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    Upside Down Daily Readings: A Different Way to Live
    Upside Down Daily Readings: A Different Way to Live
    Upside Down Daily Readings: A Different Way to Live
    Ebook70 pages45 minutes

    Upside Down Daily Readings: A Different Way to Live

    By Jacob Armstrong

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    About this ebook

    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. Weekly sermons include:

    Week 1: Happiness Redefined
    Week 2: You Can Change Your World
    Week 3: A Higher Standard
    Week 4: Love the Ones You Hate
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAbingdon Press
    Release dateOct 15, 2013
    ISBN9781426781278
    Upside Down Daily Readings: A Different Way to Live
    Author

    Jacob Armstrong

    Jacob Armstrong is the founding pastor of Providence Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Providence's vision is to see those who are disconnected from God and the church to find hope, healing, and wholeness in Jesus Christ. Jacob is the author of Renovate, A New Playlist, Treasure, The God Story, Upside Down, Loving Large, Interruptions, and The New Adapters.

    Read more from Jacob Armstrong

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      Book preview

      Upside Down Daily Readings - Jacob Armstrong

      Introduction

      Make no mistake; Jesus was and is different. The things he said shocked. The way he lived surprised. The people he associated with offended the religious leaders of the day.

      Jesus turned the expected on its head. If what was predictable was right side up, then Jesus turned things upside down.

      Those expecting the Messiah thought he would come as a mighty King. Jesus came as a baby in a feed trough.

      They expected a conquering military leader. Jesus came proclaiming love for the enemy.

      They expected the Messiah to overthrow the government and reveal the wrongs within it. Instead Jesus turned the prevailing religion upside down and revealed the wrongs within it.

      They expected a deity from on high to come and proclaim salvation from the skies. Jesus came as a homeless man walking their dirty streets.

      Shocking. And he still surprises today.

      Often, we wish to make Jesus tame or comfortable for us. We wish to fit Jesus into our culture or our norms. We want to let him have a part of our life or a portion of our heart. But Jesus is different, he doesn’t work that way.

      Jesus requires full devotion.

      He is not content with being a part of your life.

      He can’t be squeezed into your busy schedule the way you want him to be.

      He calls us to a completely different way of life. It is the life we have truly been looking for, but it feels upside down to the world around us.

      In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives—in rapid-fire succession—outline points for how those who choose to follow him are to live and believe. It was a counter-cultural message then, and it is a counter-cultural message now.

      Are you looking for something different?

      How to Use These Devotions

      Be Still: Set aside a certain time and place each day to do your Upside Down devotions. Find a place where you can sit comfortably, but not so comfortably that you fall asleep! Once you are seated, take a deep breath. Let the thoughts and worries of your day fade from your mind. Be still and allow your heart to open to God.

      Pray: Once you have found a still place, you will begin with the simple prayer for the week found on the title page for each week. Read the prayer silently or aloud. The same prayer will be said each day of the week at the beginning and the end of your devotion time. This repetition will allow the theme for the week to sink into your heart and be carried with you throughout the day.

      Read: Next is a selected passage of Scripture. The Scripture for the week is found on the title page for the week. Read the Scripture in its entirety.

      Focus: Each day there will be a focus verse: a shorter passage for you to focus on for the day.

      Read: Then you will find the devotional thought for each day. Read the reflection and consider how this Scripture intersects with your life today.

      Write: Each day you will find reflection questions where you can write your thoughts or questions.

      Pray: You are invited again to pray the prayer for that week.

      Week 1:

      Happiness Redefined

      O God, I give you thanks that you stop to speak to me today. Let my heart feel moved with compassion at the sight of your people. Open my heart to what it may mean for me to live differently as a follower of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

      Matthew 5:1-12

      Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. He taught them, saying:

      "Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

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