Nicolas had grown up in church. His great-grandparents had helped build the little church his family attended. His mother and sister led worship, his father was an elder, his older brother was the youth activity coordinator and his uncle was one of the treasurers. Everybody knew the Fletcher family “the faithful ones.”
And that was kind of the problem.
Everyone assumed Nicolas already knew everything about the Bible. His youth class teachers called on him first. The younger kids idolised up to him. Even his friends joked, “If anyone’s got a direct line to God, it’s Nick!”
He’d laugh it off, but inside, he felt uneasy.
Because truthfully—he didn’t have it all figured out. Not even close.
When he read the Bible, there were things that didn’t make sense. He wanted to ask questions, but he worried what people might think. “You’ve been in church your whole life,” he could almost hear them say, “and you still don’t get it?”
At school, it was worse. His friends rolled their eyes if he mentioned anything about faith. “Are you turning into a preacher, Nick?” they’d tease.
So he kept quiet.
But late at night, when everyone else was asleep, he’d scroll through his phone looking for sermons or Christian podcasts.
One night, he came across a youth pastor from across town named Pastor Ryan. His messages were simple, real, and answered a lot of the questions Nicolas was thinking about but had been too scared to ask.
After a week of listening secretly, Nicolas sent a message:
“Hey, um… I was wondering if I could talk with you sometime. I’ve got some questions about faith and what it means to really follow Jesus.”
Pastor Ryan replied almost instantly:
“Sure thing, Nicolas. We can meet up whenever you want. You can ask anything—this is a safe space for honest questions.
The following Wednesday, Nicolas didn’t stay at school for his library study session but caught the bus to a small café he knew he would be seen. He walked nervously inside and spotted Pastor Ryan was waiting at a table.
They talked for over an hour. Nicolas admitted how he felt—embarrassed, confused and afraid to look foolish.
Pastor Ryan smiled kindly. “You know, there was a man in the Bible who came to Jesus at night because he didn’t want anyone to see him,” he said. “His name was Nicodemus. He had questions too—big ones. But Jesus didn’t shame him. He welcomed him.”
Nicolas felt a lump in his throat.
For the first time, he didn’t feel silly for wanting to understand more. He felt… seen.
That afternoon, on the bus ride home, he looked out the window at the streetlights passing by and whispered a quiet prayer.
“Jesus, I don’t want to just know about You. I want to know You.”
And somehow, deep down, he knew that was exactly where his real faith journey was beginning.
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What Can We Learn
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
2. Remember: Faith Is a Journey, Not a Test
3. Be Honest With God
4. Find Your Quiet Space
5. Keep Going, Even When It’s Hard
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PICTURE CREDIT: Free Pexels Images
