A Year of Good News [Part 2]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. Well, what happens when you see something different? Well, in that revelation, there's a transformation that takes place on the inside. So when you invite Jesus to share His view with you, to look at things through His eyes, it's not a self-improvement plan. It is instead a spiritual growth practice. And it becomes, therefore, like I think what all the spiritual disciplines are all about.

They are not our attempt to make ourselves better. They are practices that we put in our lives that draw us nearer to God and allow Him to then change us, work through us, bless others through our lives, and grow us up and make us more and more like Him. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new life. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear our discussion today as we're in the studio with Pastor Alan.

They were at the end of the year, and boy, we have an encouraging few days set aside here, not only to have a little family chat, but to offer a sneak preview of something coming, already looking ahead to next year. In fact, late next year, Pastor Alan, you have been hard at work yet again on another manuscript. And for those of us who are not authors, you have to walk us through the process, which may be the luxurious life of an author, right? It's all about just drinking coffee and the ideas just flow out. I love, as you know, I love words and I love writing. I like a good sentence. I can spend a long time writing a good sentence because God created the world with words. And so there's something about just being immersed in telling the gospel in a fresh way through a book that is just one of my greatest joys.

Taking a moment from our traditional teaching here with Pastor Alan, as we close out this year, looking ahead to the new year, all things coming new, a fresh slate and some exciting things coming down the pike in the fall of 2023, a new book by Pastor Alan Wright, Seeing as Jesus Sees How a New Perspective Can Defend the Darkness and Awaken Joy. Now, I will show my age here. I think this was in the 90s. I was in the youth group. I was a teenager and it was all the rage.

I remember my neon yellow bracelet, the WWJD. What would Jesus do? And that was this famous movement that went on. But this sounds very different than that. Seeing what Jesus sees instead of trying to attempt to do what Jesus would do.

You want to explain the difference? This is a noble thing to want to do what Jesus would do. So in that sense, I wouldn't criticize any movement that helps people want to have their lives conform more to the likeness of Christ. But it is really an invitation to what I would call moralism. Moralism is like its close cousin, legalism.

Moralism is an attempt to adapt your life to a moral code in order to be more acceptable to God or to be fulfilling righteousness. But you see how it turns the attention back upon ourselves. What would Jesus do? Well, that's good because it gets us to look at Jesus and think about Jesus and that's really good. But then it turns it back to us and says, well, yeah, Jesus might, he might would be forgiving. So I need to be more forgiving.

But it's the wrong question for the same reason that all forms of legalism are wrong. And that is that while well-meaning, it's essentially powerless. So it's noble. It's good to say, I'd like, Jesus was forgiving. I'd like to be more forgiving. Jesus was kind, even for people who were frustrated with him, he loved that.

I ought to be more loving. Well, that's, that is true and that's noble, but it doesn't actually change us. It doesn't actually empower us. But what happens when you see something differently? Well, in that revelation, there's a transformation that takes place on the inside. So when you invite Jesus to share his view with you, to look at things through his eyes, it's not a self-improvement plan. It is instead a spiritual growth practice. And it becomes therefore like I think what all the spiritual disciplines are all about.

They are not our attempt to make ourselves better. They are practices that we put in our lives that draw us nearer to God and allow him to then change us, work through us, bless others through our lives and grow us up and make us more and more like him. So the more you see like Jesus, the more you're going to be like Jesus. So everybody's ready to stone a woman called an adultery. Jesus sees her totally differently. Anybody that begins to see her through Jesus' eyes is going to have a change of heart. Everybody's looking at a dangerous situation, a storm that Jesus is unafraid of. And so if you look through Jesus' eyes, then you're less afraid of it.

No amount of saying I ought not be afraid is going to make us more courageous. But seeing anew is. So it's a new question.

It's a better question. And it is an invitation to actual empowering relationship with Jesus. Jesus, how do you see this? Jesus, just let me see this through your eyes. I don't know that I'm seeing this correctly right now.

How do you see this? And you pause in our busy lives and let yourself be connected. I like Daniel addressing the question, Jesus, I believe in a triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And really a lot of my prayer life, I speak to God as Father. But there's also a lot of biblical precedent for speaking to Jesus. He's God. And I think the thing that's so good about just calling him personally by name, Jesus, is that it reminds you that God has positioned you in Christ in such a way that you're very close to him.

And just like he walked this earth, now he's with us spiritually. So a big difference between what would Jesus do and Jesus, how do you see this? And as you are writing this and it's a book coming out next year that we're giving you a sneak preview on here, Seeing as Jesus Sees, you really, well, first of all, it's rooted in scripture. Let's get that out in the open as always, but it's a different kind of Bible study. You've already kind of alluded to this, the personal nature of this.

Do you want to expound on that more? I think that there's a place for study in scripture for doctrine. There's a place for letting all of your thought life be enriched by the glorious gospel theology that gets poured out through the letters of Paul. And of course, in all of our scripture, we're looking to Jesus. He's the author and finisher of our faith, but it is also a powerful practice to let yourself be immersed in, imagine yourself. This is a holy thing to let a sanctified imagination, an imagination that is guided by the Holy Spirit, to let you see yourself right there with Him. And I think that what readers will find from that, Daniel, is that the Bible is going to come to life and the stories of Jesus come to life in a whole new way.

You will learn, I think, every reader will learn. If you look with Jesus long enough and day by day, you'll start realizing, oh, yeah, this is usually the way Jesus sees a situation like this, and it can become part of your nature, but you're not moralistically trying harder to conform. You are actually being molded into His light. You just see things like Him. It's like, Ann and I have been married 38 years this coming May, and sometimes we just see things the same way.

We've just been together long enough. I know how she's going to see this and you see it that way. Well, that's a delightful exercise. So the stories in this book begin, imagine yourself on the shore of the Galilee and you're standing next to Jesus, and then we go into the story like that.

Yeah, yeah. And the process is there in the book process where we can learn to see as Jesus sees and get better at doing that. That's a transformation. One of the great examples of this is in Luke chapter 24, these disciples that are dejected because they have known that Jesus was crucified, and they're not yet aware of the resurrection. They're on their way to Emmaus, walking alone. The text says they stood still, looking sad. And Jesus just appeared to them. He did this a number of times, just made appearances after the resurrection.

This is on Easter day. He said, what are you all talking about? And they said, are you the only one around here that doesn't know the events of these days about Jesus of Nazareth?

He was so powerful in word and deed, and we'd hoped He was the one to redeem Israel and all of this. And so, um, Jesus came and was just with them. He was with them in their disappointment. He was with them in their sadness.

He was with them in their confusion and didn't rush to clear all that up. And then he fellowshiped with them and they had a meal together when they did, their eyes were open and they saw who he was. And all of a sudden, of course, everything, this is the ultimate eye-open experience is if you think Jesus, we're just dead in the grave. And now you realize he's alive.

Everything that Jesus has taught has now been validated. And, uh, they of course become overjoyed and run to tell others. And you see kind of in this Daniel, a model. And I think this is what happens with this prayer. It's a simple process, but it's a powerful process of a pause. Sometimes just pausing long enough, a standstill in this crazy, crazy, busy world of ours and giving yourself a chance to then connect with Jesus.

And I think that's what they did. They, they, they were connected to him so that you are attaching, attuning. These are the words we use in the psychological world, but what we really mean is a spiritual connection to Christ himself. If you say, Jesus, how do you see this? It means I'm pausing at least long enough to ask the question, and I'm inviting the Holy Spirit to commune with me to become the, uh, central guiding, uh, force, uh, revelatory force in my life in this moment.

And then you look again. And that's the, so, so it's pausing, connecting and looking, and, uh, explain more about this simple, uh, simple process that's at work. I'm really hoping in this book, Daniel, to introduce to many a new spiritual practice. It doesn't replace prayer and doesn't replace the classic disciplines of Bible study and fellowship.

But I think it, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a simple spiritual discipline that could change everything. The invitation to draw near Jesus and see as he sees sneak preview of this new book, seeing as Jesus sees right now, today, it's how a new perspective can defeat the darkness and awakened joy. And it's being published by Baker books, author, pastor Alan Wright, and it's scheduled for release in October of next year, October of 2023.

So I feel like very excited right here to be able to bring you these, uh, these thoughts and ideas way in advance. So be on the lookout this summer for how you can be a part of the launch team as a faithful partner of this ministry. Hey, by the way, it's the end of the year, and we would be remiss to, to not bring to your attention.

If you're looking to make some year end contributions at the close of especially the tax year, some people look at it. December 31st is fast approaching and Alan Wright ministry is certainly eligible for your tax deductible contribution. At pastor Alan dot O R G a place simple and easy to go and, uh, and make those gifts that go a long way. And I think you would agree pastor Alan with some of the stories that we'll hear this week with some of the, uh, the writings that you have already accomplished. And we have on our bookshelves, the teaching ministry, the conference ministry, and of course the new book coming in the new year, more ways of spreading the gospel in this unique way that God has gifted you. This ministry exists to help people see their lives in a whole new light. It is a ministry that is therefore all about the opening of eyes to the grace of God, the pure grace of God, and a belief that unrelenting way that that gospel of grace is so powerful that it changes everything in our lives.

And in that sense, we hear from people all the time who are having their lives changed because they've wanted to live a life pleasing to God, or they've wanted answers in their life, but for whatever reasons have gravitated towards more legalistic ways of living or have had their eyes veiled by the shame of the past. And the gospel sets people free Daniel. And I just want to say thank you to any of our listeners. You have been a partner with us. We really do exist only by your gifts to this ministry and your investment in the kingdom of God, your investment in the gospel. And so as we approach the year end, please do all you can.

If you've never partnered with us before, I hope this will be the time. Can you imagine what it would be like to be accepted perfectly? Envision it. Being free to be yourself with no fear of rejection. If you mess up, people don't roll their eyes, make fun of you or love you less. Imagine no more of that anxious feeling to get deep down in your gut that makes you feel like the pressure is always on so you can never really relax. What you're imagining and longing for is a life with no shame in paradise before sin came into the world. The Bible tells us only one thing about Adam and Eve's relationship.

They were naked and felt no shame. Ever since the fall, the human heart has been riddled with shame. It's a lie that says until you measure up, you can't be truly acceptable. Shame causes some to say, I'll try to be perfect in order to be accepted and others to decide, since I'll never measure up, I might as well rebel.

Either way, the heart is poisoned by shame and there is only one antidote, the grace of God in Jesus Christ. In his highly acclaimed book, Free Yourself, Be Yourself, Pastor Alan Wright not only exposes the lies of shame, he leads you into a revolution of God's love that heals your soul. Discover freedom, joy, and destiny as you shed performance-based living and let God take the shame off you for good. It's a life-changing, full-length book from Alan Wright.

Free yourself, be yourself. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries.

Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860 or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. I'm Daniel Britt, excited to be with Pastor Alan again today as we sit to discuss some wonderful ways that your partnership in the gospel through Alan Wright Ministries has gone far and wide to transform lives. It's the power of the Holy Spirit at work, and it's the hope and the healing.

It's the discussion of a shame-free life, and shame off you is a phrase that you hear a lot associated with this ministry. Pastor Alan, it's good to be here at the end of the year. We're always careful to remind folks that as planning is being made and people are scrambling towards that December 31 deadline, maybe for tax purposes, but ultimately out of the generosity and the passion to see the gospel go forward, that Alan Wright Ministries is an organization that stands ready and able to continue sharing the gospel of grace through your contributions. And especially here at the end of the year at PastorAlan.org, we've got it set up quick and easy to make those contributions so that this ministry continues.

PastorAlan.org, or when you call 877-544-4860, 877-544-4860, we stand ready and able to answer questions and assist you in that. Daniel, I too want to say thank you to all who partner with us to make this ministry possible. We are on 400 radio stations around the nation. We buy that airtime in order to be able to share the gospel. We have a team of volunteers that makes this ministry possible. I wish I could introduce our listeners to all of them, to Hugh, who volunteers as our director of operations, to the team of people that do all our fulfillment, send out all these materials. And they do it as a volunteer ministry for people like Jeff, who served as executive director on a volunteer basis for all these years.

And I, of course, I don't take a salary from Alan Wright Ministries. We are doing this because we feel passionately that Jesus is the answer for every problem and the whole hope of the world. And that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and healing and freedom and deliverance. And we want people to be able to see their lives in a whole new light. And so when we hear from people, which we love to hear from you and hear how God is at work in your life and how he's used this ministry, we love it.

We're encouraged by that. And you know, we have a ministry like this. You just hear from a small fraction of the people whose lives have been touched, but boy, when you do it really, it helps. And it also helps to demonstrate the power of the gospel at work. And I wanted to introduce anonymously, of course, but a listener from Utah where we've been on the radio in the heart of culture that is surrounded by Mormonism, which is, of course, a very legalistic religious group and not lots and lots of Christian ministries there.

And what a joy it's been to be in the middle of that in Utah. Well, would love for us to share testimony from a man there, a listener in Utah and how just just listen to hear how much grace has been changing his life. Dear Pastor Alan, I just had to share with you how much your ministry over the airways has meant to me and absolutely the most trying time of my life. My wife of twenty three years this past summer told me that she didn't love me anymore and has felt that way for quite some time, which came as a complete and total shock to me, sending me into an emotional downward spiral from which I have had great difficulty recovering on more than several occasions since then.

I've considered just simply giving up and either ending my life or running and abandoning my family, neither of which obviously are options that God would approve of, nor would the Holy Spirit allow me to choose. After a few months in this state of emotional upheaval, a friend told me about a new Christian radio station that had recently come to our area here in Salt Lake City. I eventually discovered your ministry on my car radio.

I've been listening to your daily podcast for nearly two months now, and often I download the podcast directly from your website so that I can re listen to each one to better absorb the message. Your gift of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ is unlike any I've ever heard, and I have listened to many a preacher over the past fifty years of my life. You very effectively and powerfully communicate the love, grace, hope in Christ and the inheritance that we have been given in such a new and refreshing light, void of religious legalism and self-righteous dogmatism, helping to build a stronger and more real faith in God and Jesus Christ. Thank you, thank you, thank you so very, very much for sharing the light of the great news of healing and hope with me and all those who are tuning in each day. You and your beautiful family are in my prayers. May God continue to bless you all and your wonderful ministry, love, grace and peace to you through Christ from West Jordan, Utah.

Wow, that's a beautiful note. Great testimony going far to explain why we're on the radio. I'm Daniel Britt with Pastor Alan sitting here today at the end of the year, reflecting back not only on this year, but many years of great ministry here. And I love the words of this listener that came because of healing and hope.

It's great news. The relationship between the good news and the healing and hope is central to this ministry made possible by generous gifts from friends like you. And you can get involved today by supporting Allen Wright Ministries at the simple website, pastorallen.org.

I say simple because it's easy to use, but boy, it's chock full of great resources as you'll quickly see, pastorallen.org. But Pastor Alan, do you want to explain more about this relationship between the healing and the hope? And those are two words that I hear a lot within the walls here. Well, I love the words of this listener who wrote this encouragement. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. So very, very, very capitalized letters very much for the great news, capitalize of healing and hope for those that are tuning in each day. And I like that phrase healing and hope that's related to the great news, this good news of great joy that we have of the gift of Christ. And I think in a lot of ways, Daniel, healing and hope summarizes what we're all about at Allen Wright Ministries. I think that a lot of people have experienced an expression of Christianity that felt to them more about outward conformity to a moral code than it does actual transformation.

And part of the reason I think sometimes we aren't transformed and we feel that we're still stuck in some of the old patterns and maybe we don't have the freedom and joy that we see on display in the New Testament is that we treated our wounds too lightly. So there has to be healing because we all have been through difficult things, but we're a ministry that really exists for the healing of the soul. We need hope in the world today. And so that's why I love this testimony when he says, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So very, very, very much for sharing the great news of healing and hope.

That's why we exist healing and hope. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online at pastorallen.org or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. If you only caught part of today's teaching, not only can you listen again online, but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free. Find out more about these and other resources at pastorallen.org. That's pastorallen.org. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.