See it! with Elizabeth Woodson
Today we’re continuing our series on Knowing and Loving the Bible with a conversation with Elizabeth Woodson! Elizabeth is a Bible teacher who is passionate about equipping believers to understand the rich theological truths of Scripture. She is also the author of the brand new book Embrace Your Life: How To Find Joy When The Life You Have Is Not The Life You Hoped For. Today we’re talking about setting our eyes on God’s Word, seeing Christ in the text, and taking practical steps to lift our eyes to the Lord throughout our day to day. We pray this conversation causes you to set things before your eyes that will encourage you to look to God and his Word.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How can we begin to see that we are part of a bigger story than just our own?
Joshua 1:8 says to meditate on the book of the law day and night—all the time! How can we set things before our eyes that will remind us to look to God and his Word?
Why is what we set before our eyes important? How do the things we take in actually impact the way we live?
How does the lens of God’s Word shape the perspective through which we see and experience our personal circumstances?
How does seeing Christ in the Scriptures help us to embrace the life God has given us and increase our love for him?
Practically speaking, how can we turn our eyes to Christ?
What kind of things do you set before your eyes to remind yourself to look to him?
How have God’s people done this in past generations? In Bible times?
If we’re coming to a healthy conviction that we have been setting our eyes on earthly things, what is the biblical response? What freedom do we experience as we walk in repentance?
How can we continue developing eyes to see God’s good plan for his people?
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
“Scripture is the lens through which we see and understand the entire world.”
“God’s not only calling me to be a spectator, he’s calling me to be a participant in helping bring light to the darkness and to restore the broken places in the circle of influence that he’s given me.”
“Reading through the story of Scripture reminds me that there’s a bigger story I'm a part of that God calls me to every day.”
“What are some intentional ways for us to remember what God has done for us?”
“Where can I intentionally go to be reminded of what God has done so I can be strengthened for what he’s going to do?”
“We are formed by the things around us, and so the question is ‘What are we formed into?’”
“You can’t fully understand who you are until you understand who God is.”
“We, as Christians, believe Scripture to be the true story of the world.”
“I am supposed to show up in the world in such a way that everybody thrives.”
“I am called to image God and to show up for my neighbor.”
“The Word gives us deeply-rooted clarity that helps us make sense of seasons that might be rocky.”
“I’ll never cease to be overwhelmed by how God promised that he would fix our mess in Genesis 3:15 and then generations later he does that through Jesus.”
“If God ensured my salvation through his son Jesus Christ, if he promised that and was good on that promise, he’ll be good on his other promises.”
“Christ comes to help us be who we were intended to be.”
“We are in the midst of the story, we are waiting on him to return to restore the heavens and the earth to perfection when we will live in eternity with him. That hope is what fuels us, that hope is our anchor. To see Christ in the text and to follow who he is and to trust in him and his presence in the world and the intercession that he does on our behalf… He gives us the power and strength to live and to lift our eyes up.”
“Repentance is a multifaceted idea in Scripture of acknowledging that we’re in the wrong; but when we turn from something, we turn to something.”
“For a long time what has grounded me is a desire to just be faithful and a deep understanding that what I have doesn’t belong to me and my life literally exists for the Lord. So when he calls me to take the faith step—to make a turn or change directions or give something up—we must trust that he is going to keep us (he’s going to provide for all the concerns that we have) and that his way is better. So I’d rather go in the way that I don’t fully understand or have all the answers to—isn’t that just the Christian life?—rather than staying in my comfort and false sense of security. I believe the Lord meets us with grace when we take the faith step.”
“If we’re sensing the Lord is asking us to change directions, may we love him so much that we would follow where he points even if we don’t understand because we’d rather be in that place than in a place of holding on to what the Lord has asked us to get rid of because we’re too fearful of what might happen if we follow him.”
“God’s been faithful, and his working through redemptive history shows us that.”
“We have to be in the Word to constantly remind ourselves of what is true and what is lasting.”
“What God talks about in Genesis 1 and what it means for us to live in perfect community with him is what he is bringing us back to and what he has done through Jesus and what he will do fully in eternity when Christ returns. Constantly keeping our eyes on Scripture reminds us of that.”
“Take the time to write down what God has done for you so you can go back to it when you need to.”
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Embrace Your Life, by Elizabeth Woodson
Read it, See it, Say it, Sing it! by Hunter Beless
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
SIMPLE JOYS
Seeing God work in my life and answer prayers
Community—experiencing the goodness of God through his people
Being able to show up for other people and share God’s goodness with them
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What emotions does it elicit in you when you hear that you are part of a bigger story than just your own?
How does it bring you comfort to remember God’s past faithfulness to you and to his people throughout all of redemptive history?
What are you setting before your eyes? How is that impacting the way you live?
How does the lens of God’s Word shape the way you see and experience your personal circumstances?
What are some practical steps you can take to turn your eyes to Christ throughout your days?
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
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