Beyond Me: Living a YouFirst Life in a MeFirst World [Paperback]

Kathi Macias (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 2008

In Beyond Me readers will have ten chapters of thought-provoking text that helps them see clearly the distinction between their ever-increasing clash of cultures—the clash between life and death or, in other words, you and me. Written in a warm, personal, and easy-to-read-and-understand style, Beyond Me is an invitation to pursue true discipleship. In poignant, humorous, but always vulnerable and meaningful examples, readers will find current, historical, and biblically documented insights and teachings to support this call to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Award-winning author Kathi Macias has written more than 17 books, including Beyond Me, the best-selling devotional A Moment a Day, and the popular “Matthews” mystery novels. Her most recent novel, Emma Jean Reborn, is currently being put into script form by playwright Barry Scott. She has written commentary for Thomas Nelson’s Spirit-Filled Life Bible (Student Edition) and was part of the devotional writing team for Zondervan’s New Women’s Devotional Bible. She has ghostwritten for several prominent individuals including Josh McDowell, former NFL player Rosey Grier, and the late chaplain of the United States Senate, Richard Halverson. Kathi has won many awards, including the Angel Award from Excellence in Media, fiction awards from the San Diego Christian Writers Guild, and the grand prize in an international writing contest. With women’s ministry as her primary interest, Kathi is a popular speaker for women’s retreats, conferences, and churches. A mother and grandmother, Kathi and her husband, Al, call California home.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: New Hope Publishers - Impact (June 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596692200
• ISBN-13: 978-1596692206
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Be Prepared to Be Challenged, October 8, 2009

By 

Benjamin Potter "Loom & Wheel" (Mulberry Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond Me: Living a YouFirst Life in a MeFirst World (Paperback)

Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World - Kathi Macias

© 2008 New Hope Publishers, Birmingham

Kathi Macias's biography lists mainly devotional and mystery novels in her list of works. Now she is spreading her wings, digging deeper, and challenging her readers.

Beyond Me takes a hard look at how Christ followers live in the self-centered society that permeates the world today. Each chapter tackles another facet of the selfish lifestyle that the world - and most Christians practice in the modern world. She includes a variety of meaningful illustrations straight from her own life, from her conversion experience, to opportunities she encountered in areas of ministry that she found herself as she grew in her faith. In addition she uses Scriptural bases to form her ideas about what believers should be about.

One of the helpful inclusions in the book are the end-of-chapter, think-deeper questions. These are designed to help the reader to evaluate their own place in the Christian walk, internalize the previous few pages' material, and challenge the reader to apply the truths to their life.

Especially enjoyable was the treatment of familiar biblical passages such as the stories of the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan. I would highly recommend this challenging read for anyone who is tired of living a mediocre Christianity. Others will want to avoid this book until they are ready to be convicted of their selfishness.

Four and one-half out of five reading glasses

--Benjamin Potter, October 8, 2009

"Become a New Hope Book Review Blogger. Visit [...]for more information."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Your Heart, March 7, 2009

By 

Diane H. Pitts (Gulf Coast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Me: Living a YouFirst Life in a MeFirst World (Paperback)

Kathi Macias slices right through the "Me-First" sickness plaguing our culture. The tip of that knife exposed my own tendency to lethargy and pitfall of "good things". What does God have in mind for me? Can I find the New Testament Jesus in today's trappings?
Macias calls from personal examples and meaty scripture," Search!" Search hard for a relationship with God that is more than just a glance through a dusty rearview mirror. Let the principles of "Beyond Me" kindle the coals in your soul that cry for fire.
Two hundred pages, places to scribble, and sidebars that hook you. I'll be hanging on to this book for a long time. But I'll share.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Average Christian Living??, September 21, 2008

By 

Tim Burns "InkWell" (West Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Me: Living a YouFirst Life in a MeFirst World (Paperback)

Ever had mornings you don't want to get out of bed, days you don't feel like going to work? What do you do when the issue is obeying God? You love him; you are his child. Yet you still don't want to obey, and allow yourself to transformed into his image through your obedience. The heart of Kathi Macias' new book Beyond Me - Living a You-First life in a Me-First World balances tenuously on is this question. When the honeymoon is over - What Then?

Inspired by a cosmetic line marketed as "It Is All About Me," Kathi digs deeply into her 30 year personal Christian history to grapple with the issue of discipleship.

"Jesus didn't call us to make converts," Kathi said during our interview. "We aren't called to sit and listen to teaching, or (passively) expect to be blessed. He called us to make disciples. When you are all wrapped up in yourself, you make a pretty small package." According to Kathi, making disciples is about modeling a changed life. When we become a Christian, we learn how to live for Christ. The next step is modeling a changed life, living you-first in a me-first world.

As Kathi and I talked for nearly 30 minutes, she returned to a number of themes woven throughout the text. As people, we often have layers of emotional issues, learned habits which run counter to a discipled, disciplined Christian lifestyle. Living `you-first' means allowing Christ to remove the layers in order to reveal the person he has called and equipped you to become.

As American's, we often hold onto an "I can do it, and have to do it myself" kind of attitude. Yet Jesus calls us to participate with him, and allow Him to participate in our lives in order to build his kingdom, not our own. Another theme Kathi returned to is that some Christian's expect the church is God's "Bless me Club" Too often, our thoughts and prayers revolve in a fixed orbit around our own desires. Kathi's book is an encouragement, and a challenge to take the message of the gospel and make it personal. It's not about being served, but serving others.

Toward the end of our interview, I asked Kathi what she believed opened the door to this kind of lifestyle. I have heard these words from a church podium, yet not taken up the charge to change? She responded, "The bottom line to every sin, everything that takes us away from God's call on our life is a broken relationship with Him." The external sermon becomes an internal motivation when we understand God's heart toward us. He takes upon himself the shame of sin, he doesn't give it. He reaches and forgives rather than standing aloof and demanding of us. For Kathi, as she writes in this book, God so loved that he gave. He calls us to do the same.