Seeing As Jesus Sees [Part 1]

Pastor Alan Wright reading an excerpt from his upcoming book, Seeing as Jesus Sees.

Jesus, how do you see this? Some years ago, I started praying that little prayer throughout the day, and it's changed everything. Though most people focus on doing, it is seeing that matters. How we see ourselves, others, and the world shapes how we think, feel, and behave. When we see things wrongly, it wreaks havoc in our relationships and wrecks our peace. And when we miss seeing the grace all around us, it snuffs out wonder and joy.

We don't have to wander around duped and distracted. Jesus promised, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness. When we see like Jesus, we experience his peace and joy. Some years ago, my friend mentioned that he wished there were a book about what Jesus sees, about how Jesus sees things.

I not only couldn't find such a book, but also realized how little attention I'd given to that profound question. And that's when I began asking Jesus for his eyes throughout the day. That little prayer, Jesus, how do you see this, is brief enough for a single breath, but deep enough to unveil glory. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I am Daniel Britt, excited for you today to join us in the studio with Pastor Alan as we are talking about an upcoming brand new book release, Seeing as Jesus Sees How a New Perspective Can Defeat the Darkness and Awaken Joy. Release date October 10th, 2023, and Pastor Alan is with me. We're going to be talking a lot about the themes of this book that's coming out.

We're real excited about it. Before we get to Pastor Alan, I want to encourage you. You can preorder the book right now and learn so much more about it when you come to SeeingAsJesusSees.org or simply PastorAllen.org. And when you preorder the book today with it, when you let us know, you'll receive a free audio book, daily reading guide and companion video courses. Our thank you for supporting the launch of Pastor Alan's latest book and the important message contained therein. All of this is over one hundred dollars in value and it's yours simply when you preorder the book from your favorite book retailer today.

Then let us know you've done so. Again, that's SeeingAsJesusSees.org or simply come to PastorAllen.org. And more about this as we go throughout our discussion today. Pastor Alan, it's good to be with you. Daniel, I love these times in the studio where we, in a real sense, just get to talk more even more directly to our listeners.

I love it. I feel like we get to sort of be in the living room together with listeners all over. And so welcome to those are listening into an inside glimpse, the very first inside glimpse of what in many ways, Daniel, could be the most important book I've written yet.

And I can't wait to begin sharing about all that's in it. Jesus, how do you see this? It is a simple prayer, a new spiritual discipline that can usher anyone into a spirit led life where you're living out of the kind of revelation that dispels the darkness and awakens you to wonder and joy everywhere. It's a little prayer, Daniel, that I've been praying now for years and learning to pause, connect with Jesus and then look again because it's the seeing that matters so much. Can't wait, Daniel, to begin talking about this book that before long, we're going to have it available to everybody. And let it be known, our congratulations to you, Pastor Alan.

I hear this. I've never written a book, but it's a lot like giving birth to a baby. There's lots of pain, lots of growing that has to go on.

And then suddenly we get to present presenter to the world. And by the way, as I asked this question of you, which is a very simple, straightforward question, why did you write it? Can I also ask this? Is it somewhat, maybe loosely, a sequel to the last book you wrote on the power to bless? Well, I do, as I look back over all the books that I've written, I see how I've grown and how I've learned and how line upon line, precept upon precept, we learn, you know, once you learn one thing.

And years ago, I wrote a book about the healing of shame for yourself, be yourself and how that idea of I don't measure up and I need to do something to make myself more acceptable. That idea of shame that until we're healed of that, that it's hard to really understand the concept of blessing. And so the next book after that was the power to bless and getting a positive vision over your life that you also can learn to speak in faith over other lives. And so the power to bless in that sense, Daniel, is about this amazing way that you, anyone can see another person for who they really are designed and called to be and then begin to speak it out and bless that.

And we rise up to that vision. And so seeing as Jesus sees is a powerful follow up to that because it's not just in regard to our capacity to bless someone else and see them for who they really are. But it's about seeing all of life, seeing ourselves, seeing others, seeing the world through the very eyes of Jesus.

This book is different, Daniel, than any book I've written in that this is not so much a look at Jesus or a study of stories about Jesus. This is much more of an invitation into a whole new way of living, of learning that God very much wants to open up the eyes of our heart. He very much wants us to be able to see as he sees. And I think we've spent so much energy trying to do what Jesus would do and live sort of moralistically as if I can make an effort. But that's not really what changes us. And so this book is about real change that comes when you are given by the Holy Spirit the very perspective of God about a situation, whether in regard to your own life, someone else, or just to this world that's so broken around us and can be so full of angst and can cause us so much confusion.

God has a much better way. And I believe he loves it when we ask him, Jesus, how do you see this? The book is titled Seeing as Jesus Sees. How a new perspective can defeat the darkness and awaken joy. As of the release date, October 10th, 2023, a lot of excitement around this book. In fact, when you preorder the book today, you will receive, when you let us know, a free audiobook, a daily reading guide and companion video courses. Our thank you for supporting the launch of this brand new book and the important message contained there.

All of this is over one hundred dollars in value and it's yours. Simply go preorder the book from your favorite book retailer, wherever you find good books. And then let us know when you come to our website, Pastor Alan dot org, or if you want to dive straight into seeing as Jesus sees dot o r g, you can let us know right there. So, Pastor Alan, as you've as you've written this book and we've heard a bit about the why, I know the opening the opening line of the book is a prayer. Jesus, how do you see this?

I like the fact that it is directed personally to Jesus. It is he, the son of God, the second person of the triune, God who came so that we would no longer stumble about in the darkness, who came so that we would have the light of life, who absolutely loved opening physical blind eyes, but loves opening spiritually blind eyes to pause in the middle of our busy day. And when we are confused, frustrated or just wanting to draw near to God so that we could have the right perspective and just pause. Jesus, connect with him and and say, how do you see this? And let your let your let your heart be attuned to what God will show you.

And I've been doing that for some years, that little prayer. It was some time ago that a friend mentioned he wished there were a book about what Jesus sees, about how Jesus sees things. And, Daniel, I was intrigued by it. Now, not only could I not find such a book, but I realize how little attention that, you know, paid to such an important question that that really, really it comes down to seeing Jesus. How do you see?

And I'm not really been asking him about that. And so that's really what intrigued me about this. But then I got to thinking about those times in life where. What really changes us is. Not us trying harder to be more patient or to have a better, better understanding of someone or beat or be more kind or any any of these godly attributes.

What changes us often is just getting Jesus's eyes for the situation. And I thought about a story of a businessman who took his seat on a New York subway and unfurled his paper and was ready to just try to unwind a little bit after a busy day. And suddenly three rambunctious boys get on the train and everything is unruly. They're loud.

They're bumping into passengers, grabbing at other people's papers. And the only thing irritated the businessman more than these uncontrolled kids was a passive father who sat there motionless, inattentive, unconcerned. And you know how we all can think in a situation like that. Your mind is going and is like, why doesn't this father do something? Why doesn't he control his boys? Why does this is the. And then your mind goes, that's the problem with our country today, right? People not parenting. And what a bad parent he is.

How can he just sit there like that? And and the more that he thought about this businessman, the more frustrated he became until eventually it was just bothering him so much that he had to say something. Excuse me, sir, sir. Your children are really disturbing a lot of people.

I wonder if you shouldn't control them more. And the businessman said that as if emerging from a fog, the father responded quietly and apologetically and said, oh, you're right. You're right. I'm sorry. I should do something.

We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. And I I'm not thinking straight. And I don't. Children, children, calm down. Well, as all of our listeners could imagine, the businessman gulps. And in an instant and literally in an instant, he not only wishes is that he could take his words back, but something wonderful happened really almost miraculously.

In that moment of suddenly seeing it for what it really was, of seeing a situation with new eyes, what happened was that business travelers frustrations and stress evaporated. His heart began spilling over with authentic compassion for the bereaved man. Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. Oh, I'm sorry for your loss.

What can I do to help you? And and he meant it. It wasn't just that he all of a sudden thought he should show compassion. He felt compassion. It wasn't just that he thought I should be more patient with this businessman. He was more patient. It actually changed him from the inside.

That's Alan Wright. And we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Wondering what you need to do to find more freedom, wonder and joy? What if you don't need to do more as much as see more? What if victorious breakthrough and enduring transformation comes not by striving, but by seeing? For years, Pastor Alan Wright has been practicing a new spiritual discipline, simple prayer. Jesus, how do you see this?

It's brief enough for a single breath, but deep enough for lasting life change. It's a prayer Christ loves to honor because the Savior came to open blind and blurred eyes. Jesus is, after all, the light of the world in his new groundbreaking book. Seeing as Jesus sees, Alan Wright leads readers into a fresh kind of Bible study where they're invited in close, side by side with the Savior to see themselves, others in the world through Jesus's eyes. There's good news on every page because divine revelation and spirit filled living is a reserve for the spiritually elite.

Every Christian can live with wide-eyed wonder and spirit revealed vision. The beautiful hardcover book releases October 10th, but for a limited time, when you pre-order the book from Amazon or your favorite retailer, you'll receive over $100 of bonus resources. Simply pre-order the book, visit SeeingAsJesusSees.org or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Give us confirmation that you've pre-ordered the book, and when the book releases, you'll be given a free audio book from the publisher. And you'll also receive a free six-week Seeing As Jesus Sees companion video series from Pastor Alan, along with a study guide and a daily reading plan. All these valuable bonus gifts are only for those who pre-order the book, so place your order today with your favorite online book retailer, and visit our website for instructions on receiving all the extra resources. Christ's call to discipleship isn't an invitation to strive to do what Jesus would do, but to come and see what Jesus sees, so pre-order your copy of Alan Wright's newest book and discover and start seeing yourself, others, and the world through Jesus' eyes.

Today's teaching now continues. Here once again is Alan Wright. And when I think about a story like that, and I think about many stories like that in my own life, where your eyes are opened and you see something that you've been seeing inaccurately, and now you see it clearly, you see it for what it really is, how instantly it can change you. This is how real change takes place in our life.

And interestingly, the businessman in that story was the well-known author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey. And he summarized the whole power of seeing a scene with new eyes. He said, everything changed in an instant. Frustration becomes compassion. Judgment can become mercy. Bitterness can become gratitude. Everything can change in an instant.

And that's just what I want to say to readers and listeners everywhere. What if the very thing that is troubling you most or frustrating you most or confusing you most or robbing you of joy the most, what if it's not going to change by your striving? What if it's not going to change by your personal improvement plan? What if what you really need is to see it with new eyes?

So learn to pause. Pray a simple prayer, Jesus. How do you see this? You're acknowledging I may not be seeing it accurately.

I want to see it like you see it. You're inviting the Holy Spirit to come and illumine a situation, to do the very thing that Jesus said he came to do, and that is open the eyes of the blind, to take us into the light, to be the light of life. The very thing Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened, you're joining in one accord with God's word for something that he very much already has said he wants to do for us.

And those are the kind of prayers that I think God loves and honors and you can pray with such confidence. Jesus, how do you see this? And just pause and let the Spirit show you and see what he shows you. And sometimes, Daniel, just for me, in just the pausing in this busy, busy, busy world, I find that I'm refreshed just for taking a deep breath and letting God show me something. And then look again. Take a new perspective. And then you find yourself saying, Oh, I see. I was blind and now I see. And it opens our eyes to wonder and what joy there may be. That's what this book's all about. It's an important message. We believe it wholeheartedly. And you can be a part of this team right now.

This pre-launch team. When you let us know that you have pre-ordered from your favorite retailer online or in a store. And just let us know at SeeingAsJesusSees.org. That's SeeingAsJesusSees.org. Or simply come to PastorAllen.org if you've got that book marked.

And this is over $100 in value and it can be yours again as our way of saying thanks when you pre-order the book right now today. So Pastor Alan, I have a little bit of a list I've been going over in my mind of what I think this book has many different ways you could take it. You can take how Jesus sees and apply this to looking around at what's going on in our culture.

You know, current events. You can use it to help us bless others by seeing how Jesus sees others in our lives. Maybe a spirit of prayer to be spirit led or how to pray. Maybe even in our own lives personally, taking this inward, we can live with a renewed security and confidence if we could see as Jesus sees. Now, as a Bible teacher, would you be quick to say that Jesus might even answer the question, answer that prayer, Jesus, how do you see this? By taking us back to something that he revealed thousands of years ago. And if that takes us right back to scripture, I guess that's a win too.

Absolutely. Well, Jesus, how do you see this? And it is a real time where now, if you could envision yourself being not just following Jesus, but you're shoulder to shoulder with Jesus. You're looking at life like he does.

And I think it's a prayer he loves to answer, but it's also a journey that's worth taking to look at the scripture stories of Jesus. And instead of, what do we learn about Jesus? Look through his eyes. Look at storms through his eyes. Look at a woman caught in adultery through his eyes. Look at Jerusalem through his eyes.

Look at all of life through his eyes. So this book is full of these kind of Bible stories and narratives from the gospel, where it is an invitation to stand next to Jesus himself in the pages of scripture and see. So I think we both learn to cultivate seeing more like Jesus by doing so through the word. And also in the moment by moment, spirit led living. If you have been looking for a more powerful and intimate and direct relationship with the living God, wherein you are guided by him, you're able to be saying, I'm living full of the spirit and I'm living in the direction of the spirit and I'm hearing from God. If you long for that kind of spirit filled living, then this is a beautiful entryway to begin practicing Jesus.

How do you see this? Alan Wright with good news from his latest book, Seeing as Jesus Sees. Please stay with us. Pastor Alan is joining me back here in the studio, sharing a parting good news inspiration to see as Jesus sees in just a moment. Wondering what you need to do to find more freedom, wonder and joy?

What if you don't need to do more as much as see more? What if victorious breakthrough and enduring transformation comes not by striving, but by seeing? For years, Pastor Alan Wright has been practicing a new spiritual discipline, a simple prayer. Jesus, how do you see this?

It's brief enough for a single breath, but deep enough for lasting life change. It's a prayer Christ loves to honor because the Savior came to open blind and blurred eyes. Jesus is, after all, the light of the world. In his new groundbreaking book, Seeing as Jesus Sees, Alan Wright leads readers into a fresh kind of Bible study where they're invited in close, side by side with the Savior to see themselves, others in the world through Jesus' eyes. There's good news on every page because divine revelation and spirit filled living isn't reserved for the spiritually elite.

Every Christian can live with wide-eyed wonder and spirit revealed vision. The beautiful hardcover book releases October 10th, but for a limited time, when you pre-order the book from Amazon or your favorite retailer, you'll receive over $100 of bonus resources. Simply pre-order the book, visit SeeingAsJesusSees.org, or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Give us confirmation that you've pre-ordered the book, and when the book releases, you'll be given a free audio book from the publisher. And you'll also receive a free six-week Seeing As Jesus Sees companion video series from Pastor Alan, along with a study guide and a daily reading plan.

All these valuable bonus gifts are only for those who pre-order the book, so place your order today with your favorite online book retailer, and visit our website for instructions on receiving all the extra resources. Christ's call to discipleship isn't an invitation to strive to do what Jesus would do, but to come and see what Jesus sees. So pre-order your copy of Alan Wright's newest book, and discover and start seeing yourself, others, and the world through Jesus' eyes. Now here in the studio with Pastor Alan Wright, with closing inspiration directly from his latest book, Seeing As Jesus Sees. Here's Pastor Alan Wright.

There's a big difference between reading a brochure about the Grand Canyon and seeing it with your own eyes. Jesus wants to show us the canyon of his grace. He yearns to fill us with his spirit and show us the beauty he sees. That's why he was eager to take the cross, bear our sin, and make us right with God. He longed to send his own spirit, promising he will guide you into all truth. It's why he inspired Paul to pray, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which he's called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.

God delights to open our eyes to wonder. 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.