#192The Fire Is Removing What Can't Go Forward

Fire can feel like loss, pressure, or delay, but what if it’s also mercy? I’m naming the kind of refinement that doesn’t just hurt, it heals, because it removes what cannot follow you into your next season. We start with Malachi 3:2-3 and the image of God as a refiner, then get practical about how to recognize the season you’re living in right now, from “just enough” to lack to abundance, and why the season helps you understand the specific work God is doing in you.

I also get personal about intentional growth, grief, and what it means to heal the little girl within. Emotional intelligence shows up here not as a buzzword, but as a tool that shines light on patterns we learned early, the ways we over-carry others, and how that can impact our closest relationships. Inner child healing, writing the letter, and finally seeing what was “left behind” becomes part of the refining fire, because God doesn’t only correct behavior, He restores the heart.

Then we walk through five common areas the fire targets: old mindsets, fear that pretends to be logic, comfort that keeps you playing small, unhealthy attachments like toxic relationships and environments, and identity confusion that makes you doubt you’re chosen. With Romans 12:2, 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 43:19, 1 Corinthians 15:33, and Isaiah 48:10, I tie the scriptures to real life so you can spot what must be left behind and step forward with faith and discernment.

If this speaks to you, subscribe, share it with someone who’s under pressure, and leave a review so more people can find it. What do you feel the fire is removing from your life right now?

A journey through spiritual refinement, identity, healing, and growth, learning how pressure produces purpose and reveals the diamond within.

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Transcript

Welcome And Today’s Theme

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Hello, hello, and welcome back. So glad to be before you one more time. I hope all is well. Hope you're having a great day. To God be the glory, He has allowed us to be able to see a day that we'll never see again. Hallelujah. So it is always my pleasure to be before you. Today's topic is the fire is removing what cannot go forward. The fire is removing what cannot go forward. Hallelujah. And the scripture verse comes out of Matthew. I'm sorry, Malachi, chapter 3, verses 2 and 3. Now just for the sake of reminding us of where we're where we've been, let's go ahead and read that. Y'all know I read the King James Version. Hallelujah. Says, but who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's finer, a refiner's fire, and like fuller soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of gold. And he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Amen. So we have intention, we have purpose, like that we might be able to offer what we offer in righteousness. So, without further ado, let's pray. Father, I thank you so much for another day. Thank you, God, for yet another blessing of life in itself. Thank you, God, for everything that we oftentimes take for granted. Father, we just pray that you'll have your way here today. We pray the blessings of the Lord will be upon every hearer that is able to hear and not just hear, but receive. We give you glory, we give you honor and all the praise in Jesus Christ's name. We do pray. Amen. Amen and amen. Hallelujah. All right, y'all. So the topic at hand again is the fire is removing what can't go forward. The fire is removing what cannot go forward. Hallelujah. Now I hope everybody is having a great day. I hope that, you know, regardless of what your circumstances might be, that you're able to glean from everything that you hear here. Hallelujah. Because we certainly want our show to be a blessing and not a hindrance or a harm. Hallelujah. So, you know, when I say that, I mean I hope that you are able to grow from episode to episode. You heard what I'm saying? Like the journal is for the journey. I'm gonna say that again. The journal is for the journey. Because the purpose of the journal is so you can look back to where you've been. Hallelujah. Like there is no more evidence than for no more evidence. That's no, let me rephrase. That is like the evidence that says this is where I was. And now no longer I'm here. But where I was is a part of my story. Hallelujah. Because he told us not to forget forsake the beginning. Like, don't forget the small. Don't forsake it. Like, don't don't try to, you know, make it disappear because it won't. A part of it's a part of your story, what you've been through. Hallelujah. It is a blessing to be able to outlive the storm. Hallelujah. Because a lot of people don't make it. Amen. And you are one of few that don't that have made it. Hallelujah. So today, as we dive in, I feel it's appropriate for us to really take and tap into where we are. Yeah. I believe that in order for you to be able to receive the refinement in its context or as God is giving it to you and allowing it in your life, you got to determine what season you are in. That's something that you got to find within yourself. Like, where am I? You know, because every season is not the same. I don't know if you've ever experienced where it seemed like you have something similar that just keeps happening, keep happening, keep happening. Or maybe it's, let's just use an example, like your finances. It seemed like every time you turn around, you don't have you have just enough. Like you get paid and you have enough to pay your bills, and that's it. Every time you get paid, you get a paid enough, you have enough to just pay your bills. You know, and you get extra money, and then that extra money goes to something. Like you never have nothing overage, you never have enough to save like you want to. That makes sense sense. And you come and you you find out, you realize, like God shows you, you're in a season of having just enough. And some people are in a season of lack, seem like they never have enough. But then some people are in a season where they are bounding, meaning they have more than enough for a long period of time. And here's another thing seasons last. Some seasons last for days, some seasons last for months, and some last, some seasons last for years. But no doubt, look, I can promise you, the seasons will change. Hallelujah. We get so comfortable in the season where we got more than enough that when we don't have enough, we are we are we we gain this posture of disbelief and unbelief. Look, if he did it before, he will do it again. Hallelujah. I don't want to deviate too far from where we are, but I just want us to have a clear understanding of what it means to determine what season you are in. Because the reality is that the season that you're in will dictate the refining fire you are in. Hallelujah. It will dictate it. When you're talking about dictatorship, like dictatorship is like control, like until you can identify what season you are in, you really cannot grasp hold of the refinement that is happening in your life right now. Hallelujah. Now, I will use myself for an example so that I can make it clear so it would help you, right? So right now, and this is me being authentic and transparent with you, okay, and I'm gonna take my time, all right, so that we can slow down long enough for us to really get something out of it. Because after today's show, I would hope that you would uh begin that intern that could not begin but continue that internal work of your own. Okay, so as an example, I'm using my own life, for example, okay. So right now, I am I am in the season of intentional growth. Okay, intentional growth, and and and so what do I mean? Like we grow by default, like regardless of whether or not we want to add on another day to our to our life expectancy, it's gonna come by default. Every time we lay down and go to sleep and we wake up for another day, we one day closer to our expiration, to our day where we leave this earth. That is by default, and so the season that I am in right now is intentional, intentionally growing, okay. So, this is how you would identify like what season you are in. I am intentionally working on my personal growth, okay, and my refining fire, like the fire that is bringing all of that out and allowing me to tap into where it begins is healing the little girl in me. Okay, healing the little girl in me. So, why is this important? This is important because she was left behind. Now, what do I mean? Okay, well, since I could from a very early age, I don't remember exactly, but from a very early age, my parents, you know, two-parent household, they worked. Okay, and so my mom, she typically worked in the evening time. Then my dad, he worked, I'm not sure about his hours that he worked, but I know that mom was always at work, okay? And so she had little children, and it started out with my sister and I, okay, and then what five, let's see, my brothers, let's see, they turned 30. No, 40 this year. I'm 47. So seven years later, they have twins, and then two more years later, they have my youngest brother, okay? Well, mommy had to work, and daddy wasn't always working, but he won't always there. Do you hear what I'm saying? That's about the depth that I'm gonna go into that right now. But Catherine had to grow up real fast and real quick, okay? Because there wasn't no such thing as babysitting. When I got old enough to be able to know not to open the door for a stranger, know how to go in the kitchen and cook something, like I was at home taking care of the kids while they were doing whatever it is that they needed to do, so I had to grow up taking care of somebody else. Okay, so from this little girl all the way up to 47 years old now, I've always taken care of somebody else, and it wasn't a choice, I had to. Okay, hallelujah! But I've gotten into a place, and what I've come to realize because I am intentionally growing, this all began last year. Actually, it it it began, yes, it began last year, but it birthed from the passing of my oldest son. Okay, it birthed this desire to grow. This this I'm talking about personally growing. This desire earnestly came from the passing of my son because I could not understand what happened, because I had raised him to love the Lord and and be in the family of God, okay? And I thought I had taught him that by keeping him in the church. But here's the thing: he was in the church, but I was so I was so busy taking care of everybody at the church that somewhere along the line, he thought that everybody else was more important than him. This is a revelation I just got a couple of days ago. Hallelujah. And this is why he was more drawn to living with his father and being with his father because there he was important, not everybody else, Jesus. I'm telling you, like blew my mind when the Lord revealed that to me, and all I could do was weep because I had no clue. How many of us have no clue that that is what is wrong? But look, in the midst of God revealing this to me, he says to me, it ain't all your fault. He said, Because way back when you had to grow up, you couldn't be a kid to yourself, hallelujah. All you did was what you knew, hallelujah. My parents kept us in church. We went to church all the time, but we would never engage with them. With them personally, my father or my mother. We were never engaged with them, and so that carried on. And how many generations does this carry on? Whatever your parents did is typically what you do. So I wasn't taught to be invested in the relationship. It was just you do as I tell you to do, no questions asked, like you just do it. And it was the same thing. I raised my children the same way. But now, as when this drum, this, when this when the tragedy happened of him passing away, it opened my eyes to see something different, to desire something different, to want more, not just for myself, but for the people that I love. Hallelujah. And so, look, I got into the business, the travel business, and you know, like I said, we have the church, I have the church, and doing all of those things, but got into the travel business, and like again, my earnest desire was to understand what happened to my baby. Okay, but God brought this vehicle into my life, the travel opportunity. And at first, when I first began, first seen it, it was oh, that's a way we can leave a legacy. This is a way that I can leave a leave a legacy for my two daughters that are still here. Amen. Because when my son passed away, I promise you, he had$500 through his name. He had his paycheck and a little bit of money saved in his other account, which wasn't much. If he, you know, not a lot, not enough to survive on if he had children. Okay, he had that, he had that little bit of money, he had a little bit of money that he had just started in a 401k. And I said to myself, I'm gonna do something different. I want to honor his name. So we have the foundation and we have all of these things, but God put this vehicle in my life because again, I wanted to grow personally, and and and and this, Mr. Bradley, he created this vehicle to where our business is a reflection of us. So this is where I began to personally grow intentionally. This is where we began. Okay, now fast forward. This was back June of last year, June of 2025. It is now March 2026, and and they talk a lot about, we talk about a lot, I talk a lot about emotional intelligence. And so I get this book, Emotional Intelligence, uh, because my coach says to me, Your husband needs to read this, talking about Michael. He needs to read that, that'll be good for him, okay? And we begin to read it, hallelujah. He and I. Now I've read other books, reading other books, okay? But we begin to read this book, and the first thing that's on one of the first pages, first couple of pages of this particular book, uh, it is again emotional intelligence by Mindful Minds Corporation, okay, gives you this scan bosses, scan it to see where you are. Says that I am I am an excellent emotional intelligence, but it says to me I should purchase how to heal the inner child, and immediately when I saw it, I said, Oh my goodness. Because I already knew it was gonna tap into a place I really want to go, but come on, somebody say in yourself, but God, but see the why is important, okay? I wanted to understand. I wanted to understand, and I really wanted to intentionally, I want to grow personally, okay. Now I get the book, I order the book by the same writers, Mindful Minds Corporation. I get this book and I began to dive into it, and oh my goodness, it's like the lights have come on. Hallelujah, hallelujah, and so this is why I say it was important because what I found out is the little girl in me was left behind. It told me to write a letter to her, and so I wrote the letter to her, and again, it just made me weep, but I have some clarity as to what happened, and this is why all of this is important to or in the refinement process. What God is saying to me in regard to refinement is that there are there are five things that we really need to tap into. Now I got 10 minutes, so that means I gotta hurry up. We got five things we need to tap into that's going to that you're gonna find, and this is what is happening to me, okay. I am the I am not just a teacher. I said it before, I'm not just a teacher, but I'm the student, and this is absolutely happening. I promise you, I'm a witness that this is what is happening to me. And if you spend any time when this all of this God's down in the rough first started, you should see a difference already. Okay, so five five things that happen in refinement, and this is what is happening to me. So the first thing, you gotta figure out what season you're in, okay. Second thing, you got to you have to figure out what it and what that's gonna do, once you figure out what season you're in, that will then dictate that refining fire that God is working on in this season of your life, okay? So mine is healing the little girl in me because she was left behind, okay? And he's using this particular book, How to Heal Your Inner Child, by mindfulness, mindful, mindful minds incorporated. Okay, so these are the five, okay. I and of course, y'all know I made some notes, all right. Last week, some of the fires that we mentioned that we go through are habits, doubts, and things that no longer aid in our growth. Okay. I'm not sure what comes to mind for you, but let's talk about some of these that can come at you, okay? These are the top five, I would say the top five for me and for us here at God's Diamond Network or God's Diamond in the Rough podcast, okay? The first one, old mindsets. These are the things that aren't are that that would try to tell you you aren't enough, that you're not qualified. You know, you know the talk that it that that comes with when you're trying to do something different that you ain't never done before. These are the first things that happen in your mind as you continue to go forward. But Romans uh 12 verse 2 says, Let me find it. I'm gonna read it. Oh man, y'all, I I gotta, I don't mean to speed, and y'all know I like to take time, take my time, but we'll see. We'll see. I got a whole program here I'm trying to keep up with. Okay, so Romans 12, verse 2 says it says, and be not conformed to this world, okay, and not even to yourself, okay, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, okay. You gotta put something new so that the old won't be able to operate, okay? That ye may prove what is what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, okay? So when you renew your mind, it Speaks not, it speaks to you that what he told you is true. Okay, so the scripture is what backs, what gives us the backup for our refinement. The refinement in this particular as far as the old mindset is what happens is you'll be able to gain a kingdom perspective and possibility. As long as you remain trying to go forward with the old mindset, you're not gonna go forward. You're gonna stay where you are or or go back further because you're operating in the old mindset. And what's happening when you go through that fire, what's gonna come out of it, you're gonna have a different perspective, and you're gonna operate in a new mindset. I hope that that makes sense. All right, number two. I hope y'all got your journal. Journal. Hallelujah. And if you don't have it, come back to it and re-listen to it again. Number two, fear, fear, okay, fear. It pretends to be logic. Okay, fear cannot go with you as you go forward because what it does, it pretends to be logical. Things like now is not the time. Well, what if it fails and maybe later? Okay, what does 2 Timothy verse 1 through 1 and 7 say? 2 Timothy 1 and 7 says, It says, For God have not given us the spirit of fear. So fear does not come from God. He says, but he said, But I gave you power, love, and a sound mind. So you have what it takes to go forward. God is not going to show you something that He haven't given you provision or confidence to be able to bring into fruition. So the refinement brings, it says, the refinement or what comes out of it is God is going to exchange the fear for faith and give you courage. Okay, you're gonna be able to operate in the faith that you have and have the courage enough to go forth because he's giving you what power, love, and a sound mind. All right, y'all. Hope y'all are keeping up. Number three, number three is about comfort, okay? It's going to get you out of your comfort zone, it's gonna dare you to stop playing small, it's gonna keep you from settling for what it has been, and that feeling of safety-ness. The scripture is Isaiah 43, verse 19. Let's read it. Isaiah 43, verse 19 says, Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall it shall spring forth. It didn't say later, it said now. He said, It'll spring forth. Shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness where there is nothing. Nothing happening, you can't see nothing. He said, I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. You know, the desert ain't got no water. He said, Look, whatever the will of the Lord is, if it's his will, you can might as well say it's a wrap, it's done. So the refinement will stretch you into your purpose. You will be able to operate in your purpose, you will be able to see more ahead of you. You will be able to see the light and not be mangled up in fear, mangled up in darkness, mangled up in self-doubt. Okay, so that fire is gonna bring out the purpose, it's going to throttle you because it says spring forth, throttle you into what he has created you to be able to do. Hallelujah. All right, number four. Unhealthy attachments. This is a big one that looks like people, habits, environments, and identities. Okay. We like to take on old, we like to take the old into the new, don't we? We do. But God says no. And what does that look like? Toxic relationships, negative environments, like you can't take nobody somewhere where they ain't ready to go. Okay. Negative environments, old habits, approval, addiction. What that refinement does, it has you to have the ability to discern what is divine alignment and what is distraction. Let's look at 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 33. First Corinthians, 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 33 says, be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Okay, so the company that you keep, it matters. You're trying to do something that's impactful, pactful, that's gonna change your life and somebody else's. You can't take negativity, you can't take toxicity, toxicity, you can't take anybody that don't have a vision, don't have goals, you can't take them on your back and expect to still be able to walk and still expect to still be able to run. Hallelujah! Because once you get throttled forward, like that's a heavy weight to carry two, three, four, five people, addictions and everything else with you. No, those are the things that's gonna be burned out. So look, your best friend, folks that you you know that's oh how you gonna leave me behind. Oh, you think you're better than me, and this, that, and the other. Those are the things you're gonna encounter, but you cannot let that stop you. Those are the things that's gonna be burned out. Here's the last one. And I feel like this is probably the biggest one. It is believing in him over them, believing in him over them. Not only will you hear and know, but you'll believe in harnessed, and harnessed that you are chosen, that you are called, that you are capable. Do you hear me? That refinement is gonna get rid of that identity confusion, it's gonna get rid of that false identity so that you can see the diamond that is meant to shine. Hallelujah. Isaiah 48 and 10 say this. It says, Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Hallelujah. Y'all excuse me, in the furnace of affliction. So at the end of the day, like God's will will come forth. Now I'm running over a little bit on my time, but let me say this coming out like gold, if you really want to come out as gold, there are things going to be left behind. And here's the thing you'll be allowed to see them. Because when the refinement is happening, look, once that fire goes out, you hear what I'm saying? You're gonna see all of the crud and the crumbs left behind. What didn't come, didn't go into the gold. You hear what I'm saying? So you're gonna be able to see what you need to see, you're gonna see the fact that I used to be that, but I'm no longer that. And it can be a reminder that can throttle you to keep you running forward because you that's what that's what we call non-negotiable. I'm not going back there. I don't want to be who that that version of myself that I used to be. Do you hear what I'm saying? Hallelujah. So I pray. I just pray that everybody got out of this what they were supposed to get. God has blessed us to be able to understand the journey while we are going through it here. Okay, it's a blessing because while going through, you may not feel so chosen. You hear what I'm saying? You might not feel chosen when you can't see or even understand what season you're in. Understanding refinement, understanding that God is at work in your life. You hear what I'm saying? Like, we are blessed to be able to get understanding, being able to be made aware of what is happening. So many people are quitting and giving up because they can't see and they cannot understand. They're leaving this world prematurely because they gave up. People are committing suicide and doing all kinds of things that is keeping them from walking in their purpose. Hallelujah. So I pray that that's not you. I hope that you are journaling and really making the most out of this journey with me. So next week, we're gonna come, we're gonna come back as we continue the conversation with our next episode, which is gonna be Still Chosen While Being Refined. And that will bring us to close our uh theme of the month in the fire. Hallelujah. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for your grace and your mercy. Thank you, God, for allowing each and everyone who came on today, God, to be blessed by what they heard. I pray that they're able to receive it and able to get out of it what you desire. I pray in the name of Jesus, you continue to use me to your glory. Have your way as you continue to use me for them. I pray, God, that you will continue to use me for you. I pray in the name of Jesus, you'll continue to deposit what we need so we'll grow. Even while we are in the fire, we would know you are right there with us. Continue to Father, shape us, make us, and mold us into the gold you desire us to be so that the diamond that is within can shine brighter than ever before. God, we thank you so much. We bless your name as we bless your people. I pray that this prayer is pleasing and acceptable in your sight. We pray this, we ask it all in the precious name of Jesus Christ. We do pray, amen, amen, and amen. Hallelujah. I pray that y'all got out of it what you were supposed to get. Y'all tell somebody else about the show. Hallelujah. Shout out to my sis, Miss Julie. She she's that's my sister, hallelujah. Uh, from another mother, but we got the same father, and she's letting people know about my show. And I'm so glad, so thankful, so grateful for her. And like wherever you are listening to this, look, reach out to me. Hallelujah. Leave some comments because I would love to have you in my WhatsApp group as we continue to build this inner circle. Because it's a safe place, it's a place where you can share what is going on in your heart and your life. And I just want to be able to pour in. Hallelujah. So, so much love, so many blessings from me to you. Have a great day.