2025 10 19 0930 Hope for the Hard to Convince - Rev. Jeff Bennett скачать в хорошем качестве

2025 10 19 0930 Hope for the Hard to Convince - Rev. Jeff Bennett

Hope for the Hard to Convince John 20:19-31 October 19, 2025 9:30am Jeff Bennett In this "Never Beyond Hope" message we encounter Thomas, of “Don’t be a Doubting Thomas" fame. In John’s gospel Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Jesus first. The disciples are unbelieving until later that same day when Jesus appears to them. For reasons unknown, Thomas is not with them. Upon hearing their story, he says to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later Jesus again appears to the disciples. This time Thomas is with them and makes this powerful confession: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus blesses Thomas and then blesses our long-distance faith: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." I wonder what kind of evidence of Jesus’s identity our friends might think they need. In what ways might the risen Christ encounter them? In what ways might the risen Christ encounter us when we struggle to believe? I’m calling this week’s message, Hope for the Hard to Convince. Our text is John 20:19-31. Click here for connect card: https://www.stuartfumc.org/connectcard