Sparks For Kids 101
Fire can burst from just one spark. This podcast is intended for busy parents to be used with your child and followed with genuine conversation to allow God to create a spark. In this discussion I share a scripture followed by practical questions and application.
Sparks For Kids 101
Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen
What happens when fear locks us behind closed doors and doubt clouds our ability to believe? This episode takes us into one of the Bible's most powerful post-resurrection stories, where Jesus's disciples hide in terror after witnessing his crucifixion.
The narrative from John 20:19-31 unfolds dramatically as Jesus suddenly appears among his frightened friends. Despite their fear and uncertainty, his first words bring peace, not judgment. We explore this profound moment when Jesus shows his wounds as proof of his identity, transforming the disciples' sorrow into overwhelming joy. But one disciple—Thomas—misses this extraordinary encounter, and his response reflects a struggle many of us face: the challenge of believing without seeing.
Thomas's journey from skepticism to faith creates the perfect backdrop for examining our own spiritual doubts. When Jesus returns specifically to address Thomas's hesitation, inviting him to touch the very wounds he questioned, we witness a beautiful picture of how God meets us in our uncertainties. Thomas's powerful declaration, "My Lord and my God," becomes one of scripture's most authentic expressions of faith. And Jesus's response—"Blessed are those who haven't seen me but still believe"—speaks directly to us today.
This episode unpacks what it means to believe without physical evidence, how Jesus meets us exactly where we are in our faith journey, and the special blessing reserved for those who trust despite not seeing. For anyone who has ever questioned or needed reassurance in their faith, this story offers profound comfort and hope. Listen now, and discover how Jesus still appears in our locked rooms of fear and doubt, bringing the same peace he offered his disciples so long ago.
Hey friends, welcome back to the podcast. Now let me ask you something have you ever been really scared like hiding under your covers, kind of scared? In today's story from the Bible, jesus's friends were terrified. Why? Because they had just watched their teacher, their friend Jesus, die on a cross and even though some had heard he was alive again, they weren't sure what to believe. You see, in John, chapter 20 and verse 19 through 31, we find the story.
Speaker 1:Disciples were all huddled in a room and they were locked tight because they were afraid and didn't know what to do. But guess what? Jesus didn't need a key to come in, he just appeared right there with them. Isn't that awesome. And what's the first thing he said to them? He said peace, be with you. Jesus wasn't mad at them for hiding or for being scared. Even he brought peace to them. Then he showed them his hands and his side. You know the place where he was nailed to the cross, so they'd know it was really him. The disciples were so happy to see him alive, as you can imagine. But one friend by the name of Thomas was not there, and when the others told him about it he was like no way, I don't believe it unless I myself can see it. Have you ever felt like that, like I've got to see it to believe it? Thomas got it. He wanted proof.
Speaker 1:So a few weeks later, the disciples were gathered again, this time with Thomas, and guess what happened? Jesus showed up again and when he went to them, he went straight to Thomas and said here, look at my hands, touch my side, don't be doubting, just believe. And guess what Thomas did? He said my Lord and my God. He knew it was true, jesus was indeed alive.
Speaker 1:Then Jesus said something super, super important. He said blessed are those who haven't seen me but still believe. Friends, that is, us. We haven't seen Jesus with our own eyes, but we believe in him with our hearts. And Jesus says we are blessed for doing that. So today, here's your spark, your thought Even when we're scared, even when we have doubts, jesus meets us right where we are, with peace, with love and truth. We can believe in Him, even when we cannot see Him. Isn't that awesome? I pray that you believe in Him today, even though you see Him, because you have Him deep inside your heart. Let us pray, father, we come before you. We want to thank you that today we can believe in you without seeing you in the physical, but we know in our hearts, we know in our souls that, god, you're real. Help us to take this good news to our community and our friends, as well as our family, and we're careful to give you the praise Amen.