Sinners: Experiencing Jesus’ Compassion in the Middle of Your Sin, Struggles, and Shame

by Kat Armstrong

Discover the storyline of Scripture as you follow people, places, or things in the Bible. Maybe you are practiced in dissecting a passage and pulling things out of the text to apply to your life. But now you may feel as though your faith is fragmented. The Storyline Bible Studies help you put the pieces back together. You’ll discover cohesive, thematic storylines with literary elements and appreciate the Bible as the literary masterpiece that it is.

In Sinners , we will discover God’s tender compassion on anyone––regardless of their social status, troubled past, or the labels placed upon them. And we are going to notice the counterintuitive ways “sinful” people respond to Jesus in righteous acts of faith. You’ll start to see a theme The people considered sinful often act with greater faith than the most religious people of Jesus’ day. In the Sinners Bible study, we will explore

176 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2023

About the author

KAT ARMSTRONG (www.katarmstrong.com) was born in Houston, Texas, where the humidity ruins her Mexi-German curls. She is a powerful voice in our generation as a sought-after Bible teacher, preacher, coach, and innovative ministry leader. She holds a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the author of No More Holding Back, The In-Between Place, and a 6-book series called Storyline Bible Studies. In 2008, Kat cofounded the Polished Network to embolden working women in their faith and work. Kat is the senior director of marketing and content for Integrus Leadership, is pursuing a doctorate of ministry in New Testament context at Houston Theological Seminary, and hosts the Holy Curiosity podcast. She and her husband, Aaron, have been married for twenty one years and live in Dallas, Texas, with their son, Caleb, and attend Dallas Bible Church, where Aaron serves as the lead pastor.

Reviews

[Meredith Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5 stars) I read Sinners in conjunction with Saints: Enjoying a Relationship with Jesus When You're Disillusioned with Religion and they pair really well together. Sinners focuses on the archetype of the "sinful" (considered in those days as such because of behavior, lifestyle, title, or ethnicity) characters in the New Testament who exhibited great faith in Christ. Armstrong chooses to focus on:
- Matthew, the former tax collector and disciple of Jesus (Matthew 9);
- the Roman centurion advocating for his servant (Luke 7);
- the sinful woman who anoints Jesus with oil (Luke 7);
- the Canaanite mom who begs Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter (Matthew 15);
- the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4);

Each chapter is a great balance of research and accessibility. This would be a great study to discuss with a small group (Saints/Sinners is written to be a 10-week paired study). I have read multiple of Armstrong's other studies (you can find my review for Valleys: Finding Courage, Conviction, and Confidence in Life's Low Points here and my review for Stones: Making God’s Faithfulness the Bedrock of Your Faith here. I thought this pair was my favorite Armstrong study series yet.

As I mentioned in previous reviews, the format of this study was helpful. Each chapter was split into four sections: providing context, reading and comprehending the passage, diving deeper into understanding the passage, and then thinking through how the passage applies to our world today. The format was easy to process and I thought the discussion questions were thoughtful without being too leading. I think this study would be really accessible, even if you weren't already familiar with the stories presented.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this study in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!

[Amanda Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book by Kat Armstrong I have read and this was similar to the first, but I do have much more to say about this book. Consistent with the other Kat Armstrong studies I have seen, this book has similar cover style, layout, and learning tools. The book contains five lessons and each lesson has four parts: context, seeing, understanding, and responding.

I can’t say enough good things about the structure of these books. It makes it so easy to study. I love that everything is broken down so well. I enjoy the tables that organize information for easy learning and the way you’re asked to mark scripture in different ways as a learning tool.

Unfortunately, this book did not quite measure up to the other Kat Armstrong book I read. Armstrong has a vivid imagination and this can be quite helpful to picture these Biblical scenes. However, when we add to scripture in a way that changes the story it becomes dangerous.

For example, one of the “sinners” mentioned in this book is described as “doing what they have to in order to survive”. That is quite a common saying used today to excuse sin. Armstrong even excuses the sin as “the only way she could survive”.. This is extremely dangerous thinking with a Christian a life. I want to mention that according to Biblical truth we ALWAYS have the option to resist temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Jesus forgives, but he doesn’t justify our sin. Sin is sin, regardless of our intentions or our circumstances.

I am honestly so disappointed in this book because of what it could have been. I love the layout. I love Armstrong’s way of writing, personal stories, connections through scripture, and imagination when it doesn’t change biblical facts. However, I would NOT recommend this particular book and I would not recommend Armstrong’s writing to a new Christian because of the way Biblical facts were changed in this book.

If you do decide to pick up a Kat Armstrong study I highly suggest you do your own research and develop a “chew and spit” reading method. Take in the reading, “chew” with Biblical research and conversation with more mature Christians, and “spit” anything that doesn’t align with Biblical truth.

I did also notice a small mistake in two of the tables, but it didn’t affect the ability to read/use this study.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Experiencing Jesus’ Compassion in the Middle of Your Sin, Struggles, and Shame.”

This is my 6th Kat Armstrong study and I enjoyed it just as much as the rest.

The book introduces the reader to five ‘Sinners’ of the Bible: Matthew, The Roman Centurion, The Sinful Woman, The Canaanite Mom, and The Samaritan Woman– all characters considered super-ungodly in their day. I loved how the author balanced out the good and bad of every character. Each comes across as a triumph of Christ’s ability to achieve so much with so little.

Each day, you read a portion of scripture and delve more into context, meaning, and application.

I loved so much about it.

First off, the artwork is stunning. Not the most important aspect, but so beautiful.

I loved that the scriptures appeared in the text.

I loved that the daily homework wasn’t overwhelming. We all love Sister Beth, but we don’t always have hours a day to devote to study.

I loved that there are more in this series. It’s like finishing an excellent novel and knowing you get to spend more time with your favourite characters.

I didn’t really dislike anything, but I’d have liked more cultural context, and I think I would have preferred going through this in community, instead of by myself.

I’m very much looking forward to more from this teacher.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for this tender ARC.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

4.5 stars = I loved it! Would re-read.

I picked up Mountains and Valleys when they first released - the covers drew me in and the layout of the studies really clicked with me. So when I had the chance to review books 5 &6 in the series, I jumped at them.

I really enjoy the structure for these studies, and especially liked the grouping of Bible passages for both Saints and Sinners. I found both studies thought-provoking. They are the sorts of books I would read from cover to cover. They are easy reads, and the writing is conversational and engaging. I like that they can be used for individual or group study, and I plan to work through the entire line.

[amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful Bible study I received from netgalley and Tyndale publishers. I've had the joy of looking through this and studying. The questions are thought provoking and will make your Bible study group flourish