INTRODUCTION

Each week we are working towards cultivating our vision to see Jesus and his life in and around us. We know it’s hard to remember, but we don’t “get” vision, we can only receive it. We can’t grab a hold of something with my eyes. But we can take in what we are seeing and experiencing and accept vision. Sometimes we have to learn to see with our minds and not just with our eyes. 

The art of awareness is learning to see Jesus first and foremost in all things. His presence, his engagement, his physicality, and his approach to things will change our life if we can imagine ourselves becoming what we see him saying/doing/acting. He’s the model. 

This awareness of Jesus is important because we become what we see. There’s a story of a person who desired to wear a swimsuit before her cruise and so she taped her head on the top of a picture of the swimsuit and placed it on her refrigerator.  Every time she went to eat something, she would have to ask - will I eat something to help me look like this picture or prevent me from wearing what I hope to wear? Her vision shaped her reality. Our vision of Jesus helps us live like him or apart from him. What’s the best place to receive a picture of Jesus? The Scriptures!  

WEEK 2: VISION FROM SCRIPTURE 

This week, we want to practice the art of awareness through: Vision from Scripture. The words of Scripture aren’t just words - they are pictures and images of the Lord as he says in John 5, “it is (the Scriptures) that testify on my behalf.” If the Scriptures are the testifier, they are eyewitnesses of what happened in and around the people of God. Let’s take a gaze at a passage of Scripture and see what we see. 

The Vision Activation directions are below: (Note: This can be done individually or together with family & friends)

1. Pray for your eyes to receive the vision you need to see and receive! 

2. Open the Scriptures up to Psalm 27 and read the chapter aloud. 

3. When you read the chapter, what words immediately became pictures in your mind? Where they ceased to just be words, but became visualizations. 

4. Here’s a few questions to ask: (Why? What? How?) 

   1. Why did that image you received affect you? What memory came to mind or past moment came forward? 

   2. What does this image say about Jesus? Does it reference him directly or indirectly? 

   3. What does this image invite you to see?

   4. How is beauty connected to this image you’ve received?