In a broken world, we ache for a way to walk through life without giving up or giving in. Instead of breaking down, Jesus offers us another way: breaking open. Discover a new way of living and rise with hope, power, and purpose! Everyone aches to be whole. We ache to be healed. We ache to be restored. But most of the time we wouldn’t put it into words. We just know we are broken because our child is addicted. We ache because the depression of our youth is now the depression of our golden years. We are stretched to the point of breaking because our career ambitions position us to commit to a pace we can’t sustain. Miscarriage, divorce, loneliness. In all of it, we ache. In Breaking Open, Pastor Jacob Armstrong exposes the seven dangerous ways that we commonly seek to avoid a breakdown, showing how these seven ways are stealing life from us, and then walks us through a progression of seven Jesus-ways that move us from merely breaking to breaking open. It is these Jesus-ways that get us to the good stuff: a life filled with hope and opportunity. In Breaking Open, you discover how your greatest heartaches can open you up to the life God desires for you, learn how to slow down from a frenzied pace and settle into the spacious life you have been longing for right now, stop living a cheap imitation of life and develop trust in who God says you are, receive permission not to have it all together by finding the power to love and live vulnerably, and find the courage to name the achy undercurrent in your soul so you can break it wide open and let Jesus heal you and make you whole. Jesus never intended for us to break and stay shattered, but to fall and rise differently. To rise with power, rise with hope, rise with purpose. In Breaking Open, learn to rise open to a new way of living!
Life is full of interruptions. You have a flat tire on the way to work. Your phone buzzes, signaling yet another text or e-mail. Or a major interruption blindsides you—the death of a loved one, a job loss, a family member in crisis, or a shattering diagnosis. Where is God in all these situations? Interruptions: A 40-Day Journey with Jesus provides a chance for you to set aside your stress for a bit and refocus on God. Jacob Armstrong looks at the life of Jesus and gives insights on how you might respond to all the interruptions in your life. The scripture-based meditations guide you to think about interruptions from various angles: Interruption as an opportunity Living in a culture of interruptions Jesus' response to interruptions Jesus as an interrupter Armstrong weaves together biblical and contemporary stories in these short, effective devotions. His book will encourage you and remind you that God wants to meet you in all the interruptions of your life.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. This devotional, offering four weeks of daily reflections, functions beautifully on its own or as part of the church-wide experience. The reflections are ideal for use during Advent and include Scripture, personal insights, daily challenges, and prayers.
Using the Book of Nehemiah, popular author and pastor Jacob Armstrong explores the physical and spiritual renovation experienced by the nation of Judah. Nehemiah knew that his plan for renovating the wall and gates of Jerusalem would be hard work. But equally hard would be the spiritual renovation of the Jewish people as they returned to their homeland. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. The Youth Study Book contains everything needed to conduct a five-week Advent study geared to youth, including current examples that have meaning to young people ages 13-18. Can be used with the adult-level DVD.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the study program. Includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. This guide centers around the book, the videos, and Scripture.
Whether we know it or not, we are living with a playlist. Caused by schedule overload and multiple distractions, it causes stress and anxiety. There is a playlist that causes us great anxiety. Schedule overload and many distractions play into it. The playlist sounds like this: You have to do everything. You have to say "yes" to everything. You are supposed to be in all places at all times. Jesus gives us a different playlist. It says: You are supposed to do two things: love God and love your neighbor. Saying no is often the best yes. You can only be one place at a time. This book addresses the anxiety, distraction addiction, and schedule overload that result from listening to the world's playlist and gives us permission to hear and live by Jesus' words. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
The Sermon on the Mount calls us to a radically different way of life; one that is contrary to the world around us. Upside Down is a church-wide devotional/study book with an accompanying toolkit with all your need to create and customize a four-week, topical sermon series that fits your congregation. Upside Down is perfect for kicking off a new year or anytime your church needs a fresh start. Drawing upon the teachings of Christ from the Sermon on the Mount, the author helps us understand our call to live differently as his followers. Each week, seven daily devotions with prayer, Scripture, and reflection invite you to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. The four weekly topics are: Week 1: Happiness Redefined Week 2: You Can Change Your World Week 3: A Higher Standard Week 4: Love the Ones You Hate Jacob is one of the top young leaders in the U.S. Church. Amazing what the Spirit of God is doing through Jacob's work! Mike Slaughter, Ginghamsburg Church and author of Christmas is Not Your Birthday, shiny gods, and Change the World.
Go on an Advent journey with beloved teacher and storyteller James W. Moore, exploring the spirit of Christmas. As you light the candles of your Advent wreath, reflect on the unbreakable gifts that God has given us: hope, love, joy, and peace. And remember God's greatest gift, who comes to us as a baby and leads us through all the days of our lives. This Youth Study Book takes the ideas presented in Christmas Gifts that Won't Break and interprets them for young people grades 6-12.
Whether we know it or not, we are living with a playlist. Caused by schedule overload and multiple distractions, it causes stress and anxiety. There is a playlist that causes us great anxiety. Schedule overload and many distractions play into it. The playlist sounds like this: You have to do everything. You have to say "yes" to everything. You are supposed to be in all places at all times. Jesus gives us a different playlist. It says: You are supposed to do two things: love God and love your neighbor. Saying no is often the best yes. You can only be one place at a time. This book addresses the anxiety, distraction addiction, and schedule overload that result from listening to the world's playlist and gives us permission to hear and live by Jesus' words. Additional components for a six-week study include a DVD featuring author and pastor Jacob Armstrong, a comprehensive Leader Guide, and a guide to small groups titled The Connected Life: Small Groups that Create Community.
Learn how new and young pastors from across the country are translating eight time-tested principles of church leadership. Adam Hamilton and Mike Slaughter introduce each principle and discuss its importance in their ministries. Author Jacob Armstrong then shows how the principle works in new contexts today. The New Adapters is full of energy, wisdom, and stories of hope. “If you have wondered what adaptive leadership looks like in practice, here it is. Jacob Armstrong offers a road map for reaching the mission field, writing with honesty, clarity, humility, and a heart attuned to the gospel. He invites us into a conversation with Adam Hamilton and Mike Slaughter that is both substantial and practical. Gather a team around you and let this book guide you to become New Adapters!” —Bishop Bill McAlilly, Nashville Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church “The New Adapters is a fantastic read — a clarion call for what is needed in congregations today. It will immediately start to shift the way you think about ministry.” —F. Douglas Powe Jr., Professor and Associate Director of the Center for the Missional Church, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC “A wonderful, hopeful, and practical volume for pastors, laity, and judicatory leaders who want to facilitate and participate in adaptive change. Armstrong draws wisdom from practitioners while refusing to offer a cookie cutter for the church.” —Elaine A. Heath, McCreless Professor of Evangelism, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX “This practical book should be in every church leader’s library. Armstrong invites us to reclaim our love for the church, practice Holy Spirit dependence, and become New Adapters in living the mission of Jesus Christ. Jacob is calling us toward a new kind of church, one that gives me hope for the future!” —Bishop Mark J. Webb, Upper New York Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church
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