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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!
My Thoughts
I am so excited to share this book with you. I knew from the blurb for Breaking Open, that this was a book I had to read. “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! ” If I’m being brutally honest, I feel like I am in a constant loop of perpetual breakdowns. This book has been a blessing to me this week. It carries an anointing that had me crying when I was reading it when I wasn’t reading it, and I could see the Spirit working in my life and heart as chains were being broken and my heart was being broken open!
We live in a fallen world, and there are moments in life that leave us reeling with pain and doubt. These situations are a consequence of our actions; at other times, we suffer through no fault of our own. Nevertheless, uncertainty and questions about the future can dominate our thoughts: What do I do? How do I move forward?
When we ignore our doubts and pain or pretend everything is fine, we do not give room for the Spirit to bring healing and restoration. Sadly, we often put on masks before others when we are hurting. Breaking Open shows us that God can handle our pain. Instead of turning inward or away from God, we must turn to Him in faith, even when it seems we have none. This book will give you an opportunity to help bring your pain to God, so He can help.
When we rest in the Lord, we allow the Spirit to make intercession for us (Romans 8:26). Other times, we are crying out to God, imploring Him to see our suffering. Still, other times it’s simply acknowledging our own sins. We are called not to bear our burdens alone but to bring them before the Lord and to work through our pains and difficulties with Him. “”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).” This book shows you how to do just that.
Doubts, pain, and regrets are things we all have to go through in life. We can’t avoid it, but we can overcome it and learn to live again. We are not alone in our pain, and we have a comforter that wants to help heal and put the pieces back together. He knows our hearts, and exactly what we need, we just need to rest in Him. If you’re struggling like I was,reading Breaking Open will ignite you with the passion, healing, hope, and joy that you are looking for. Grab your copy on Amazon today, link in my bio!
**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
Jacob Armstrong is a published author, speaker, and pastor of Providence Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Jacob and his wife, Rachel, founded Providence Church in 2008 with a vision to see people who feel disconnected from God and the church find hope, healing, and wholeness in Jesus Christ. Providence Church has been one of the 100 fastest-growing churches in the nation for the last three years.
Does life seem too much sometimes, like you are drowning in all of it? Like maybe you can’t take another day? Do you feel like the pain is all life consists of at times? Are you dealing with depression, illness, loss, or anything hard to overcome?
Jacob Armstrong will help you find the way of turning it all over to Jesus, letting him heal you, and live in a way full of joy like you never thought you could.
Awesome review. Feeling detached from Christians for most of my life, I have suffered through much pain and unfortunately have found that most Christians base their love for others in a conditional manner. Now we have politicized faith and it is quite sickening.
Thanks for the review. I am interested in reading this book!
What a great review, thank you so much for covering it in so much detail! I am definitely interested in reading it now.
Awesome review. Feeling detached from Christians for most of my life, I have suffered through much pain and unfortunately have found that most Christians base their love for others in a conditional manner. Now we have politicized faith and it is quite sickening.
Great review. I would love to read this.