Episode 153. You’re A Theologian with Amy Gannett
{rebecca_george]: Amy, thank you so much for joining me today. this is going to be so fun.
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[amy]: Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be a part of this conversation.
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[rebecca_george]: I know well you are somebody, and this happens from time to time where like
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[rebecca_george]: multiple friends will come to me like Hey, can you and Amy ga and talk? Can
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[rebecca_george]: you guys have a conversation And you're one of those people that I have been
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[rebecca_george]: long requested for, so I'm really excited to get to know you and a little
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[rebecca_george]: bit more of your story. We're talking on book launch week for you, so
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[amy]: Mhm.
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[rebecca_george]: thank you for your time in the midst of what I know has to be a crazy week
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[rebecca_george]: for you. where we're going to get to talk about your new book Fix your eyes
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[rebecca_george]: today. I'm so excited about that, but before we get to that I don't want to
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[rebecca_george]: skip over some of your work that I and I've been following for a long time,
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[rebecca_george]: and although I don't have kids yet, it really matters to me and I know
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[rebecca_george]: matters too a lot of my friends. You are the founder of Tiny Theologians,
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[amy]: Mhm,
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[rebecca_george]: which, also, that's the greatest name I've ever heard in my life. I love it.
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[amy]: It's pretty cute. right.
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[rebecca_george]: I love it so much. It's so cute and I want to hear a little bit about your
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[rebecca_george]: heart behind this work. So for a friends who aren't familiar, will you share
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[rebecca_george]: a little bit of kind of the back story of tiny tiny Theologians,
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[amy]: Yeah, tiny theologians, Um, rarely actually started because I was doing a lot of
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[amy]: theological education for women and I noticed I had this big gap in my
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[rebecca_george]: Hm,
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[amy]: Um. The people that were in the courses and the membership that I offered and I had a
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[amy]: lot of my nessters or parents of older kids, and that I had a lot of young
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[amy]: professionals, Um early career folks, and I sort of was wondering I got this gap like
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[amy]: there are no young
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[rebecca_george]: Mhm,
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[amy]: moms and I was wondering if I, you know what I was missing is I, I did a little
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[amy]: research and put out some poles and all that sort of thing, and I had a lot of bombs of
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[amy]: young kids come back to me and. Say hey, I just do not have time to study theology, but
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[amy]: I would love it if you would make something for my kids. And so
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[rebecca_george]: Mhm,
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[amy]: that kind of put to words, um, what I was seeing happening. I think a lot of us. you
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[amy]: know, I'm a mom of um, a little one. Now I think a lot of us are willing to do things
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[amy]: for our kids that were' not willing to do for ourselves. and,
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[amy]: um, we were willing to invest in things for our kids that maybe we don't prioritize in
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[amy]: our own lives. And so Um, I wanted to create something that M young mo, moms of young
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[amy]: kids in particular could use with their kids, And it was sort of my sneaky way of
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[amy]: wanting to get all of these
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[amy]: moms to study theology with me. I mean,
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: that was honestly my heart behind it, and it just grew into this major passion in my
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[amy]: life as I was watching kids learn theological language, learn all about the bible. Um,
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[amy]: That was so exciting. but I got really excited when moms would email me and say hey. I
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[amy]: was going through the a B Cs of theology, and now I know what atonement means. Now I
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[amy]: know
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[rebecca_george]: that's so cool.
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[amy]: you know what doctrine is, and that was sort of the win for me. So that's how it
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[amy]: started. but I will tell you now. so I have a background in kids' ministry. I will tell
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[amy]: you it has been just really cool to see. Um. there really was a gap in the market like.
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah, yeah,
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[amy]: I really, uh, have researched kids' ministry curriculum and stuff like that for use in
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[amy]: the church and I, There really was this gap of what I would say, quality theological
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[amy]: resources for kids. Now, more and more are coming out. I think that the market is like
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[amy]: people are realizing that this is a need and so I'm definitely not the only one meeting
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[amy]: that need, But at the time it sort of was like let's make the things that we wish
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[amy]: existed in the world. And so
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[amy]: I started making these cards and it was so cool to watch some kids go through them as a
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[amy]: part of home school curriculum as a part of their morning basket or dinner time
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[amy]: devotionals, or the bedtime routine, And see just what parents echoed back to me from
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[amy]: investing in Um, those relationships and ing in that way. So um, those, that's how it
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[amy]: started and that's where it is now, and it really has just been such a joy.
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah, that's so awesome and I alwayt. Wonder you know I had a
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[rebecca_george]: conversation not that long ago, somebody about theology, and specifically
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[rebecca_george]: talking about kids, and one of the things that they said that stuck with me
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[rebecca_george]: was there is no junior Holy Spirit right like God is at work in us. And and
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[rebecca_george]: even I know for myself I was raised in the church. I got saved as a as a
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[rebecca_george]: young girl that God was at work in me. Then
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[rebecca_george]: maybe you know in a totally different season, and maybe I speak to that in a
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[rebecca_george]: different way, right to a eight year old than I do a twenty nine year old
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[rebecca_george]: Mom. right? so I wonder as you started to get into this work.
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[rebecca_george]: I don't know. I'm trying to think of the best way to ask this. How did you?
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[rebecca_george]: How did you make that shift Of How do I talk about
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[amy]: Hm, Hm,
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[rebecca_george]: theology to kids while also realizing there' no junior Holy Spirit. Does
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[rebecca_george]: that make sense?
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[amy]: Mhm, it does. Yeah, I think one of the keys is Um, being able to distill bi big
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[amy]: Biblical truths.
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[amy]: Um. so look at a passage and do what I would say is the hard work of exogesis, So
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[rebecca_george]: Mhm,
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[amy]: Exjsis is basically minding the text for its original meaning and original intensity.
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[amy]: You look at things like who's the author of the book? When was the bookck written? And
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[amy]: what kind of culture and community was it written to originally, and then distilling
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[amy]: out of that what the eternal truths are, and then simplifying that that kids can
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[amy]: understand it and apply it. Now. The easy thing to do is to read a story like Daniel,
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[amy]: and in the lions, De, and say, Be brave like Daniel. You know to
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[amy]: read about David and Goliath and say you know God wants you to overcome all your fears,
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[amy]: like David overcame Goliath. That's like the easy work I would say of teaching
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[rebecca_george]: sure,
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[amy]: kids the Bible. And you know there's nothing
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[amy]: really negative about teaching kids to be brave about teaching them to face their fear.
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[amy]: stuff like that. But that's not what Scripture was intending when it told us these
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[amy]: narratives of God's faithfulness. You know,
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[rebecca_george]: Mhm,
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[amy]: the the impetus throughout the Old Testament. The reason these stories were
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[amy]: recorded for us was so that our eyes would be pointed to God, and that we would see his
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[amy]: faithfulness. In every generation we would see his covenant faithfulness, we would see
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[amy]: his enduring character. We would see his all sufficient nature, you know, And so that
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[amy]: just takes. I think it more work, more bivlical exosis, and it really does, uh, make
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[amy]: all the difference when you simplify it for kids. so I like to often, um, draw a
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[amy]: distinction between over simplifying and simplifying, so they're simplifying for kids.
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[amy]: That waters something down and makes it you know, draws it away from the original
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[amy]: meaning. but there is a way to state things clearly and simply that kids can grasp that
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[amy]: remains true to the text. And so that's the real challenge here. Um. And that's why I'm
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[amy]: so thankful that I went to Bible school for undergrad, I went to seminary for God
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[amy]: school. Um. You know, my training and the Masters of Divinity equipped me for that.
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[amy]: That was the joy of that time. Um, but I just think it takes us being more thoughtful
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[amy]: about the scriptures, and and realizing
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[amy]: maybe being more thoughtful about what we think kids can remember and grasp, because a
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[amy]: lot of times we go to that overimlifying or we water it down because we think kids
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[amy]: aren't going to be able to
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[amy]: Um
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[amy]: grasp complicated truths, but
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
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[amy]: they can. I mean they really can'. Actually, sometimes kids live in the mystery and
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[amy]: attention of God, being all powerful and sovereign and the world having tough stuff in
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[amy]: it better than we as adults do.
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[amy]: so I think we should just go ahead and tell them the truth from the beginning
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[rebecca_george]: yes, yes,
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[amy]: and and up. I. So I would say that, I would say we simplify it in a way that's faithful
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[amy]: to the text. We let their minds grapple with big truths, but we also can present kids
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[amy]: to something that is beyond them a little bit like we want a little
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[rebecca_george]: Mhm.
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[amy]: bit of their theological diet to be something that's um, encouraging them to grow.
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[amy]: Because we grow into these concepts the first time any of us hear about hears about a
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[amy]: theological concept. We don't get it from the beginning, but we get more familiar with
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[amy]: it and we grow in familiarity. And so it's not a bad thing to talk to kids about stuff
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, right,
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[amy]: that's beyond them. We don't want that to be their entire theological
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: diet, be cause. they'll be overwhelmed to maybe want to. ▁quit. but it's okay to
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[amy]: occasionally you know, bring in concepts that are like really big, and let them start
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[amy]: grappling with them. Because the truth is is all of this are going to grow up with
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[amy]: these at some point. So
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[rebecca_george]: yup.
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[amy]: let's do it in the environment where we're doing discipleship in our home. Let's do it
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[amy]: let's do it in the environment where we're doing discipleship in our home. Let's do it
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[amy]: now when we're having these open conversations. Let's do it. You know in an ongoing way
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[amy]: now when we're having these open conversations. Let's do it. You know in an ongoing way
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[amy]: that Um, kind of encourages them to continue growing in the Lord and not just memorize
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[amy]: that Um, kind of encourages them to continue growing in the Lord and not just memorize
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[amy]: a bunch of facts or memorize a bunch of attributes, but actually encourages them to
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[amy]: a bunch of facts or memorize a bunch of attributes, but actually encourages them to
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[amy]: grow up in their faith.
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[amy]: grow up in their faith.
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah. the thing that's coming to mind right now for me is get to them
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[rebecca_george]: before the world. Does you know what
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[amy]: Hm.
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[rebecca_george]: I mean also, because I think there's so much out there and even coming into
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[rebecca_george]: our schools and and just our environment, even if you have the news on it at
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[rebecca_george]: night
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[amy]: Mhm,
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[rebecca_george]: Right like watching it with your family. Um,
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[rebecca_george]: I just I'm so thankful for the work that you do. That's equipping moms to
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[rebecca_george]: equip their kids, Moms and
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[amy]: H,
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[rebecca_george]: dads to equip their kids in this way because goodness,
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[rebecca_george]: it's always been important. but I think it's more important than ever before
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[rebecca_george]: in the climate that we're living in, And so
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[amy]: yeah,
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[rebecca_george]: and I love that you
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[rebecca_george]: are making that not necessily. Not that's always going to be hard work for
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[rebecca_george]: parents, but you are equipping them with resources to do that well,
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[amy]: hm,
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[rebecca_george]: and I think that's what parents want right Like I want to acquit my child. I
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[rebecca_george]: want to teach the theology, but I just I don't have anive right like
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[amy]: yeah, yeah, yeah.
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[rebecca_george]: and they want that person to come in and be like Y. But I made these
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[rebecca_george]: resources for you to make it easy.
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[rebecca_george]: Done that well, like I said At the very beginning, you you in middle book
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[rebecca_george]: week, which is so exciting. You have a new book coming out called Fix your
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[rebecca_george]: eyes, and I'm so excited
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[rebecca_george]: just to hear of your heart behind this message, So can we start there?
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[amy]: that's great. Well, the my heart behind this book is really similar to the Hearrtbine
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[amy]: time theologians, Is that so many of us as believers you know, want to know what the
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[amy]: Christian faith is. We want to be able to study theology, but a lot of times when we
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[amy]: reach for a theology textbook on the shells is going to be like seven hundred plus
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[amy]: pages. You know.
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[amy]: it feels really inaccessible. It feels like I should go to seminary, Almost like I have
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[amy]: to get my masters in theology to learn theology. And that just isn't true. That's not
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[amy]: the case. and Um, I really just wanted to share a lot of what I learned in seminary.
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[amy]: Make that accessible to other people, and there are a lot of theology books out there,
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[amy]: A lot of system acheology books out there in particular, But I want to write something
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[amy]: that had two particular aims That made it a little bit different than what's available
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[amy]: in the market. One. I wanted it to be short and accessible, so something that
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: a parent could read in their free time. Um, I didn't want it to be seven hundred pages.
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[amy]: You know, it's two hundred plus pages. It's accessible. It's written. I pray
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[amy]: excessively and understandably for the average reader. I am not actually a great
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[amy]: reader. Um, I'm not a great academic. You know, I've always been pretty average when it
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[amy]: comes to school, And so I really wanted to make it accessible to the average person who
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[amy]: says.
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah,
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[amy]: Um, you know I want to learn theology, but please don't throw a bunch of terms at me in
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[amy]: a hety way that is going to make me feel like I'm drowning, And so I want to write it
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[amy]: in an accessible and relable way using like lots of illustrations and lots of
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[amy]: applications that we walk away feeling like Okay, I have a word picture of what this
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[amy]: means. Not just a long definition or a long description, though those definitions and
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[amy]: descriptions are also in there, um, but sort of in a morem,
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[amy]: um, accessible way for most of us, And then the second thing I wanted to do is I really
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[amy]: wanted to help us as believers walk away from studying theology with a real burden for
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[amy]: how this should show up in the life of discipleship. For us how our
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: theology leads to our worship. You know a lot of times we think that theology just
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[amy]: gives us a bunch of information about God. We know a bunch of you know, sort of trivia
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[amy]: fun facts. you know, fact, tooids
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[rebecca_george]: yes,
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[amy]: about God. But if that's the end, our theology really hasn't letd us into knowing God
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[amy]: anymore. We're just knowing more about him, or we're knowing more about scripture. So
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[amy]: each chapter that tackles a major doctrine because it structures like any system
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[amy]: acheology book would be, you know. it's one chapter track tackles. You know theology
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[amy]: proper, which is answering the question who is God. The next chapter tackles the
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[amy]: Trinity, The next chapter tackles Christ in the Incarnation. You know those sort
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[amy]: things, the Holy Spirit of the church, Um, and on until final things. So each chapter
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[amy]: is going to explain the docctorrine, in a simple way, but then also give a hefty
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[amy]: portion of application at the end. What does that mean for our lives of worship and
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[amy]: discipleship? How do we respond to the God that we're learning about, Because otherwise
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[amy]: we're just gonna find ourselves. I mean, maybe this is just my personal journey. I
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[amy]: mean, I know it's not, but I know that this has been my journey. But a lot of times we
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[amy]: study theology, and we can become um arrogant about how much we know. But if we, if if
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[amy]: our knowledge has nowhere to go, that has no outworking. It's easy for us
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[rebecca_george]: that's right.
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[amy]: to just get big heads, you know, But the point of theology all along has been for us to
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[amy]: respond to the God that we're worshipping, So that's where the title comes from. Fix
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[amy]: your eyes as we actually behold the God of our salvations. We actually fix our eyes on
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[amy]: Christ. That is what it means to know him is to look to him and learn about him and
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[amy]: understand him. but also then to fix our eyes on him in worship. As we get to know him
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[amy]: more, we should worship him,
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[rebecca_george]: yeah.
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[amy]: Um, more and more. And so I wanted to set out to answer questions like how does the
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[amy]: Trinity actually cause me to worship? You know, how does knowing that God became man in
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[amy]: the Incarnation, actually lead me to worship? And how does that change my daily life to
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[amy]: day? Um, Because all of us are living out a thousand little truths that we believe, Um,
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[amy]: each and every day our discipleship. Our life of worship is being shaped by a thousand
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[amy]: little truths that we hold on to our little little beliefs that we have picked up along
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[amy]: our journey of faith. But the question we want to ask is does that align with
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah, hm.
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[amy]: scripture? Do those beliefs that we have those truths that we claim, do they line up
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[amy]: with what God has revealed about himself in his word. And so we want a study scripture,
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[amy]: study who God has revealed himself to be, and then let that orient our whole lives of
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[amy]: discipleship.
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah, that's so good, Amy. you said a phrase a second ago. That kind
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[rebecca_george]: of pointed me back to the verse that Gud gave me to kind of center the
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[rebecca_george]: pipecast around you said When we look to him And that's part of a verse in
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[rebecca_george]: So thirty four. That means a lot to me. It. Vere, five is those who look to
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[rebecca_george]: him aradiant, and their faces are never covered in change. Our name is
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[rebecca_george]: radical radiance, right, So that's what we' all about around here. How do we
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[rebecca_george]: have conversations that point us back to him That point us back to abiding
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[rebecca_george]: in Christ, and and the result of that, the by product of that is radiance
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[rebecca_george]: right? And so
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[amy]: Mhm, Mhm,
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[rebecca_george]: we, we talk about that all day long every day. So I love that you. I love to
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[rebecca_george]: mention that, And you know one of the things we touched on this a little
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[rebecca_george]: earlier, but it's super common. especially, I think right now for unbillical
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[rebecca_george]: views of God to just really easily creep in and even take root in our lives.
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[rebecca_george]: Will you talk about the dangers of this and also encourage women with what
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[rebecca_george]: does it look like to stay readed in the world, Like' talking
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[amy]: Mhm,
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[rebecca_george]: about?
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[amy]: Well, like also, before you know, there are a thousand different
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[amy]: decisions, little and big that we make each and every day,
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[amy]: and we really make those decisions based off of beliefs that we have. Um, whether
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[amy]: or not we realize that right how we spend our money, how we spend our time, the
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[amy]: relationships we invest in, even the food that we put on our dining tables each and
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[amy]: every day the food that we put in our bodies is really the result of like a thousand
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[amy]: little decisions and
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[rebecca_george]: yes,
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[amy]: convictions that we have Like how our grocery shop, You know, depends on what I believe
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[amy]: about how we should use our money, and what kind of food will fuel our bodies, and what
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[amy]: how our time should be spent in meal prop like. All of these little decisions and
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[amy]: little beliefs going into a thousand little decisions that we make all day, and I think
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[amy]: a lot of times we. um, we can see that in our own daily lives, But then when it comes
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[amy]: to our faith, we think, Oh, I just am living my life of faith. you know, based on the
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[amy]: truth of God's word. Well, that might be true, and like praise a Lord, if that's the
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[amy]: case, but a lot of us have picked up assumptions about who God is along the course of
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[amy]: life, and we are basing faith decisions and even lifes, decisions based on those
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[amy]: truths, and sometimes when they're left unchecked, we end up living out Um, living in
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[amy]: such a way that is the fruit of things that we believe that aren't actually in line
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[amy]: with Scripture, And so
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah,
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[amy]: when we um, look to God's word and let him reveal himself to us, Um, we actually are
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[amy]: going. To find that we go, Oh, I have been operating this way like my casual attendance
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[amy]: at church actually doesn't have much to do with whether or not I like the preaching. My
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[amy]: casual attend in such church actually has so much more to do about what I believe it
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[amy]: means to be a part of a community of faith, and what it means s to be saved into the
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[amy]: body of Christ. So what we don't need to do is have a conversation. You know if we have
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[amy]: a casual approach to church participation, which I've been totally guilty of in the
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[amy]: past, Um, So when when I look at my younger self and think you know, Um, Gosh, I was so
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[amy]: laxadisical about going to church and different ind differenter seasons in my life when
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[amy]: I look at myself, I want to be like. It actually doesn't have so much to do, little Amy
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[amy]: with. Um, whether or not you think this preaching style like ministers do, it actually
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[amy]: has to do with the fact that you think that like you and Jesus on your own is the
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[amy]: fullest picture of salvation, and it's just not Scripture actually tells
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: us that the full picture of salvation is God bringing together a congregation of people
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[amy]: both in the Big Sea Church, the global church throughout all times and places, and the
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[amy]: Little Sea local church, And so, actually, I need to correct bigger blefs. You know, so
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[amy]: I had
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[rebecca_george]: yes, yes,
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[amy]: picked up these assumptions throughout the way of life, and it was really affecting my
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[amy]: life of discipleship in a way that I hadn't seen, And it wasn't until somebody
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[amy]: corrected the root, um, truth, the roote belief that I was able to say. Oh, I see why
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[amy]: God has called me to participate in the local body, So it's so essential for us as
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[amy]: believers, particularly as women. I think we can be. Um. We pick up on messaging in a
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[amy]: way that I'll like. I. I think women are so sensitive to messaging in a way that God
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: has um designed us like. there's um, an incredible intuition that comes with women. Um.
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[amy]: I was watching like a miniocumentary with my husband recently and I'm I'm goingnna
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[amy]: botch. like the statistics on this Okay, so just use. this is just an illustration. Um.
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[amy]: But it was about private, a private investigator, and he was saying that, when uh, when
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[amy]: he is hired like or when private investigators are hired um by a man to do Um in an
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[amy]: investigation on someone they, they think someone is guilty of some kind of crime and
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[amy]: they want that person investigated Um. they said, M, The men that hire them tend to be
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[amy]: about sixty percent right about their suspicions about the other person. Whoever
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[amy]: they're hired, Um, hiring them to investigate, but women tend to be ninety plus per
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[amy]: cent correct about
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[rebecca_george]: wow,
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[amy]: their suspicions about the person that they're hiring Um them to investigate. And I
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[amy]: just thought that's so interesting. There is an intuition that God has given women in a
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[amy]: particular way,
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: and Um, it's just a distinction between the genders. It doesn't make you know, uh, the
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[amy]: female gender superior in any way, but it's really
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[rebecca_george]: no,
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[amy]: an interesting thing to note, and I think one of the effects that we see in our own
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[amy]: hearts and lives is that I at least can pick up on somebody's like inference, even if
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[amy]: it's not their teaching. So somebody might have embedded in something they say, an
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[amy]: assumption about God or what it looks like to live a life of faith. And I hear it, and
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[amy]: I can kind of pick up on that inferred message and I sort of file it away in my heart
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[amy]: and mind. I sort of add it to you know, the pot of things that I can believe about God.
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[amy]: And so I just pick up all these little beliefs all along the way. and if left unchecked
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[amy]: if we don't test it against scripture, they're just not going to sustain us in the same
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[amy]: way. They're just not going to give us life in Sosaina, So it's so important that we
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[amy]: stay rooted in God's work. Is all of these messages that we're picking up on are going
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[amy]: to change with people's opinion, with the cultural mantra of the time with the erran
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[amy]: which we're living. But God's word is going to last forever. They are eternal
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: truth, and they're preaching to us about an eternal unchanging God. And so it's not
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[amy]: just like a good idea to be rooted in the world. It actually changes our lives. It's
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[amy]: actually life giving Um In the Book of Amos in the Old Testament,
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[amy]: Um. Israel is being reminded that she has um failed to walk with God, and that she.
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[amy]: she's being called back to God. She's who called back as a nation, and Um asked to pit
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[amy]: it and return to Lord. And the prophet says, Seek the Lord and live. You know. The The
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[amy]: reality is that we don't just seek God because it's like good advice. We seek the Lord
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[amy]: because that's where life is and that's where the fullness
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah.
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[amy]: of our life will be found.
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[rebecca_george]: so good.
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[rebecca_george]: you know if moms are listening today and they' thinking okay, Yes, I want I.
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[rebecca_george]: one in. I went in on all of this. Where would you point them? You know if
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[rebecca_george]: they're wanting to get started? Not only
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[rebecca_george]: you know, in their own walk with the Lord, I want them to grab the books
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[rebecca_george]: when she tell more to grab picture eyes. But then also where can they access
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[rebecca_george]: everything with tiny theologians? Where would you encourage them to start
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[rebecca_george]: with their kids?
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[amy]: Yeah, that's great. Um. well fixt Eze can be preorded today. as we're recording. This
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[amy]: is the last day for preors, which is really exciting. Um. but it can be preorded and
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[amy]: then ordered. as of October fifth, Um. Anywhere books are sold, so Target, Amazon
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[amy]: Christian book dot com Life way, Um, you name it. You can find the book there, Barnes
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[amy]: and Noble, Um. you know all those wonderful retailers. Um are carrying it, and then
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[amy]: Tiny Theegians, Tiny Thegen Do shop is our Um shop website and I think the best place
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[amy]: to start, especially if you have young kids. Um, you know, and the two to four ranged.
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[amy]: I love recommending people to start with the A B Cs of God's attributes to a set of a B
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[amy]: C flashgards, which is not only fun because they're starting to learn the alphabet, but
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[amy]: it's they're just about the attributes of God that will always belong to him. Those
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[amy]: unchging truths about who God is and we just can't start talking about that soon enough
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[amy]: with our kids, Um,
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[amy]: telling kids that God is um eternal that he is merciful that he is loving that he is.
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[amy]: just. you know all of these attributes that will always belong to God. I, I mean
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[amy]: honestly, When I go through them with my daughter and I wrote the content of the
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[amy]: youfle, I don't know
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[amy]: what they say, but I go through them with my daughter and I'm like Lord, You are a God
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[amy]: of mercy. You are a god of justice. I mean, they just make our hearts sing. Because
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[amy]: these truths are just not going anywhere. So I think that's the best place to start for
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[amy]: young kids. and that somebody has older kids. My favorite set of cards that I ever
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[amy]: created for time. Toyegens called Christ at the Centre, When he goes through, Each book
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[amy]: of the Bible gives a summary of that book talks about the author who wrote it. The
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[amy]: genre was written in. But, and it gives a chryistentered summary of
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[rebecca_george]: I love that.
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[amy]: the Old and New Testament, So it talks about how Um, you know God is the author of the
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[amy]: beginning in the Book of Genesis, and also the promised saviour that promised from the
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[amy]: very beginning. You know, right after the fall, God promises to send the saviour And
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[amy]: then who is that An Exodus, And where do we see promises of the coming Messiah? So
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[amy]: every book of the Old
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[amy]: Testament is summarized and shown how Christ was anticipated, And then every book of
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[amy]: the New Tesment is summarized and it shows how Christ is proclaimed in the New
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00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:05,040
[amy]: Testament, So Christ at the center is a great resource for kids that are a little bit
396
00:25:04,820 --> 00:25:05,820
[amy]: older.
397
00:25:06,466 --> 00:25:11,026
[rebecca_george]: Okay, I love that like. part of me just wants to order all this for myself,
398
00:25:10,886 --> 00:25:11,886
[rebecca_george]: too.
399
00:25:13,426 --> 00:25:17,906
[rebecca_george]: I, I love this. I am just so grateful for the work that you're doing, and
400
00:25:18,546 --> 00:25:22,546
[rebecca_george]: I'm just thinking of so many of my of my young mom friends that I know this
401
00:25:22,706 --> 00:25:28,466
[rebecca_george]: would be such a blessing to. and so I'm so thankful that you saw a need in
402
00:25:28,386 --> 00:25:32,386
[rebecca_george]: in the world in the market that wasn't being met. And I mean you're right
403
00:25:32,626 --> 00:25:36,386
[rebecca_george]: there. Have there are others coming alongside you now, but I am so grateful
404
00:25:36,626 --> 00:25:40,146
[rebecca_george]: for the work that you're doing and also the work that you're doing to equip
405
00:25:39,846 --> 00:25:40,846
[rebecca_george]: women
406
00:25:41,426 --> 00:25:43,266
[rebecca_george]: with theological knowledge as well, So
407
00:25:42,900 --> 00:25:43,900
[amy]: H.
408
00:25:43,346 --> 00:25:47,106
[rebecca_george]: I am so thankful for Fix your eyes and what it's going to do in the lives of
409
00:25:47,186 --> 00:25:50,626
[rebecca_george]: women and I sha. thank you so much for being with me today.
410
00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,000
[amy]: Yeah, thank you. S having me. I really really appreciate it.
411
00:25:55,426 --> 00:25:58,706
[rebecca_george]: Okay, I'll do a quick pause and we do kind of like a little bonus
412
00:25:59,106 --> 00:26:02,786
[rebecca_george]: section. So yeah, it's just like a quick, little y. okay, so we
413
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,680
[amy]: Yep, I saw that in the questions,
414
00:26:02,420 --> 00:26:03,420
[amy]: Mhm,
415
00:26:02,926 --> 00:26:03,926
[rebecca_george]: go through that real quick.
416
00:26:06,306 --> 00:26:09,986
[rebecca_george]: I have love being with you today. I'm so excited about the release of your
417
00:26:10,066 --> 00:26:13,506
[rebecca_george]: new book Fix your eyes. We just have the best conversation about that over
418
00:26:13,666 --> 00:26:16,786
[rebecca_george]: on the regular podcast platform. but I'm excited to get to know you a little
419
00:26:16,866 --> 00:26:21,826
[rebecca_george]: better. So question one is what do you think is one of the best pieces of
420
00:26:21,906 --> 00:26:23,426
[rebecca_george]: advice that you've ever been given?
421
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,560
[amy]: um, I was even this advice in college. I had um, a friend,
422
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:34,400
[amy]: you know that was talking me through a mentor. So an older friend who had more life
423
00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:39,840
[amy]: experience than I did talking me through. I. an opportunity that presented itself to. I
424
00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,080
[amy]: just felt like I wasn't supposed to take it the time and I felt like the Lawrd was
425
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,520
[amy]: calling me different direction, but the direction that he was calling me towards was
426
00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:52,560
[amy]: not glamorous and the opportunity that was in front of me was kind of glamorous And so
427
00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:58,240
[amy]: I just had this conflict raging in my soul. You know, I really wanted to say yes to
428
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:02,560
[amy]: this opportunity, and I just felt like in my spirit the Lord were saying no, but the
429
00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:07,920
[amy]: other direction was like way more work and not super fun And I was talking through this
430
00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:14,800
[amy]: with my friend and she just told me that the Lord. just, we never regret saying yes to
431
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:16,000
[amy]: the Lord. We will
432
00:27:15,846 --> 00:27:16,846
[rebecca_george]: Yeah, yeah,
433
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:21,760
[amy]: never regret saying yes to what God calls us to, And that advice has sustained me in so
434
00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,680
[amy]: many hard seasons where I go. I know this, the Lords called me too. Goodness. It's
435
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:30,720
[amy]: hard, but we just don't ever regret saying yes to the Lord, and that has proven true in
436
00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:36,000
[amy]: every season of my life, As when we followed, go into hard places, Man. I look back and
437
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:41,120
[amy]: think I went to done it any other way Because when we go with God, I mean that's that's
438
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,320
[amy]: the assurance that we need that we were walking in God's will.
439
00:27:45,186 --> 00:27:49,026
[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah, that's so good. Such a good answer. Okay, what is one of the
440
00:27:49,026 --> 00:27:52,386
[rebecca_george]: best books that you've read lately that you want people to know about
441
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:59,840
[amy]: Yeah, I am um, very passionate about Um, helping the church understand primary and se
442
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:01,440
[amy]: ary doctrines, So basically
443
00:28:02,140 --> 00:28:03,140
[amy]: understanding
444
00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:07,520
[amy]: um, restractions are core to the Christian faith that we need to hold with a
445
00:28:07,286 --> 00:28:08,286
[rebecca_george]: That's good.
446
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,920
[amy]: tight closed hand, and which doctrines are secondary where we can disagree and disagree
447
00:28:11,980 --> 00:28:12,980
[amy]: peacefully. So
448
00:28:12,486 --> 00:28:13,486
[rebecca_george]: Yeah, yeah,
449
00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:18,800
[amy]: things like the Trinity would be a closed hand. you know issue, like Jesus being the
450
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,200
[amy]: only way to be safed closed down, but things like how
451
00:28:20,806 --> 00:28:21,806
[rebecca_george]: y.
452
00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:26,320
[amy]: do we do Baptism? Do we baptize infants? Do be bapfased believers open handed issue. We
453
00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,200
[amy]: can have a conviction about how we' le in that way, but we don't want to look
454
00:28:28,806 --> 00:28:29,806
[rebecca_george]: sure.
455
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:33,040
[amy]: at somebody who practices differently from us and say well, they're not Christians
456
00:28:32,820 --> 00:28:33,820
[amy]: because
457
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:38,640
[amy]: they baptize infants or because they don't baptism. It's like we want to have a
458
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,720
[amy]: generous posture towards those secondary issues And
459
00:28:42,486 --> 00:28:43,486
[rebecca_george]: yeah. yeah.
460
00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:47,600
[amy]: Gavin Ortland has a book called Finding the right hills to die on, and
461
00:28:47,666 --> 00:28:49,266
[rebecca_george]: Oh, I bet that's so good.
462
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,560
[amy]: it is just really great. It's so
463
00:28:50,246 --> 00:28:51,246
[rebecca_george]: Yeah.
464
00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:55,600
[amy]: great if you're in ministry first of all, because Um, a lot of times you're shepherding
465
00:28:55,580 --> 00:28:56,580
[amy]: people through
466
00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:58,960
[amy]: disagreement, or you know
467
00:28:58,566 --> 00:28:59,566
[rebecca_george]: yeah.
468
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:03,200
[amy]: um, people who you're shepherding a group of people who's going to see a lot of things
469
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,280
[amy]: differently, So whether it's like a political issue or whether
470
00:29:07,046 --> 00:29:08,046
[rebecca_george]: sure.
471
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:12,960
[amy]: it's um, just a cultural issue or a theological issue or a doctriional issue, He just
472
00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:18,160
[amy]: has a great job of talking through. How do you navigate those? and how do you know
473
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:23,120
[amy]: you know this? this is worth. This is the hill Worthorth dying on, And this one isn't
474
00:29:23,180 --> 00:29:24,180
[amy]: because we don't want to give
475
00:29:23,686 --> 00:29:24,686
[rebecca_george]: yeah.
476
00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:26,640
[amy]: our lives away for something that's not essential right.
477
00:29:26,726 --> 00:29:27,726
[rebecca_george]: that's right.
478
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,880
[amy]: So I think that book is really encouraging and really practically helpful.
479
00:29:31,746 --> 00:29:34,466
[rebecca_george]: Yeah. Ooh. I'm going to order a copy that for myself. I haven't heard of
480
00:29:34,546 --> 00:29:38,706
[rebecca_george]: that one. That sounds really good. Okay, so the next question is more of a
481
00:29:38,786 --> 00:29:44,306
[rebecca_george]: personality question. It's a. So, Amy, If you had a go to karaoke, So what
482
00:29:44,206 --> 00:29:45,206
[rebecca_george]: it be?
483
00:29:46,646 --> 00:29:47,646
[rebecca_george]: People
484
00:29:47,426 --> 00:29:50,066
[rebecca_george]: panic over this, but this just like sha your personality.
485
00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:48,560
[amy]: Um, I, if
486
00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:55,120
[amy]: um, I, I am embarrassed to say this okay,
487
00:29:54,886 --> 00:29:55,886
[rebecca_george]: Okay,
488
00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:02,240
[amy]: but we find ourselves singing in the car, spontaneous, my husband and I, You're simply
489
00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:06,400
[amy]: the best by Tina Turner on more occasions than I should admit,
490
00:30:05,906 --> 00:30:09,506
[rebecca_george]: I, I could not love this anymore. That's so good.
491
00:30:10,100 --> 00:30:11,100
[amy]: we
492
00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,800
[amy]: sing it to our daughter. We sing it to each other. We sing it like out the car window.
493
00:30:10,866 --> 00:30:11,906
[rebecca_george]: that is so good.
494
00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:16,720
[amy]: I mean, it's just such a fun song.
495
00:30:17,826 --> 00:30:21,826
[rebecca_george]: it's such a Ft. Soog, okay, I love so much and nobody said that one. That's
496
00:30:21,686 --> 00:30:22,686
[rebecca_george]: a good one.
497
00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:23,600
[amy]: Okay, good, Oh, that's fun.
498
00:30:23,586 --> 00:30:27,106
[rebecca_george]: Yeah, Oh, for sure. Yeah, that's a really fun. Mine would be like something.
499
00:30:27,266 --> 00:30:29,266
[rebecca_george]: should iwain. If that makes you feel better, so
500
00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:32,400
[amy]: Yeah, sure we're We're right in the same category. we're living there together.
501
00:30:32,146 --> 00:30:33,506
[rebecca_george]: yeah, I love.
502
00:30:34,546 --> 00:30:40,466
[rebecca_george]: Okay. So what is something that you are loving in this season that you want
503
00:30:40,406 --> 00:30:41,406
[rebecca_george]: to tell people about.
504
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,920
[amy]: Um. One of the things that I am having this is this is more theoretical, um,
505
00:30:48,086 --> 00:30:49,086
[rebecca_george]: Okay?
506
00:30:48,340 --> 00:30:49,340
[amy]: more,
507
00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:54,480
[amy]: um, sort of like a change that we made in our lives recently Are the habit changes that
508
00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:59,920
[amy]: had just servef so well. Um. But we can get so stuck in a rut of
509
00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:06,000
[amy]: schedule with a toddler, and especially in the evenings, but where we are in North
510
00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:10,880
[amy]: Carolina, the weather has just changed, so that after dinner it's really actually like
511
00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:12,480
[amy]: mildly tolerable outside,
512
00:31:12,646 --> 00:31:13,646
[rebecca_george]: yeah,
513
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:19,120
[amy]: so you can tell fall iss coming, And so we have taken a family walk every evening after
514
00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:24,240
[amy]: dinner Recently. For the past, you know, maybe two weeks, and usually you know we go on
515
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:28,880
[amy]: a morning walk every morning and we walk the dog, and Um, we put our daughter in the
516
00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,000
[amy]: stroller, and you know we're kind of all motor along. It's sometimes how I
517
00:31:31,606 --> 00:31:32,606
[rebecca_george]: yeah,
518
00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:37,360
[amy]: get my exercise. you know, So we're kind of like on a mission, Um. but our after dinner
519
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:41,760
[amy]: walks we let our toddler walk. We'll let the dog kind of roam and we just sort of
520
00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:46,960
[amy]: wander. Um like we live with some trails behind our house, And so we just kind of
521
00:31:46,646 --> 00:31:47,646
[rebecca_george]: okay,
522
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:48,880
[amy]: wander and we don't
523
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,680
[amy]: like. We let our daughter go at her and pace and explore, and it's not only been so
524
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,520
[amy]: good for her to get our energy out by the end of the day, but it also just helps us
525
00:31:57,840 --> 00:31:59,120
[amy]: enjoy the evenings and
526
00:31:59,126 --> 00:32:00,126
[rebecca_george]: yeah,
527
00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:04,480
[amy]: you that you know, that last hour of the day before kids go down
528
00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:09,360
[amy]: like be getting the dinner on the table. Getting through dinner. You know, there's a
529
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:16,320
[amy]: reason. Some people refer to it as the Witching Hour and I just you know, I, it can be
530
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:21,680
[amy]: tough, but getting outside has just been so good and it's so soothing for all of us. I
531
00:32:21,460 --> 00:32:22,460
[amy]: think so.
532
00:32:22,086 --> 00:32:23,086
[rebecca_george]: yeah,
533
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:27,680
[amy]: Um, if people haven't tried that you know it's there's no cure for.
534
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:33,920
[amy]: Um. you know, bedtimes and toddler Du, and all that, but this has been a real good
535
00:32:34,060 --> 00:32:35,060
[amy]: change for us.
536
00:32:35,826 --> 00:32:39,666
[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that that's so good. It's so we're in South
537
00:32:39,826 --> 00:32:45,426
[rebecca_george]: Mississippi, so we're a little a little further out than you. Um. so our
538
00:32:45,666 --> 00:32:47,186
[rebecca_george]: summers are awful and
539
00:32:46,820 --> 00:32:47,820
[amy]: Yeah,
540
00:32:48,386 --> 00:32:52,706
[rebecca_george]: they? We're just now getting to the point where it's like in the mid sixties
541
00:32:52,806 --> 00:32:53,806
[rebecca_george]: when you wake up
542
00:32:53,260 --> 00:32:54,260
[amy]: yep,
543
00:32:53,446 --> 00:32:54,446
[rebecca_george]: in the morning,
544
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:56,160
[amy]: yp. that's right.
545
00:32:55,106 --> 00:33:00,626
[rebecca_george]: so um, yeah, were at. We're just about there. I think in the next month or
546
00:33:00,786 --> 00:33:03,346
[rebecca_george]: so, I'll be able to say that I enjoy a walk in the evenings.
547
00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,760
[amy]: There you go there go. it will come,
548
00:33:03,506 --> 00:33:07,426
[rebecca_george]: not quite yet. but, but I, I love that yell are doing that. Yeah, it will.
549
00:33:07,666 --> 00:33:09,266
[rebecca_george]: it will for sure. we'. holding on.
550
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:09,840
[amy]: even if it's in the dead of winter.
551
00:33:10,626 --> 00:33:15,506
[rebecca_george]: I know I know we. I say we have like three months that are really enjoyable,
552
00:33:16,066 --> 00:33:17,826
[rebecca_george]: whether quite fear, so,
553
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:18,080
[amy]: Mhm, that's exactly right.
554
00:33:18,866 --> 00:33:23,666
[rebecca_george]: y. yeah, okay. Well, we touched on this earlier about the verse that God
555
00:33:23,906 --> 00:33:27,826
[rebecca_george]: really has used to lead me and towards kind ofvision for the podcast on'
556
00:33:27,986 --> 00:33:31,266
[rebecca_george]: Thirty four five, So those who look to him areradiant and their faces are
557
00:33:31,346 --> 00:33:35,506
[rebecca_george]: never covered in shape. And one of the questions I love asking people and I'
558
00:33:35,746 --> 00:33:39,586
[rebecca_george]: love to ask you, Amy is what about Jesus makes you radiant?
559
00:33:39,820 --> 00:33:40,820
[amy]: Hm,
560
00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:47,520
[amy]: Um. I think one of the messages that the Lord has pressed on my heart. I mean, it's
561
00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:50,720
[amy]: been one of those gospel truths from the evening of time, but it's become
562
00:33:50,406 --> 00:33:51,406
[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
563
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:57,040
[amy]: real to me being in ministry in the last year is that as we are in Christ, God just
564
00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,440
[amy]: can't be more pleased with us, then
565
00:33:59,126 --> 00:34:00,126
[rebecca_george]: Mhm,
566
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:04,800
[amy]: he is. Um, which I think a lot of times in ministry. it's easy for me to convince
567
00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,600
[amy]: myself that if we have a really successful church ministry in the world's eyes that
568
00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:14,000
[amy]: gosh. that's go to honor God. Or if I, you know, if this book launches really
569
00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:17,360
[amy]: successful, Gosh, wouldn't God be honored by this message to
570
00:34:16,966 --> 00:34:17,966
[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah,
571
00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:22,960
[amy]: the now, or like? I? I want something that is work spaceed to take back to God like a
572
00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:28,400
[amy]: trophy and be like. Aren't you proud of me? But the truth is is he is. The answer is
573
00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:32,480
[amy]: just yes, no matter what we bring him, whether we bring him an empty day that felt
574
00:34:32,720 --> 00:34:36,720
[amy]: totally unproductive, Whether we brought him what would bring him our confessions. Like
575
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:41,600
[amy]: gosh, I responded really harshly. You know when my child needed help because I was
576
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:48,240
[amy]: frustrated or I responded really bitterly at my friend when she let me down or whatever
577
00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:52,720
[amy]: we bring God. The answer is that he is pleased with us because we're in Christ, which
578
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:58,080
[amy]: stops our striving. It stops our, you know, trying to please him on our own accord, and
579
00:34:58,220 --> 00:34:59,220
[amy]: then we get to. Actually,
580
00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:03,920
[amy]: you know we're not working for grace, but we're working from grace. We're saying
581
00:35:03,606 --> 00:35:04,606
[rebecca_george]: yes,
582
00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:08,480
[amy]: I'm already accepted by God and doesn't that fuel me through ministering the local
583
00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:12,720
[amy]: church? Doesn't that make me want to herald the message of people looking to Jesus?
584
00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:17,040
[amy]: Does that make me want to come to God with all of my confessions? You know, those sort
585
00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:21,600
[amy]: of things. It just fuels and fills our ministry. So that has been really sweet to me.
586
00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,320
[amy]: That God just can't be more pleased with me than
587
00:35:24,006 --> 00:35:25,006
[rebecca_george]: yeah,
588
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:30,480
[amy]: he already is. Um. He's not waiting for me to impress him because he looks at me and
589
00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,840
[amy]: sees the completed um work of his son. and
590
00:35:34,326 --> 00:35:35,326
[rebecca_george]: yes,
591
00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:40,240
[amy]: he, he cannot no more love me then he Lo. he can't cease to love me any more than he
592
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:45,520
[amy]: can cease to left his son, Jesus, and that is life changing. Yeah,
593
00:35:46,066 --> 00:35:51,266
[rebecca_george]: yeah. that's so good. So so good man, Amy. I have loved chatting with you.
594
00:35:51,346 --> 00:35:52,466
[rebecca_george]: I'm so excited about
595
00:35:52,420 --> 00:35:53,420
[amy]: Likewise,
596
00:35:52,706 --> 00:35:53,826
[rebecca_george]: Fixture eyes and
597
00:35:54,226 --> 00:35:57,746
[rebecca_george]: Tiny, the Alllogians and all the work that you are doing. So I want our
598
00:35:54,260 --> 00:35:55,260
[amy]: M, thank you,
599
00:35:57,826 --> 00:36:01,426
[rebecca_george]: friends to go grab a copy of Fix your Eyes today. Discuss, support you in
600
00:36:01,426 --> 00:36:02,626
[rebecca_george]: the middle of your book launch, So
601
00:36:02,500 --> 00:36:03,500
[amy]: very kind.
602
00:36:02,866 --> 00:36:05,426
[rebecca_george]: thank you again. So much Forerbian with me,
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00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:07,280
[amy]: thank you for dropbbing me.
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00:36:08,966 --> 00:36:09,966
[rebecca_george]: Okay?
