Hey, Carpool Crew, Pastor Justin here. My really good friend Cathi is in the driver's seat, and we are into episode four on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible on John the Baptist. I love how she tells these stories, and I think you do too. Yeah, we will definitely have Cathi back again. Now, if you love them as much as I do, trust me, you're gonna love her new book, Little Star, that's on sale now. You can go check it out in the link in our show notes. If you like great books at bedtime like me and my family do, trust me, you're gonna love my friend Cathi's book a ton. Now let's jump in with today's episode. You're gonna love it. Hey, Carpool Crew, I'm Cathi, a friend of Pastor Justin's, and we're back today for episode four of our journey with John the Baptist. Last time, John's followers left him to follow Jesus, and John was surprisingly glad about it. He said, "He must increase. I must decrease." When Jesus gets bigger, our joy gets bigger, too. But today, we're going to see that things get harder for John. During this time in Israel, there was a ruler named Herod. He wasn't the most powerful king in the world, but he was in charge of the whole area where John lived. And Herod had done something wrong. He had married his brother's wife, which went against God's law. Most people probably would have kept quiet. You don't usually walk up to the person in charge and tell him he's doing something wrong. But John wasn't most people. John told Herod the truth. So Herod had John arrested, put in chains, and locked in prison. Here's something interesting. The Bible says that Herod knew John was a good and holy man. Herod was actually a little afraid of John, and he liked to listen to him talk, even though what John said confused him. But he still kept John locked up. Sometimes in life, bad things happen that don't make sense. Herod liked John. John had been chosen by God to tell people about Jesus, and now he was in prison? That must have been so confusing and hard, even for someone with as much faith as John had. Now, think about John sitting in that prison. He had spent his whole life out in the open wilderness: big sky, rivers and trees, crowds of people coming to hear him. And now he was surrounded by stone walls, chained up, and nothing to do but wait. The Bible doesn't tell us exactly how John felt in there, but John must have wondered some things. He had told everyone that Jesus was the one, the Messiah. He'd said Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit, and now John was stuck in prison and he couldn't see what Jesus was doing out there. Sitting in prison, he began to have some doubts. So John did something really honest. It's in Matthew chapter eleven, verses two and three. "Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples and asked him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'" The Christ is another name for the Savior God promised. John was asking Jesus straight out, "Are you really the one, or did I get it wrong?" This is John, the same John who leapt for joy before he or Jesus were even born. The same John who saw the Spirit come down on Jesus like a dove. Even John had doubts. Even John had questions. But here's what John did with his question. He didn't hide it. He didn't pretend he was fine. He took it straight to Jesus. And here's what Jesus did. He didn't get mad. He didn't scold John for asking. Instead, Jesus told John's friends, "Go back and tell John what you're hearing and seeing. People who were blind can see. People who couldn't walk are walking. People who were sick are healed. People who couldn't hear can hear again, and people who were poor are hearing the good news." Those were the same kinds of things that the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years earlier said would happen when God's savior came. Jesus was giving John evidence. "Look at what God's doing." And then as John's friends were leaving, Jesus turned to the crowd and talked about John, and this is what he said: "Among those born of women, no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared." Jesus said that right after John came to him with his doubts. Having questions didn't make John any less great to Jesus. So here's the big idea I want you to take with you. It's okay to have doubts and questions about God, and here's what you should do when that happens. Name your doubts or say them out loud, then be intentional. Take time to remember what God has done. It's normal to have doubts. Grown-ups have them. Pastors have them. John the Baptist had them. Maybe you've wondered, "Is God really listening?" Or, "If God loves me, why is this so hard?" Those are real questions. You don't have to pretend you don't have them. Having doubts doesn't mean you've failed in your faith. So first, name it. Say it out loud to God, or tell a grown-up you trust. Be honest and say, "I'm not sure about this right now." And then remember. Think of one time God has come through for you, a prayer that He's answered, a friend who showed up when you needed one, a hard day that God made better. And here's something important to remember: John couldn't see what Jesus was doing for himself. He was stuck in prison, so he had to trust what other people were hearing, seeing, and experiencing about Jesus. Sometimes remembering what God has done is hard. We can't see Him working in our own lives, and that's when it really helps to hear what God has done for somebody else. You can borrow a little faith from a friend's story or a family member's. Let the work God is doing in their life encourage you while you ask God to build your own faith. So here's your challenge: this week, ask your mom, dad, or a trusted adult, "Tell me about a time that God showed up for you." Then listen. That story might be exactly what you need. Thanks for riding along today on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible. Next time is our last episode with John the Baptist. We'll find out how his story ends and why people are still talking about him long after he was gone. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Thanks for riding along on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible.
