I Believe

I Believe


I believe-
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe-
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a
while and, you must forgive them for that.


I believe-
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I believe-
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe-
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.


I believe-
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them

I believe-
That you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe-
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe-
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe-
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there
had better be something else to take its place.

I believe-
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I believe-
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe-
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time!

I believe-
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.




I believe-
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe-
That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe-
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've
learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe-
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe-
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe-
That our background and circumstances may have influenced
who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe-
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other, And just
because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe-
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe-
That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe-
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe-
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a
friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe-
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe-
That the people you care about most in life are the essence of life.
Tell them today how much you love them and what they mean to you.




I BELIEVE

Are you a skeptical person? When you hear something, you don’t believe it right away – you doubt it. You’re cautious. You’re careful. Skeptical. I’m skeptical about a lot of things. When I receive an email from someone – and they say that are in Nigeria and that they would like me to give me 2 million dollars – all I need to do is to give them my bank account information and my social security number – I’m not so sure about that. I’m skeptical. I don’t believe it. I think it’s a scam. When I receive a big postcard in the mail in the middle of winter that tells me that I have just received a free trip to the Bahamas – all expenses paid – all I need to do is a few things listed in the fine print at the bottom of the postcard – I’m skeptical. I don’t believe that it’s really true, and by the time I’m done reading the fine print, I know that it isn’t as great as it appears to be.

We live in a skeptical world, and with good reason. There are all kinds of people out there, making all kinds of extreme claims and extreme promises, and if you trust everyone, some will take advantage of you. You need to be careful. Cautious. In some cases, skeptical. You can’t believe everything.

Can you believe everything in the Bible? Do you actually believe that Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead? Is that really true? Is Jesus really God and man at the same time? Am I really saved from going to a place called hell because of this Jesus? Is that really true? Is he the only way to heaven? Is there such a things as heaven?
Have you ever felt yourself doubt? Have you ever felt yourself wonder if all these things are true? Why are you a Christian anyway?
Do you doubt sometimes? Have you ever had a moment in your life when you wondered to yourself: “I don’t know if I really believe? Is all of this true? I don’t know!”

Today, we’re going to talk about doubt, as we look at that moment when Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection. We’re also going to look at the cure for doubt


But that Easter night, he was skeptical. He had doubts. Can you see yourself as you think about Thomas? The other disciples told him that Jesus had appeared to them, but Thomas said – no. I won’t believe it. I need to see Jesus with my eyes. I need to touch Jesus’ wounds with my hands. I need physical proof.
John 20:19-31 (New International Version, ©2011)
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Why was Thomas so skeptical? You see, Thomas had trusted that Jesus was the Messiah. But then things happened that made him think that he had put all of his trust in the wrong place.
Jesus had been arrested, even though he was all-powerful. Jesus had been tortured, even though he was God. It didn’t make any sense to Thomas.
Jesus had been crucified, even though he could walk on water and heal people of their diseases. And then he died, even though he could raise people from the dead. None of this made any sense to Thomas.
He had trusted in Jesus, but then all of these things happened that made it look like he had put his trust in the wrong place. Now he was skeptical. Now he was doubting.

Would you have been any different? Can you see yourself in Thomas? Why do you and I sometimes have doubts? Isn’t it because there are things that happen in life that make us wonder if we are putting our trust in the wrong place?
I believe in Jesus. But then my child dies. My spouse dies. I believe in Jesus. But then I get sick, and I don’t get better. I believe in Jesus. But then I lose my job, and I can’t find a new one, and I’m falling behind. I believe in Jesus. But bad things happen in my life, and they make me wonder – is there really a God?
All these things I have learned from the Bible – are they really true? Have I put my trust in the wrong place? Why am I a Christian? Do I really believe?

Where can I go when I have doubts? What should I do?

Jesus is the only cure. Jesus cured Thomas of his doubts. A week after Thomas doubted, Jesus appeared to him and said. “Stop doubting and believe.” Jesus made Thomas’ doubts go away. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas said. And then Jesus talked about you and me when he said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Do you see the cure for doubt here? It’s Jesus. If I am skeptical about things in the Bible, it doesn’t help if I go for a walk in the woods and think about my doubts.
It doesn’t help if I find other people who are skeptical just like me, and we all share our doubts together. What helps? What is the cure? It’s spending time with Jesus Christ, just as Thomas did in John chapter 20.

But how? Today, Jesus isn’t going to appear to you like he appeared to Thomas. If you want to spend time with him, you can find him in your Bible. You can find him in the Lord’s Supper. That’s where he will cure you of your doubts.

If I’m having a day when I’m wondering if anything I have ever believed is true, I can go to my Bible. I can read my Bible with an open mind. And there I find Jesus, and he says to me, “Peace be with you.” My doubts fade.

Today Jesus is invisible. You can’t see him with your physical eyes. But he is just as real as the oxygen you breathe. Just as real as the cell phone signal you can’t see. I believe in those things.
But even more, I believe in Jesus. I’ve never seen him, but he is my Lord, and my God. I believe that he was dead, and that he came to life again, and that he lives forever and ever. I’ve never seen heaven, but I believe it’s there. I believe that there is a resurrection from the dead, even if it’s the most unscientific thing in the world.

Even if everything I experience in this world tells me not to believe, I will still have faith. I will go to the Word, again and again. I will go to the Sacrament, again and again. I will go there, and that’s where Jesus will give me faith I need to believe that the impossible is true. Dear Lord, help me to believe in you. Amen.