Faith and Doubt | Greg Tonkinson | TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity

Trusting in a higher power can be tricky, especially when faced with challenges. Having experienced a traumatic event himself, Dr. Tonkinson explores the relationship between faith and doubt.

Dr. Greg Tonkinson has spent much of his adult life teaching in various capacities. Currently, Greg serves as the Spiritual Life Director, Department Chair, and Bible Teacher at Valley Christian High School. Greg holds degrees from Arizona State University, Phoenix Seminary, and Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. In 2010, Tonkinson’s family was devastated when his wife, Leigh Ann, was innocently killed in a car accident coming home from work. In the past six years, Tonkinson has spoken about his loss to several audiences; helping them to navigate the issue of faith through the turbulent streams of doubt, loss and grief.

[nj]

I had a similar experience after a sudden death of a loved one. At first it may have been doubt and separation but it eventually turned into my petulant resistance to go back into the fold because I was deeply hurt by His betrayal by killing someone I loved. But God kept coming back to offer His love. After 10years and Jesus persistently reminding that He loved me, my hard heart melted. And now my new found faith is on a firm foundation and based on the persistence of love, even through the trials of life that God offers—among other things.

[JanetWilliams-jmir]

The greatest mercy God has granted me is the understanding that grief for the loss of my loved ones is for me. Their entry to their eternity with Him is the greatest gift, and the one that I am ultimately striving for. I can be thankful for their end to suffering through the pain of this world. I can simultaneously rejoice and grieve. I thank Him for that revelation, that only came through the loss of the one person who I loved more than any other. Rejoice and weep.

[AbrahamHicks-zrng]

It's heart breaking to hear your story sir yes with out faith humans are in complete

[finallyisee-faithsdore]

Nicely shared and concluded. Definitely relatable and examples given where on point. Thanks for sharing something so sensitive and personal. God bless and keep you and yours strong daily with wisdom.🙂👍🏾

[ianm]

I live with this feeling everyday that "god" is there, but my sceptical side says he isn't. Belief isn't a feeling that can be enforced it has to be felt. So how do you believe? I look at many religions across the earth and wonder which one is right? What if the religion you have followed all this time is wrong? You are a product of your environment. I wonder sometimes if my thoughts are driven by moral virtues instilled as a child. Or the feelings I have learned stumbling through the journey of life. Who's right?

[AtomicDiesel]

We as people tend to do this more than we realize. We believe in a god that is more like Santa Claus, when in reality He is the Almighty, the Sovereign God of the universe. We believe that God is all powerful, and for some reason we think that we, the creature, and force the will of the Creator. Instead of questioning why, we should question what- what am I to learn from this?
GREAT reference to Gethsemane! THANK YOU

[willeton]

This is how I deal with such situation as his. I ask myself the following question. Are you personally responsible for that accident? NO, of course not! Well, someone is ultimately responsible for what happened. Therefore place that grief etc upon them and try and move on. My christian journey would fill a 200 page novel. The things I have been through. I did not give myself those troubles though, so therefore someone else is responsible, and its not me.

[cfdycfd]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

03:28 *🤔 Doubting can be a normal experience for people of faith, even for those deeply rooted in their beliefs.*
07:21 *💡 Finding solace in examples of doubt and questioning found in religious texts can help individuals navigate their own doubts about faith.*
09:25 *🌱 While doubt and faith are often intertwined, there's a different perspective suggesting doubt might be a means for individuals to assert control or influence outcomes.*
11:32 *⚖️ Ultimately, individuals facing doubt in their faith must decide whether to continue doubting or to align with the belief in a higher power's control and plan.*
14:12 *🛤️ Doubt, when approached honestly, can paradoxically strengthen one's faith and lead to a deeper understanding of beliefs.*

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[JoeMarchessault-imjp]

I am so glad that I am not a religious person. My life is perfect without any mythical being!

[mikilegovindsamy]

I feel some of those feelings myself. After he took my grandmother, I was angry at him. He took her from me. That's not the only thing. Take what's happening now with this virus, from a religious point of view, he has the power to stop it. But he's not. Would saying he started this virus be wrong? We say God is omnipotent and omnipresent. He knew it would happen, why didn't he stop it? Why is he allowing this to go on? Is this what he wants for his creation? To die before their time?

[WhiteXXdog]

I always liked the bullet proof pope mobil, there's faith in action...

[GuillermoRobles]

I read some blog posts of when I was angry at God and I cringed.

[buddhaneosiddhananda]

Truth is not opinion and opinion is not truth...

[TheJesusNetwork]

Check out 'Jesus reveals the truth' for more on biblical Faith

[arep]

How there are only 85 comments on this video

[mikilegovindsamy]

You said you had two choices: doubting God's plan, or doing God's plan. How can you do God's plan when no one know a what his plan is?

[kathrynpetrick]

I went through dough too. three coworkers of mine made God's dead jokes, i fought against these jokes but I lost because I couldn't explain how Jesus is the savior. so i left confused. Ended up in a bad relationship. since it was hurtful, i decided to read my bible since he was was being mean and remember it brought me joy years ago. a some point i asked God to show me a sign that Jesus was the savior. my boy friend and i got into a fight and he left. but i was left with the crazy mean things he would tell me. I just wanted those thoughts to leave. I also discover i was now 12 weeks pregnant by him. I also wanted learn how to speak Russian, beautiful language. but I told my daughter in my womb that (Jesus loves you) in Russian at that direct moment she did a somersault in my womb and i knew from there on that Jesus was and is the savior.

[NewCreationInChrist]

Get delivered develop a personal relationship with Christ the Savior.
John 14:6

[candidepangloss]

If god kills someone, it is the proof of his existence and wisdom. If he doesn't kill someone, it is proof of his existence and wisdom...Ontological problem solved.

[socksumi]

I can't find a good reason to believe in a higher power, (meaning a supreme being). There's just too much wishful thinking that gets in the way of an impartial and objective study. If a god exists I am unable to detect it. I also have a hard time believing a complex form such as a god can preexist without cause or explanation.