Craig Groeschel’s New Book Reveals How Doubt Can Lead to a Deeper Faith

In this exclusive interview with Crosswalk Headlines, Groeschel opens up about where the idea for his book came from, why doubt can be a good thing, and how people can reconstruct their faith when everything feels like it's falling apart.

Crosswalk Headlines: Where did the idea of the book come from?
Craig Groeschel: It might come as a surprise to some people, but even as a pastor, I had experienced doubts from heart-pounding panic moments to smaller moments of uncertainty when I knew God could but wondered if He would. What I’ve found is that it helps people to hear that even faith leaders wrestle with questions, and doubt doesn’t have to be the end of their faith.
This book is really personal to me because I raised my children within a tight-knit homeschooling community. We were deeply involved in the lives of my kids’ friends, and their families were always spending time at our house. They all had solid foundations and were passionate about their faith. However, as they left their homes and went off to college, a few of them walked away from their faith. Some were hurt by people in the church, while others had questions about their faith that they couldn’t reconcile.
One of the main reasons people walk away from their faith is because they don’t feel like they have permission to ask questions. This book gives them permission so that they can wrestle with their doubts and emerge on the other side with a deeper faith.

CWH: Why can doubt be a good thing?
CG: Doubt is not the enemy of faith. It is often an invitation to a deeper faith. Look at the earliest Christians. The apostle Thomas proclaimed early in Jesus’ ministry that he was willing to die for Him. However, even though he walked with Jesus for years and witnessed countless miracles, he still had questions. We know him as “Doubting Thomas” because when the other disciples claimed to have seen the Risen Lord, he would not believe it unless he saw proof. But Jesus didn’t write him off. Jesus offered Thomas the proof he was looking for. Thomas then went on to die a martyr’s death because he refused to renounce his faith in Christ. Asking questions was how Thomas became zealous for Jesus, so much so that he chose to die for his beliefs. The strongest faith isn’t a faith that never doubts. The strongest faith is one that grows through doubts.

CWH: You mentioned struggling with doubt in seminary. What was that like?
CG: Yes, at seminary of all places! In one of my classes, I had a professor who explicitly denied that the Bible was the inspired work of God. This wasn’t just a one-time comment, either. He was emphatic about this belief throughout my time there, continually telling us that the Christian claim about the Bible was false.
This really made me start to question everything because he was smarter than I was and taught a class on the Bible, so surely he knew what he was talking about. This was especially troubling for me because I had just left a pretty lucrative career to pursue becoming a pastor. I thought, “What if I’m the one who is wrong? Am I devoting my life to someone who I’m not even sure is real?” These doubts honestly made me feel lost and scared about my future.
Years later, well into ministry, similar questions entered my mind. It was a Sunday morning in 2017, and I was standing in the front row of our church service singing a worship song, minutes away from going up to preach. I realized at that moment that I felt nothing. By nothing, I mean I didn’t feel God’s presence, didn’t feel like preaching, and didn’t feel that I had any faith. As panicked questions flooded my mind, I prayed a desperate prayer, “God, if you’re there, show me something.”
At that moment, I had the closest thing to a vision I’ve ever experienced. I saw myself back in college reading about Jesus in the gospels. Before that moment, I’d never really understood that He loved broken people like me. I remembered hitting my knees and calling out to God. In the middle of my doubts, I remembered when I first came to faith. Learning that it’s only by grace through faith that you’re made right with God. The word that kept overwhelming me through those memories? Faith.
I share these experiences to say that doubts will come. It’s not a question of if but when. When they come, we don’t have to stay trapped by them. Our doubts aren’t a dead end, they aren’t the destination. Keep walking, and God will be with us every step. Doubt is an invitation to a deeper faith, and faith is the means to push through doubt.

CWH: What do you want readers to walk away with?
CG: I want readers to know that although God might feel distant, He is very present in your doubts. He wants to draw you close, into a deep, personal relationship with Him. He has not abandoned you. You are not alone. You have a Father who loves you, and you are not a disappointment to Him.
Even the Apostles, who spent three years in ministry with Jesus and saw Him resurrected from the grave, experienced doubts. What did Jesus do? He didn’t reprimand them. He commissioned them. He trusted them to spread His message to the world. Your doubts don’t disqualify your faith or your ministry either. If Jesus didn’t give up on Peter, the man who denied Him three times, He will not give up on you, and He will not stop pursuing you.
Furthermore, your doubts don’t define God. His existence and legitimacy do not depend on you, and your questions don’t threaten Him or put Him in jeopardy. He welcomes our questions. He wants us to bring our doubts to Him so that through our wrestling, we can know Him more and strengthen our faith.

CWH: What do you say to people deconstructing their faith?
CG: We know what it means to construct. It means to build up. Therefore, deconstruction must be taking something apart. I would argue that deconstruction, done the right way, can actually be a good thing that helps you to let go of the things you believe aren’t correct and strengthen your foundation of faith.
Deconstruction done poorly can be very destructive. If there is no support structure, no church community, no solid foundation to rebuild on, it can and often does result in a total loss of faith. But done healthily, it can actually strengthen faith because it replaces the old and damaged parts of the faith with a solid foundation built on God’s Word.
I’ll use the example of a house. My wife and I had a mold problem in a few of the rooms in our home. When we found out, we didn’t demolish the entire house! Instead, we removed the mold and anything that was damaged by the mold and replaced what had been torn down with new, stronger materials. We should do the same when it comes to our faith.
I would even go so far as to say that Jesus helped people to deconstruct their faith. In the gospels, He would often say, “You have heard it said… but I say to you...”

CWH: What steps should people take to reconstruct their faith?
CG: I think it’s prudent to put pen to paper here. If you are experiencing doubts or have questions that need answering, write them out. Be precise. Then, read through the list you have created.
In the spiritual life, this is done through reading Scripture with contemplation and prayer. Read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through your doubts and help you to find peace and resolution. It might also be helpful to reach out to a spiritual mentor, such as a pastor, or another member of the church to help you process.

CWH: Did you say everything you wanted to say in the book?
CG: No book that I could write could address every question someone will have. While I do cover some of the bigger questions that cause people to walk away from their faith, my hope for this book is that readers understand that you can have both faith and questions at the same time.
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/craiggroeschel

MAINA MWAURA is a freelance writer and journalist who has interviewed over 800 influential leaders, including two US Presidents, three Vice-Presidents, and a variety of others. Maina, is also the author of the Influential Mentor, How the life and legacy of Howard Hendricks Equipped and Inspired a Generation of Leaders. Maina and his family reside in the Kennesaw, Georgia area.