cavetime cvr 3d

Explore the places where God’s presence meets life’s pain. Find hope and new life.

With unbridled honesty, pastor Jorge Acevedo explores the “caves” we all experience in life – anger, fear, depression, temptation, grief, hopelessness, and death – and how these caves can be a surprising place where we discover hope, redemption, and space to be with God.

Life is unpredictable, messy, and hard – and most of us are ill-equipped to deal with the difficult seasons of life. We live in denial and avoid our emotions, turn to addictions and compulsions to numb the pain, or try to white knuckle our way through it (because we think that’s what “good Christians” do).

But the truth is that the only way out of pain is through it. We have to walk into the caves of life– the painful experiences and emotions that are part of being human – because when we do, we find that God wants to meet us there.

In Everybody Needs Some Cave Time, pastor Jorge Acevedo explores with unbridled honesty the “caves” we all experience in life – anger, fear, depression, temptation, grief, hopelessness, and death – and the way that these caves can be a surprising place where we find hope, redemption, and space to be with God.

Weaving together powerful anecdotes from people in Scripture; personal stories of addiction, recovery, loss, and healing; and a wise faith that has withstood the ups and downs of life, Acevedo connects us to our own humanity and the humanity of Jesus who invites us into the cave of resurrection where we can find new life.

Everybody Needs Some Cave Time will help you embrace the messiness of life, live in the tension of pain and joy, and discover how God can form your character even in dark seasons. Without denying, dismissing, or avoiding pain, you will learn how to use it to develop more capacity for hope and a spiritual resilience that will transform you into the person you were created to be.

Order now
cavetime cvr 2d

Jorge Acevedo

Jorge Acevedo is the Lead Pastor at Grace Church, a multi-site, United Methodist congregation in Southwest Florida. Grace Church is recognized as having one of the largest and most effective recovery ministries in America.

Previously, he served as Executive Pastor at Christ Church United Methodist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; as the Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Kissimmee, Florida; and as the Minister of Youth and Children at Trinity Hill United Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky.

Born in Puerto Rico, Jorge moved with his family to the United States at the age of four months. At age 17, he was touched by the grace of God and rescued from a life of addictions, and his life has never been the same. His greatest delight is connecting people to Jesus and the Church.

Jorge is a 1984 graduate of Asbury College where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Bible. He is also a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree. Jorge was ordained as a Deacon in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church in May 1986 and as an Elder in May 1990.

Jorge was the 2001 recipient of the Denman Evangelism Award from the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 2007, he was named the Distinguished Alumni of the Year at Asbury Theological Seminary. In 2009, the Foundation for Evangelism named Jorge the 2009 Distinguished Evangelist of the United Methodist Church.

Jorge co-authored Sent: Giving the Gift of Hope at Christmas. He also authored Vital: Churches Changing Communities and the World, and co-authored The Heart of Youth Ministry. He haswritten for the United Methodist Publishing House, Circuit Rider magazine, Good News magazine, and Our Faith Today.

SHOW MORE

Everybody Needs Some Cave Time Reviews

What people
are saying…

Jorge has mined valuable treasures in his exploration of "the cave" experience as a follower of Christ. Well done Jorge.  Because of this challenging work, may we all grow to see the gems waiting for us in "the caves" of our own spiritual formation experiences.

Rev. Laura Baber
Rev. Laura Baber
Spiritual Director

What a great book! Honest, transparent, biblical and deeply pastoral; this book will encourage, inspire and bless you. Highly recommended!

Adam Hamilton
Adam Hamilton
Pastor and Author of Luke: Jesus and the Outsiders, Outcasts and Outlaws.

My spiritual father has written an opus. In each cave, be prepared to encounter God through a real man sharing real stories of pain and redemption. Jorge makes our decision clear, our caves can either be a hiding place or a holy place. Time and again, Jorge has sat with me in my own caves, and I’m so excited to see what God does through this book by this incredibly humble and grateful follower of Jesus.

Rev. Larry Frank
Rev. Larry Frank
Lead Pastor, Tremont Methodist, Illinois

Jorge Acevedo skillfully weaves together personal and pastoral experiences, with biblical exposition and application, about the most profound and powerful fears and emotions of human life. The result is a highly readable but deeply challenging book that ably and wonderfully presents ‘caves’ as holy places rather than hiding places, because the transforming power of God can be experienced there. Read it and be changed for good!

Martyn Atkins
Martyn Atkins
former President and General Secretary of the British Methodist Church and Superintendent of the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, London

While exploring seven caves found throughout the scriptures, author Jorge Acevedo invites his reader to experience “cave time” of their own. This refreshingly honest look at suffering and humanity gifts us permission to evaluate the hidden as well as the hopeful
parts of our lives. Jorge’s straight-forward approach makes this study accessible for all longing to grow in authenticity in their relationship with Jesus. I’m convinced – Everybody Does Need Some Cave Time!

Rachel Billups
Rachel Billups
Pastor and author of Be Bold: Finding your Fierce

Jorge is one of the most engaging, honest and transparent Christians I have ever met. At times, disturbingly so. No frills. No facade. Always from the heart. He is a voice of hope and healing that is worth hearing. He was born to write this book.

Shane L. Bishop
Shane L. Bishop
Pastor of Christ Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois

This wonderful resource provides significant help for navigating life. Jorge through his vulnerability shows how the caves or dark challenges of life can become the very places where new paths of hope and value spring from. I am deeply indebted to Jorge as he has helped me tremendously navigate the caves of my life.

Craig Robertson
Craig Robertson
Spiritual Leadership Inc.

The idea of “cave time” makes us uncomfortable but in this book, Jorge masterfully shows us the blessing of the cave. Readers will no longer merely see the cave as a place of darkness but a place where we can expect to find God ministering to the deep needs of our souls and bringing about healing. Everybody Needs Some Cave Time is a book that invites us not only to see the caves differently but courageously embrace them as necessary parts of the journey, love ourselves more intentionally, embrace the love of God in hard places, and come out of the cave with a song of praise.

Romal Tune
Romal Tune
Author of Love Is an Inside Job: Getting Vulnerable with God

Jorge Acevedo and I have known each other for nearly 39 years in a variety of roles. He’s been my pastor, friend, and colleague. He is my brother in Christ. Throughout the decades of my life, Jorge has been with me in the “Cave Time” moments I have experienced. In those trying times, his faith, encouragement, and love for Jesus were a catalyst for me to discover how God could transform my caves from a hiding place to a holy place. This book brings these gifts to your life. With practical insight and fresh understanding of Scripture, along with real world application and personal experience of someone who has “been there,” this book can guide you into a deeper trust of God in the depths of life’s trying times.

Wes Olds
Wes Olds
Wes Olds, Lead Pastor, Grace Church

For anyone who’s ever been in a dark “cave” in your life—whether of anger, fear, depression, temptation or hopelessness—the life-giving, practical message of this excellent book is that God longs to convert your cave into a sacred space of growth and hope. What a timeless, powerful “read” — one I plan to recommend to every ministry leader I know!

Sue Nilson Kibbey
Sue Nilson Kibbey
Director, Bishop Bruce Ough Innovation Center, United Theological Seminary, Dayton

Jorge is one of the best pastors at practical wisdom in the church. Born of his own life struggles, Jorge speaks everyday words about people in the Bible and people he knows like all of us that need to transform our places of hurt and woundedness to places of healing. God is waiting to meet us and Jorge, like the patient pastor he is, shows us how.

Arthur Jones
Arthur Jones
Author and pastor of St. Andrew Methodist Church, Plano, Texas

It was in the cave of a solitary confinement cell that I met Jesus and found freedom for the first time in my life. A corrections officer stuck a Bible in my chow slot... I woke, my dungeon flamed with light. Upon release, I heard about a wild pastor who led with transparency about his own soul struggles. He was leading a flourishing church with a culture of recovery for the "the ones no one else wants or sees." Jorge Acevedo helped show me that even I was redeemable and called by God. Jorge has been a mentor, friend, and guide through the caves of life ever since. He is right, God does some of his best work in caves, let him guide you through your own in this incredible book.

Michael Adam Beck
Michael Adam Beck
Pastor, professor, author, Director of Fresh Expressions for The United Methodist Church, Director of Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary

With Everybody Needs Some Cave Time, Jorge is speaking my language and reading our mail. I have visited all these caves he walks us into. I have been "bad and mad," paralyzed by fear, full of grief, and I have even walked into the cave of hopelessness. My guess is that you have, too, and may even be in one of those dark places now. If so, you are in luck. In this exploration of the caves we find ourselves in, we discover that others have gone before and know the way out. Like a well trained guide, Jorge leads us back into the broad daylight of hope using scripture, experience, and a ton of hard-won wisdom. Thank you, Jorge, for getting us from the cave to resurrection.

Carolyn Moore
Carolyn Moore
Lead Pastor, Mosaic Church

Beginning with the compelling assertion that, “A cave can either be a hiding place or a holy place,” Pastor Jorge Acevedo masterfully unpacks the narratives of several “cave time” stories. In doing so, he guides us all in turning our most challenging moments, our personal cave time experiences, into life affirming and life-giving moments as we encounter the transforming power of the Lord even in the darkest of places. Since cave time is inevitable for everyone, this book prepares the reader to move through these experiences, allowing God to do some of His deepest work

Max Wilkins
Max Wilkins
President/CEO TMS Global, author of Focusing My Gaze

Jorge has done it again! In his real, vulnerable and right-on-time kind of way, Pastor Jorge has delivered a message that every Christian needs to read. This book hits on the exact issues that all of us are dealing with in our world today. Thank you, Jorge for once again pastoring and mentoring us in how to live a life that looks more like Jesus.

Pastor Matt Keller
Pastor Matt Keller
Founding & Lead Pastor, Next Level Church, Fort Myers, FL

Several years ago, Eric Evans took Jorge and some friends on a tour of Ohio Caverns in West Liberty Ohio. While the group was deep in the cave, Eric turned out the lights. There is no dark darker than being in a cave when the lights are off. The experience caused Jorge to reflect on the other times that he’d experienced his personal cave time. Each chapter represents a different aspect of what it means to be alone in the dark of our own personal caves. I thank Jorge for helping to shine light on the dark times of our lives and reminding us that Jesus is the one true light of the world.

Phillip Connolly
Businessman and friend

For the past 25 years, I have met with Jorge and a small group of local pastors weekly. His honesty to share his cave time experiences with us has benefited me greatly. Jorge is a pastor of pastors and he writes with a shepherd’s heart. As you read this book, Jorge will pastor you through your dark times in the caves of life.

Jamie Stilson
Jamie Stilson
Lead Pastor of Vineyard Community Church, Cape Coral, FL

The title of Jorge Acevedo’s latest book, Everybody Needs Some Cave Time, caught me off balance for just a moment. Why would I want to have cave time? I’m not into exploring or hanging out in dark or scary places.

 

But just a few pages into the book, I quickly realized I’ve spent plenty of time in several of the seven types of caves that my friend Jorge writes about. And ultimately, I’ve l come out stronger and better. This book is inspiring, hopeful and down-to-earth, chock-full of practical and helpful steps to meeting God in dark places.


I’ve known Jorge for nearly three decades as a friend and a same-town partner in ministry and you will deeply appreciate his authenticity and relatable writing style. You owe it to yourself to pick it up, read it, and reflect on the many Biblical characters who’ve done cave time. Everybody really does need some cave time.

Dennis Gingerich
Dennis Gingerich
Founding Pastor, Cape Christian

 

Dark places are a part of everyone’s life. These caves are often places we hide out. Jorge Acevedo helps us see that they are actually holy places where God meets us. Jorge has credibility as a pastor who has helped thousands walk through dark times, but he also holds authority as someone who knows the power of God personally in his own cave times. There is so much healing found in the words of each page. I needed this book, you will too!

Jacob Armstrong
Jacob Armstrong
Pastor, Providence Church, author of Breaking Open

Cave Time is a reality in each of our lives, whether we want it or not. Jorge Acevedo offers us the needed Biblical perspective on the various deep and dark places that life takes us, showing us that there is no place so dark that God’s light does not follow us there. Perhaps most importantly, Jorge’s experiences and vulnerability shed light on the ways that our caves can be holy ground, places where we encounter God’s love and grace. This book is so needed in today’s world and I’m glad to have it as a resource and guide! 

Dr. Jessica LaGrone
Dr. Jessica LaGrone
Dean of Chapel, Asbury Theological Seminary

As leaders, so many of us face struggles with things like anger, fear, depression, temptation, grief, and hopelessness that keep us from being all that God has made us to be and limit our effectiveness. Through deep biblical reflection and his own vulnerable stories, Pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us in a profound yet practical and transforming journey through these ‘caves’ toward healing and resurrection.

Bryan D. Sims
Bryan D. Sims
author of Leading Together: The Holy Possibility of Harmony and Synergy in the Face of Change, leadership and change coach with Spiritual Leadership, Inc. (SLI) and professor of leadership at Asbury Theological Seminary.

During the 73 years of my life, I’ve descended, crawled, and even fallen into several of the caves Jorge describes in this book. I’ve visited a few a number of times! Jorge’s metaphor of the cave captured my interest and brought to my consciousness the dark feelings I experienced during these times of my life. As I reflected on the cave’s I’ve been in, I realized that, more often than not, Jorge was there as my pastor and friend to encourage, support, guide, and coach me. He often shared his own experiences in that same or similar cave and how God used that cave to heal him, encourage him and renew him. My prayer for you is that you will be drawn into a closer relationship with Jesus as you read this book. Jorge draws fully from his own cave experiences and shares them with you in a most transparent and authentic way!

Douglas K Whittaker, Ed.D
Douglas K Whittaker, Ed.D
Superintendent of Schools (Ret), Charlotte County (FL) Public Schools

We all want to avoid pain, tragedy, and negative experiences, but they’re an inevitable part of life. When we are faced with suffering, we can either allow it to make us jaded or we can walk into it and discover why it’s a surprising place where we can meet God. Everybody Needs Some Cave Time is not a “how to get out of the cave” book. It’s an encouraging resource filled with vulnerable insights and practical guidance for your unique pilgrimage through life – a sacred journey of formation, redemption, and hope.

Explore the places where God’s presence meets life’s pain. Find hope and new life.

Give yourself permission to feel your emotions

Trusting God doesn’t mean always being strong and having it all together. God wants us to feel our emotions (all of them!), be real with Him, and hold the tension of uncertainty and faith together.

Explore the places where God’s presence meets life’s pain. Find hope and new life.

Trust that God can handle your humanity

God created you, and He isn’t afraid of your honesty, anger, questions, or hurt. In fact, He became human and entered into the pain with you.

Explore the places where God’s presence meets life’s pain. Find hope and new life.

Allow the cave times of life to form your character

Though God doesn’t send suffering, God does some of His best work in the hard times of life. When you embrace the journey, you can walk out of life’s caves more Christ-like and as a fuller version of yourself.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted from trying to keep it all together when life is falling apart, if you’ve watched the “Sunday School” answers collapse under the weight of real life, if you’ve wondered if you can hold onto faith and still be fully human, this book is an invitation to embrace the good, the bad, and the ugly of life and come out stronger on the other side.

cavetime cvr 3d

Meet God in the dark places of life. Find hope, healing, and redemption.

Everybody Needs Some Cave Time will help you embrace the messiness of life, live in the tension of pain and joy, and discover the surprising ways that God shows up in dark places.

Order now