Digging Deeper – Page 2 – NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper – Waiting on God

Steve Roach on July 28, 2025

Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised… In just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 1:4-5 (NLT)

WAITING ON GOD

Jesus had just risen from the dead. The disciples were eager. The world was in need. But Jesus said, “Wait.”

That may sound surprising. Why wait when you have the greatest news in history? Because Jesus knew the mission was impossible without the Spirit. The gospel cannot be lived out or shared effectively without God’s power.

Waiting on God is not about inactivity; it is about preparation. It is about learning to trust God’s timing more than our impulses or feelings. The temptation we face is to rush into decisions, relationships, or conversations without seeking God’s direction. But Jesus modeled a different way of living. He made sure to include time alone with His Father in prayer. He was never in a hurry. In fact, He even delayed a day when His friend Lazarus was close to death. Jesus never made a move without considering His Father’s will.

During World War II, General George Patton was told to wait before advancing his troops. Instead of pushing forward out of impatience, he followed orders. Days later, he learned that his delay had prevented his men from walking into a deadly ambush. What looked like wasted time turned out to be divine protection.

Waiting isn’t weakness when it’s obedience. Where do you need to slow down and wait on the Spirit before moving forward? Ask God to prepare your heart and equip you as you wait.

Steve Roach serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Growth at NorthStar Church. He and his wife, Amy, live in Acworth and have three girls, Olivia, Sydney, and Hayley and one son, Colton. He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.

Digging Deeper: Resting in His Presence

Minda Seagraves on July 25, 2025

“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

RESTING IN HIS PRESENCE

The Great Commission ends with a promise—not a command.

After calling His followers to go, to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach, Jesus offers this final word: “I am with you always.” Not sometimes. Not if you get it right. Not when you feel strong. Always.

It’s easy to read the Great Commission and feel the weight of it. We hear the call and start asking ourselves:
Am I doing enough?
Am I going where I’m supposed to go?
Am I equipped to make disciples?
What if I mess it up?

But Jesus knew that. He knew we would wrestle with fear, insecurity, doubt, and weakness. That’s why He ended not with pressure, but with presence.

This isn’t a mission we were meant to fulfill on our own. From the moment He spoke these words, Jesus made it clear: You’re not doing this by yourself.

As someone who’s lived out ministry in both vibrant seasons and deeply vulnerable ones, I can tell you—this promise has become my anchor.

There have been times when I’ve felt strong and sure, walking confidently in the work God called me to do. But there have also been long stretches—especially in this current season of chronic illness—when I’ve felt completely poured out. On those days, it’s not the commission that carries me. It’s the presence.

I may not have the same physical capacity I once did. I may not be able to go, serve, or lead in all the ways I used to. But Jesus is still with me. Still leading me. Still using me.

His presence is not dependent on my performance.
It’s not tied to how “productive” I am for the Kingdom.
It’s just… true. Always.

And that has changed the way I measure faithfulness—not by what I do, but by how I walk with Him.

Wherever you are today—whether you feel energized or exhausted, bold or broken, ready to lead or barely hanging on—know this: You are not alone. The same Jesus who called His disciples on that mountaintop is walking with you right now.

You don’t have to muster up strength you don’t have. You don’t have to figure it all out before you take the next step. You just have to trust that He is with you—empowering, equipping, and encouraging you every step of the way.

The Great Commission was never about what we can do for Jesus. It’s about what He can do through us—when we go with Him.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for never sending me alone. Help me live in constant awareness of Your presence. When I feel afraid, remind me You are near. When I feel weak, strengthen me by Your Spirit. May I walk in confidence—not in myself, but in You.

Reflect:

Where do you need to be reminded that Jesus is with you?
What changes when you remember that you’re not walking out your calling alone?

Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

Digging Deeper: Baptizing and Teaching — Sharing the Whole Gospel

Minda Seagraves on July 24, 2025

“…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Matthew 28:19b-20a (NIV)

Baptizing and Teaching – Sharing the Whole Gospel

Yesterday, we looked at the slow, patient work of investing in people—building trust, laying a foundation, and discipling long before you ever open a Bible together. Today, we turn to what happens after that foundation has been laid.

Because there comes a moment in every disciple-making journey when the seeds planted in relationship begin to grow toward transformation. But here’s the beautiful—and sometimes challenging—truth: we don’t always get to see the harvest.

Sometimes we plant. Sometimes we water. Occasionally, we get to witness the moment that fruit begins to bloom. But every step is sacred, and all of it is God’s.

In 2018, I began working with a local girls’ high school basketball program. I was not a basketball player. I wasn’t even an athlete. I felt confident talking to the girls in the locker room before games—but when it came to building relationships with the coaches, I was completely out of my comfort zone. Still, I felt the Lord calling me to show up. To listen. To invest.

One of the coaches I met was a former player at that same school—young, newly in a leadership role, and figuring it all out in real time. We connected easily. She opened up. I listened. I didn’t push. I didn’t preach. I just showed up, week after week.

Then one morning, everything shifted. I got a 6 a.m. text: “Can we talk?”

In that moment, I knew—this was what the Lord had been preparing our relationship for. From that day forward, we began walking through some incredibly hard and deeply personal circumstances together. And slowly, we opened God’s Word side by side. We prayed. We studied. We asked big questions.

A few summers later, while walking the track between games at a tournament, she looked at me and asked if I would baptize her. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. And the transformation didn’t stop there—she joined the church, got involved in a small group, and started leading her team with faith and boldness. I watched as she became a woman who wasn’t just coached by me—but discipled by Jesus.

Moments like these are holy reminders that the gospel isn’t meant to be kept to ourselves—or halfway shared. Jesus called us to baptize and teach—to lead people into full relationship with Him, not just casual connection. That includes sharing the full truth of who He is, what He has done, and what it means to follow Him with our whole lives.

Let’s be honest: that can feel intimidating. Especially when the person you’re investing in has become a friend. We don’t want to pressure or offend. We don’t want to be “too much.” But the gospel, shared with love and grace, is never too much—it’s exactly what people need most.

Discipleship isn’t just about walking with someone through the hard parts of life. It’s also about walking them into the transforming power of Christ. It’s both/and—relational investment and gospel invitation. Trusting that when we’re faithful to share, the Holy Spirit is faithful to move.

So whether you’re planting seeds, watering them, or watching them bloom—keep going. Keep speaking. Keep sharing. You never know when you might get a glimpse of heaven right here on earth.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for the privilege of walking with others in both the quiet and the bold moments. Give me courage to share Your whole truth with love, patience, and joy. Use my story and my obedience to reflect Your grace and invite others into Your kingdom.

Reflect:

Have you ever stopped short of sharing the whole gospel with someone because of fear or discomfort?
What would it look like to take one small step of obedience this week—whether through conversation, invitation, or prayer?

Digging Deeper: Make Disciples — Investing in Others with Patience and Presence

Minda Seagraves on July 23, 2025

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…

Matthew 28:19a (NIV)

Make Disciples – Investing in Others with Patience and Presence

Let’s be honest—people can be very… peopley.

Every single one of us comes with baggage. Some of it’s obvious. Some of it we keep tucked away, hidden under layers of personality, performance, or pain. And whether we realize it or not, that baggage affects how we show up in the world. It can make us short-tempered, distant, guarded, or inconsistent.

In short: we’re complicated. All of us. And yet, this is the world Jesus stepped into. These are the people He called—including us.

When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” He wasn’t just speaking to a squeaky-clean crowd. He was commissioning flawed, overwhelmed, imperfect people to invest in the lives of other flawed, overwhelmed, imperfect people. And that’s still the call today.

Discipleship is not a drive-by act of kindness. It’s not a one-time conversation or a check-the-box good deed. It’s a life-on-life investment—one that requires time, patience, and intentionality.

In my work as a domestic missionary to coaches and athletes, I’ve had the privilege of discipling people in both structured and unstructured ways. Sometimes it looks like a weekly Bible study—knee to knee, Scripture open, lives being shared and sharpened. Those moments are powerful, and I treasure them.

But some of my most meaningful discipleship relationships have started before the Bible was ever opened.

There were a couple of years when I had athletes who regularly excused themselves from team devotionals. It would’ve been easy to write them off, to focus only on those who stayed. But instead, I felt drawn to invest differently—to show up in the ordinary moments: sideline chats, hallway conversations, casual celebrations, and shared disappointments. And slowly, a foundation began to form. No judgment. No pressure. Just presence.

One of those athletes never did sit through a full team devotional. But she graduated having seen Jesus in how we lived and loved each other—and in how I treated her with consistency and grace. That’s discipleship, too.

There’s a kind of disciple-making that’s structured and intentional. It involves Scripture, prayer, accountability, and shared spiritual growth. It’s beautiful. It’s needed.

But there’s also a kind of disciple-making that happens before conversion—before the Bible is opened. It’s slower. Quieter. It involves building trust, earning the right to speak into someone’s life, waiting for the Spirit to soften hearts and open doors. And it’s just as holy.

Discipleship is both/and—not either/or.

So let’s be bold in the discipleship that looks like opening the Word and walking alongside a brother or sister in faith. And let’s be just as faithful in the kind that begins with presence, patience, and prayer—with planting seeds we may never see harvested this side of heaven.

Jesus never shied away from the mess. He moved toward it. And He invites us to do the same.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for calling me not just to believe, but to invest in others. Give me patience when it’s slow, grace when it’s messy, and boldness to walk alongside others even when I don’t see the fruit right away. Help me trust that You are always working—sometimes in ways I can’t yet see.

Reflect:

Who in your life might need more than a quick word of encouragement—someone who needs you to stay, to walk with them, to listen first before speaking truth?
What kind of discipleship is God inviting you into right now—structured or slow-burn, or maybe both?

Digging Deeper: Living Sent Where You Are

Minda Seagraves on July 22, 2025

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…

Matthew 28:19a (NIV)

LIVING SENT WHERE YOU ARE

“Go.” It’s such a short, simple word—easy to understand and hard to ignore. It implies action. Movement. Response.

When someone says “go,” you don’t sit back and wait—you move. As kids, many of us heard that word while lined up at the top of a hill or the edge of a sidewalk, racing friends on bikes or on foot. On your mark. Get set. Go. It launched us into motion, filled with energy and anticipation.

That’s what Jesus was doing with the disciples in this passage. He wasn’t just offering them a good idea—He was giving them a mission. A purpose. A holy push forward.

At Northstar, we often use the phrase “Live Sent.” It’s a modern-day way of saying what Jesus said at the end of Matthew: Go. Make disciples. Live intentionally.

But here’s the thing—“going” looks different in every season of life.

When I first began walking with the Lord, my “go” looked like serving in the preschool ministry—reading Bible stories to toddlers and learning alongside them about who Jesus is. Later, I was called into vocational ministry. “Going” then meant leading Bible studies with coaches and athletes, sharing God’s truth in locker rooms, gyms, and on the sidelines.

Now, I find myself in a different kind of season. Chronic illness has changed what “going” can physically look like for me. There are days my feet can’t take me far—but my voice still can. I’ve learned that going isn’t always about crossing physical borders. Sometimes it’s about crossing internal ones—fear, fatigue, or the comfort of routine—and being willing to speak truth and encouragement even from a place of limitation.

The call to “go” can challenge us deeply—because let’s be honest, we’re busy. We’re tired. Our lives are full. And the idea of adding one more thing to the calendar can feel overwhelming.

But what if going isn’t about adding something?
What if it’s about reframing what’s already in front of us?

You don’t have to go overseas to live sent (though maybe one day God will call you to). You can “go” right into your office, your classroom, your gym, your neighborhood. It could look like showing up early once a week to lead a devotional with coworkers. Or choosing to show up to your regular life with an intentional posture—looking for ways to reflect Jesus in word and in deed.

Yes, that kind of “going” might feel uncomfortable at first. But that’s part of the beauty. Obedience rarely happens in comfort zones. It’s in the stretching that we grow—and in the going that others come to know Him.

Here’s the truth: every follower of Jesus is commissioned to go. Not necessarily to faraway places, but always to people. Our neighbors. Our coworkers. Our families. Our teammates. Our communities.

Wherever you are, there is your mission field.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me not to miss the opportunities right in front of me to live sent. Show me what “go” looks like in my current season. Give me boldness when I feel timid and faithfulness when I feel tired. Use me—right where I am—for Your glory.

Reflect:

Where has God already placed you that could become your mission field?
What small, intentional step of “going” could you take this week?

Digging Deeper: All Authority — Trusting in Jesus’ Power

Minda Seagraves on July 21, 2025

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘”All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Matthew 28:18 (NIV)

ALL AUTHORITY — TRUSTING IN JESUS’ POWER

There’s something remarkable about the way God weaves moments together with such intention that it can’t possibly be coincidence. A certain message, a Scripture passage, a conversation—lined up so specifically that it feels like it was handpicked just for you.

For many, the phrase “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” might sound like a theological statement—true and powerful, but somehow distant. It’s one of those verses we’ve heard enough times to nod in agreement without really stopping to ask: What does that mean for my actual, everyday life?

But this verse from Matthew 28 hits differently when life feels out of your control.

For those walking through a difficult diagnosis, an extended season of caregiving, or the heavy grief of loss…
For those who have stepped away from a career they once loved or are living with limitations they never expected…
For anyone who has had to release the life they thought they’d be living—this verse becomes less of a concept and more of a lifeline.

Over the past several months, I’ve been walking through a season of chronic illness—a slow, exhausting wilderness that has stretched longer than I ever anticipated. It’s challenged everything I thought I understood about control, strength, and trust.

In the past, I could push through hard things. I could power my way out of discomfort with determination. But now, my days often begin and end with physical limitations I can’t “will” my way out of. I’ve grieved the version of myself who once operated with energy, ease, and independence—and I’ve had to ask: If You, Jesus, have all authority, why this? Why now? Why still?

And yet—this slow surrender is reshaping me. In the stripping away of what I once relied on, I’m being drawn closer to the One who truly holds my life in His hands. My grip is loosening. My dependency is growing. I’m learning—however reluctantly at times—that trusting His authority means trusting His timing, His pace, and even His silence.

There are seasons when trials come like waves—brief and forceful, but eventually passing. And then there are seasons when it feels like the waves never stop, when the storm isn’t just a moment but a new reality. In those places, trusting that Jesus holds all authority becomes more than a Sunday school answer—it becomes the foundation we cling to when nothing else feels stable.

Many of us know what it’s like to say we trust God’s authority while still quietly gripping tightly to our own plans and expectations. But prolonged struggle often reveals just how much we’ve been relying on ourselves. And in the unraveling, we’re invited into a deeper dependence—not a defeated one, but a holy one.

There’s beauty in that kind of surrender. Because when we’re no longer striving to manage everything, we’re finally free to sit at Jesus’ feet—open-handed, open-hearted, and ready to be filled. Sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is simply show up in His presence—not with a to-do list, but with a quiet willingness to be led.

This isn’t the version of discipleship many of us imagined. It’s slower. It’s more dependent. It’s quieter. But it’s real. And it’s holy.

Because if we’re to be disciples who make disciples, we must first be people who know what it is to trust Jesus fully—not just with our salvation, but with our suffering. With our unknowns. With our today.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me not just to believe You have all authority, but to trust You with the parts of my life I can’t control. In the places where I feel powerless, remind me of Your power. In the waiting, be my peace. In the letting go, be my guide.

Reflect:

Where in your life are you being invited to trust Jesus’ authority more deeply?
What might it look like to loosen your grip and lean into His?

Digging Deeper – Good God!

David Griffith on July 18, 2025

Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

John 20:26

GOOD GOD!

The Ultimate Reason We Question God: We Doubt God’s Goodness

Is God good?

If God is good, why did my wife, husband, or child get sick?
If God is good, why did You allow them to die?
If God is good, why did my marriage end?
If God is good, why…?

You fill in the blank in your life.
You fill in the hole in your heart.
I have my own holes, scars, and regrets to fill in too.

But why all the “why’s”?

I believe God saw through Thomas’s doubts to his real need with Jesus’ greeting when He appeared to him:
“Peace be with you.”

You see, I don’t believe Thomas actually doubted the resurrection as much as he lacked peace in his life. It had been eight days since Jesus had appeared to the other ten disciples, and the whole town had to be buzzing with rumors. No, Thomas hadn’t actually seen Jesus yet—but he had to be wondering. He was uneasy. He lacked peace in his soul.

Interestingly, in the original Greek text, the word “be” doesn’t exist—it’s added in translation for smoother understanding. The actual phrase is:
“Peace with you.”

Jesus knew that Thomas was in a place of unrest. So PEACE came to be with Thomas.

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:6.
And He said in John 14:27:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

Ahhh—there it is.

We (okay, I) doubt God because we are fearful of outcomes. And because of that fear, we lack the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7).

But Jesus is that peace.

Peace isn’t a thing or a feeling. It’s not a destination reached after years of sanctification.
Peace is a person.

Peace is someone we can get to know better and better every day—by reading His Word and interacting with The Word who became flesh (John 1).

Peace is a personal relationship with the Spirit who is:
Love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

And as we spend time with Peace, we will begin to reflect Him in our daily lives—even when the day is devastating.

Our doubts stem from a superficial relationship with Peace Himself.

So start spending more time with PEACE, and watch as the doubts diminish and the peace progresses! (See what I did there? 😊)

We become like those we spend time with.
Do you want to be peaceful?
Then hang out with PEACE—and watch the doubts die! (Did it again. 😉)

Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!

Digging Deeper – Where is God?

David Griffith on July 17, 2025

²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

John 20:26

WHERE IS GOD?

Cause #3 for Our Doubts: We Question God’s Omnipresence

Where is God, exactly?
A six-year-old would probably say, “God is in heaven.”
Good answer! Maybe even a great answer.
But is God confined to heaven?

Sometimes, I think He is—that He’s not with me in my struggle, not with me in my pain.
But that’s not true, is it?

King David (my namesake, by the way) answered this question from a very personal perspective in Psalm 139:1–10:

“O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.
Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up;
Thou dost understand my thought from afar.
Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And art intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all.
Thou hast enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Thy hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
Where can I go from Thy Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Thy hand will lead me,
And Thy right hand will lay hold of me.”

We’ve all probably heard the story of the man who arrives in heaven and meets Jesus. Jesus welcomes him with a visual depiction of his life—footprints in the sand along a seashore: his footprints and Jesus’. But during a particularly difficult time, there’s only one set of footprints. The man, distraught, asks why Jesus would abandon him in his pain.

Jesus answers, full of compassion:

“It was during this time, my child, that I carried you.”

And so it is.
Our God is ALWAYS with us.
He exists outside of time and space—because He is time and space.
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
And He loves us too much to ever abandon us, regardless of the situation we find ourselves in.

So we can check off Cause #3 for doubting Him.
Only one remains—and we’ll look at it tomorrow!

Digging Deeper – Trusting God When He Says “No”

David Griffith on July 16, 2025

²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:26, 30-31

TRUSTING GOD WHEN HE SAYS “NO”

Cause #2 for Our Doubts: We Question God’s Omnipotence

Again, we don’t want to say this one out loud, but practically speaking, we do this all the time—at least I do.

When my late wife developed epilepsy just 17 days after we were married, I had all the faith in the world in God’s power to heal her. I always prayed, “Not my will, but Your will be done.” But I didn’t mean it. I wanted my will to be done. I wanted my wife to be well.

God said no.

I figured He was just producing faith in me and my children—and that He would eventually heal her in His time.
I was wrong.

Debbie never did get better. In fact, she got worse and worse until, after 28 and a half years of praying, He took her home to be with Him.

There was a four-year period about 20 years in when I truly questioned God’s power to heal. Maybe He had just turned it over to the doctors—except in extreme situations or for exceptionally faithful believers. But not for me. Not for her.

But then I realized:
GOD HAD HEALED HER.

He had done it in His time and in His way. She had received the ultimate healing and was now in Paradise with Him.

And that is the ultimate power statement, isn’t it?
For apart from the power of the resurrection, we would have no hope. Jesus raised the dead, healed the lame, gave sight to the blind, and cast out demons with a word. Jesus appeared to Thomas—and the other disciples—out of nothing. Locked doors and thick walls couldn’t stop Him from accomplishing His purposes.

And neither can epilepsy, or dementia, or MS.

Our God is ruler over all because of His omnipotence.

Check off Cause #2 for doubting Him.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Cause #3!

Digging Deeper – He Knows Everything—And Still Likes You

David Griffith on July 15, 2025

²⁴Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. ²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

John 20:24-27

HE KNOWS EVERYTHING – AND STILL LIKES YOU

Cause #1 for Our Doubts: We Question God’s Omniscience

Basically—and not so basically—we question whether God knows everything. Specifically, I question whether God knows everything about my life at this moment in time. And if He does, does He even care?

Now, I would never admit this out loud, because I know that He cares for me. He tells me He does in 1 Peter 5:7:
“…casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (Personalized by me.)

But do I always live out my known doctrine? Does my knowledge manifest itself in my life on a daily basis—on a moment-to-moment basis? To get right down to it:
Do I feel His hand upon my angst, or is it just head knowledge?

(I just read back over that last line, and I’m humbled—and not just a little ashamed—that I wrote it, or even thought it in the first place. After all, what is wrong with head knowledge? If you’re like me, there have been numerous times on life’s journey when I have not felt Jesus—but I knew He was right there in the midst of my anxiety, my doubt, my pain. And in most every case, knowing He was there was the anchor that held my faith through the storm until my heart could catch up.)

Does God know everything about me—and you?
ABSOLUTELY.
And He proves it to Thomas in verses 25 and 27. Jesus wasn’t in the room when Thomas stated his ultimatum:

“Unless I can touch His nail-scarred hands and spear-pierced side, I will not believe!” (Dave’s interpretation)

Yet eight days later, when Thomas and Jesus are together in the room, Jesus cashes the ultimatum check by saying:

“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side.”
THOMAS, I KNOW EVERYTHING. YOU CAN TRUST IN ME.

And you know what? Jesus knows everything about you and me as well.
And we can trust Him—because He is omniscient.

We can trust the One who is not bound by time, or space, or even our doubts.
He is all-knowing.
And, as my friend Steve Brown used to say,

“…and He likes you anyway.”

After all, Jesus died knowing everything about me—before I was even born.
Check off Cause #1 for doubting Him.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at Cause #2!