青少年教程 (门徒*第4课) | 面对怀疑

​编者按
这是一套在美国很受欢迎的教材，按年龄共分三部分：0-6岁学龄前儿童教程，6-12岁学龄儿童教程，和12岁以上青少年教程。我们将陆续翻译成中文，分享给大家。
这套教材里的每一篇，无论是教程还是各种活动，都独立成篇，没有先后顺序，大家可以按需要和负担选择使用。
*更多内容：thedoorofsheep.com/青少年 

课程目的

• 向学生介绍门徒多马

• 帮助学生看见自己里面的怀疑

• 激励学生以健康的方式面对怀疑

主题

使徒、相信、门徒、怀疑、信心

背诵经文

约翰福音 20:29

开始祷告(5-10分钟)

团队建立(10-15分钟)

袜子篮球（游戏）

把一双袜子卷成球，再准备两个垃圾桶。把学生分成两队，在一块空旷的场地上，用这些物品来打篮球。以下几条规则可以帮助游戏顺利进行：

• 不需要运球，但拿着袜子球不能超过五秒钟。

• 防守队员不能进入垃圾桶周围三英尺以内的范围。

• 所有人都必须跪着进行游戏。

• 可以尝试从别人手中抢走袜子球，但如果没有成功，对方就获得一次罚球机会，也就是在没有防守队员的情况下投篮。

• 最先得到三分的队伍获胜！

• 如有需要，可以自行制定其他规则。

一队获胜后，可以重新分组；如果时间允许，再进行一轮。

开始(5分钟)

今天，我们要学习一位常常被误解的门徒，多马。为了让大家先进入状态，我们来做一个关于多马的知识问答。每道题都是选择题。（让学生两人一组回答，也可以各自作答。）

1. 多马最为人所知的是：怀疑／死亡／不认主（怀疑）

2. 多马还有一个名字叫“低土马”，意思是：天真／双胞胎／孤独（双胞胎）

3. 多马有一个兄弟也是门徒：对／错（错）

大家答得怎么样？

深入学习(30分钟)

现在，让我们真正认识多马。我们对他的全部了解都来自约翰福音，所以请翻到那里。

读 约翰福音 11:1、7-16

讨论问题：

1. 这段经文中发生了什么事？（拉撒路病得很重，后来死了，耶稣要去那里与他的家人在一起。）

2. 门徒怎样看这个计划？（他们认为没有必要，而且很危险。）

3. 多马说了什么？（“我们也去和他同死吧。”）

4. 他说这句话时是什么语气？是坚定委身，还是带着讽刺？

5. 如果多马相信自己会死，他仍然愿意和耶稣一起去，这说明了他是怎样的人？

读 约翰福音 14:4-6

讨论问题：

1. 你会怎样形容这段经文中的多马？困惑？悲伤？愤怒？为什么？

2. 你认为多马更像一个现实主义者，还是一个梦想家？他比较悲观，还是比较乐观？

3. 你在哪些方面像多马？又在哪些方面与他不同？

读 约翰福音 20:24-29

人们对多马印象最深的，正是这几节经文。

讨论问题：

1. 多马的话是以什么词开始的？（“我非……”）

2. 你认为多马为什么一定要亲眼看见耶稣？

3. 多马特别想看见什么，这一点很值得注意。他想看见什么？（耶稣的伤痕。）

4. 你认为多马为什么把这些伤痕当作证据？

从根源上说，怀疑常常是以自我为中心的一种表现。我们不愿意凭着别人的见证来相信。对于自己所相信的事保持谨慎，当然是好的，但我们的怀疑也可能走得太远。多马在这里有些以自我为中心地要求得到证据。然而，耶稣的回应也向我们显明了一些事。

5. 耶稣是否拒绝了多马的要求？（没有。）

6. 经文是否表明，当耶稣来到多马面前时，多马真的摸了基督的伤痕？

7. 多马看见耶稣之后有什么回应？（“我的主！我的神！”）

8. 你认为耶稣在第29节所说的话是什么意思？

联系实际（10分钟）

一般讨论:

• 你认为多马对基督的怀疑是“正常”的吗？

• 你是否曾经怀疑过神？为什么？

• 哪些处境可能使人怀疑神？

怀疑也许是正常的，甚至不一定是坏事，但它总会把我们带向两个方向中的一个。

怀疑使我们的信仰更加深入

当这种事发生在基督徒身上时，几乎总是一件好事。因为基督信仰是真理，所以当我们踏上寻找答案的旅程时，通常会得到一些平安和确信。怀疑本身并没有害处，只要我们借着怀疑认真思考自己的信仰，并因此使信仰更加深入。

怀疑使我们在信仰中挣扎

当怀疑增长到一个地步，使我们真的开始在信仰中挣扎时，它就不再推动我们加深信心。相反，我们会越来越难相信那些原本知道是真实的事。我们的怀疑筑起了高墙，拦阻我们明白真理。

怀疑可以推动我们研读、祷告，并默想神和我们在基督里所得救恩的各个方面，因此帮助我们的信仰更加深入；但怀疑也可能成为我们的绊脚石。面对怀疑时，我们不应该立刻只说“你只要有信心”，但到了某个时候，我们对基督的信心必须仍然站立得住。有些事，我们永远无法完全明白。请记得第29节的话。

再次读 约翰福音 20:29

我常常对神说：“主啊，我真的不明白这件事。”但我也会对祂说：“无论发生什么，我都要信靠你。”箴言 3:5说：“你要专心仰赖耶和华，不可倚靠自己的聪明。”

即使在怀疑之中，这也是我们每一个人都应当记得的事。

备选-活动（5分钟）

思想卡片（PDF）

上课前，把思想卡片打印在中等厚度的卡纸上，并将每张卡片剪下来。上课时，邀请学生拿一张或多张卡片，放在他们需要被提醒、要思想荣耀神之事的地方，例如电视机、电脑等。每张卡片上都印有歌罗西书 3:2和一幅大脑的图片。

结束祷告(2分钟)

请学生两人一组，彼此代祷。

****** 英文版 *******

The Disciples

Lesson 4: Dealing with Doubt

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Goals

1. To introduce students to the disciple named Thomas

2. To expose students to the presence of their own doubts

3. To inspire students to deal with their doubt in a healthy way

Topics

Apostles, Believing, Disciple, Doubt, Faith

Scripture Memorization

John 20:29

OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)

GROUP BUILDING (10 to 15 minutes)

Sock Basketball (Game)

Roll up a pair of socks and get out two trashcans. Form two teams. In an open area in your space, play basketball with these objects. A few rules to make it work:

• You don’t have to dribble, but you can’t hold on to the sock for more than five seconds.

• No defenders can be within three feet of the trashcan.

• Everyone must play on their knees.

• You CAN try to take it out of someone’s hands, but if you are unsuccessful, they get a free throw (a shot without a defender)

• First team to three points wins!

• Make up your own rules as necessary.

After one team wins, change the teams around and play again as time permits.

GETTING STARTED (5 minutes)

Today we are going to study an often-misunderstood disciple, Thomas. So, to prime the pump, let’s play some Thomas trivia. Each question is multiple choice.(Have the students pair up with a partner or play individually. These questions are also shown in the lesson workbook so the students can circle what they believe are the correct answers.)

1. Thomas is most famous for: Doubting / Dying / Denying (Doubting)

2. Thomas had another name “Didymus” which means:  Naïve / Twin / Lonely (Twin)

3. Thomas had a brother who was a disciple: True / False (False)How did everyone do?

DIGGING IN (30 minutes)

Let’s get to know Thomas for real. Everything we know about him comes from the Gospel of John, so turn there.

Read John 11:1; 7-16

Discussion Questions:

1. What is going on in this passage? (Lazarus is very sick, in fact dies, and Jesus is going there to be with the family.)

2. What did the disciples think of this plan? (Unnecessary and dangerous.)

3. What does Thomas say? (“Let’s just go die with Him”)

4. With what tone does he say that? Commitment? Sarcasm?5. If Thomas believed he would die, what does it say about him that he was willing to go with Jesus anyway?

Read John 14:4-6

Discussion Questions:

1. How would you describe Thomas in this passage? Confused? Sad? Angry? Why?

2. Do you think Thomas was more of a realist or a dreamer? Was he cynical or optimistic?

3. In what ways are you like Thomas? How are you different from him?

Read John 20:24-29

Thomas is most remembered for these verses. 

Discussion Questions:

1. With what words does Thomas begin his question? (“Unless I…”)

2. Why do you think Thomas needed to see Jesus with his own eyes?

3. It is interesting to notice what Thomas wants to see in particular. What does he want to see? (The wounds.)

4. Why do you think Thomas wanted to see these things as proof?

At its root, doubts are often a manifestation of self-centeredness. It is our unwillingness to take anyone else’s word for faith. While it is good for us to be resistant in what we simply believe, our skepticism can go too far. Thomas somewhat selfishly demands some proof here. However, Jesus' response says something, too.

5. Does Jesus refuse to grant Thomas’s request? (No)

6. Do we have any indication that, once Jesus was with him, Thomas actually felt the wounds of Christ?

7. What was Thomas’ response to seeing Jesus? ("My Lord and My God!")

8. What do you think Jesus’ words in verse 29 mean?

MAKING IT REAL (10 minutes)

General Discussion:

• Is Thomas’s doubt of Christ something you would consider “normal”?

• Have you ever doubted God? Why?

• What are some situations that would cause someone to doubt God?

Doubt may be normal, and it may not even be bad, but it does always lead us in one of two directions.

Doubt causes us to grow deeper.

When this happens to a Christian, it is almost always GOOD. Because Christianity is the truth, we usually find some peace and assurance through our journey for answers. Doubt by itself is not harmful, as long as we are using it to think about our faith becoming deeper as a result. 

Doubt causes us to struggle in our faith.

When doubt grows to a level where we are really struggling with our faith, it is no longer challenging us to deepen our faith.  Instead, we now have a difficult time believing what we knew to be true. Our doubts have built up walls to block our understanding of truth. 

While our doubts can help us grow deeper because they push us to study, pray, and meditate on aspects of God and our salvation in Christ, they CAN be a stumbling block to us. While the immediate answer to our doubts should not be “just have faith,” at some point our faith in Christ must hold true. Some things we can never fully understand. Remember the words of verse 29.

Read John 20:29 (again)

While I am constantly saying to God, “Lord, I do NOT understand this," I also say to Him, “I will trust in You through all things.” Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

That’s something we should all remember, even in the midst of doubt.

CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)

Let the students get together in pairs, and pray for each other.