Believing Thomas

Encounter Henley Welcomes Pastor: Ashlee Littleford

This week, Pastor Ashlee Littleford explores the tension between intellectual defense mechanisms and deep-seated heartbreak. Drawing from her own background in mathematics and coding, Ashlee challenges the idea that doubt is a moral failure. Instead, she looks at the story of "Doubting Thomas" to show that Jesus doesn't meet our skepticism with a physics lecture—He meets it with His wounds.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why "weaponizing" ourselves with facts often keeps us barricaded in our own corners.
• The psychological reality of cynicism as a defense mechanism against emotional overload.
• The staggering statistics on why people leave the church when they experience doubt.
• Why Jesus retained His scars in His resurrected body specifically to comfort the doubter.
• How to move from seeking evidence to experiencing an encounter.

Whether you’re holding up a shield of intellectualism or faking a certainty you don’t feel, this message is an invitation to drop the walls and bring the "absolute mess of your story" to a Savior who isn't afraid of your questions.

Scripture Reference:

John 20:24-29

"Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'"