Things needed: Small group questions, Doubt & reaction quotes, pens, paper, bible and Tim Hughes & 29th Chapter’s song ‘Saviour’

Session aims: to explore the idea of questioning our faith and to give young people a chance to ask questions

Ice Breaker: Ask young people to go around and say their name, if they have any pets, their favourite drink and if they’d call themselves a Christian

Explain: Explain that tonight we’re going to be thinking about questioning our faith. Throughout the evening we’re going to have a box where you can write questions completely anonymously and we’ll look at them at the end

First I’d like us to split into small groups explore this idea of questioning faith (3 groups)

Feedback: Get the groups to feedback on their experiences and discoveries

Passage Notes: (for leaders)

Psalm 22 – The Psalm Jesus cried out on the cross, 2/3’s of the Psalms are of lament…i.e. everything sucks…the writer is in a place of dispair.

Matthew passages – Jesus tells a story and the disciples question what it means…why did Jesus tell stories rather than saying it like it is? to understand it you need to question. Use example of LOST and how to really understand it you have to question it, watch it over and over (maybe even ask some experts)

Mark passage – Jesus on the cross, crying out to God…quoting Psalm 22 which remarkably describes the situation He’s in…is he questioning?

Explain: Questioning our faith isn’t a bad thing because it gives us a chance to think things through and gives us a much clearer understanding…if we never question things it can be difficult to answer questions from others…it doesn’t have to be massive questions it might just be little things

Sometimes our questions lead to doubt…it might be asking God where He is…here are a couple of things people have said when they’ve questioned

Read:    Get volunteers to read the quotes – use only the 1st 2 (see quotes sheet)

Ask: What do you think of those quotes?

Explain: In a minute we’re going to have a chance for you to ask questions so if you’ve written them down and popped them in the bag already that’s great…if not then we’re going to have a time to reflect and you can write some down during that time.

Music: Saviour – Tim Hughes & 29th Chapter

Questions

Go through the bag and encourage the young people to answer each others questions

Explain: Hopefully some of those answers have been useful but the best person to turn to alongside people who God puts in your lives like your leaders, ministers etc is God…the Psalms might be largely made up of pleas for help but they all come back to God and acknowledge that He is in control and all knowing…

If we turn over the sheets we read earlier we’ll see some other responses to questioning and doubt (Note: if you haven’t printed the quotes back to back just produce the other quotes at this time)

Closing: So if you have questions and doubts it doesn’t mean you don’t have enough faith but make sure you ask people about them and make sure you pray about them as well

Prayer to close