Book review: The Good Life Bible Study: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness
by Dr. Derwin L. Gray
Read and used the study material in our small group from August 2023 — February 2024.
Review title: Very basic study series on the Beatitudes
Our small group used “The Good Life Bible Study” from the fall of 2023 until we finished in February 2024. This study consists of a book, study guide, and DVD with 8 video sessions (8–14 minutes long). This study is about the Beatitudes from Jesus’ sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 5:3–10. Each of the eight lessons discusses one of the Beatitude verses. Although this study isn’t “bad”, I would not recommend it. We found it to be fairly superficial and not at all nuanced. The author regularly reduced “blessed” to mean “happy”, often saying things like “Jesus is the happiest person to ever walk this earth.” p17.
His examples were simplistic and sometimes could leave an abused person in a dangerous situation. He made a number of conflicting claims like, “Our circumstances do not add or take away from our happiness.” p14 and then contradicted it, “Maybe you feel like you should be in a different place in your life by now? It’s hard to be happy if you think you’re terrible.” p99. Plus this study had a lot of pat answers and cliches like, “God isn’t looking for your ability; He longs for your availability to share His supernatural ability.” p.62. Did God not give us our abilities and does He not desire for us to develop and use them for his kingdom? Gray doesn’t seem to think so.
His lesson on pain was rather insensitive. He said, “Pain sends us into our purpose. Out of broken hearts we cry out to God, and His comforting grace moves us to comfort others. … Biblical lament means allowing your heart to be broken by the same things that break God’s heart, knowing all the while that God is near the brokenhearted. Lament moves us to action.” p30. This may be the case sometimes but many who suffer chronic pain and illness are not able to move into action and all too often, people turn away from God after tragedy.
In the lesson on peacemakers, there was a distinct lack of awareness and protection for abuse victims. It was not appropriate to advise everyone to actively go into places of conflict with the goal of making peace.
Overall this study was lacking in depth and nuance. Our group struggled with its simplicity, cliches, and reduction of “blessed” to “happy” throughout the book and videos. If you are looking for a study on the Beatitudes, there must be something better out there.