[SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting summer is here and that means it's time to stock up on your summer reads this year Christian parenting put together it's very first summer reading pixelist and it's packed with great books for the whole family for the kids you'll find illustrated story books for little ones fund biographies a prominent men and women of faith
[SPEAKER_00]: A mystery series perfect for elementary and middle schoolers, Bibles with scripture memory cards and games, devotionals that help kids learn how to spend time with God and even a dyslexia friendly Bible.
[SPEAKER_00]: In parents, we did not forget about you.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a curated selection of devotionals and books covering faith, culture, and spiritual growth.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've even included summer reading bingo cards to make it a whole family experience because the family that reads together grows together.
[SPEAKER_00]: head over to ChristianParentine.org forward slash summer to check out the full list and make this summer your whole family grows together in faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hello and welcome to the True Seekers podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: A true secret is someone who wants to know the truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: They search for what's true and they won't rest until they find it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am a true secret and if you are to then you've come to the right place where we will search for truth each week in the stories of the Bible.
[SPEAKER_00]: In our last episode, we heard about the incredible moment when Jesus appeared to his disciples inside a locked room.
[SPEAKER_00]: The disciples had been filled with fear, but Jesus stood among them and said, peace be with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: He showed them his hands and his feet.
[SPEAKER_00]: He ate fish in front of them, and little by little, the disciples began to understand the amazing truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus was truly alive.
[SPEAKER_00]: But there was one disciple who was missing that night.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you know who it was?
[SPEAKER_00]: If you said Thomas, then you are correct.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thomas was one of the 12 disciples, but for some reason, he was not there when Jesus appeared to the others.
[SPEAKER_00]: Later, the disciples excitedly told him, we have seen the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you imagine them all talking at once?
[SPEAKER_00]: Thomas, it was really him.
[SPEAKER_00]: He showed us his hands.
[SPEAKER_00]: He spoke to us, he ate food with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: but Thomas struggled to believe them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe Thomas felt confused.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe he was afraid to hope again after all that had happened.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe losing Jesus had hurt so deeply that he did not want to believe unless he could see proof with his own eyes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thomas said something very honest.
[SPEAKER_00]: Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Wow!
[SPEAKER_00]: Did you hear that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Thomas was full of doubt.
[SPEAKER_00]: Have you ever had doubts?
[SPEAKER_00]: Have you ever struggled to believe something because it sounded impossible?
[SPEAKER_00]: Thomas was struggling to believe.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was struggling to understand something that had never happened before.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dead people do not usually come back to life.
[SPEAKER_00]: a whole week went by.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you imagine how long that week must have felt?
[SPEAKER_00]: Every day the disciples were rejoicing that Jesus was alive while Thomas still wrestled with doubt in his heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then, one week later, the disciples were together inside the house and once again the doors were locked.
[SPEAKER_00]: And once again, Jesus suddenly stood among them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you imagine Thomas's face in that moment?
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus looked at the disciples and said, peace be with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then he turned directly to Thomas.
[SPEAKER_00]: Isn't that amazing?
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus knew exactly what Thomas had said, even though he had not been physically in the room when Thomas said it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus said to Thomas, put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and put it into my side, stop doubting and believe.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus was not angry with Thomas, he was patient with him, he cared about Thomas enough to meet him right in the middle of his doubts, and in that moment everything changed.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thomas looked at Jesus and declared, my Lord and my God, Thomas finally understood, Jesus was alive, Jesus truly was the Son of God, then Jesus said something important.
[SPEAKER_00]: not only for Thomas, but for us too.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dear True Seekers, what is the truth we find in this story?
[SPEAKER_00]: Most of us have never physically seen Jesus standing in front of us the way Thomas did, but Jesus says there is blessing for those who believe in Him by faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: Faith means trusting God even when we cannot see it with our eyes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes people think doubt means they are far from God, but the story of Thomas teaches us something important.
[SPEAKER_00]: We can bring our questions and struggles honestly to Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus is not afraid of our questions, and just like he was patient with Thomas, he is patient with us too.
[SPEAKER_00]: The important thing is that we keep seeking truth, that we never stop trusting and believing that He is God, even when we don't see, even when we don't understand.
[SPEAKER_00]: A truth keeper keeps searching, keeps learning, keeps asking and keeps moving toward Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: And do you know what happened to Thomas after this?
[SPEAKER_00]: The disciple who once doubted became a bold follower of Jesus who told many others about him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Encountering the risen Jesus changed Thomas forever, and Jesus can change us too.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me pray with you before we go.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you are patient with us when we struggle with doubt or fear.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Jesus met Thomas with kindness and truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Help us to trust you even when we cannot see everything clearly.
[SPEAKER_00]: Grow our faith and teach us to keep seeking truth with honest hearts.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you, Jesus, that you are alive, and then we can know you personally today.
[SPEAKER_00]: Help us to overcome our doubts when we're tempted to not believe or when we're tempted to be afraid or when we're tempted to give up
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus, make our faith strong in you even when we cannot see.
[SPEAKER_00]: Help us become people who boldly share the good news of Jesus with others.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's in Jesus' same we pray.
[SPEAKER_00]: Amen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for joining me today two seekers and I look forward to our time together next week.
[UNKNOWN]: You