Grace--it's a stained-glass, impersonal word until it happens to you . . . Until you have been broken beyond belief and need a miracle for your soul. Until you have betrayed a loved one and cannot bring him back. Until you have befriended every darkness and are desperate for the light.That's when God's relentless, amazing, very personalized grace finds you. It reached a slave trader onboard a ship raiding Africa's coast in March 1748. He later gave the world its most beloved hymn. It struck the Christian church's most treacherous enemy on a Damascus road in AD 45, and he became the gospel's greatest messenger. And it can free you too . . . of any shameful memory, open wound, unthinking mistake, or willful choice. Encountering God's grace changes lives forever. Let Dr. David Jeremiah show you how the transforming mercy that captured songwriter John Newton and the apostle Paul can awaken within you a fresh experience of the God who loves you fearlessly and pursues you with abandon. ""Captured by Grace" could just be the fresh experience of the love of God you've been waiting for."John C. Maxwell, Best-Selling Author "You'll never hear 'Amazing Grace' in the same way again."John Tesh, Entertainer and TV Personality "One of the most interesting and compelling books I have ever read."Tim LaHaye, Best-Selling Author
Dr. David Jeremiah, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, felt God’s calling on his life at a very early age. Born February 13, 1941 in Toledo, Ohio, Dr. Jeremiah was raised in a family deeply committed to ministry. At the age of eleven, Dr. Jeremiah and his family moved to Dayton, Ohio where his father, Dr. James T. Jeremiah, was the Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, and in 1953 became the President of Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio.
As Dr. Jeremiah was sensitive to God’s leading in his life, he followed in his father’s footsteps. In 1963, Dr. Jeremiah received a Bachelor of Arts from Cedarville College. In that same year, Dr. Jeremiah married his college sweetheart, Donna Thompson who also was attending Cedarville College as a business major. He went on to earn a Masters degree in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1967. He completed additional graduate work at Grace University and was granted the Doctor of Divinity degree from Cedarville College in 1981.
In 1969, Dr. Jeremiah began Blackhawk Baptist Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and developed a Christian school grades K through 12. In the 12 years he served as pastor, Blackhawk Baptist Church grew from 7 families to 1300 members. He also launched The Bible Hour television program.
Dr. Jeremiah heeded God’s call, and in 1981 he and his family moved to California where he became the senior pastor of Scott Memorial Baptist Church, now Shadow Mountain Community Church.
Shadow Mountain Community Church is one of the largest churches in San Diego County. It is also the home of Southern California Seminary and Christian Unified Schools.
As Dr. Jeremiah began his ministry at Shadow Mountain, he felt God’s calling to continue the broadcast ministry he started in Fort Wayne. In 1982, Turning Point Ministries became a reality.
Today, Turning Point's 30-minute radio program is heard nationally and internationally on over 1800 stations and translator/satellators. In recognition of Dr. Jeremiah’s commitment to teaching the Word of God, he received the Broadcaster of the Year Award in 1999 from the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), in August 2002, received the Award of Merit from the Western Chapter of National Religious Broadcasters for Excellence in Broadcasting and Faithfulness in Service, and in 2006 Turning Point received the Best Radio Teaching Program Award. Dr. Jeremiah has served on the Board of Directors for the NRB since 1996.
Turning Point launched a television program in 1982 in San Diego and went nationwide in 2000. Now seen around the world through cable and satellite technology, as well as on terrestrial stations all across the United States, conservative estimates suggest that close to 200 million homes around the world have access to Dr. Jeremiah's Bible teaching each week. Turning Point Television offers a half-hour Bible study message and a full hour worship service with the same great preaching. Carried on several national and international networks such as TBN, ION, and INSP, Turning Point Television has most recently been added to Middle East TV Network and BET, the Black Entertainment Network.
Dr. Jeremiah is a sought-after conference speaker for organizations around the country. He frequently speaks at Cedarville College, Dallas Theological Seminary, Moody Bible Institute, Billy Graham Training Center, Phil Waldrep’s Senior Adult Celebrations and numerous NFL, NBA and Baseball chapels.
Along with his speaking schedule around the country, Dr. Jeremiah also finds time to fulfill another passion in his life, writing. His books are always gripping and right to the point. Some of his books include Escape the Coming Night, The Power of Encouragement, What the Bible Says About Angels, Prayer The Great Adventure, which brought him The Gold Medallion Award in 1998, God In You, Gifts from God
I cannot help remembering the day a group of teenagers were throwing rocks at my house over the back fence and broke a window. For them it was a game; when the police came they thought they would go to jail. Instead, I dropped the charges on the condition that each one read a copy of this book which I gave them (I had copies to give away) Indeed, I do know that shortly after one of the boys upon completing the book asked for a Bible. God can do miraculous things when we understand grace
I find myself avoiding material from preachers on TV, as their messages tend to be more watered down and geared toward pleasing the crowds. David Jeremiah pleasantly surprised me with his book Captured by Grace, openly discussing topics such as repentance, suffering, and propitiation. Rarely do you hear such theological gems expounded upon by televangelists. Jeremiah has a rather compelling writing style that made this book quite a page-turner at times. I liked his explanation of the difference between mercy and grace in Chapter 1. His exposition on the prodigal son in Chapter 3 actually brought tears to my eyes. His emphasis on the pursuing nature of God was one of his strongest points. To think that God would not only provide a way out for sinners, but declare them honored members of His Kingdom as well! Truly, this is only possible though grace...unmerited favor from a holy God! This grace is only found through faith in Jesus Christ, and that is precisely why He is so precious to me.
Amazing Grace would always be my song of praise,for it was grace that bought my liberty! This is a outstanding book about the Grace of God and the love that he shows people in their grace walk. This has taught me many things about my own walk with Christ, it has taught me to be patient and wait on the blessings on God, God loves us unconditionally and that all things work together for good to them that love the Lord and is called towards his purpose, the differences between mercy and grace, etc. I have never read a book with so much emotion, I stopped in many passages and just paused at some things that I read, it is a powerful poignant book for every believer in Christ or unbeliever! I love how the author uses personal testimonies about things that have happened to him and other to indenify with the reader.
This has become my favorite christian book, it is amazing, words cannot describe how much this has taught me. I would be reading more books by this astounding author!
Two main men and a lady. John Newton, Saul of Tarsus, Harriet Stowe.
Talks about how both came to know the grace of our Father through their experiences. And in Harriet's case the death of her own child. How radically they were changed by the constant chasing of the Holy Ghost. David Jeremiah is a gifted story teller. I enjoyed this. The song "Amazing Grace" is the background for this book, and there's only one word for His grace-amazing.
The book Captured by Grace is held together by Apostle Paul and John Newton: Two sinners, centuries apart, whose lives tell the same story of God’s amazing grace. Through their lives and through the insight of many who have examined their lives, Jeremiah invites the reader to join the ranks of the Paul and Newton and partake of God’s amazing grace.
There are few books that I keep after reading; this one will stay on my shelf for sure. The stories, texts and trivia are crucial elements of Jeremiah’s exposition of grace. But what struck me most is his ability to make me, the reader, want to revel in God’s grace–not just because of my sinfulness but because of my gratefulness of the Cross and my renewed commitment to live for my Savior.
For those unfamiliar with the doctrine of grace, this is the perfect book for you; through it’s simple explanations and practical illustrations, you will understand the significance of grace in Christianity. For those who fully comprehend the grace of God, this book is like falling in love all over again; in the stories of changed hearts, you will find your love of Jesus rekindled with passion.
I found every page engaging; well, maybe not every page–I did not care for Jeremiah’s prelude. Perhaps that’s because of my personal dislike for historical fiction. I felt that his imaginative narrative of Paul persecuting Christians took away from the book. But I’m glad I moved on to the rest of the book; I was blessed by every page.
(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)
this book goes thru the Song "Amazing Grace" line by line comparing the life of Paul from the bible and the life of John Newton the author of "Amazing Grace" and what the Word of God says about grace. I am learning how great God's grace is and how it works in my life.
Great book. I took a lot from this, particularly much of the grace vs. mercy topic. I enjoyed learning about the story behind Amazing Grace, the hymn, while digging into scripture and Paul's journey and discussing grace.
Such a wonderful book about the grace and mercy of God. This book will keep you mindful of God's love and sacrifice for His people, and in reading it, you will be more sensitive to God's heart leading to more patience, kindness, and compassion as well as passion for His people!
A great book to improve your spiritual walk with Christ. It's a reminder that God's grace is sufficient, and even the worst of us can be forgiven and fully pardoned of our sins through the grace that is found through the salvation found through Jesus Christ.
This book uses biographical material from the lives of St. Paul and Isaac Watts to illustrate the grace of God. The subtitles of each chapter are phrases from the four familiar stanzas of "Amazing Grace." Dr. David Jeremiah is a good writer and has written a powerful book.
Two men that lived centuries apart, whose homes were a great distance apart, and whose upbringing bear no resemblance with the other, had three things in common: they lived lives of evil and destruction, were radically transformed by God, and transcribed powerful words telling us about it. These two men are Apostle Paul (author of two-thirds of the New Testament) and John Newton (the individual that penned the words to the classic hymn "Amazing Grace").
This is a powerful book that uses the stories of these men, along-side scripture, to challenge, inspire, and motivate us to recognize the grace of God in our lives; and to realize that God's love is greater than anyone can fathom, and is hunting us all down. I was finding myself stopping mid-chapter to pray and ask God for forgiveness. Dr. David Jeremiah uses powerful illustrations, detailed accounts of the lives of these men, and in-dept understanding of scripture to bring to life the power of God's grace. By the end of their lives, both men considered themselves the "chief of sinners", and recognized that they had been captured by grace. Although the beginning of the book was a bit slow (due to the detailed introduction of the subjects in the book), I really enjoyed the book once it got going. I would recommend this book to anyone that desires a greater understanding and reality of God's grace in their lives. You are not beyond the reach of God's love!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Not a short read....a pick it up and can't put it down, read it in a day read. This will take a bit of time.
That being said, it is not dense or difficult. It is just a book that seemed like it needed time to get through it. Going through the verses of the song, Amazing Grace, Dr. Jeremiah parallels the lives of Saul and John Newton...at least multiple times drawing comparisons. However, the real story to me was ultimately how, through God's grace, we can all be used in incredible ways in His kingdom.
The very person who sought out all the blossoming Christians of the first century becomes one of the strongest advocates, leading authorities and largest contributor of the Bible.
John Newton, a slave trader, becomes the person who befriends the man in political office that can ban slavery in Britain and pens the lyrics that form the basis of the book that is the rallying cry in America years later to start the civil war and end slavery in America as well.
God's grace is an amazing gift and Dr Jeremiah does an admirable job going through multiple facets of it as he discusses God's grace in the past, present and future and weaves these stories throughout.
"What must God do to captivate your attention and make you realize that He is alive, gloriously alive?"...a great quote as Dr. Jeremiah discusses the fact that being saved is not the end goal of God... Feel like you have been in/are in crises? Well, there are good words for you as Dr. Jeremiah talks through how Paul viewed what John Newton later refers to in his lyrics as "dangers, toils and snares".
So, what can you say of your walk with God and His grace...? I will leave you with one other word from the book that tells you why you should also pick it up and read it: "If you can place your trust totally in His love and His promise to work all things for your good, then you will have taken a step toward embracing the mysteries of His grace"
John Newton's story encapsulates the gift of grace once he sees the world through the eyes of Jesus Christ. He writes the hymn, Amazing Grace. Then the author explains the depravity of mankind making everyone capable of, both, righteousness and evil. David Jeremiah refers to the Apostle Paul to cite that righteousness exists living in Jesus Christ. Paul also points out that man's works mean nothing without faith. Grace accepted by faith in Jesus justifies one for eternal life with God.
Analysis of the Prodigal Son and some personal experiences are the next platforms for Captured by Grace: No One Is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God. It is never too late to turn back to the One who loves us, regardless, and who promises to shed His grace on all; but He offers salvation to those who learn the lessons from His word and follow Jesus Christ.
Taking God for granted perpetuates the drift away from Him. Crisis is often the impetus that reorients lost souls to God's plan. Our faith is tested with temptation, evil's shrewd suggestion for us to disobey God. Grace saves us through our faith and actions demonstrate this by our obedience to God's will.
Grace enlightens the world. The ultimate gift from God is His grace allowing Christ's victory over death in his resurrection. We know there is life after death as Christ fulfills that prophecy. This makes forbearance, the longsuffering the bible mentions, tolerable with an ever present joy, regardless of circumstance. Thankfulness for everything God does is the mark of a Christian captured by grace.
Title: CAPTURED BY GRACE Author: Dr. David Jeremiah Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers 2010 ISBN 978-0-8499-4616-5 Genre: Religion/Christian Life/Inspirational
Whether you are a new believer, a growing Christian, or a seasoned saint, CAPTURED BY GRACE is a volume that needs to be in your library, in your hand, and in your heart. It is, quite simply, the clearest presentation of grace in all of its aspects and attributes that I have ever come across. Teaching from personal experience, allegory, analogy and testimony from Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and many others throughout the ages on into the present day, Dr. David Jeremiah’s book is not only clear, it is comprehensive, compelling, and challenging.
After all, grace changes everything.
As an added bonus, Dr. Jeremiah challenges you to continue the journey by logging on to the ministry website, www.CapturedByGrace.com and enriching your life and your library with resources that will bring the book “home” in a way that will change your understanding of grace, and your relationship with Jesus, forever.
This book would make a wonderful gift for your pastor, Sunday School teacher, or anyone that you treasure and want to see grow in the Lord. 216 pages. $14.99.
You may know John Newton wrote “Amazing Grace,” but you may not know his life story. He continued as a slave trader after his conversion, but as he grew in understanding scripture and God’s grace to him, he turned abolitionist. In this book, Author David Jeremiah compares Newton’s life and conversion to the life of Paul the Apostle with profound insights for our own lives.
A favorite chapter for me was “The Comforting Provision of Grace” in which Jeremiah explained Romans 5:1-11 by assigning symbols to the verses. For instance a key symbolizes “access to faith” and a music box symbolizes “rejoicing.” Quite insightful to understanding the passage. I especially appreciated the “Moments of Grace,” that wrapped up each chapter.
Jeremiah helps us understand suffering and how “outward pain helps us accelerate inward progress.” “Negative events have positive purposes.” He illustrated some points by including poems by one of my favorite poets, Annie Johnson Flint.
A “Select Bibliography” and six pages of reference notes conclude the book. Although published in 2006, the book is especially relevant today as both John Newton and Paul faced hardship and learned to persevere. This is one book I want to reread.
Captured by Grace is a nonfiction book about...well you could probably guess...grace! lol. Dr. Jeremiah follows the life of John Newton (famous for penning the hymn "Amazing Grace") and Saul/Paul of the Bible to show the effect God's grace had on them. He really takes a good look at grace; the purpose, where it appears in the Bible, and what it means for us.
This book had a lot of good content, but it was hard for me to get through. I wish he would have gone further into the story of John Newton. I did enjoy the comparisons of his life and Paul's and how while their situations were different they were alike in many ways.
"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”"
Captured by Grace by Dr. David Jeremiah parallels the stories of John Newton and the apostle Paul, two men whose lives are centuries apart but whose lives are both transformed through God's grace. John Newton, an African slave trader in the 1700's, also wrote the song Amazing Grace and Jeremiah uses its lyrics to illustrate God's mercy and grace. Paul, formerly Saul and a killer of Christians until he is saved on the road to Damascus, experiences increasing hardships and Jeremiah uses his story to illustrate how God's grace is always with us even in the darkest of days.
The biblical examples Jeremiah uses are resourceful. However, I did find he jumped around the point at times and I would get lost in the translation. I enjoyed learning more about John Newton and the Apostle Paul, recommending this book to anyone who is studying Paul especially. I also appreciate "The Moments of Grace" Jeremiah provides, exercises to apply and deepen the learning of the preceding chapter making this book ideal for a study club.
Captured by Grace: No One Is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God, is a book about God's Amazing Grace. Using the lives of the Apostle Paul and John Newton, the writer of the Amazing Grace, Dr. Jeremiah teaches about God's grace. Each chapter takes a line from the hymn as its frame.
I especially enjoyed the parts about John Newton. Those were very interesting and held my attention very well. The part about the Apostle Paul, not as much so.
My best gleanings from the book were the difference between mercy and grace. That was powerfully insightful for me. - Mercy is when God told Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac. - Grace was the ram he provided in his stead.
- Mercy is the father receiving his prodigal son back. - Grace is when he threw a banquet.
Dr. David Jeremiah is a great bible teacher and every time I listen to him, I enjoy him. I trust him to always deliver sound theology. This book is no exception. It's very sound.
My copy of Captured by Grace was provided by Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze program. It's available from your favorite bookseller of Thomas Nelson books.
I had high hopes for this book but was only mildly satisfied.
Yes, it deals with the best of all themes -- the grace of God. Jeremiah even uses John Newton and the world's favorite hymn as the story line woven throughout the entire book. I enjoyed these two factors very much!
But, the book overall was a little dry and perhaps too "lesson-ish" for my taste. By chapter seven I was content to skim the phrase by phrase explanations of numerous Bible verses.
Don't get me wrong, Jeremiah makes some excellent points about the undeserved grace we receive from an all-loving God. These should not be belittled! But perhaps I was anxious for more hope and enthusiasm than I felt between the lines of the text. It seemed the good news aspect of grace was eclipsed by the "dangers, toils, and snares" we'll face until we finally reach those happy 10,000 years finally in heaven. Hunker down, folks, it's gonna be a rough ride!
Not sorry I read it, but left feeling a bit dissatisfied.
I had to give this wonderful book 4 stars only because it is right on target with scripture until pages 205 & 206...salvation. There is never any scripture quoted in the Bible where one says this prayer and is saved. The prayer of faith spoken of in James 5:15 says "Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven." Jesus himself said in Mark 16:16 that "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Those who believe AND are baptized are saved...it says AND. It's not a choice of either or. We are washed clean by the grace of God, given the Holy Spirit of God and are raised up into a new creation completely free & forgiven. A born again Christian. So many leave out this verse but you can't add to or take away from the Living Word Of God!!
I must admit that I was at first a bit disappointed with this book, because my expectations were that it would be focusing on the parallels between the lives of the Apostle Paul and John Newton in relationship to the message of Newton's well known Hymn "Amazing Grace". And although this is the main focal point around which this book was written, Dr. Jeremiah interweaves the scriptural texts on Grace to develop a sermon series in book form that hopes to draw the reader into the arms of Grace. I am glad I didn't put it aside in frustration. This book is full of the powerful layers and forms of Grace that pursue us and transform us as the extended arm of the Almighty God who is LOVE! This book leaves the reader encouraged, hopeful, challenged and thankful that "No One Is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God.
Much like his sermons, Dr. Jeremiah mixes his conventional, personable voice with a scholarly approach to the minutiae of scripture, in this case, the Pauline letters. Paralleling the conversions of Paul and slave trader-turned-minister-and-hymnist John Newton, he centers the conversation around the concept of grace, as "personified" by Newton's claim-to-fame, "Amazing Grace."
So there's a lot here, and my only qualm is that this engaging approach to the topic actually feels a bit lightweight at parts, as if Dr. Jeremiah holds back the full heft of the book to avoid crossing over from accessibility to obfuscation through overanalyis. It's a fine line that he has mastered walking, and, despite the above reservation, this is a resonant and powerful book.
In this book we read about a person who begins life as a social outcast , abandoned and abused, yet somehow they become loving and caring.
Saul is among many names we will recognize in this book.All are connected by faith. This book impacts you deeply, makes you want to make a difference in life, even the smallest things can end up being huge for someone else.
People can do extraordinary things for each other and God.It is all extremely inspirational. The overwhelming feelings are tough to describe.
You need to agree with Jesus that he only he can calm the storms in your life. You only need to take a stand beside him as he always in standing beside us.
This is a must read, it will give you hope, inspire you and renew your spirit.
This isn't a book I would normally read but I promised the man who gave it to me 9 years ago that I would read it, and I'm a man of my word. I think this book was compiled from a sermon series which means the arguments he presents are in general built around anecdotes. These arguments tend to then be paper thin and collapse at the slightest breeze. I generally agree with what he is saying but I find the lack of any real scholarly work here to be discomforting. I also felt he stretched the effective use of Paul and John Newton as examples almost to its breaking point. This is not a bad read, but it definitely panders to a certain audience.
It took me awhile to finish this book; mostly due to distractions or stresses of everyday life. But “Amazing Grace” has always been one of my favorite hymns and I was moved by this author’s explanations of the origins of this beloved hymn, along with the parallels of the conversions in the lives of St Paul and John Newton. It was fascinating to read how both of these men turned their lives around, after recognizing the divine intervention of His grace as a turning point. In today’s troubled times, this book acts as a reminder that we all can put our trust and hope in the Gift of Grace and turn to help each other along the way.
Two names that are practically synonomous with "grace" are John Newton (penned the song Amazing Grace) and Paul (formerly known as Saul from the Bible). It is these two personalities that author David Jeremiah takes a closer look at bringing them to life to the reader to learn from their own mistakes and fortunes. This book is about spiritual guidance and while it cannot be absorbed all in one sitting it will definitely get in your heart and help you learn for the good of your soul.
*Thanks to Book Sneeze for providing a copy for review.*
Dr. David Jeremiah is an excellent storyteller and he puts that skill to work in Captured by Grace, telling the tales of Paul the apostle and John Newton–two men whose lives were radically changed when they encountered the living Savior. Where many books on basic Christian theology become stale, this one grows ever more intriguing thanks to a plethora of rich metaphors, invented allegories, and historical retellings.
David Jeremiah's brings us into the lives of two men John Newton the slave the 17th century slave trader turned anointed hymn writer (Author of Amazing Grace) and the Apostle Paul, who zealously hunted the early church Christians until he was "Captured by grace" and transformed into the greatest Christian missionary the world has ever seen. Throughout the narrative of both these men's lives, Jeremiah shows the reader just how powerful God's grace is and that no matter how bad your sinful past may be it is no match for the ever abounding mercies of God..... I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
As usual, David Jeremiah puts out another book that is fantastic. In "Captured by Grace", we learn the story behind the gospel classic, Amazing Grace and its author John Newton. The life of John Newton, in many ways, parallels the life of the apostle Paul. Jeremiah uses the life of both these men to teach on the past, present, and future aspects of the Grace of God, which is prevalent in the life of every Christian. This is a tremendous book for personal devotion or for a group Bible Study class.