Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:05] Hi everybody, I'm Pastor Chuck Allen and welcome back to another weekday podcast. I want to go back to where we left off Friday and talk about Nicodemus. I want to talk to us about how curiosity can inspire your own faith journey.
[00:00:19] So in John chapter three, we read how Nicodemus makes this late night visit to Jesus and how it's a powerful example of what it means to approach faith with honest curiosity and by the way, a willingness to be transformed. His story should give me and you several ways to inspire our own questions about faith and transformation. I know a lot of people who claim to be followers of Jesus and they're afraid to ask questions. The most simple questions about Jesus, about the Bible, about the Trinity, about anything spiritual. Because we feel like we're supposed to have it all figured out. But the fact is none of us have it all figured out. And a lot of us, we need to get past this point that God's big enough to handle our own questions. He is and he will, and he can.
[00:01:07] Number one, embrace honest questions. Nicodemus didn't hide his confusion or doubts. He asked Jesus how can this be? Even when the answers weren't easy and they weren't obvious.
[00:01:18] Your questions, no matter how basic or complex they're valid. Faith grows when you bring your real uncertainties into the open. Go ahead and ask. Number two. Seek understanding, not just answers. Nicodemus wasn't satisfied with a surface level explanation. He wanted to understand the deeper meaning behind Jesus's words about being born again.
[00:01:39] Let your curiosity drive you beyond simple answers. Explore the deeper layers of what faith and transformation mean to you. Go ahead, ask the question. Go ahead, ask another one to follow it up.
[00:01:53] Number three. Be open to new perspectives. Jesus challenged Nicodemus to see beyond his religious background and his tradition. He went beyond his orthodoxy, inviting him into a new way of thinking about a new life in him.
[00:02:08] Allow your curiosity to make space for new, even uncomfortable perspectives that can lead to genuine transformation.
[00:02:16] 4. Approach faith as a journey. Nicodemus story shows us that transformation is a process, not a one time event. He appears later in the Gospel, gradually moving from curiosity to courageous faith. Your questions, friends, are part of an ongoing journey. Transformation often unfolds over time as you continue to seek and wrestle and grow.
[00:02:40] 5. And finally, trust that seeking is welcomed. Jesus didn't blow Nicodemus off. He didn't dismiss him for his questions. Instead, he engaged with him patiently and offered in profound truth. Trust that your search for understanding is welcomed by God because it is, and that honest seeking can lead to deeper faith and indeed, a transformed life. Let Nicodemus's curiosity encourage you to bring your questions to God, to explore faith with openness, and to trust that transformation is possible even when you don't have all the answers. And one of my favorite words yet because friends, listen, staying curious is a way that you stay you keep ensuring that you're going to grow. And yet, staying curious about the things of Jesus ensures you grow spiritually. God bless you, friends. Thanks so much for listening in on today's weekday podcast.
