9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today - A Life Beyond Amazing

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.

A Life Beyond Amazing: 9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today by Dr. David Jeremiah is an insightful book on how to begin living a godly, Spirit led life. This book explores how exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit can improve and transform our lives for the better.

I was very excited to read this book because developing and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit is a desire of mine. Dr. Jeremiah does a fantastic job of explaining and thoroughly examining why each characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit is vitally important. He utilizes a variety of biblical examples, inspiring stories and experiences from his personal life to provide a practical understanding of how readers can exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in their everyday lives.

This is the first book that I've read by Dr. Jeremiah and I honestly did not know what to expect. I was pleased to discover that it was a very easy book to read. It's written in a conversational tone and the concepts are addressed in a simplistic manner that helps readers understand and grasp them.

The one thing I noticed after reading the first few chapters is that this is not a "how to" book. If readers are expecting this book to tell them how to quickly manifest the fruit of the Spirit in their lives in a step-by-step manner, they are likely going to be disappointed. The focus of this book is on helping the reader acknowledge the importance of living a life that demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit. That's one of the reasons why I believe Dr. Jeremiah wisely stated that this book shares "9 Decisions". In my estimation, his objective is to encourage readers to decide to live a Spirit led life, with the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. There are practical examples shared throughout the book, but ultimately the Holy Spirit will direct readers "how to" do it individually as they develop their personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I really enjoyed this book! My favorite chapter by far was 'A Life of Compassion'. There was so much depth and richness shared within it that I am looking forward to reading it over an over again to truly make the most of the insights that were shared. This is a fantastic book and one worth reading for anyone, especially believers in Jesus Christ, who is interested in living a life led by the Holy Spirit.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program and I was not required to write a positive review.

What prevents you from living the life of your dreams? How can you thrive in the midst of adversity, discouraging headlines, and daily challenges? Dr. David Jeremiah believes the answer is found in developing the nine character qualities known as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). In A Life Beyond Amazing: 9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today, the author lays out a plan for building these qualities into our lives.

As the author explains in the introduction,

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.

A few pages later, he explains that we play a vital role in our own development.

It’s true the Holy Spirit can reproduce the character of our Lord Jesus, and we must always abide in Christ. But the Bible also makes us active partners in the process, and we must be diligent to do our part. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed” (2 Tim. 2:15).

Diligent is not a word for the fainthearted. It implies consistency, self-discipline, making every effort, and working with great conscientiousness.

The author devotes a chapter to each of the nine qualities mentioned in the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, endurance, compassion, generosity, integrity, humility, and self-discipline. He strives to tell the biblical story of the discipline and then offers practical how-to suggestions for putting that discipline into practice. He combines Scripture, stories, quotes, and personal examples to explain the qualities and demonstrate both the benefit and the process for developing character that will lead to a more fruitful and effective life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

This very refreshing book focuses on the nine fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22,23 and how a decision to pursue each will change your life into one "beyond amazing". The nine qualities are love, joy, peace, endurance, compassion, generosity, integrity, humility and self-discipline. Dr. David Jeremiah describes each, both in terms of what they are and what they are not. He challenges the reader, in very practical ways, to cultivate each.

I found each chapter to be personal and easy to understand, as the author uses memorable real-life illustrations of each quality.

Jeremiah also has what I thought were some original thoughts. Of particular benefit to me was one on page 54: "There are four main highways upon which the peace of God travels: the Spirit of God, the Son of God, the Word of God, and prayer."

In the chapter on self-discipline, the author writes: "Ïf we're not unhappy and dissatisfied with how much and what kind of love, joy, and peace we have in our lives, nothing will change. If we're not convicted that we fall short in generosity and compassion, we'll stay the same. And if we think we're humble and resilient when we're not, we fool ourselves and a life beyond amazing for us will just be a nice title to a new book.

"So embrace your dissatisfaction with your life. Don't let it depress or discourage you. Remind yourself that the more you want a better life, the more power and fuel you have to achieve it!"

This is a common tone in this book; after laying out the chapter's quality, Jeremiah talks to you like a wise friend, zeroing in on your responsibility to God and yourself.

I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

I have been blessed by David Jeremiah. His books and his preaching. I have been tuning in to watch him preach on this book. Seems so simple to use the word amazing, but that is exactly what it is.

Those nine decisions that will transform our lives are from Galatians 5:22-23. "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 Spirit" in Galatians 5:22-23."

"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 qualities of a life beyond amazing are produced within us by the Holy Spirit. It is His love, joy, peace, endurance, compassion, generosity, integrity, humility, and self-discipline you seek. These qualities represent the essence of the personality of Jesus Himself. When the Spirit of Christ comes to live within us, He reproduces Himself, putting these traits at our core so we can achieve godly character."

"None of what I share with you is beyond your reach...unless you try it alone, without the spiritual support Jesus makes available to us. That spiritual support will sustain you when what I'm asking you to do feels like more than you can handle, much less achieve."

Okay, I have shared just a little from the introduction alone. That's good stuff, right? There are nine chapters, each one jam-packed with extraordinary goodness for the soul. Food we all need for the endurance of this journey we are on today and preparation for the tomorrow in our journey. Each chapter goes through the nine characteristics of love, joy, peace, endurance, compassion, generosity, integrity, humility, and self-discipline. I wish I could share my notes for each chapter, but there just isn't enough room.

Dr. Jeremiah uses the Word of God and he never strays from the truth of the Word. He shares personal stories, stories from others that will bring your heart to ponder, wisdom from other sojourners, those from the Bible and those who walk today with us. What I love is his transparency. He has a great love and passion to share Jesus. That makes him a great teacher.

I appreciate his teaching. This book in particular really reaches into the heart. Does our speech and walk line up together? Am I living what I say I believe? I have found that I cannot just live one of these characteristics, it's kind of all or none. We may have to work harder at some as others come easy to us, but they all work together. If we love, Jesus love, these characteristics will flow from us.

That's what we find here within these pages. He guides us to understanding how to live out this amazing life that Jesus has called us to. He brings scripture to the forefront of each chapter and uses reality, real life experiences, that lets us know we are not alone in this journey.

"With the Holy Spirit at home in your heart, the nine virtues will begin to grow. As you nourish them with God's Word and repair them with repentance, they will mature you into a person ready to face each day with confidence and joy. And along the way there will be blessings. You will feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. You will enjoy a closeness in your walk with God that you never imagined."

If you're new to David Jeremiah this is a wonderful place to begin. If you're a longtime reader of his books and study then this is an awesome place to continue. There too is a study guide that goes along with this book. I use my David Jeremiah Study Bible for my studies and it may too be something you will enjoy as you journey forward in this incredible walk with Him.

This book was a gift from Thomas Nelson for sharing my review with 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

In his newest book, A Life Beyond Amazing: 9 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life Today, Dr. David Jeremiah, has written an outstanding book about how to live life according to the Fruits of the Spirit.

This book has the potential to be life changing. As Jeremiah correctly points out early in the book, living life according to these 9 Fruits of the Spirit is a decision which we make. They are difficult decisions to live according to each fruit of the spirit, but the potential when we do is a "life beyond amazing."

The chapters are ~
A life of Love
A life of Peace
A life of Joy
A life of Endurance
A life of Compassion
A life of Generosity
A life of Integrity
A life of Humility
A life of Self-Discipline

While I look at some of the headers for the fruits of the Spirit differently than Jeremiah, he is still touching on the same topics, just using different words. For example, generosity is also goodness; endurance is patience . . . and so on.

Dr. Jeremiah gives a number of practical examples and illustrations to help the reader better understand and then apply these fruits into their lives.

Overall, this is an excellent book and one which should be read and discussed!!

I just finished A Life Beyond Amazing by Dr David Jeremiah. It was the perfect book to read to kick off the new year. I appreciated his insight on the source of true joy, thankfulness, generosity and compassion. His writing is very compelling and motivating. All of his suggestions are simple things that you could easily implement into your daily lives. I loved his thoughts on the importance of humility and the idea that a person should never stop learning and growing. I found myself underlining and taking notes throughout the book. I would have loved to read this with a friend or my husband because it's filled with great discussion topics. The chapters make you think and reassess the ways you are giving back to/serving the people you encounter every day. You'll finish chapters and definitely be motivated to make real changes in your life. I loved the way the book was organized. It was a quick read with a mixture of practical tips and tools, biblical characters and stories you'd likely hear in sermons and real life examples of his ideas. This was my first book to read by Jeremiah and I very much enjoyed it. I'm excited to check out his other books.

Hi, Everyone!!! I hope to enlighten you about this book. I must say that I really enjoy Dr. David Jeremiah. I love to listen to his sermons that he brings to us. I was pleased to be able to review this book. In this book, Dr. David Jeremiah focuses on nine qualities that create a life beyond amazing. The book focuses on A Life of Love, A Life of Joy, A Life of Peace, A Life of Endurance, A Life of Compassion, A Life of Generosity, A Life of Integrity, A Life of Humility, A Life of Self-Discipline. I found great gems throughout the book. In the A Life of Joy section, Dr. Jeremiah speaks of studying the Word, spending time in prayer, and sharing our lives with others. I found this to be a great help. Why you might ask. I found when I spend time in the Word; studying I learn so much more and what God has for me. I found when spending time in prayer, He is there to help me through whatever life throws at me. Sharing our lives with others was another. I found this one no matter what we're dealing with or going through it could be an encouragement for another. I really enjoyed the depth that Dr. David Jeremiah went through these nine qualities which gave a great insight on the fruits of the spirit.

"A Life Beyond Amazing" is another great title by David Jeremiah. Around 210 pages, the book centers around making choices in 9 areas than can positively affect our lives. The areas are: love, joy, peace, endurance, compassion, generosity, integrity, humility, and self-discipline. Some of the points addressed include:

1. While the world tells us to follow our feelings, God calls us to act in love.
2. Receiving God's love enables us to love others.
3. 7 ways to embrace and practice generosity.
4. Definition of humility and contrasting humility with pride.
5. 7 characteristics of self-disciplined people.
6. Consider which relationships build you up and which drag you down.
7. The need to speak in truth with grace.
8. Learn to laugh at yourself and instead of competing with others, enjoy being around them.

Very readable and full of mature insights from someone who has been in ministry for many years, the book is a good challenge and encouragement to make wise choices. Good read. I was given a review copy by BookLook Bloggers in exchange for a fair review.

Dr. David Jeremiah dives in 9 fruits of the Spirit, the ones we as Christians hear a lot, and explains the important of doing and growing in them. If we are going to follow Christ’s instructions that Mr. Jeremiah laid in his book, then we wouldn’t have any problem in experiencing greater lives God called us to have on Earth, connecting to the riches of the King of kings.

Yes, I was reminded over and over again on the truths that have the power to transform my life to extraordinary and beyond beautiful. Still reading… I know I need more thorough reading and examining in order to move from hearing about this and that, and step into living it.

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.

Dr. David Jeremiah's books in general are definitely a must read books. They radiate Christ, they are challenging in the Christian walk. And inspiring to want to know God in a more close personal way!!!"