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Your Fiery Furnace


We don't intentionally think about the benefits of the Sun/SON hint …hint. We just know or have come to know that without it we cannot survive.


Heat- Pressure- Change


Have you ever just stop to think about your life and what it took for you to arrive at this particular junction in life? If we had to be truthful about it. it took us going through some type of Metamorphosis. We go through it physically with no question asked. However some where in between innocence and and thinking you know it all we begin to question the validity and deity of God. We want to take things into your own hand as if we are in charge.


Then all of a sudden you have a Ah Hah! moment. You look back and see the pain, the crying, the...I cant make to only determine it was just a season in the process of growing.

How much pressure does it take to turns coal into a diamond? Under the duress of approximately 725,000 pounds per square inch, and at temperatures of 2000 – 2200 degrees Fahrenheit, a diamond will begin to form. The carbon atoms bond together to form crystals under this high pressure and temperature. It is within this process that we can understand that a diamond in its original state is actually black. It is with this understanding we have come to understand how trials and tribulation form shape align us to His will.



Over the last few years, we’ve been walking through a study on spiritual discipleship within the confounds of two becoming one. Along the way we have been practical, thereby allowing our eighty-six thousand four hundred second of the day to be intentionally put into practice. We have discovered that there are so many anomalies that its’ impossible to be always on guard. However, during practicality and confrontation, we’ve discovered that the aim had another aim in mind. To understand matrimony teaching and its discipline, we had to devote ourselves to these things that take time and don’t come naturally? The commitment was together but individually to bible intake, prayer, giving, fasting, solitude, journaling, and reading etc..


Why do we need to do these things?

Throughout our living study, we’ve tried to keep focused on the motivations of our heart. We didn’t want to fall into the trap of legalism, whereby we impose a set of manmade rules on unto each other whereby using them as justification for our action but rather a tool for refining each other. Neither do we want to fall into the trap of antinomianism (relating to the view that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law.), whereby we minimize the importance of discipling one another. To that end, here are some reasons every husband and wife in Christ ought to be devoted to their walk in Christ intentionally.


Remember: 2 Peter 1:5-11 King James Version (KJV) 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.


Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).


We practice spiritual disciplines so that we can enjoy God (Psalm 63, 73:25-28). When you read the book of Psalms, you don’t come away thinking the psalmist was burdened with the responsibility of spiritual disciplines. Bible intake and prayer and giving were not tasks to be enjoyed. Rather, they were means by which the psalmist enjoyed the very presence of God. If we take this approach towards each other.


We practice spiritual disciplines for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8). Paul called Timothy to “train” for the purpose of “godliness.” No one accidentally slides toward holiness. No one naturally drifts toward holiness. We must train. We must be disciplined. In heeding the biblical calls for God’s people to be holy, we must see the disciplines as a means of training. “Count it all joy husband and wife when you fall into divers’ temptations, knowing this is the trying of your faith, but Let faith have its mature work in you that you my be whole wanting nothing.”


The book of Psalms assumes God’s people will practice spiritual disciplines (Psalm 1, 19, 119). Just as the book of Genesis assumes the existence of God, the book of Psalms assumes God’s people will engage in spiritual disciplines. Psalm 1 assumes we will meditate on God’s Word. Psalm 19 assumes we will desire God’s Word more than gold or honey. Psalm 119 assumes we will memorize God’s Word. The assumption is that we will do this together but alone.

Jesus assumes his people will practice spiritual disciplines (Matthew 6:1-18). Jesus talked about spiritual disciplines in the most famous sermon he ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus assumes we will be people who love God with all our heart, pray, and love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no consideration given to the possibility that we simply will not do these things. Jesus just assumes we will practice these disciplines.

Nothing great happens without discipline. Concert pianists don’t reach the pinnacle of their craft without discipline. NBA All-Stars don’t bask in the limelight without discipline. D. graduates don’t walk across the stage without discipline. Nothing great happens without discipline. Oddly, many hopefully assume something great will happen in their spiritual life without discipline. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Discipline leads to freedom. The hours of piano practice may have seemed like drudgery, but the result in freedom to play complex pieces of music with each other will lead to harmony. The hours of running and weightlifting may have seemed like torture, but the result is the freedom to do what the rest of us only dream about. The hours of study and writing may have seemed like a prison, but the result is freedom to think great thoughts. For as a man think in his heart so will they be.

I don’t know where you are spiritually, but I do know you can start today. Be intentional. If Bible reading is a struggle, start with 5 minutes a day. If prayer is a struggle, start with a journal where you can record the prayer requests of your family and friends. If meditation is a struggle, try to set aside a few minutes at the end of the day to reflect on God’s Word. The spiritual disciplines are not always easy, hence the name “disciplines.” The good news is that God gives grace to His people. God’s grace moves us to the disciplines, and the disciplines enable us to experience God’s grace.

“Therefore, if we be RISEN with Christ Let US lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily beset us and run the race that is set before US looking unto Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith”.

Hence the process of heat and pressure results in the formation of the diamond you are becoming as one. the action of forming or process of being formed: coming into being, a structure or arrangement of something: The unity of husband and wife is a spiritual formation with a natural implication.


What is spiritual formation and why is it important? Among them:

  • Knowing Self, Knowing God

  • Christian Prayer

  • Spiritual Life

  • Awareness and Identity

  • Spiritual Direction

  • Spiritual Leadership

  • Becoming a Spiritual Husband/Wife

What does the Bible say about spiritual formation?

Spiritual formation is a process that sharpens our attentiveness to God and helps us to be more and more like Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. These practices are shaped by our temperament and personality type.

How do you define spiritual formation?

  • The way in which the Church through the ages has understood a Christian being formed into the image of Jesus Christ

  • The way in which culture and historic context has shaped spiritual formation

  • What psychological approaches in the last 100 years have impacted the process of spiritual formation

What is the goal of spiritual formation?

What is the Goal of Spiritual Formation? The goal of spiritual formation is Christian growth. That growth entails development of character, inner transformation and deepening friendship with God and others. First, spiritual formation means growth in character.

What does the Bible say about spiritual growth?

Spiritual growth is detailed in 2 Peter 1:3-8, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

How to develop spiritual growth?

There are many spiritual benefits to living mindfully, such as:

  • It gives you the ability to handle adversity in a relaxed and effective way

  • It opens doors to help you authentically understand yourself

  • It increases your mental stability

  • You will develop a renewed sense of gratitude

  • You become more cognizant of the miracles surrounding you and recognize that everything in your life is intrinsically mystical

What are some fruitful spiritual practices?

They seem to fall into three categories:

  • (a) practices of personal cultivation, sublimation, and exploration.

  • (b) practices of learning, understanding, absorbing.

  • (c) practices of external action.

What are examples of the spiritual disciplines?

  • Delay gratification

  • Receive insight

  • Hear God’s voice/one’s inner voice

  • Make better decisions

  • Remain centered and unaffected by external events

  • Demonstrate moral courage

  • Detach from distractions

  • Feel inner peace

  • Behave unselfishly

  • Act with practical wisdom

What does the Bible say about growing in the spirit?

Bible verses about Spiritual Growth. 2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV / 1,564 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

What is the purpose of spiritual disciplines?

  • We practice spiritual disciplines so that we can enjoy God (Psalm 63, 73:25-28).

  • We practice spiritual disciplines for the purpose of godliness ( 1 Timothy 4:7-8 ).

  • The book of Psalms assumes God’s people will practice spiritual disciplines (Psalm 1, 19, 119).

  • Jesus assumes his people will practice spiritual disciplines ( Matthew 6:1-18 ).

Selah!!! Always meditate and study.