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.
David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point, an international ministry committed to providing Christians with sound Bible teaching through radio and television, the Internet, live events, and resource materials and books. He is the author of more than fifty books, including Is This the End?, The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book, David Jeremiah Morning and Evening Devotions, Airship Genesis Kids Study Bible, and The Jeremiah Study Bible. Dr. Jeremiah Serves as the senior pastor of shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, California, where he resides with his wife, Donna. They have four grown children and twelve grandchildren.
