Sanctification I: Transformed Through TroubleHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughOctober 17, 2021

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.” If you do a little digging, you’ll find the phrase is attributed to Henry Kissinger, who, for you youngsters watching, was a Nixon-era politician. Kissinger should have stuck to discussing politics, rather than science, because while his adage may be motivational, it is factually, untrue. Diamonds do not come from coal! What IS true is that diamonds form underground at high temperatures and under high pressure and consist purely of carbon minerals.We’ve been working through a series called, How To Get Through What You’re Going Through for the last several weeks. After months of global pandemic, political division, racial tension, violence, opposition, frustration and struggle in practically every area of life, we are all looking for help in knowing how to get through the overwhelming losses of the last year and a half.  The good news is, there IS a way through!This week, we’re looking at the 5th stage of ‘getting through’ – sanctification. Now that’s a big, church-y word! But what it comes down to is the truth that God can use the pain, grief, loss, disappointments, the junk of our lives to transform us. Like the carbon minerals that are transformed under high pressure and high heat into beautiful diamonds, God can use the hard things in our lives to transform us.Diamonds may not come from coal. But God does promise to make beauty from the ashes of our lives. Will  you let Him transform yours?