100:00:00,560 –> 00:00:05,120Doubt is not something that we deal with once at a certain point in the Christian life and200:00:05,120 –> 00:00:12,320then say goodbye to it forever after. Remember the Christian journey is a journey upstream.300:00:12,800 –> 00:00:19,680We are always swimming as it were against the currents of the world and the flesh and the devil.400:00:20,320 –> 00:00:24,000Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick.500:00:24,000 –> 00:00:26,240Glad you could be with us today and Colin,600:00:26,959 –> 00:00:31,840glad you could be with us today and Colin today’s message deals with the darkness of doubt.700:00:32,480 –> 00:00:36,160For those who struggle with doubt, this will be a really helpful message.800:00:36,160 –> 00:00:38,000Yeah. We’re going to begin by reviewing900:00:38,000 –> 00:00:41,599the different causes of doubt that we’ve been learning about in this series.1000:00:41,599 –> 00:00:46,720It does have different roots and to know how to handle the questions1100:00:46,720 –> 00:00:49,279that you’re experiencing with regard to faith.1200:00:49,279 –> 00:00:51,919It’s very important to know where they’re coming from.1300:00:51,919 –> 00:00:54,080So we’re going to discern a bit about that.1400:00:54,080 –> 00:00:56,160It’s a great thing to know.1500:00:56,400 –> 00:00:58,959That you can only doubt what you believe.1600:00:58,959 –> 00:01:03,119We’ve been learning in this series that there’s a big difference between doubt and1700:01:03,119 –> 00:01:09,839between unbelief and here’s an opportunity for us to look at how faith handles its questions1800:01:09,839 –> 00:01:11,519as we wrap up the series today.1900:01:11,519 –> 00:01:13,839So let’s get right into today’s message.2000:01:13,839 –> 00:01:15,680It’s called Daring to Believe.2100:01:15,680 –> 00:01:16,480Here’s Colin.2200:01:16,480 –> 00:01:17,760Over these last two months.2300:01:17,760 –> 00:01:21,680We have identified seven different varieties of doubt.2400:01:21,680 –> 00:01:28,400Each distinct and each with a particular prescription in the form of a spiritual discipline which2500:01:28,400 –> 00:01:32,239if practiced regularly will address the problem.2600:01:32,239 –> 00:01:35,440We began by thinking about defective memory.2700:01:35,440 –> 00:01:41,360Doubts that arise because we simply forget the goodness of God and we saw that the2800:01:41,360 –> 00:01:46,400discipline that addresses that particular issue is the discipline of Thanksgiving.2900:01:46,720 –> 00:01:53,779We thought about distorted pictures, how we can get doubts that arise from a misconception3000:01:53,779 –> 00:02:00,260of what God is like, and that we are to address that by the practice of biblical meditation,3100:02:00,260 –> 00:02:05,680by filling our minds and our hearts with what God says about himself.3200:02:05,680 –> 00:02:12,039We thought about defective foundations, doubts that arise because we’re simply not clear3300:02:12,039 –> 00:02:15,479about the evidence that God has given us for the Christian faith.3400:02:16,199 –> 00:02:21,679We looked at Thomas as a model of someone who wanted to be absolutely clear about the3500:02:21,679 –> 00:02:24,679evidence on which faith should be based.3600:02:24,679 –> 00:02:29,320And we’ve seen that God has given us that evidence in the scriptures, and therefore3700:02:29,320 –> 00:02:33,679the discipline we must pursue is the discipline of study.3800:02:33,679 –> 00:02:37,940You must study at the level of your questions.3900:02:37,940 –> 00:02:43,899Don’t try and address university level questions with Sunday school faith.4000:02:43,899 –> 00:02:50,899Think through the evidence that God has given at the level of your questioning.4100:02:50,899 –> 00:02:56,440And then we saw that there are other kinds of doubts that come from divided commitment.4200:02:56,440 –> 00:03:02,320Simply from being undecided, never having drawn a clear line in the sand, so that I’m4300:03:02,320 –> 00:03:05,339one thing today and another thing tomorrow.4400:03:05,339 –> 00:03:11,460And we heard Joshua’s challenge, choice today who you will serve.4500:03:11,500 –> 00:03:18,020And we saw that the spiritual discipline of obedience by which we draw a line in the sand,4600:03:18,039 –> 00:03:25,520a first step of baptism itself as obedience to Christ and affirming who we are, that we4700:03:25,520 –> 00:03:31,220are his, and that we are his alone, and that we are his forever.4800:03:31,220 –> 00:03:35,600And then we saw there’s another kind of doubt that arises from diminished growth.4900:03:35,600 –> 00:03:39,520This is the kind of doubt that comes from a faith that is rarely used.5000:03:39,520 –> 00:03:46,779It’s like a muscle that because it’s never used, begins to atrophy and it loses its strength.5100:03:46,779 –> 00:03:49,880We heard Jesus question, where is your faith?5200:03:49,880 –> 00:03:54,800And we saw that faith is not something that clicks in automatically, but it has to be5300:03:54,800 –> 00:03:57,880applied to the difficult situations of our lives.5400:03:57,880 –> 00:04:02,119We have to launch out And we saw that God calls us to the spiritual5500:04:02,119 –> 00:04:05,059discipline of service.5600:04:05,100 –> 00:04:11,039And we considered disappointed hopes, doubts that arise from shattered dreams, and from5700:04:11,039 –> 00:04:12,820a broken heart.5800:04:12,820 –> 00:04:19,200And we identified with Jeremiah as he struggled with the fact that his life and his ministry5900:04:19,200 –> 00:04:24,779was not as he would have wanted it to be, and he poured out his soul before God, and6000:04:24,779 –> 00:04:29,380we identified the spiritual discipline of honest confession.6100:04:30,100 –> 00:04:34,579And just last week, we looked at doubts that come from destructive fears, the what-ifs6200:04:34,579 –> 00:04:37,299of life.6300:04:37,299 –> 00:04:41,940And we saw that the more we look at the problems, the larger they become.6400:04:41,940 –> 00:04:47,859And that the prescription for this particular condition is that we focus our view on Jesus6500:04:47,859 –> 00:04:53,359Christ, and that all boils down to the spiritual discipline of worship.6600:04:53,359 –> 00:04:59,160Now, put all these together, and one of the most important things that we learned is that6700:04:59,380 –> 00:05:02,559doubt itself is a very confusing business.6800:05:02,559 –> 00:05:06,540It comes from a lot of different sources.6900:05:06,540 –> 00:05:10,679And one of the reasons why many people never make progress in dealing effectively with7000:05:10,679 –> 00:05:16,959their doubts is they never really manage to work out where the doubt is coming from.7100:05:16,959 –> 00:05:23,119Doubt is like fog, and our enemy wants to keep us confused so that we don’t even know7200:05:23,119 –> 00:05:24,540the source.7300:05:24,559 –> 00:05:29,660And if we don’t know the source, we probably won’t pursue the discipline that is the prescription7400:05:29,660 –> 00:05:31,459to address it.7500:05:31,459 –> 00:05:37,779And so before we come to our final theme this morning, I want just to make three observations7600:05:37,779 –> 00:05:40,440that arise from the series as a whole.7700:05:40,440 –> 00:05:46,140And the first is, it’s so important in dealing with doubt that you begin with this whole7800:05:46,140 –> 00:05:48,640business of diagnosis.7900:05:48,640 –> 00:05:53,799If you are trying to help someone who is struggling with doubt, the first question you need is8000:05:54,619 –> 00:06:01,399to be asking in your mind and probing in your conversation, is what is the root cause of8100:06:01,399 –> 00:06:03,339this doubt.8200:06:03,339 –> 00:06:07,500Because if you don’t know that, you won’t know how to counsel this person as to how8300:06:07,500 –> 00:06:09,799best to address it.8400:06:09,799 –> 00:06:13,679If you’re struggling with doubt in your own mind, this is the first point at which you8500:06:13,679 –> 00:06:14,940need help.8600:06:14,940 –> 00:06:17,359Where is this coming from?8700:06:17,359 –> 00:06:25,119From which of the families of doubt does my particular perplexity arise?8800:06:25,119 –> 00:06:31,859And remember that because we are complex individuals, the doubts often arise from more than one8900:06:31,859 –> 00:06:32,859cause.9000:06:32,859 –> 00:06:39,679A person can be unsure about the evidence of faith and have a broken heart at the same9100:06:39,679 –> 00:06:41,440time.9200:06:41,440 –> 00:06:49,779And if we only identify half of the problem, we will only be pursuing half of the solution.9300:06:49,779 –> 00:06:55,440So the first issue, and it’s so important, is to identify the issue at its source.9400:06:55,440 –> 00:06:59,920Secondly, persevere with the prescription.9500:06:59,920 –> 00:07:08,160The spiritual disciplines that we have identified are not instant pain killers.9600:07:08,160 –> 00:07:14,799They have a gradual and an increasing effect over a long period of time.9700:07:14,799 –> 00:07:21,140So if you establish a pattern of meditating on the Word of God, and you give 10 minutes9800:07:21,140 –> 00:07:27,299each day to reflecting on what God says about himself, and you continue to do that, then9900:07:27,299 –> 00:07:36,380over time you will have, within your mind, a clearer grasp of who God is in all his glory.10000:07:36,380 –> 00:07:39,359But you need to persevere with the prescription.10100:07:39,359 –> 00:07:46,119The spiritual disciplines are to become patterns of our life, patterns of worship, of obedience,10200:07:46,119 –> 00:07:49,079of biblical meditation, of thanksgiving.10300:07:49,119 –> 00:07:55,959They need to be woven into the very fabric of who we are.10400:07:55,959 –> 00:08:05,000And you will find that as you pursue the disciplines that God has given to us, that resolution10500:08:05,000 –> 00:08:11,859of some of the great questions almost seems to sneak up on you and you find that you’ve10600:08:11,859 –> 00:08:17,519moved forward and you have a new level of assurance.10700:08:17,519 –> 00:08:21,980And the third thing is this, anticipate new challenges.10800:08:21,980 –> 00:08:27,179You see doubt is not something that we deal with once at a certain point in the Christian10900:08:27,179 –> 00:08:30,760life and then say goodbye to it forever after.11000:08:31,500 –> 00:08:37,719Remember the Christian journey is a journey upstream, we are always swimming as it were11100:08:37,719 –> 00:08:42,799against the currents of the world and the flesh and the devil.11200:08:42,799 –> 00:08:48,619And because I know that to be the pattern of the Christian life I know that if God gives11300:08:48,619 –> 00:08:55,099me another 10 years that in these 10 years there will be new fears to face.11400:08:55,099 –> 00:08:58,340There will be new disappointments to navigate.11500:08:58,340 –> 00:09:04,780There will be new distortions to address, and there will be new commitments to be made.11600:09:04,780 –> 00:09:10,500And in all these situations I will face new challenges to my faith, so I might as well11700:09:10,500 –> 00:09:14,960anticipate them and not be surprised by them.11800:09:14,960 –> 00:09:22,299The Bible is full of witness to this ongoing pattern of the struggle of the Christian life11900:09:22,299 –> 00:09:23,599with many questions.12000:09:23,840 –> 00:09:26,659Psalm 73 is a great example.12100:09:26,659 –> 00:09:31,700Asaph who was the worship leader of the Old Testament on the platform every Sunday as12200:09:31,700 –> 00:09:33,179it were.12300:09:33,179 –> 00:09:38,340Leading the choirs and proclaiming the Word of God.12400:09:38,340 –> 00:09:43,140And he says in Psalm 73, my foot almost slipped.12500:09:43,140 –> 00:09:49,020And his problem was he saw that God blesses bad people and he couldn’t understand it.12600:09:49,059 –> 00:09:54,799And it created a doubt within his mind and it lingered for a long time, it was a struggle.12700:09:54,799 –> 00:09:58,440And he says, you know if I’d spoken out loud about some of the things that were going on12800:09:58,440 –> 00:09:59,440in my mind.12900:09:59,440 –> 00:10:03,239If everybody knew some of the struggles I was going on with, I would have betrayed a13000:10:03,239 –> 00:10:04,919generation of God’s people.13100:10:04,919 –> 00:10:09,760People would have said fancy a leader, a leader of worship, having questions like that.13200:10:09,760 –> 00:10:17,039And then Asaph identifying his struggle says, but then I came into the sanctuary and I realized13300:10:17,039 –> 00:10:19,520the end of the wicked.13400:10:19,520 –> 00:10:23,359And I regained my foothold.13500:10:23,359 –> 00:10:30,119You see, you can come to a mature Christian leader, a real struggle, a question like that.13600:10:30,119 –> 00:10:38,340John Bunyon, the Christian leader for 11 years from 1661 to 1772.13700:10:38,340 –> 00:10:42,559Imprisoned simply for preaching the gospel.13800:10:42,559 –> 00:10:46,520And when he was locked up in Bedfordshire in England, that’s where he wrote the Christian13900:10:47,000 –> 00:10:49,880classic book, Pilgrim’s Progress.14000:10:49,880 –> 00:10:56,380He was a mature Christian believer and he wrote the story in images about a man called14100:10:56,380 –> 00:11:01,520Christian who walks on a pathway that is all kinds of difficulties and he has companions14200:11:01,520 –> 00:11:04,219faithful and hopeful.14300:11:04,219 –> 00:11:10,700And it’s well down the line in the journey that he finds that he’s attacked by a giant14400:11:10,700 –> 00:11:13,739called Giant Despair.14500:11:13,760 –> 00:11:19,000And he’s locked up in Giant Despair’s home which is called Doubting Castle.14600:11:19,039 –> 00:11:24,099It’s very interesting that Bunyan did not put that as an experience at the beginning14700:11:24,099 –> 00:11:29,979of the Christian life but as one that is well advanced in the path of Christian progress.14800:11:29,979 –> 00:11:35,380And I’m sure that the reason for that is that it was reflecting some of the questions that14900:11:35,380 –> 00:11:40,820he was facing while he was locked up at that very time of writing in prison.15000:11:40,960 –> 00:11:47,900He could have gone home any day to his wife and to his four children if only he had promised15100:11:47,900 –> 00:11:50,559never to preach the gospel again.15200:11:50,619 –> 00:11:56,140And he was thrown into this great struggle and he discovered in his own experience and15300:11:56,140 –> 00:12:02,840wrote it out in The Pilgrim’s Progress what it was to hold onto the key of God’s promise15400:12:02,840 –> 00:12:10,219when you are thrown into a situation of doubt even in your mature Christian years.15500:12:10,239 –> 00:12:13,500John Calvin, the great theologian of the church said,15600:12:13,500 –> 00:12:18,859While we teach that faith ought to be certain and sure, we cannot imagine any certainty15700:12:18,859 –> 00:12:25,940that is not tinged with doubt, or an assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety.15800:12:25,940 –> 00:12:33,559His picture was that faith is like a command post in the castle of your heart.15900:12:33,559 –> 00:12:37,840But outside of the castle there is always an assault, there are arrows that are being16000:12:37,840 –> 00:12:38,859fired.16100:12:38,900 –> 00:12:48,159This castle of faith is always under attack, and always besieged, and always embattled.16200:12:48,159 –> 00:12:50,520We must not be afraid of this struggle.16300:12:51,719 –> 00:12:53,000We must not!16400:12:53,719 –> 00:12:56,260You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.16500:12:56,260 –> 00:13:02,599We’ve got to pause the message there briefly, but we’ll be back to Luke 24 in just a moment.16600:13:02,599 –> 00:13:07,679Message is called, Daring to Believe, and it’s one of the most popular requested programs16700:13:07,679 –> 00:13:09,080of the last 12 months.16800:13:09,080 –> 00:13:14,679We’ve bundled it and another nine programs together, in a series we’ve called,16900:13:14,679 –> 00:13:17,500Listener Favorites 2025.17000:13:17,500 –> 00:13:21,640If you’ve missed any of the series so far, or if want to go back and listen to them again17100:13:21,640 –> 00:13:27,059you can do that by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk.17200:13:27,059 –> 00:13:30,239There you’ll find all the messages which have already gone out on air.17300:13:30,679 –> 00:13:34,619You’ll also find them as a podcast, and those are on all the main podcast sites.17400:13:35,359 –> 00:13:39,520Search for Open The Bible UK, or follow the link from our website.17500:13:39,780 –> 00:13:42,299Back to the message now, here’s Colin.17600:13:42,299 –> 00:13:49,780This is a good time for planting bulbs, and you know that very simple practice,17700:13:49,780 –> 00:13:58,140you take a bulb and you put it in the ground, and you cover it over with dirt and with mulch.17800:13:59,099 –> 00:14:04,940Now you imagine a bulb’s eye view of that process.17900:14:04,960 –> 00:14:15,400The little bulb sits there, six inches down and looks up, and it says I’ve been dumped on.18000:14:15,580 –> 00:14:25,359I can not see the light of day, I’m surrounded by dirt, I’m smothered,18100:14:25,359 –> 00:14:29,359but the bulb has life in it.18200:14:29,599 –> 00:14:32,840If it was a stone, it would simply be buried.18300:14:33,080 –> 00:14:35,700But it’s not a stone, it is a bulb.18400:14:35,700 –> 00:14:43,039It has life in it and because it has life in it that life presses up.18500:14:43,039 –> 00:14:47,340It presses up through the dirt towards the light.18600:14:47,340 –> 00:14:50,440And that’s a marvellous, marvellous picture of faith.18700:14:50,820 –> 00:14:57,299So the Bible says you were born again, by the living seed of the Word of God.18800:14:57,320 –> 00:15:01,400Your faith will be assaulted, your faith will be dumped on.18900:15:02,239 –> 00:15:07,380And if you did not have the life of God in you that would be the end of your Christian experience.19000:15:07,440 –> 00:15:10,799But living faith pushes on upwards19100:15:10,799 –> 00:15:14,700and the extraordinary thing, think about this from the analogy of the bulb,19200:15:14,940 –> 00:15:22,340is that the very thing that buried it becomes part of the process of its growth.19300:15:23,479 –> 00:15:29,700That’s why James says that the testing of your faith develops perseverance19400:15:29,700 –> 00:15:34,539and that must finish its work so that you may become mature and complete19500:15:34,780 –> 00:15:36,659and not lacking in anything.19600:15:36,659 –> 00:15:40,679So when the dirt comes over, as it were, and you can’t see the light,19700:15:40,679 –> 00:15:42,700don’t be scared of that.19800:15:42,780 –> 00:15:47,780The life of God is within you, Christian.19900:15:48,979 –> 00:15:51,260Now God has given us a wonderful window20000:15:51,260 –> 00:15:55,700into the struggle of faith and this battle with doubt20100:15:55,700 –> 00:16:00,039in the story of the very, very first disciples of Jesus.20200:16:00,260 –> 00:16:03,559The Gospels tell it exactly as it is,20300:16:03,559 –> 00:16:06,119and this is one of the wonderful things about the Bible.20400:16:06,119 –> 00:16:09,119You don’t get any varnishing of heroes,20500:16:09,380 –> 00:16:13,179nor revising the story with a benefit of hindsight.20600:16:13,179 –> 00:16:17,059What we have here is the plain unvarnished truth20700:16:17,059 –> 00:16:20,780about the struggle between faith and doubt20800:16:20,780 –> 00:16:25,599in the experience of the very earliest believers.20900:16:25,599 –> 00:16:27,359Remember that the disciples of Jesus21000:16:27,359 –> 00:16:31,299had made a decisive commitment to Jesus Christ,21100:16:31,299 –> 00:16:33,580they’d left everything to follow him,21200:16:33,580 –> 00:16:35,700so that wasn’t their problem.21300:16:35,739 –> 00:16:38,400They had the clearest possible revelation21400:16:38,400 –> 00:16:41,059of the living God, so distorted pictures21500:16:41,059 –> 00:16:42,359wasn’t their problem.21600:16:43,900 –> 00:16:45,619But even after the resurrection,21700:16:45,619 –> 00:16:50,419they still had to deal with the assault of doubt,21800:16:50,419 –> 00:16:53,599the dumping of doubt on the faith21900:16:53,599 –> 00:16:56,659that was there in their hearts and in their minds.22000:16:57,580 –> 00:16:58,580I want to trace that story with you22100:16:58,580 –> 00:17:00,700very briefly this morning from Luke 24,22200:17:00,700 –> 00:17:03,340so please have your Bibles open there.22300:17:03,340 –> 00:17:06,579It’s the first Easter morning,22400:17:06,579 –> 00:17:08,900and the women go to the tomb,22500:17:08,900 –> 00:17:10,880and they find that it is empty.22600:17:11,900 –> 00:17:14,140Angels appear to them, and they announce22700:17:14,140 –> 00:17:16,459that Jesus Christ is risen.22800:17:17,420 –> 00:17:20,760The women come back and they tell the disciples22900:17:20,760 –> 00:17:23,979these things, but verse 11 of Luke 24,23000:17:23,979 –> 00:17:25,859they did not believe the woman23100:17:25,859 –> 00:17:30,540because the words seemed to them like nonsense.23200:17:30,540 –> 00:17:34,219So Peter, in a very disparaging way,23300:17:34,219 –> 00:17:37,180says he cannot trust this witness23400:17:37,180 –> 00:17:38,979that has been given to him.23500:17:38,979 –> 00:17:42,180He then goes to see himself, verse 12.23600:17:42,180 –> 00:17:44,520We know from John’s gospel that John went with him23700:17:44,520 –> 00:17:48,040and that John went into the tomb and he saw and believed,23800:17:48,040 –> 00:17:49,699but here we’re told particularly23900:17:49,699 –> 00:17:51,780that with Peter it was different.24000:17:51,780 –> 00:17:54,619He went to the tomb, even after he’d heard24100:17:54,619 –> 00:17:56,839the witness of the women, and when he saw24200:17:56,859 –> 00:17:58,520that the tomb was empty, verse 12,24300:17:58,520 –> 00:18:03,520he went away wondering to himself what had happened.24400:18:04,760 –> 00:18:06,560So they have not yet come to believe24500:18:06,560 –> 00:18:09,000that Jesus is risen from the dead.24600:18:09,000 –> 00:18:13,319Peter is still puzzling over a mystery.24700:18:14,560 –> 00:18:15,880Then we have the marvelous story24800:18:15,880 –> 00:18:18,219of how Christ appeared to two disciples24900:18:18,219 –> 00:18:21,400on the road to Emmaus, and in verse 33,25000:18:21,400 –> 00:18:24,780these two returned to Jerusalem, and they find the 11,25100:18:24,859 –> 00:18:27,819and when they get there, the 11 are already convinced25200:18:27,819 –> 00:18:29,780about the resurrection because they say,25300:18:29,780 –> 00:18:33,619verse 33, it’s true, the Lord has risen25400:18:33,619 –> 00:18:36,540and he has appeared to Simon Peter.25500:18:36,540 –> 00:18:38,619So in the course of this time25600:18:38,619 –> 00:18:42,140there was another appearance that Paul also refers to25700:18:42,140 –> 00:18:44,420in 1 Corinthians 15 that was made particularly25800:18:44,420 –> 00:18:47,520to Simon Peter.25900:18:47,520 –> 00:18:49,180So now faith is established.26000:18:49,180 –> 00:18:51,699The 11 do now believe.26100:18:51,699 –> 00:18:54,459You can’t get a clearer statement of faith26200:18:54,459 –> 00:18:58,260than this in verse 33, it is true,26300:18:58,260 –> 00:19:01,859the Lord has risen.26400:19:01,859 –> 00:19:04,219So we’re at the point of faith now, aren’t we?26500:19:04,219 –> 00:19:06,099All doubts are put behind us.26600:19:06,099 –> 00:19:10,900We believe that Jesus is risen from the dead.26700:19:12,760 –> 00:19:14,339Now, look at verse 36.26800:19:15,300 –> 00:19:16,959While they were still talking about this,26900:19:16,959 –> 00:19:20,619Jesus comes and he appears to them again27000:19:20,619 –> 00:19:23,160and he says to them, peace be with you.27100:19:24,079 –> 00:19:26,979And they are startled and they are frightened27200:19:26,979 –> 00:19:29,619because they thought they saw a ghost27300:19:29,619 –> 00:19:31,640and he said to them, why are you troubled27400:19:31,640 –> 00:19:36,599and why do doubts rise in your mind?27500:19:38,300 –> 00:19:40,760You see, they’ve come to the position of faith27600:19:40,760 –> 00:19:43,199but now doubt is coming back27700:19:43,199 –> 00:19:46,459like the arrows assaulting the castle of faith,27800:19:46,459 –> 00:19:50,680like the earth dumping on the bulb that has been planted27900:19:50,959 –> 00:19:53,680and the newfound faith of the disciples28000:19:53,680 –> 00:19:57,079is already under attack from doubt.28100:19:57,079 –> 00:19:59,420They believe that Jesus has risen28200:19:59,420 –> 00:20:01,400but no sooner have they come to the point of saying,28300:20:01,400 –> 00:20:04,160I believe, that they begin to say,28400:20:04,160 –> 00:20:08,280well, could it just be that my mind is playing a trick?28500:20:09,680 –> 00:20:14,060Now, some of you may have had exactly this experience.28600:20:14,060 –> 00:20:16,819You’ve been born again.28700:20:16,819 –> 00:20:19,819You’ve come to faith in Jesus Christ,28800:20:20,719 –> 00:20:24,739but very, very soon after that event in your life,28900:20:24,739 –> 00:20:26,219there’s a nagging question29000:20:26,219 –> 00:20:28,380that seems to come from outside of you,29100:20:28,380 –> 00:20:30,760and it says, well, was that real?29200:20:31,880 –> 00:20:35,140Did anything actually happen?29300:20:35,140 –> 00:20:38,540Was it maybe just in your mind?29400:20:38,540 –> 00:20:42,939How do I know that this really God?29500:20:42,939 –> 00:20:44,380Well, when that happens to you,29600:20:44,380 –> 00:20:45,900rest assured you’re not alone.29700:20:45,900 –> 00:20:50,900This is precisely what happened to the first disciples.29800:20:51,439 –> 00:20:54,719There is this assault on the castle of faith.29900:20:54,719 –> 00:20:57,680There is this dumping of doubt30000:20:57,680 –> 00:21:01,119on the planted seed of faith.30100:21:02,900 –> 00:21:04,400You’ve been listening to Open The Bible30200:21:04,400 –> 00:21:06,839with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called30300:21:06,839 –> 00:21:10,119Daring to Believe, one of the most popular30400:21:10,119 –> 00:21:12,760and requested programs of the last year.30500:21:12,760 –> 00:21:14,319We’ve bundled this message30600:21:14,319 –> 00:21:16,400and the other most popular messages30700:21:16,400 –> 00:21:20,859in a series we’re calling Listener Favorites, 2025.30800:21:20,859 –> 00:21:22,319If you’ve missed any of the series30900:21:22,319 –> 00:21:24,479or if you’d like to go back and listen again,31000:21:24,479 –> 00:21:27,400they’re all available online at our website31100:21:27,400 –> 00:21:30,540openthebible.org.uk31200:21:30,540 –> 00:21:32,880and also available as a podcast31300:21:32,880 –> 00:21:35,339and those are on all the main podcast sites,31400:21:35,339 –> 00:21:37,640search for Open The Bible UK31500:21:37,640 –> 00:21:40,900and subscribe if you want to receive regular reminders.31600:21:41,780 –> 00:21:44,699Also on our website and available as a podcast,31700:21:44,699 –> 00:21:47,219you can find Open The Bible Daily31800:21:47,219 –> 00:21:48,900and that’s a series of short31900:21:48,900 –> 00:21:51,319two to three minute daily reflections32000:21:51,319 –> 00:21:53,180based on Pastor Collins’ teaching32100:21:53,180 –> 00:21:55,979and read in the UK by Sue MacLeish.32200:21:55,979 –> 00:21:57,219There’s a fresh one every day32300:21:57,219 –> 00:22:00,599and many Christians find it’s a great way to start the day.32400:22:00,599 –> 00:22:02,520That’s Open The Bible Daily32500:22:02,520 –> 00:22:06,180at openthebible.org.uk32600:22:07,339 –> 00:22:09,699Open The Bible is able to stay on the radio32700:22:09,800 –> 00:22:11,020and on the internet32800:22:11,020 –> 00:22:13,380because of the very generous donations32900:22:13,380 –> 00:22:14,819made by our listeners.33000:22:14,819 –> 00:22:17,719So if you already give to support Open The Bible,33100:22:17,719 –> 00:22:19,219thank you so much.33200:22:19,219 –> 00:22:21,459If that’s something that you’ve been considering doing33300:22:21,459 –> 00:22:22,339in the future,33400:22:22,339 –> 00:22:23,180each month,33500:22:23,180 –> 00:22:25,500we aim to offer a special gift33600:22:25,500 –> 00:22:28,380in return for setting up a new support payment33700:22:28,380 –> 00:22:29,819for Open The Bible.33800:22:29,819 –> 00:22:30,819If you’re able to set up33900:22:30,819 –> 00:22:32,579a new monthly direct debit34000:22:32,579 –> 00:22:35,099of five pounds per month or more34100:22:35,099 –> 00:22:37,880or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,34200:22:37,880 –> 00:22:39,619we’d love to say thank you34300:22:39,640 –> 00:22:42,239by sending you a copy of Colin Smith’s book34400:22:42,239 –> 00:22:43,800Fly Through The Bible.34500:22:43,800 –> 00:22:45,400Here’s OpenTheBible’s34600:22:45,400 –> 00:22:46,459Amanda Cunningham34700:22:46,459 –> 00:22:47,880to talk about the book34800:22:47,880 –> 00:22:50,400and also about some other exciting resources34900:22:50,400 –> 00:22:52,619which are free for everyone to receive.35000:22:52,619 –> 00:22:54,359Thanks David.35100:22:54,359 –> 00:22:56,839Well if you’ve been listening for a while,35200:22:56,839 –> 00:22:58,219you will of course know that35300:22:58,219 –> 00:23:00,640each month we give away a free book35400:23:00,640 –> 00:23:03,140where you support our ministry,35500:23:03,140 –> 00:23:05,819either with a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more35600:23:05,819 –> 00:23:08,099or by setting up a new direct debit35700:23:08,239 –> 00:23:10,099of at least 5 pounds.35800:23:10,099 –> 00:23:11,959But this July and August,35900:23:11,959 –> 00:23:15,079we’ve got something even bigger going on.36000:23:15,079 –> 00:23:17,579We’re running a special campaign36100:23:17,579 –> 00:23:20,560packed with free resources,36200:23:20,560 –> 00:23:22,160all designed to help you36300:23:22,160 –> 00:23:24,380open the Bible with others.36400:23:24,380 –> 00:23:26,099Because let’s face it,36500:23:26,099 –> 00:23:28,839that’s not always easy to do.36600:23:28,839 –> 00:23:31,339So yes, when you donate you will still36700:23:31,339 –> 00:23:32,599receive a free copy of36800:23:32,599 –> 00:23:34,400Fly Through The Bible,36900:23:34,400 –> 00:23:37,260but this summer everyone can access37000:23:37,359 –> 00:23:39,900a range of free tools.37100:23:39,900 –> 00:23:41,739First, there’s a video series37200:23:41,739 –> 00:23:44,500with Colin Smith walking through37300:23:44,500 –> 00:23:45,939each session of the37400:23:45,939 –> 00:23:47,739Fly Through the Bible course37500:23:47,739 –> 00:23:49,359on our website.37600:23:49,359 –> 00:23:51,219Great for personal study37700:23:51,219 –> 00:23:52,939or for small groups!37800:23:52,939 –> 00:23:55,140Second, we’ve got a free app.37900:23:55,140 –> 00:23:56,520Just head to your app store38000:23:56,520 –> 00:23:59,640and search Fly Through the Bible.38100:23:59,640 –> 00:24:00,880Could you invite a friend38200:24:00,880 –> 00:24:02,719for coffee this week38300:24:02,719 –> 00:24:04,760and go through it together?38400:24:04,760 –> 00:24:06,920Or if you’re a church leader38500:24:06,979 –> 00:24:08,540thinking ahead38600:24:08,540 –> 00:24:09,800to your autumn small groups,38700:24:09,800 –> 00:24:11,359we’ve got you covered.38800:24:11,359 –> 00:24:15,660Head to openthebible.org.uk38900:24:15,660 –> 00:24:17,339forward slash fly39000:24:17,339 –> 00:24:19,040to download a free39100:24:19,040 –> 00:24:21,020small group discussion guide39200:24:21,020 –> 00:24:23,900with questions for every session.39300:24:23,900 –> 00:24:25,439We’re praying these resources39400:24:25,439 –> 00:24:27,500will encourage and equip you39500:24:27,500 –> 00:24:28,859whether you’re reading the Bible39600:24:28,859 –> 00:24:30,920on your own or with others.39700:24:30,920 –> 00:24:32,839And honestly, what better place39800:24:32,839 –> 00:24:34,540to start than a journey39900:24:34,540 –> 00:24:36,260through the Bible story.40000:24:36,280 –> 00:24:37,680Thanks, Amanda.40100:24:37,680 –> 00:24:39,459You can access these free resources40200:24:39,459 –> 00:24:43,359at our website, openthebible.org.uk40300:24:43,359 –> 00:24:45,839and you can download the fly app40400:24:45,839 –> 00:24:48,979at the Apple App Store or Google Play.40500:24:48,979 –> 00:24:51,739Our offer to send you a copy of Colin’s book40600:24:51,739 –> 00:24:53,160Fly Through the Bible40700:24:53,160 –> 00:24:55,020is available all this month.40800:24:55,020 –> 00:24:57,260Full details, terms and conditions40900:24:57,260 –> 00:25:01,219are on our website, openthebible.org.uk41000:25:01,219 –> 00:25:02,719and you can give online.41100:25:02,719 –> 00:25:04,180For Open the Bible,41200:25:04,180 –> 00:25:05,160Pastor Colin Smith.41300:25:05,479 –> 00:25:06,619I’m David Pick41400:25:06,619 –> 00:25:08,920and I hope you’ll join us again next time.41500:25:13,979 –> 00:25:16,699Do you think that Jesus’ death and resurrection41600:25:16,699 –> 00:25:19,079is just too good to be true?41700:25:19,079 –> 00:25:21,359So did the first disciples.41800:25:21,359 –> 00:25:24,699Find out why next time on Open the Bible.