Fix Your Eyes: How Our Study of God Shapes Our Worship of Him
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- Create Date：2022-01-04 06:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Amy Gannett
- ISBN：1087730546
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Summary
We live in a polarized time。 Christians are quick to conceive of themselves either as theologically-minded or worship-minded; either thinking Christians or feeling Christians。 The results are damaging: theology without worship is muted， stifled， and cold， and worship without theology is ungrounded， unrooted， and uninformed。
This is not the way it was meant to be。
Theology （our study and knowledge of God） should always lead to doxology （our worship of Him）。 Worship should always be rooted in theology。 When we study the nature and character of God as revealed in his Word， we are invited to respond in the affectionate， obedient discipleship of worship。 How can we keep our theology from being mere head knowledge？ How do we give our worship roots that will last？ By fixing our eyes on God Himself—the object of our study and the object of our worship。
Fix Your Eyes is an invitation to understand core doctrines of the Christian faith and apply them in our daily worship of God。 It walks believers through key theological concepts and shows how each can be lived out in daily life。
This is not the way it was meant to be。
Theology （our study and knowledge of God） should always lead to doxology （our worship of Him）。 Worship should always be rooted in theology。 When we study the nature and character of God as revealed in his Word， we are invited to respond in the affectionate， obedient discipleship of worship。 How can we keep our theology from being mere head knowledge？ How do we give our worship roots that will last？ By fixing our eyes on God Himself—the object of our study and the object of our worship。
Fix Your Eyes is an invitation to understand core doctrines of the Christian faith and apply them in our daily worship of God。 It walks believers through key theological concepts and shows how each can be lived out in daily life。
Reviews
Andrew Wolgemuth
，
A wise， grounded introduction to Christian theology built on the ideas that a） we all have a theology （for we all think about God in some way; we all have beliefs about God and his nature） and b） our theology affects how we live and worship （that is， our theology isn't a collection of esoteric ideas that doesn't impact our day-to-day）。 （full disclosure: the agency of which I'm a partner represents Kathryn and this book） A wise， grounded introduction to Christian theology built on the ideas that a） we all have a theology （for we all think about God in some way; we all have beliefs about God and his nature） and b） our theology affects how we live and worship （that is， our theology isn't a collection of esoteric ideas that doesn't impact our day-to-day）。 （full disclosure: the agency of which I'm a partner represents Kathryn and this book） 。。。more
Laura McCann
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Basic overview of Christian Theology。 Would recommend to New/Nonbelievers。
Lou
，
If you want to know more about theology but you haven't been to seminary then this is the book！！ Amy writes in plain English and helps the average Christian understand complex theology and connects that understanding to a practice of worship。 It's a beautiful book， easy to read and understand while still covering a fair amount of content。 I walked away from it feeling inspired and blessed。 If you want to know more about theology but you haven't been to seminary then this is the book！！ Amy writes in plain English and helps the average Christian understand complex theology and connects that understanding to a practice of worship。 It's a beautiful book， easy to read and understand while still covering a fair amount of content。 I walked away from it feeling inspired and blessed。 。。。more
Hunter Beless
，
Amy Gannett communicates deep， theological truths in a way that almost anyone can understand。 Fix Your Eyes helped me see the beauty of the triune God and encouraged me to seek to know and love Him more。 This book deserves a place on every aspiring theologian’s bookshelf！
Jordan
，
This book delves into 8 different theological doctrines with the emphasis not just on growing knowledge of these topics but how they ultimately lead us to worship God。 Amy starts by describing how we are all theologians， （even athiests！）， we all have beliefs about God and this book takes you deeper into how these beliefs about God lead us to worship Him and Amy does this is an easily accessible but rich way- so whether you are a brand new Christian or you’ve been one for years， this is for you！W This book delves into 8 different theological doctrines with the emphasis not just on growing knowledge of these topics but how they ultimately lead us to worship God。 Amy starts by describing how we are all theologians， （even athiests！）， we all have beliefs about God and this book takes you deeper into how these beliefs about God lead us to worship Him and Amy does this is an easily accessible but rich way- so whether you are a brand new Christian or you’ve been one for years， this is for you！With great storytelling and constant reference to what the Bible says， I’ve really enjoyed reading more about doctrines I’ve struggled to grasp and how this new knowledge should lead me to worship the God I am learning more about。 Really enjoyable read and highly recommend！ 。。。more
Panda Incognito
，
Amy Gannett writes in an approachable， conversational style throughout this book， sharing insights into God， the Bible， and Christian theology。 This book is great for new believers or Christians who want to learn more about what they believe， and the non-academic writing style keeps this book accessible to teenagers and adults regardless of their backgrounds with theology or interest in intellectual study。 Gannett emphasizes the value of Christians knowing the truth about God and living it out i Amy Gannett writes in an approachable， conversational style throughout this book， sharing insights into God， the Bible， and Christian theology。 This book is great for new believers or Christians who want to learn more about what they believe， and the non-academic writing style keeps this book accessible to teenagers and adults regardless of their backgrounds with theology or interest in intellectual study。 Gannett emphasizes the value of Christians knowing the truth about God and living it out in worship， and includes both theological explanation and practical applications in every chapter。Fix Your Eyes: How Our Study of God Shapes Our Worship of Him covers a variety of different key topics， such as the nature of God， the Trinity， salvation， the church， and the end times。 In all of this， Gannett focuses on what the Bible teaches without getting into specific denominational views or theories。 For the most part， nothing in this book was new to me， since I am already well-read on theological topics， but I appreciated her conversational style and choice to avoid unnecessary controversy。 I also appreciated her sensitivity when writing about the importance of the local church。 She acknowledges from her own experience how difficult life in the local church can be， and writes about a time in her life when she experienced deep church hurt and had to overcome baggage to engage with a new congregation。In all of this， Gannnet upholds scriptural teaching while also acknowledging the realities of our broken world， and the ways that people and institutions do not live up to God's design。 Fix Your Eyes can help and encourage readers by reminding them of the ideal that we should strive for while also acknowledging their hurt and suffering， and the book's sensitive tone will make it especially appealing to people who have found books about theology off-putting in the past for various personal reasons。 I would recommend this book to new believers， to Christians who want to study more about theology， and to theologically minded Christians like me who would appreciated Gannett's unique approach。I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Abigail Mae
，
Amy’s style of writing is easy to read and follow along。 She gave personal illustration that I could easily relate to。 The topics she covered were different than I had originally was expecting。 She covered biblical theology that isn’t always covered in church circles。 I especially appreciated her study of the church。 Having painful church experiences in my own past I really appreciated and found encouraging her teachings on how God views the church。 I would recommend this book to anyone who is n Amy’s style of writing is easy to read and follow along。 She gave personal illustration that I could easily relate to。 The topics she covered were different than I had originally was expecting。 She covered biblical theology that isn’t always covered in church circles。 I especially appreciated her study of the church。 Having painful church experiences in my own past I really appreciated and found encouraging her teachings on how God views the church。 I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to the faith or is looking for a unique and different spin on biblical theology。 。。。more
Michele Morin
，
Amy Gannett begins with the startling but absolutely true assertion that YOU are a theologian。 Given that “theology is what we know and believe about God，” the concept of God you carry around， the beliefs that impact the way you live and work—this is your theology。 Fix Your Eyes: How Our Study of God Shapes Our Worship of Him may just transform you from a mediocre theologian into a very good one。If you want to begin working from a skillful and accurate belief system， start with an open Bible and Amy Gannett begins with the startling but absolutely true assertion that YOU are a theologian。 Given that “theology is what we know and believe about God，” the concept of God you carry around， the beliefs that impact the way you live and work—this is your theology。 Fix Your Eyes: How Our Study of God Shapes Our Worship of Him may just transform you from a mediocre theologian into a very good one。If you want to begin working from a skillful and accurate belief system， start with an open Bible and a copy of Fix Your Eyes。 If you are concerned that your thoughts on God have strayed from the tethering truth of scripture， Gannetts’s work is a great reset button for your soul。 It is a great gift to receive ultimate truth that forms and informs the ten thousand choices that shape every single day。Pursuit of knowledge about God is a love-enhancing pastime， so chapters on the Trinity， Christology， Pneumatology， Soteriology， Bibliology， Ecclesiology， and Eschatology feel more like worship than work。 There’s nothing dry or dusty about leaning into truth about a God who has spoken and invited us into the present-day proclamation of his name and the advancement of his kingdom。 。。。more
Flora
，
Amy Gannett has written an immensely readable， inspiring and thought-provoking book。 Theology is a tough subject so to say that she made it readable is really something！ I did not find myself having to read a passage over and over again because I did not understand it （like I did for some other theology books I have read。） But instead， I often stopped just to think about it。 I found myself highlighting many many sentences。
Evan Minton
，
One of the things my ministry （Cerebral Faith） aims to do is to get Christians and non-Christians alike to “use the brains that God gave them” to cultivate an intellectually satisfying Christian worldivew。 So many Christians are unable to give a defense for the reason for the hope that they have （1 Peter 3:15） and only a relative few are able to articulate even one good argument for the existence of God。 Worse yet， many Christians have a poor grasp of theology and biblical doctrine。 They are not One of the things my ministry （Cerebral Faith） aims to do is to get Christians and non-Christians alike to “use the brains that God gave them” to cultivate an intellectually satisfying Christian worldivew。 So many Christians are unable to give a defense for the reason for the hope that they have （1 Peter 3:15） and only a relative few are able to articulate even one good argument for the existence of God。 Worse yet， many Christians have a poor grasp of theology and biblical doctrine。 They are not being adequately fed from their pulpits nor are they taught how to properly mine the word of God for the knowledge and wisdom they need to have a reasonable， biblically grounded， logically coherent Christian worldview。 But one of the things that I sometimes worry about is stressing the use of the intellect so much that people who follow mine and other apologetic ministries could lapse into a cold passionless faith。 It’s a tendency I myself also need to guard against。 Amy Gannet’s book “Fix Your Eyes: How Our Study Of God Shapes Our Worship Of Him” stresses the need to avoid the two extremes; an emotionally charge air headed Christian faith on the one hand and a cold rational “Spock-like” Christianity on the other。 We need to use the hearts God gave us as well as the brains， and， moreover， our intellect and emotions should go hand in hand。 A nice unified whole。 Amy’s goal here is to reach people who fall into the errors on both ends of the spectrum。 The “theologically minded” people like me， and the “worship oriented” people like…。well…。a lot of Christians。 I loved how she opened the book with a statement that immediately brought R。C Sproul to mind。 She recalled the words of her seminary professor who said “You are a theologian”。 He actually repeated it 3 times with an emphasis on the third。 “YOU are a theologian”。 What does Amy and her professor mean？ We all have ideas about God。 Even if you’re an atheist， you have ideas or beliefs about God （in this case， that He doesn’t exist and is made up）。 Even a-theology is theology。 You have beliefs， thoughts， and opinions about God。 Now， here’s the question， Amy’s professor asks， are you a good one？ We study theology （biblical， systematic， and natural） to become good ones。 And why does it matter that we are good ones？ Because what we believe about God affects how we see him and how we live our lives？ Amy Gannett writes， “The whole of the Christian life is worship of God。 To be a Christian is to put a stake in the ground in terms of our highest affections， letting the God of the Bible lay claim on our hearts and lives in such a way that everything we are and everything we do wraps around our worship of him。 Worship is what happens when what we love shapes us—when we submit our character， choices， wills， and ways to God out of love and reverence for him。 Worship is love for God that seeks to obey， honor， praise， and adore him; it is setting the eyes of our hearts on him in love and responsively lifting our faces toward him in awe and affection。”The book is an overview of the basics， a brief overview of theology as a whole。 Introduction: The Necessary Marriage of Theology and WorshipChapter 1: Theology Proper: Worshiping the God Who IsChapter 2: The Trinity: Worshiping God TriuneChapter 3: Christology: Worshiping God IncarnateChapter 4: Pneumatalogy: Worshiping God the SpiritChapter 5: Soteriology: Worshiping the God Who SavesChapter 6: Bibliology: Worshiping the God of the WordChapter 7: Ecclesiology: Worshiping the God of His BodyChapter 8: Eschatology: Worshiping the Coming KingThis book gives a nice overview of the basics of Christian theology in addition to telling you how it should shape your worship of God and adoration of him and how you should apply it。 For this reason， I would recommend the book to the new believer as well as to the unbeliever。 It’s a nice get-your-feet-wet kind of book to the various different areas of Christian theology。 Disclaimer: B&H sent me a physical copy of this in advanced and I wasn’t required to leave a positive review。 。。。more
Amy Drees
，
Cannot more highly recommend this book！You cannot love someone you do not know。 （Or haven't you watched Frozen？ Jk。。。 but actually it's in there too， "you can't fall in love with someone you've just met。"）Fix Your Eyes is about just that - fixing our eyes and hearts on God to know Him more。 And in the process， we find that our affections grow more for Him as we grow in intimacy with the God of our study - the God who wants to be known and gives us His Word to seek Him through。 Amy Gannett takes Cannot more highly recommend this book！You cannot love someone you do not know。 （Or haven't you watched Frozen？ Jk。。。 but actually it's in there too， "you can't fall in love with someone you've just met。"）Fix Your Eyes is about just that - fixing our eyes and hearts on God to know Him more。 And in the process， we find that our affections grow more for Him as we grow in intimacy with the God of our study - the God who wants to be known and gives us His Word to seek Him through。 Amy Gannett takes eight theological topics and breaks them down into bite sized pieces so readers can study and understand how theology meets worship and practical application in our everyday lives。 We do not have to reserve a study of the deeper topics to famous theologians or preachers， but can seek to understand them ourselves so we can love the God of our affections more completely。 Theology shapes our worship of God。 So it's important that we seek truth in our study of God。 Right theology means right worship of God。 Even more， right theology drives us into worship of God。 This is a book about theology， but it's a great place to start if you desire to understand the basics of theology。 It's a great read if you have known God for a while and want to have your affections stirred for Him。 It's a really good read if you want to worship God in spirit and in truth。 It's just a really good book。 Read it with a pen in hand， ready to ponder and process。 It would also make a good book study for a small group。 Get this book。 And be ready to grow。 。。。more
Renae
，
"Jesus is the one who gives shape and substance to our theology。 He is the one who pulls theology out of the abstract and reveals it for what it was meant to be all along: knowledge of God that spills over into love for him。 And it is Jesus who gives rootedness to our worship， grounding it in his character and nourishing it by his Spirit。" "Fix Your Eyes" by Amy Ganett demonstrates the importance of a balanced union between our doxology （worship） and theology （knowledge） of God。 It is written i "Jesus is the one who gives shape and substance to our theology。 He is the one who pulls theology out of the abstract and reveals it for what it was meant to be all along: knowledge of God that spills over into love for him。 And it is Jesus who gives rootedness to our worship， grounding it in his character and nourishing it by his Spirit。" "Fix Your Eyes" by Amy Ganett demonstrates the importance of a balanced union between our doxology （worship） and theology （knowledge） of God。 It is written in accessible language and is filled with anecdotes that are 'down to earth' and relatable。 Some portions drew my attention more than others， simply because those were topics I've been thinking through/wrestling with， even if subconsciously。 （I was sometimes surprised by which chapter headings drew my eyes😉）。 This would make a wonderful resource—even if you don't read it all the way through—simply to have on your shelf to reference whichever chapter is applicable to what you're wrestling with or studying， at this time。 。。。more
David
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Theologically rich， but digestible and applicable for all Christians。 I struggle with both theology and Christian living books。 Theology books often get so lost in the weeds that they become unhelpful for actual Christian living。 And Christian living books get so lost in stories that they have little to do with theology or the Bible。 This book combines the best of both worlds。 It is almost a theological primer。 It begins in the introduction explaining how all of us are already theologians。 The o Theologically rich， but digestible and applicable for all Christians。 I struggle with both theology and Christian living books。 Theology books often get so lost in the weeds that they become unhelpful for actual Christian living。 And Christian living books get so lost in stories that they have little to do with theology or the Bible。 This book combines the best of both worlds。 It is almost a theological primer。 It begins in the introduction explaining how all of us are already theologians。 The only question is whether or not we are good theologians。 It then connects how theology should and does impact our worship of God。 The book is not concerned with teaching you the minutia of theology。 It is concerned with teaching you things that lead to worship。 That is rare， but necessary for a work of theology。 I really adored this book。 It is accessible for almost all believers。 I don't think that those who are nervous around theology should be scared off。 But there is much to gain for those more theologically， or academically inclined。 She works hard to point why these theological ideas should lead to our worship。This book would especially work as a Bible study， a community group， or a whole class。 I'll be recommending it to my church。Thanks to netgalley for the ARC。Introduction: The Necessary Marriage of Theology and WorshipChapter 1: Theology Proper: Worshiping the God Who IsChapter 2: The Trinity: Worshiping God TriuneChapter 3: Christology: Worshiping God IncarnateChapter 4: Pneumatalogy: Worshiping God the SpiritChapter 5: Soteriology: Worshiping the God Who SavesChapter 6: Bibliology: Worshiping the God of the WordChapter 7: Ecclesiology: Worshiping the God of His BodyChapter 8: Eschatology: Worshiping the Coming King 。。。more
Kristen Fox
，
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC。I loved this book and I think it will be one I return to year after year。 I am not a theologian and this was the first “theology” book I have read。 Amy makes complicated terms easy to understand。 She provides examples and stories from her life that had me laughing - but ones I also related to exactly。 Additionally， she provided great overview of theology in ways that make it approachable - so everyone can be a theologian。 My favorite chapters were o Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC。I loved this book and I think it will be one I return to year after year。 I am not a theologian and this was the first “theology” book I have read。 Amy makes complicated terms easy to understand。 She provides examples and stories from her life that had me laughing - but ones I also related to exactly。 Additionally， she provided great overview of theology in ways that make it approachable - so everyone can be a theologian。 My favorite chapters were over the Holy Spirit and the final chapter。 Finally， Amy continued to point her reader back to God， in a way that was beautiful and wanted me to worship。Thank you， Amy， for such a great read！ I will definitely be recommending this book to others！ 。。。more
Gina Fox
，
I love this book from Amy！ She breaks down Theology and Worship in a way that is easy to understand for anyone at any level of learning。 If you are a new Christian or have been for many years， you will get something out of this book。 It is definitely a to that you want to add to your library if your desire is to know God more。 “When we make both the study of God and our worship of him nonnegotiables， we have the chance to become the kind of Christians who know and love God with our whole selves” I love this book from Amy！ She breaks down Theology and Worship in a way that is easy to understand for anyone at any level of learning。 If you are a new Christian or have been for many years， you will get something out of this book。 It is definitely a to that you want to add to your library if your desire is to know God more。 “When we make both the study of God and our worship of him nonnegotiables， we have the chance to become the kind of Christians who know and love God with our whole selves” （pg。 14）。 I would highly recommend this book for you to do on your own and also to do in a group setting。 。。。more
Amy
，
Amy Gannett brings a beautiful vision of theology intertwining with our lives in her book Fix Your Eyes。 She walks through the various areas of theology drawing close attention to the God who is displayed in each aspect and how knowing Him and delighting in Him for being God brings about a life of worship。 As one who loves making the connection between theology and my life， this book was a wonderful encouragement for me。 It’s perfect for anyone wanting to catch a glimpse of God and how He makes Amy Gannett brings a beautiful vision of theology intertwining with our lives in her book Fix Your Eyes。 She walks through the various areas of theology drawing close attention to the God who is displayed in each aspect and how knowing Him and delighting in Him for being God brings about a life of worship。 As one who loves making the connection between theology and my life， this book was a wonderful encouragement for me。 It’s perfect for anyone wanting to catch a glimpse of God and how He makes a difference in our lives whether they are new theologians or whether they are seasoned。 I whole heartedly commend this book to you for your encouragement and to draw your eyes to Jesus！I received an advanced ebook for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Shelby Horton
，
"If you want to build a ship， don’t drum up the men to gather wood， divide the work and give orders。 Instead， teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea。" A quote I recently heard and has stuck with me。 Well， Amy has done exactly what she intended and desired with this book: laid the blueprint down and stirred up in my heart a yearning and desire for the vast and endless sea of God。 Or as she so simply but beautifully teaches is that what I have learned about God （theology） in the pages of "If you want to build a ship， don’t drum up the men to gather wood， divide the work and give orders。 Instead， teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea。" A quote I recently heard and has stuck with me。 Well， Amy has done exactly what she intended and desired with this book: laid the blueprint down and stirred up in my heart a yearning and desire for the vast and endless sea of God。 Or as she so simply but beautifully teaches is that what I have learned about God （theology） in the pages of this book has truly led me into worship （doxology） of him; and I only want to search and explore more。Amy did so well to delicately intertwine the essential doctrines， that many of us know or have heard of， with the necessary depth and richness of each one without falling too much in either direction - being too fluffy or too heady。 Through her teaching in this book， for me personally， Amy has provided more clarity and understanding to some of the nuances of each doctrine yet she doesn't just tell you what to believe or what theological camp to follow。 She leaves the reader wanting to faithfully plumb the depths when finished and work those theological muscles out on our own。 i believe anyone， at any stage of life and learning， could benefit immensely going through Fix Your Eyes and having this as a resource on your bookshelf to go back to。I have been blessed and built up by Amy through her bible study teaching and social media presence but now in this wonderful gift to the Church。 I am grateful for the opportunity to have been able to pre-read this book。 I will no doubt be sharing this with my local community and very much looking forward to learn and grow with others as we go through the book together。 。。。more
Rachael Adams
，
This book made me think about theology and worship in an entirely new way。 Amy’s biblical wisdom paired with her relatability brings these concepts life。 This book will transform your heart， the way your relate to God， and the way you relate to others。
Austin Gannett
，
*NOTE: I am the thankful and proud husband who is married to the author of this wonderful book。。。and I received an advance copy。*The best theology （study of God） always results in doxology （worship of God） is what Amy and I used to always say when we studied together in Goddard Library among the books of theological giants that came before us， or when we were debating theological topics at a small， local coffee shop in Gloucester， MA。 So， it was a wonderful experience to enjoy the fruition of th *NOTE: I am the thankful and proud husband who is married to the author of this wonderful book。。。and I received an advance copy。*The best theology （study of God） always results in doxology （worship of God） is what Amy and I used to always say when we studied together in Goddard Library among the books of theological giants that came before us， or when we were debating theological topics at a small， local coffee shop in Gloucester， MA。 So， it was a wonderful experience to enjoy the fruition of these ideas that have been mulling over in her mind and heart over the past 8 years of our marriage。 I still remember 4 years ago， when she came running into the room， with a scribbled on legal pad with the idea for this book and it's title。 She had all of the chapters roughly planned out， the overall goal of getting everyone to see that they are a theologian， and what that meant: not getting overly academic and heady， not browbeating people into correctness， but inspiring them to worship - to see how the One we love （the Triune God） is connected to how we love （Adoration/Praise）。 Reading this book was such a joy: it accomplished what it set out to do - connect our study of God to our worship of him。 It was clear and compelling。 Theologically rich without being dense。 Relatable without being watered-down。 Precise without being joyless。 And， most of all worshipful。 She is a gifted writer and a particularly gifted storyteller as well （l laughed out loud even though I knew most the stories and illustrations）。 But， probably the best compliment I could give it is that several times while reading， I set the book down just in awe of who our God is and what he has done， and I let the joy of it all wash over me。In all honestly， it's hard to write a review of a book that you loved， written by someone you love even more， about a subject you love most。 "Through the eyes of love，" as the saying goes。 But， it's only our modern culture that buys the myth of the unbiased/neutral observer。 I hope it's precisely my love for her， and the God she writes about， that makes my review all the more meaningful; because， day in and day out， I get to watch her as the best wife， the best mom， the best friend， the best church planter， the best theologian， and the best picture of the gospel I know， live and breath the things she has written in this book。 Ultimately， I hope it encourages others to dive deeper into their ongoing study， love for， and worship of God: "Rehearse and enjoy"。 。。。more
Becca
，
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Did you know that YOU are a theologian？ Fix Your Eyes by Amy Gannett begins with this declaration。 We are all theologians because we all believe something about God。 And what we believe about God matters deeply because it affects the way we live our day-to-day lives。 With this in mind， Amy Gannett walks the reader through core doctrines of the Christian faith， including the Incarnation， Ecclesiology （the church）， and Eschatology （end times）。 If those theological terms intimidate you， h ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Did you know that YOU are a theologian？ Fix Your Eyes by Amy Gannett begins with this declaration。 We are all theologians because we all believe something about God。 And what we believe about God matters deeply because it affects the way we live our day-to-day lives。 With this in mind， Amy Gannett walks the reader through core doctrines of the Christian faith， including the Incarnation， Ecclesiology （the church）， and Eschatology （end times）。 If those theological terms intimidate you， have no fear！ The author writes with love and grace that bring theory and application together beautifully。 If you’ve “been there， done that” with theological education， I encourage you to read this anyway。 This book reminds us that right doctrine begets right worship—put another way， when we consider what the Scriptures tell us about God， our affections for him are stirred and we are driven to worship。 A fantastic book。 Definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year。 Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced review copy！ 。。。more
Amy
，
What a privilege to get to read an advanced release copy of Amy Gannett’s Fix Your Eyes。 Amy does such a wonderful job of covering the basic core doctrines of the Christian faith。 She approaches the subject in a conversational manner that is easy to grasp while at the same time not “dumbing down” the material。 This book is such a great entry into studying and understanding deeper theological matters without being intimidating or dry。
Becky
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First sentence: “You are a theologian，” he spoke calmly into the silent classroom。 Something about the thin， round glasses hanging on the end of the professor’s nose and the bow tie neatly tucked beneath his white collar made him feel all the more believable， and made my eyes widen in surprise。 “You already are a theologian，” he continued to insist， “。 。 。 but are you a good one？”I loved， loved， loved the premise of this one。 Our worship is shaped by our view of God--our beliefs about God。 To wo First sentence: “You are a theologian，” he spoke calmly into the silent classroom。 Something about the thin， round glasses hanging on the end of the professor’s nose and the bow tie neatly tucked beneath his white collar made him feel all the more believable， and made my eyes widen in surprise。 “You already are a theologian，” he continued to insist， “。 。 。 but are you a good one？”I loved， loved， loved the premise of this one。 Our worship is shaped by our view of God--our beliefs about God。 To worship truly--genuinely， heart-soul-mind-body--we need to know God truly。 And to know God truly， we must seek Him as He is。 We must read the book He authored。 Not just know in a head-knowledge sense。 But KNOW in a loving， saving， trusting relationship。 What we believe about God matters precisely because it relates to how we worship and glorify God。 To clarify， this book isn't about a checklist of right beliefs， a practical guide to getting everything right giving you permission to be smug。 No， this book is about the whole of Christian experience--heart， mind， body， soul。 We are to love God with everything we are and everything we have。 He is to be the center of our focus。 HIM。 Not his gifts。 Not his blessings。 Not his works。 But HIM。 Our seeking is to be a life-long seeking。 Our knowledge should lead to MORE thanksgiving， MORE praise， MORE delight and adoration， MORE worship。 She writes， "The whole of the Christian life is worship of God。 To be a Christian is to put a stake in the ground in terms of our highest affections， letting the God of the Bible lay claim on our hearts and lives in such a way that everything we are and everything we do wraps around our worship of him。 Worship is what happens when what we love shapes us—when we submit our character， choices， wills， and ways to God out of love and reverence for him。 Worship is love for God that seeks to obey， honor， praise， and adore him; it is setting the eyes of our hearts on him in love and responsively lifting our faces toward him in awe and affection。"The book is an overview of the basics， a brief overview of theology as a whole。 Introduction: The Necessary Marriage of Theology and WorshipChapter 1: Theology Proper: Worshiping the God Who IsChapter 2: The Trinity: Worshiping God TriuneChapter 3: Christology: Worshiping God IncarnateChapter 4: Pneumatalogy: Worshiping God the SpiritChapter 5: Soteriology: Worshiping the God Who SavesChapter 6: Bibliology: Worshiping the God of the WordChapter 7: Ecclesiology: Worshiping the God of His BodyChapter 8: Eschatology: Worshiping the Coming KingI found it a thought-provoking read。 I'll leave you with this as food for thought:Imagine with me a woman is single and craves all the benefits of having a husband。 Living alone， she is reminded every time she changes a high-perched light bulb or carries groceries up three flights of steps to her apartment that the ample help her married friends enjoy is absent in her life。 She files her taxes in April and wishes for the tax break a spouse would afford her。 She budgets her income each month with a distant desire for someone else to add to the monthly bank account as well。 And so she does something that seems altogether reasonable: she marries。 She meets and marries a man who will provide to her all the things she longs for。 He will help around the house， he will supplement the income， he will walk the dog when it’s raining and start her car when it’s cold。 He’ll take three of six grocery bags up the apartment complex stairs and his very status in her life will save her a few dollars the next time April rolls around。 It’s everything she wanted—except him。 She doesn’t want him or love him。 There is nothing about who he is in his person that is desirable to her。 His work is what interested her。 His person she could take or leave。 Here’s the question in front of us in this chapter: Is that marriage？ Is that a holy union？ But sometimes the way we talk about the gospel is just as disjointed as our hypothetical woman’s faux marriage。 。。。more
Lydia Smith
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"The way that love forms our behaviors and lives goes by another name: Worship。 Whatever holds the place of highest affection in our hearts， is the object of our worship。" （Fix Your Eyes， p。 9）What do you do when you love someone？ You seek to know them。 You ask them questions。 You listen to what they have to say。 And that is exactly what Amy Gannet is seeking to do in Fix Your Eyes- to greater understand the God of the Bible， that we might love Him more and worship Him better。 I really enjoyed t "The way that love forms our behaviors and lives goes by another name: Worship。 Whatever holds the place of highest affection in our hearts， is the object of our worship。" （Fix Your Eyes， p。 9）What do you do when you love someone？ You seek to know them。 You ask them questions。 You listen to what they have to say。 And that is exactly what Amy Gannet is seeking to do in Fix Your Eyes- to greater understand the God of the Bible， that we might love Him more and worship Him better。 I really enjoyed this book。 Amy has a way of taking huge， incomprehensible theological concepts and explaining them in a way that is approachable and understandable。 She takes words like "soteriology，" "aseity，" and "pneumatology，" and helps the reader understand what those things are， and how they inform our worship。 One of my favorite things about it is that I noticed how much scripture she includes - not only is there an entire chapter titled "Bibliology: Worshiping the God of the Word，" but the whole book is deeply rooted in scripture， with lots of references and biblical examples。 It is abundantly clear that Ms。 Gannett has spent hours and hours reading， researching， and seeking to be faithful to the text。If you want to be faithful to Jesus's command to love God with all your "heart， soul， mind， and strength，" then I highly recommend this read。 。。。more
Carol Brandon
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Amy makes theology accessible – believe it or not， this is an easy to read and understand， book。 She doesn’t get bogged down in different theological views – she just faithfully sets forth what Scripture says about different areas of theology。 She’s very down to earth; reading this is like having a chat with her。 Her points are brought to life via great analogies and personal examples。 The only thing that I found a bit jarring was that pronouns referring to God， Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not Amy makes theology accessible – believe it or not， this is an easy to read and understand， book。 She doesn’t get bogged down in different theological views – she just faithfully sets forth what Scripture says about different areas of theology。 She’s very down to earth; reading this is like having a chat with her。 Her points are brought to life via great analogies and personal examples。 The only thing that I found a bit jarring was that pronouns referring to God， Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not capitalized – I do realize that that convention has changed since I was young， however。 I received a free copy of this book， with no obligation。 。。。more
Jamie Peckous
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I loved this book so much！ With the perfect combination of scripture reference， rich scholarly explanations， clever analogies and engaging personal antidotes， it was such an enjoyable read。 What I appreciate most about this book is that scripture references abound。 This book is not based on opinions， an agenda， or a certain theological camp。 It is clear that Amy is set on glorifying the Lord through explaining and expounding upon what scripture already communicates about topics like the trinity， I loved this book so much！ With the perfect combination of scripture reference， rich scholarly explanations， clever analogies and engaging personal antidotes， it was such an enjoyable read。 What I appreciate most about this book is that scripture references abound。 This book is not based on opinions， an agenda， or a certain theological camp。 It is clear that Amy is set on glorifying the Lord through explaining and expounding upon what scripture already communicates about topics like the trinity， end times， and the church。 The goodness of the Lord is on display throughout this book。 And it is true that deeper knowledge of the Word leads to a life of greater joy and worship。 You will want to grab a hard copy for your bookshelf， to read and re-read and to share with a friend。 The strategic organization of this book by theological topic is extremely conducive for referencing back in the future and could very easily be utilized for a group Bible study or book club。The last two chapters were my favorites。 The second to the last is “Ecclesiology: Worshiping God through His Body。” As someone who has been deeply wounded by spiritual abuse within the church， it can be hard to take to heart scripture’s claims of the beauty of his church。 At the beginning of the chapter she asks the reader to “momentarily lay aside our experiences in the church in order to gain a theological perspective。” She goes on to highlight the church’s beauty with a poignant explanation of the bride of Christ; an inspiring look a church’s consistent presence throughout history; a highlight of the strengths of various individual congregations within the global church; and finally， a reminder of a believer’s call and privilege to join in on this beautiful mystery。 I finished this chapter with a renewed sense of hope。I don’t want to give any spoilers， but the invitation and analogies within the final chapter were so impactful and memorable！！ I love how Amy approaches Revelations and the End Times。 “Eschatology: Worshipping the Coming King” made an intimidating subject so approachable and taught me so much！Such a great book and resource！！ 。。。more
Megan Wiedeman
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I was so excited to be a part of the launch team reading this book， and have been so encouraged。 If you want a book that stirs your affection for the Lord and for His church， this book will do it。 Amy so clearly articulates theology in a way that made me pause and praise the name of Jesus。 A book I will keep coming back to to be reminded of what Jesus has done for me and how that matters in every moment of my life。
Shannon Livezey
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Wow。 I have delayed in writing a review because I was just so blown away by this theology primer！I was new to following Amy Gannett this year and I have benefitted so much from her Theology Thursdays that I jumped at the chance to receive an ARC as part of the book launch team and I do not regret that decision。First of all， I love how she made theological topics accessible to those “new” to theology or who don’t consider themselves theologians。 She uses personal stories to illustrate what is har Wow。 I have delayed in writing a review because I was just so blown away by this theology primer！I was new to following Amy Gannett this year and I have benefitted so much from her Theology Thursdays that I jumped at the chance to receive an ARC as part of the book launch team and I do not regret that decision。First of all， I love how she made theological topics accessible to those “new” to theology or who don’t consider themselves theologians。 She uses personal stories to illustrate what is hard to comprehend and definitely does not make this a dry read when it very well could be。Second， I enjoyed how thorough she was with each topic， especially for a primer。 This， along with the footnotes， made me excited to dig deeper and learn even more about God。Third， I surprisingly enjoyed the chapter on Revelation or the study of end times。 As someone who has also been scared or nervous （Left Behind series am I right？） about Revelation and has generally avoided the whole book， it made it more approachable and something to celebrate rather than be afraid of。Lastly， the book set out what it was meant to do。 Learning more about God （Theology） definitely led to my worship of him （Doxology）。 As I dove deeper into each subject the wonders they revealed about God made me desire to worship and learn more。All in all I CANNOT recommend this theology primer enough and am looking forward to receiving my copy in the mail to underline， highlight， and share with all my friends！ 。。。more
Emily Nichols
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I admit， systematic theology was my least favourite class in Bible college。 All of the hullabaloo about which theologians took what stances and who was “right” drove my crazy。Amy’s book was so refreshingly simple because she wasn’t trying to cover all the differing views of theology。 Rather， she was just trying to faithfully communicate what the Scriptures say about each one - theology proper， the Trinity， Christology， Pneumatology， soteriology， bibliology， ecclesiology， and eschatology。 I truly I admit， systematic theology was my least favourite class in Bible college。 All of the hullabaloo about which theologians took what stances and who was “right” drove my crazy。Amy’s book was so refreshingly simple because she wasn’t trying to cover all the differing views of theology。 Rather， she was just trying to faithfully communicate what the Scriptures say about each one - theology proper， the Trinity， Christology， Pneumatology， soteriology， bibliology， ecclesiology， and eschatology。 I truly appreciated how she did that and how her personal anecdotes gently led me into a deeper understanding of spiritual truths。 Union with Christ kind of rocked my world。 I knew about union with Christ， but I had never heard anyone explain it the way Gannett did。 And this chapter impacted how I pray， how I view my salvation， and how I interact with God。 That’s a HUGE deal！ My favourite quote from this section:“This is the intimacy of the gospel。 In union with Christ， all that is ours is Christ's， and all that is Christ's is ours。 Our sin， shame， and guilt are now fully belonging to Christ-the Christ who was incarnated into our fallen form， bearing the burden of our sinful humanity and who paid the penalty for that sin on the cross。 And all that is Christ's is ours。 Christ has been united with his people in salvation and all that is his he makes ours through union: his righteousness is ours， his inheritance is ours， his Sonship is ours， his access to the Father is ours。 Even his people his holy family comprised of all those united to the Son is suddenly and joyfully ours， as each member "belongs to all the others" （Rom。 12:5 NIV）。 All that is Christ's， is now fully， brazenly， rightfully ours in salvation” （126）。My biggest takeaways: the chapter on the Trinity， the doctrine of union with Christ， and God’s great love for his church。 This is a book that I think I will visit again and again， recommending it to anyone who wants a clear and helpful overview of theology， one that doesn’t just result in knowledge of names and dates and viewpoints but one that results in worship of a God who is so beautifully worthy of worship。 。。。more
Lauren Cumbie
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Fix your eyes is an excellent read for anyone interested in theology but intimidated by it。 It’s also great for someone who just enjoys being reminded of biblical truths without feeling like you’re reading a text book。In just 8 chapters Amy Gannett goes through many of the basic tenants of our faith including the Trinity， the Incarnation， soteriology， eschatology and more。 This book is very conversational and personable。 It feels like having those deep spiritual conversations with a good friend。 Fix your eyes is an excellent read for anyone interested in theology but intimidated by it。 It’s also great for someone who just enjoys being reminded of biblical truths without feeling like you’re reading a text book。In just 8 chapters Amy Gannett goes through many of the basic tenants of our faith including the Trinity， the Incarnation， soteriology， eschatology and more。 This book is very conversational and personable。 It feels like having those deep spiritual conversations with a good friend。 Every chapter is deep and full of truth while also being easy and fun to read。I think this book would be particularly great to go through in a small group Bible study or in a mentorship relationship。 。。。more
Martha McClurg
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