What if your faith could be more than just a feeling—real, grounded, and lasting? Many of us wrestle with doubt, especially when faith feels invisible or unclear. As we begin our BeLoved series, we’ll see how Jesus’ closest disciple, John, discovered a faith in Jesus that was both deeply emotional and historically anchored. We’ll be challenged to make that kind of faith our own.
Discussion Guide
To view the Leader Guide, click here.
To view a .docx version of this guide, click here.
Begin your time together with prayer
Introduction
Take some time to discuss how their week went and how they were able to apply their action step from last week!
This week we will be discussing how we can show God’s love to others to show them that Jesus is real.
Connect
- What’s something you rely on every day, even though you can’t really explain how it works?
- Who do you know that shows love or kindness in a way that sticks with you?
Opening
Faith in Jesus can sometimes feel hard to put into words. We can’t see it or hold it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real or true. The Bible and the stories of people who’ve followed Jesus remind us that he is real, and we can trust in him, building up our faith in him because of the way see him working in our lives.
This leads us to our main idea for this week
We can believe that God’s love is real because Jesus is real.
Unpack
Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses:
Read
John 20:19-29
- The story we just read happened shortly after Jesus resurrected from the dead. What specifically stands out to you from these verses?
- Why do you think Thomas struggled to believe without physical proof in front of him?
- What helps you have confidence that your faith in Jesus is real, and not just based on your feelings?
- What do you think your biggest obstacle, or source of doubt is, when it comes to believing without seeing?
- How do you overcome those doubts and keep trusting Jesus’ love is real and present in your life?
- What does this teach us about how Jesus meets us in our doubts
Read
Hebrews 13:7
James 2:14-17
1 Timothy 6:12
- Hebrews 13:7 says that followers of Jesus should remember the ones who taught them about Jesus and imitate them in their faith. Why do you think this is important?
- What characteristics or actions have you seen in another person’s life that have given you confidence that Jesus is real?
- How have you seen Jesus working in your life
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.