The finished diamond is one of the most beautiful and desirable gems.Yet, in the rough it appears like any other stone. It requires the knowledge and skill of a master cutter and polisher to change the rough stone into a faceted gem. We all begin our spiritual journey as a "diamond in the rough", unrecognizable as the spiritual gem God wants us to be. The process of spiritual formation allows God, the master diamond cutter, to cut away the roughness to expose a beautiful gem.
Welcome to the Spiritual Life Network website. It is our hope that you will find here resources, recommendations, materials, and ideas that will aid in your personal life journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are using Dr. Kenneth Boa’s book, “Conformed to His Image, as a template to illustrate various spiritual disciplines you can use for God to grow you spiritually. This website is neither comprehensive nor complete. And it is not a review or summary of Boa’s book. You are encouraged to read “Conformed to His Image” for more in depth study.
We have chosen to illustrate essential spiritual principles with thought provoking examples from the arts and popular culture for relevancy. We trust that your life will be enriched as you continue to discover how these eternal spiritual principles apply to all experiences.
Boa refers to spiritual growth as a "gem with many facets". These are summarized as follows:
- Relational Spirituality – learning to love God completely, ourselves correctly, and others compassionately
- Paradigm Spirituality – cultivating an eternal versus a temporal perspective
- Disciplined Spirituality – engaging in the historical disciplines
- Exchanged Life Spirituality – grasping our true identity in Christ
- Motivated Spirituality – a set of biblical incentives
- Devotional Spirituality – falling in love with God
- Holistic Spirituality – every component of life under the lordship of Christ
- Process Spirituality – process versus product; being versus doing
- Spirit-Filled Spirituality – walking in the power of the Spirit
- Warfare Spirituality – the world, the flesh, and the devil
- Nurturing Spirituality – a lifestyle of evangelism and discipleship
- Corporate Spirituality – encouragement, accountability, and worship
As you explore this site you will find yourself using a number of these principles. None stands by itself as a person’s sole path to spiritual growth. These facets receive the light from different angles. Together they enhance spiritual growth like a multi-faceted diamond: strong, beautiful, and reflective of God’s character.