for everything on

Earth that’s bad?

When Christians dialogue with

people who do not ollow God,

the conversation usually hovers

around the question o God’s

existence. Is there a Divine

Being or is there not? But there

is another question that needs

to be addressed: Assuming there is a God, can we say or

sure that he is good? Does he

have our best interests in mind,

or is he nothing more than a

“cosmic Watchmaker” who set

the universe spinning but no

longer checks in to see what’s

happening with his creation?

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:16–19

Featuring: The video “God on

Trial,” rom Listen Up TV.

P a r t O n e

idefy e iue

Teaching Point One: Human beings arelimited in what we are able to see.

Teaching Point Two: God is not responsiblefor the results of human acts of evil.

Teaching Point Three: We may neverunderstand why God allows naturaldisasters and other “acts of God.”

P a r t T w o

apply Your FdThe “problem o evil” has been a sticking point or many

people through the ages when it comes to belie or aith

in God. People have a dicult time understanding how

a God lled with love and goodness could allow so much

pain in our world, and they decide to reject God because

o it.











Session 3: Participant’s Guide | Is God Good? | 20

Christians need to show a proper respect or these questions when speaking to people who do not

ollow God—pithy answers are almost never helpul. Even more, we need to be open and honest

about our own doubts and conusion. These are tough questions that need to be grappled with,

and the act o wrestling with them as a community is a valuable witness to the rest o the world.

But at the end o the day, our only recourse is to trust in the goodness o God. Fortunately, there

is one thing that makes it easier to trust as we consider the ups and downs o the story o lie here

on Earth: We know how the story ends.

Action Point: Read Revelation 21 and 22 this week during your devotional times to

see how the story ends. Keep this question in mind as you read: “How does knowing

human beings’ eternal destination impact how I view pain and suering on Earth?”










reading Psalm 22:1–31 and then




P a r t O n e

idefy e iue

Video Debrieng

[Q] What do you know about Mother Teresa’s lie? Has her

story impacted you at any point in the past?

[Q] At the beginning o the video, Mary Rose Bacani said

that she was relieved to hear about Mother Teresa’s

journal because “we all have doubts rom time to

time.” What has caused you to have doubts?

[Q] What was your reaction to Denyse O’Leary’s

comments about “the spiritual brain” and being able

to scientically track religious experiences?

Session 4

Wht aboutmy Doubts?

Surprising insights from the

journal of Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa is one o thebest-known Christians o

the 20th century. She was a

blessing to those she served

year ater year and an inspir-

ation to the millions who

watched her rom aar. So it

was surprising when ex-

cerpts rom one o Teresa’sjournals (published 10 years

ater her death) revealed

serious doubts about God

and his love or her.

Scripture: Psalm 22:1–31

Featuring: The video“Doubting Teresa,” rom

Listen Up TV.

LEADER’S GUIDE










Session 4: Leader’s Guide | What About My Doubts? | 22

[Q] Were there elements o the video that you ound interesting or conusing?

Teaching Point One: All Christians experience times of doubt and distancefrom God.

Mother Teresa is not the only well-known ollower o God to express regret, conusion, and doubt.The psalms o David record several instances o intense emotion, ranging all the way rom worship

and praise to doubt and ear.

Read Psalm 22:1–2.

[Q] What is the dominant emotion o these verses?

[Q] I you have experienced serious doubts or conusion about God, what steps did you take to

get closer to him? Which steps worked and which did not? The rst line rom Psalm 22 is amiliar to many Christians because Jesus cried out these words

just beore his death on the cross (see Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34). David’s words are a

powerul refection o the betrayal and anguish that Jesus elt ater taking on the weight o human

sin. But that is not the only time that Jesus elt isolated or distanced rom God.

Read Matthew 26:36–46.

[Q] What emotions are mentioned in the text?

[Q] Was Jesus experiencing doubt? I you don’t think so, how would you describe this

encounter?

[Q] I David, Jesus, and Mother Teresa all had times when they elt separated rom or

abandoned by God, what does that mean or us?

Teaching Point Two: Confusion and doubt can help us cling to God.

Read Psalm 22:3–21.

[Q] What are the dominant emotions expressed in these verses?

[Q] What kind o experience is David describing in verses 12–18? What do you think was

happening to him?

Many scholars believe that David wrote this psalm while under duress and persecution rom Saul

(see 1 Samuel 21:1–23:29). David was literally being hunted by Saul and his armies, and it’s no









wonder he elt abandoned by God at times while he was on the

run. Ater all, this was the same person who had been anointed

by Samuel and had deeated Goliath—but it must have seemed

like everything had changed.

[Q] Take a closer look at verses 16–18. What event is beingprophesied here?

[Q] David didn’t know that God would become a man and

one day experience the same situations and emotions

that he was dealing with, but we have the privilege

o seeing that connection. What do you see as the

signicance o this link between David and Jesus?

Leader’s note: Jesus was a descendant o David, which

means the two men will always be connected. But

David was not a savior; he was a man o aith who loved

God, but who had many aws. What’s interesting is that

David is not linked to Jesus in these verses because

o his heroism or compassion or sel-sacrifce, but

because o his suering. In other words, looking back

we can see that the time when David elt abandoned

by God was actually the time he was closest to

experiencing God’s mission and heart.

Read verses 19–21.

[Q] Have you experienced a time when pain or doubt caused

you to turn to God or help?

[Q] When we cling to God in the midst o conusion or doubt

or suering, are we demonstrating strong aith or a lack

o aith? Explain.

Teaching Point Three: Honesty about ourconfusion and doubts will help our witness inthe world.

As Christians, we oten want to project condence and certainty when we interact with people who

disagree with our views on God—atheists included. We want them to see that we really do believe in

God and his mission or this world.


To highlight how dicult it is to

be certain about things wedon’t understand.

d Activity:Announce to the group that youhave lost a $100 bill and youbelieve it to be somewhere inthe room. As time allows, haveyour group look or the moneyor 2–4 minutes beoregathering everyone together

again. Then ask: “Did anyonend the $100 bill? I not, canwe be absolutely certain that the money is not in this room?”

The answer to that question isno. Your group cannot be 100percent certain that the moneyis not in the room because youhave not searched everypossible inch o the room—you can’t proclaim certainty

about something that is missingunless every possible hidingplace has been searched andthe item is still missing.

That is the problem withatheism. Atheists make theclaim that God does not exist,and they oten speak with ahigh level o certainty. But nohuman being has searched allo the known universe, which

means no human being can sayor sure that God does not exist.









Unortunately, that same condence is oten one o the things that conuses and aggravates atheists

the most.

[Q] What words would you use to describe people who have chosen to label themselves as

atheists?

[Q] What words do you think atheists would use to describe Christians? What words have you

heard them use?

[Q] Have you ever been “argued into” an important decision or change o direction when it

comes to your core belies?

Read Psalm 22:22–31. David had a zeal or evangelism as strong as any New Testament Christian’s.

He wanted to see “all the ends o the Earth” worship God as he did. And yet these verses do not

confict with his expressions o emotion earlier in the psalm. David was a man who praised God in

the midst o suering; he recommended God to the nations even when he elt abandoned.We can interact with those who don’t yet share our belies, and live, the same way.

apply Your FdIt’s important that Christians remember the instructions God has given us or interacting with and

ministering to all people: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, or

this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12). These words rom Jesus are an excellent

reminder o what we are called to do with our time on Earth—and what we are not called to do.

Action Point: Consider taking a page rom David’s book (literally!) this week and

writing a psalm that expresses your current emotions about God. I you currently have

a vibrant connection with Jesus, write a psalm o praise and thanksgiving. I you are

eeling conused or abandoned, see i you can put those emotions into words.

And i you fnd that your psalm includes elements rom both ends o the spectrum, you

can eel good that you are in the company o Mother Teresa—not to mention David

and Jesus.









Session 4

Wht aboutmy Doubts?

Surprising insights from the

journal of Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa is one o thebest-known Christians o

the 20th century. She was a

blessing to those she served

year ater year and an inspir-

ation to the millions who

watched her rom aar. So it

was surprising when ex-

cerpts rom one o Teresa’sjournals (published 10 years

ater her death) revealed

serious doubts about God

and his love or her.

Scripture: Psalm 22:1–31

Featuring: The video“Doubting Teresa,” rom

Listen Up TV.

P a r t O n e

idefy e iue

Teaching Point One: All Christians experiencetimes of doubt and distance from God.

Teaching Point Two: Confusion and doubt canhelp us cling to God.

Teaching Point Three: Honesty about ourconfusion and doubts will help our witness inthe world.

apply Your FdIt’s important that Christians remember the instructions

God has given us or interacting with and ministering to all

people: “So in everything, do to others what you would have

them do to you, or this sums up the Law and the Prophets”

(Matt. 7:12). These words rom Jesus are an excellent

reminder o what we are called to do with our time on

Earth—and what we are not called to do.










Session 4: Participant’s Guide | What About My Doubts? | 26

Action Point: Consider taking a page rom David’s book (literally!) this week and

writing a psalm that expresses your current emotions about God. I you currently have

a vibrant connection with Jesus, write a psalm o praise and thanksgiving. I you are

eeling conused or abandoned, see i you can put those emotions into words.

And i you fnd that your psalm includes elements rom both ends o the spectrum, you

can eel good that you are in the company o Mother Teresa—not to mention David

and Jesus.


engaging atheism

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