Why Women Need Theology with Amy Gannett
On today’s episode of the Journeywomen podcast, I’m chatting with Amy Gannett about why women need theology! We talked about everything from what theology is to how growing in it enhances our understanding of the gospel.
I can almost guarantee that y’all will want to be besties with Amy after you finish listening to our conversation! So you’ll know her a little better, Amy Gannett is a Bible teacher and writer with a passion for good theology and exegetical Bible study. She got her B.A. in Biblical Exposition and Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute and her Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She teaches a digital Bible study through her website and creates theology training tools for kids through Tiny Theologians. Amy and her husband, Austin, are currently church planters in eastern North Carolina.
Can you tell us a little about who you are and what you do?
What is theology?
How and when did you develop a passion for theology?
How are we, already, maybe unknowingly, theologians too?
Why is theology important for women?
How does growing in our understanding of who God is enhance our understanding of the gospel?
How does our theology change the way we live? How does it impact our day-to-day?
How can we grow in our theology in the midst of demanding seasons, like motherhood, finals, when we're starting a new job, etc?
What do you think is the greatest danger to our theology? What should we beware of in this pursuit?
How can we encourage one another to behold the Lord, to fear him, and to taste and see that he is good?
What is the joy in pursuing sound theology for the glory of God?
THREE QUESTIONS I ASK EVERY GUEST
What 3 resources would you recommend for someone who desires to grow in their theology?
What are your 3 simple joys?
Who has had the greatest impact on your own journey with Jesus?
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
“Exegesis is really going to the text and seeing what it says before we ask the question what does it mean. So it’s going to the text and saying I want to excavate this.”
“There is a place for application, there is great source of encouragement for us there. But we very often need to come to the text and say, ‘what does it say about who God is and about his character?’ before we apply it to ourselves.”
“Theology is the study of God. It’s studying who God is and articulating in ways that we can understand and comprehend and remember about the character and nature of God. We all have theology.”
“If we all are theologians, and we all possess a belief about who God is, have we taken the time to do it well?”
“We are created to know God. He has revealed himself to us, and we are created to have a relationship with him. If we take a backseat to studying God, then we miss out. We miss out in our spiritual lives, we miss out in the local church as being people who think about these things, talk about these things, and teach about the things of God.”
“As many young moms are the primary parent that spends the primary amount of time with their children, if moms don’t think of themselves as theologians, it’s to their own detriment and to the detriment of their children. Because, if we don’t look into these things and we don’t consider who God is and what he’s done and what the Word says about who God is, then we miss out on being people who can accurately share from the Word of God and accurately teach others about who he is.”
“It’s important we take that gut check and say, ‘I do believe some things about God, but do I believe the right things?’”
“At the end of the day, God is the authority on who God is.”
“The Gospel is the good news that we cannot save ourselves because we are separated from God by our sin and that God made a way for us to be in right relationship with him by himself. He offered himself. He doesn’t offer us anything other than his very own son in salvation.”
“You and I, if we are in Christ, our right now, our this moment is different than it ever would have been apart from Christ. Yes, the Gospel has behavioral impact, but also right now, I am in Christ.”
“The Gospel is not just good news, but it’s true good news. Christ is coming, and his Kingdom is ultimate.”
“1 Peter 1 promises us that we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and kept in heaven. These temporary things that we are going through are temporary. They’re going to pass. They’re going to fade.”
“Theology impacts day to day decisions. So not only in terms of our own salvation, but in terms of the way that we live our lives. Christians that have a robust theology of the coming Kingdom of God get to live their lives in such a way that they keep nothing for the next life.”
“Look for God in the text. Theology is the study of God, and so whether you read one verse or chapter, fix your eyes on who God is, behold his character, and let that be your nourishment.”
“Look at what you’re feeding yourself spiritually...as we fix our eyes on who God is and as we fix our eyes on his character, we can have confidence that the Word will nourish us in a true and eternal and lasting way more than inspirational quotes on Pinterest that tell us about our own abilities.”
“Look at what you’re using as spiritual sustenance and say ‘does this point me more to me? Does it build me up? Does it tell me that I can do more than I ever thought I could?’ Or is it teaching me that I am limited and God is unlimited? Is it pointing me toward his eternal character?”
“Studying God’s Word is a way that we worship him.”
“If you find yourself in a small group where everybody is living personal interpretation, start practicing pointing people to who God is and to his character. Start adding that to the conversation.”
“We study for our own worship of God but also to bless our community.”
“The Lord really does reorder us and reform us in understanding the good gifts that he has given us. Because he has given us good gifts in this world.”
“When we put our eyes on God and say ‘you are the best gift’ then he does give us the pleasure of the world and enjoyment in this world as it falls order under his headship.”
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
1 Peter 1
Isaiah 55
AMY’S RESOURCES FOR THEOLOGY
None Like Him by Jen Wilkin
Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
OTHER RESOURCES
Amy Gannett’s Digital and Print Studies
AMY’S SIMPLE JOYS
Walking her golden retriever
Sunday night traditions
Baking sourdough
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do you define theology?
How does theology affect your daily life?
What can you do to deepen your understanding of who God is?
What are you going to do or implement as a result of what you’ve learned this week?
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
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