In A Life Beyond Amazing, Dr. David Jeremiah gives an in-depth exploration of the fruits of the spirit as described in the book of Galatians. He gives 9 suggestions for ways to live your life according to the fruits of the spirit. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of Jeremiah's work. This would be a great suggestion for a Bible study or small group at church. I really learned a lot from reading it.

Dr. Jeremiah’s books are always easy to read and understand, filled with Biblical wisdom and practical advice. I have read several of his books and always come away blessed. Highly recommend!

"A Life Beyond Amazing" by Dr. David Jeremiah is a book you will read and refer back to time and time again. The author tells us how to weather the storms of life by giving us scriptures and advice to make us strive to be more like Jesus by having integrity and self-discipline.

Dr. Jeremiah is a master at using scripture, illustrations and quotes to guide us to be a person of character. One such quote,-- "Integrity is telling the truth to yourself. Honesty is telling the truth to others. We long for a world in which integrity is our way of life and deeds (like the boy in his story) are the norm."

We learn that if we want a Spirit-led life, we must be willing to abandon the path we have chosen for ourselves in favor of the one to which God calls us.
This book will not disappoint you but instead will be an encouragement to you as you read. It is excellent book to use as a Bible Study. I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson but the opinion is my own.

Dr. Jeremiah has a gift of making complicated subjects easy to understand. How to live a great life can be a very complicated topic, but by using Scripture, Dr. Jeremiah makes the details much easier to grasp. This is not about the “prosperity gospel.” This is about how to practically, actively invite the Holy Spirit to change one’s life and make it amazing, regardless of your circumstances. You can truly learn to give thanks and praise God under any circumstance if you allow the Holy Spirit to guide your life. An excellent Bible study.


I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Dr David Jeremiah does an excellent job of walking you through the fruits of the spirit. While I expected there to more theology with each fruit, I thought the author did an great job without being overly preachy, condescending or patronizing to the reader. He had biblical truth and practical advice to plant these fruits in your own life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have listened to Dr. David Jeremiah’s radio broadcasts for years, and enjoyed several of his books. A Life Beyond Amazing offers uplifting encouragement based on the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Dr. Jeremiah has a wonderful way of weaving interesting stories through his spiritual growth themes, and he doesn’t disappoint in this book. Though I’ve published my own book on the fruits of the spirit, I learned to look at the fruits of the spirit in a new way through this engaging book. Recommended if you’re ready to recharge your life this year.

Favorite quote:

“Acting as though we love others and then sincerely opening ourselves to be filled with God’s pure love is different from just pretending we love everyone.”

I received a preview copy of A Life Beyond Amazing from Netgalley.

This is a wonderful book explaining the purposes and benefits of the fruits of the spirit from the Holy Bible. What a blessing it was to read. It reawakened my spirit in certain areas that needed a gentle reminder that Jesus Christ is in control. I recommend this book to everyone of all ages. This book was given to me as an advanced copy and these are my honest opinions.

First off I would say this book has been a joy to read. I love and have always loved the way Dr. Jeremiah mingles stories that make you laugh sometimes and think sometimes but always takes you to a deeper understanding of what he is trying to say. It sure keeps me engaged in what could at other times be academic. This book I think speaks about how God intends our lives to be lived. Not about self-seeking and pleasure pursuing, but full of the fruit that the Spirit produces in us. The book takes you through a deeper look at each of these aspects of the Spirit in our lives. Life Beyond Amazing talks about selfless love and generosity that you see when you give yourself not to the things of this world, but the plans God has for us.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Have you ever felt that you were missing out on something in life, but you didn’t quite know where to find it?

This excellent book by David Jeremiah has some answers for you. Taking the Bible as his guide, Dr. David Jeremiah shows us how to have an abundant life as we follow Christ each day.

In a quote from the introduction to the book, Dr. Jeremiah tell us “Our world needs solid-to-the-core people with unimpaired grit and unimpeded godliness. The church needs a rekindling of the nine traits that go to the core of character and are called the fruit of the sprit in Galatians 5:22-23.....People with those qualities are saints for all seasons. They are people like Jesus.”

Dr. Jeremiah takes deep truth from the scriptures and conveys those truths to us in a very readable, relatable way. This is an excellent book for personal study and would work well as a group Bible study, too. I’m looking forward to reading this book as a devotional study.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion of the book.

When I requested this book I was not aware of how strongly Christian this book is. Since this is not my orientation I don't feel qualified to give a full review. All I will say is this book is suited for Biblically focused readers.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

It was a good reading, although I expected more theology involved.
Dr. David Jeremiah takes you through the fruit of Spirit and gives practical advice on cultivating the 9 spiritual traits. Scripture verses, personal situations and christian-related stories highlights each chapter. He influence you to be active in having an abundant life full of God.
It simply challenges you to review your life and take new decisions.

This book is about hope and how you can live your best life. It talks about things we can do so we can live the best life God has for us. Its time we stop living in the shadows and come out to be the best we can.

The way I see it, a David Jeremiah book is like a Junior Hill book—all I really need to do is just point you toward it and get out of the way. But since that probably wouldn’t make it past the editorial staff at my usual outlet, I’ll expand a little, even though I’m sure most of you have already opened a new tab on your laptop and typed in “Amazon.com”!

So, what is a life beyond amazing? According to Dr. Jeremiah, it is being “rooted and solid;” able to weather the storms of life with strength, confidence, peace and calm. It’s about developing into what God wants us to be, to provide what the world needs: “solid-to-the-core people with unimpaired grit and unimpeded godliness.”

If you have stopped for a moment to think about it, you have probably figured out why the number 9 is used. The 9 decisions are based on the fruit of the spirit outlined in Galatians 5. Each chapter is rich, filled with the wisdom and encouragement we have grown to expect from the beloved pastor.

Make sure you have a yellow highlighter ready, so as soon as the UPS guy delivers your copy, you can start marking the passages you want to return to and work on applying to your life. You might need two highlighters—there’s a lot of good stuff in this book!

What an amazing teaching about the life we should be living

Thoughts:
A LIFE BEYOND AMAZING: 9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today by David Jeremiah brings an amazing way to understand our own part in this life.

Distraction through pain and sometimes feeling we are alone in prayer do not dictate the path of our lives, and the absence of these problems cannot provide peace or strengthen faith. In fact, these will happen to all at many points on the journey. However, it is our own heart which can take us from panic to peace and from weary to rest through the fruits of the Holy Spirit and our relationship with God inside our daily transformation.

From those who we surround ourselves with and our own awareness about why and how we fit into this picture will certainly shed much-needed light into some of those places we have yet dared to examine.

Using Scripture and faith stories of those inside the Bible and others Dr. David Jeremiah advances our faith maturity through self-awareness, application, character, endurance, and challenges. He teaches and shares the nine virtues we need to enhance faith from grace.

***This opinion is my own.***


Preview:
In A LIFE BEYOND AMAZING: 9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today, David Jeremiah introduces the challenges of becoming the person God calls each to be, and it all begins inside the heart.

Scripture guides the examination of stories teaching character traits necessary to transform this life. Through God’s calling, through Christ, and the Holy Spirit, all can access the virtues, joy, peace, and divine wisdom every day.

A deeply profound, yet easily readable, scripture based guide to living the dynamic life God had always planned for you.

A Life Beyond Amazing

9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today
by David Jeremiah

Thomas Nelson--W Publishing

Thomas Nelson
Christian , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 03 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of A Life Beyond Amazing Through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

In this book we are encouraged to live a life of love, and reminded to seek out genuine love, while the author reminds us that it is hard work, he points out too that it is necessary. We are encouraged too to pray for a greater love, while also stressing the importance of loving our enemies. We are encouraged too to not be afraid to risk.

The author also encouraged us to live a life of joy. David Jeremiah pointed out that there is a difference between happiness and joy. We are reminded too that the Christian Life is infused with joy. The author points out that Christian joy not only shows up in happy times but also times of trial and discouragement. We are reminded too that God wants us to be joyful, and that to do so we must Surrender to Jesus Christ because he is the center of joy. We are also encouraged to Submit to the Spirit Of God, and to study the Word Of God. We are reminded too of the importance of spending time in prayer, as well as being encouraged to share our lives with others.

We are encouraged too live a life of peace, the author also points out that Peace is God’s Ultimate goal. We are also told of Peace with God, and Peace from God. As well as being reminded what the Peace Of God is.

We are reminded too of the importance of living a life of endurance. The author points out our need for endurance. We are encouraged to embrace our adversity and surround ourselves with champions. We are encouraged too to find our passion and pursue it.

The importance of living a life of compassion is also highlighted. David Jeremiah reminds us too that compassion is not academic. We are reminded too that Compassion is not abstract and compassion is not afraid. We are reminded too that compassion is not analytical. The author points out too that compassion can surprise you and it is about what you see, and what you do as well as how you do it. We are reminded too that compassion is also abou what it costs us.

The author encourages us to live a life of generosity as well. We are reminded too that generosity is not about what is in our bank accounts but what is in our hearts. We are encouraged too to change the way we think about money. We are encouraged to expose our hearts to humanity. We are reminded too to do the little things before doing the big things. We are encouraged too to start giving more than we can afford.

We are encouraged to live a life of integrity. We are reminded too that the Biblical term for integrity is faithfulness. We are encouraged too be honest with ourselves. We are reminded the importance of avoiding bad company. The author reminds us to be found faithful. We are encouraged too be strong under fire. We are encouraged too be accountable to someone.

We are encouraged too to live a life of humility. The author reminds us that humility is the ability to use the power and resources we possess for the good of others. We are reminded too that the greatest example of humility is Jesus Christ. We are encouraged too start serving, and to keep listening and learning. Jeremiah encourages us too to hang out with ordinary people, as well as to stop taking ourselves so seriously and to spend time with children. We are reminded too of the importance of not loosing perspective.

In this book we are also encouraged too to live a life of self-discipline. The author describes self-discipline as doing what’s right when you feel like doing what’s right. We are reminded too of the importance of having self discipline. We are encouraged to battle for a self disciplined life, and reminded that we will be blessed for doing so. We are encouraged too to embrace our dissatisfaction and to beware of our good intentions. We are encouraged to excercise as well. The author reminds us of the freedom of self discipline. We are reminded too to live a life without a regret.

I give A Life Beyond Amazing five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

A Life Beyond Amazing: 9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today by David Jeremiah is a very highly recommended exploration of the nine character traits that are called the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians. Dr. Jeremiah has some wonderful insights to share on the fruit of the Spirit. This would be a great choice for a Bible study, personal or group. There is a study guide available too.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

In the introduction Dr. Jeremiah writes: This book is about character. It’s about how we develop the character that Christ wants for us, that God makes us capable of achieving, and that the Holy Spirit is always, always ready to guide us to. I want to help you develop character qualities beyond the norm. I want to show you how to build a life beyond amazing, and, in so doing, make an impact beyond imagination.... The church needs a rekindling of the nine traits that go to the core of character and are called the "fruit of the Spirit."

Following the fruit of the Spirit, the contents of A Life Beyond Amazing are: Introduction 1. A Life of Love 2. A Life of Joy 3. A Life of Peace 4. A Life of Endurance 5. A Life of Compassion 6. A Life of Generosity 7. A Life of Integrity 8. A Life of Humility 9. A Life of Self-Discipline. Dr. Jeremiah points out that three of these have to do with our relationship with ourselves, three deal with interactions with other people, and three of them focus on our relationship with God. To develop these nine qualities will require commitment and effort, but if we take this goal seriously, this decision will also transform our hearts, lives, and world.

This is a well written, outstanding book with plenty of sound Biblical principles backed up by scripture, practical advice, and superb examples taken from recent to historical events. It's obvious that there is some thought and inspiration behind the information shared. I felt inspired by the points made and challenged to continue the task of developing the fruits of the Spirit in my life. Honestly, A Life Beyond Amazing wasn't just "phoned-in" so a book could be published (unlike a few other books I've reviewed this year, that, although they had some good advice, they also felt dated with no current examples and contained repetitious information found in previous books).

I collected some great quotes from A Life Beyond Amazing and want to share a few of them because of the insight they contain.
And this peace is not a quiet tension. Quiet tension is not peace. It’s just compressed anxiety. Too often we think we’re trusting when we’re really only controlling our panic. True peace is not only a calm exterior, but also a quiet heart.
Integrity is telling the truth to yourself. Honesty is telling the truth to others.
Self-discipline is choosing to do what’s right when you feel like doing what’s wrong.
Humility is one of the most difficult virtues to cultivate in our time and place.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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AMZ & B&N

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. I first fell in love with David Jeremiah when I started reading Sanctuary. It was my first daily devotional. It was like he was speaking directly to me. In this book, it was for me sitting down and having a conversation with him. I loved it from beginning to end! I felt like God made this path open and put the book in front of me. God is the details.

This is a great book.

I have never read anything by this author, I have never heard him speak anywhere, and I know little about him. In short, my expectations for this book were not very high. So I was pleasantly surprised by Dr. David Jeremiah and A LIFE BEYOND AMAZING.

Here’s the key point: Christians need to be ACTIVE participants in achieving the fruit of the spirit. Yes, it’s indeed the Holy Spirit developing these traits in believers, but we are not supposed to be passive: “The same Bible that describes love as a fruit of the Spirit also commands us to love one another.” We are commanded to be “active partners in the process, and we must be diligent to do our part,” as all believers are exhorted in 2 Tim. 2: 15.

Dr. Jeremiah sets the foundation for the book with the first trait, which he calls, “Leading a Life Of Love.” The point is not so much a feeling, but an ACTION: “Love is not about what we feel for others— it’s about what we do for others.”

Besides the very first chapter on Love, another one of my favorite chapters is the one on Generosity. I found lots of practical, inspiring ideas. The author suggests Christians should “change the way you think about money.” Make a radical shift—“turn the way we think about money on its head.” Here’s my favorite tip of this chapter—I decided to implement this idea TODAY: “Carry some money with you specifically to give away to someone in need.” I absolutely love that idea. I’m putting extra money in my wallet.

The chapter on self-discipline was similarly stocked with great ideas. I talking about how to develop good habits, Dr. Jeremiah recalls a friend who was trying to make a habit of exercise. He started with just one thing: “He chose one small behavior, so small it felt trivial. This ensured it was easy to do. Then he did this small behavior consistently until it became routine.” Wow—great idea. I confess I never thought of this.

As you begin your journey, the author suggests five specific steps:

• Desire the Spirit
• Renounce Your Sin
• Devote Yourself To God’s Word
• Let Go Of Your Own Ambition
• Commit To The Spirit’s Direction

So all in all, I found A LIFE BEYOND AMAZING to be a solid read, with tons of useful ideas. I am already implementing several of these ideas. I thought this one sentence nicely summed up the theme of this book:

“The journey to a life beyond amazing is a journey to the highest, best, most love-filled life possible. It will not always be easy. But I promise you, it will be worth it.”


Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.