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40 Steps of The FIREPROOF Movie
40 Steps of The FIREPROOF Movie
I remember one winter my father needed firewood, so he looked for a dead tree and cut
it down. But then, in the spring, he noticed, with great sadness, that the withered trunk
sprouted shoots.
My father said, "I was sure that tree was dead. It had lost all its leaves in the winter. It
was so cold that the branches were breaking and falling as if the old trunk had not a
shred of life left in it. But now I see that he still had life in him." And turning to me, he
advised me:
"Never forget this important lesson. Never cut a tree in winter. Never make a negative
decision in adverse weather. Never make the most important decisions when you are in
your worst mood. Wait. Be patient.
The storm will pass. Remember that spring will return."
Today's challenge
DAY 5
Many times, we do things that offend our spouse and we
don't even realize it.
In Proverbs 27:14 it says: "Whoever blesses his friend with a
loud voice in the morning, it shall be counted to him as a
curse".
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Ask your spouse to tell you three things that make him or her
uncomfortable or irritate him or her about you.
You must do so without attacking or justifying your behavior.
Your perspective is the important one in this case....
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love will never cease to be"... (1st
Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
DAY 6
Love does not get irritated. Better is he that is slow to anger than
the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city...
(proverbs 16:32).
In the face of difficult circumstances in your marriage, decide to
react with love instead of irritation.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Today we would like to invite you to make a list of the areas
where you need to add a margin in your agenda.
Then list any wrong motivations that you need to eliminate from
your life.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians
13).
Today's challenge
DAY 7
Find two sheets of paper.
In the first one, dedicate a few minutes to write down positive qualities
of your spouse.
Then do the same with the negative aspects on the second sheet.
Place the two leaves in a secret place for another day.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
There is a different purpose and plan for each one.
At some point during the rest of the day, choose a positive attribute
from the first list and thank your spouse for that characteristic....
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things.
Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
DAY 8
Since love is not selfish and puts others first, it does not let jealousy
enter.
Love leads you to celebrate your spouse's successes instead of feeling
disgruntled by them.
Today's challenge
DAY 10
Love is unconditional. Romans 5:8 says: "God shows his love for
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".
Do something out of the ordinary for your spouse, something that
proves to both him and you that your love has a foundation in
your decision and nothing else.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
He washes his car, cleans the kitchen, buys his favorite dessert,
folds the laundry.
Show love with the pure satisfaction of being his or her partner in
marriage.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians
13).
Today's challenge
DAY 11
Love values.
Ephesians 5:28 says: "In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as
their own bodies".
Every time a man looks his wife in the eyes, he should remember that he who
loves his wife, loves himself.
Today's challenge
DAY 12
Love lets the other win.
Philippians 2:4 says: "Do not look out for your own interests, but
rather for the interests of others": Instead of treating your spouse
as an enemy or as someone to be protected from, begin by
treating him or her as your closest friend and honoring him or her.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Give value to their words.
Show love by deciding in a good way to compromise in an area of
disagreement between you and your spouse.
Tell him that you will put his preferences first....
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians
13).
Today's challenge
DAY 13
Love fights fair.
Mark 3:25 says: "if a house is divided among itself, that house cannot
stand"...To fight fair means to change weapons, to dissent with dignity.
Remember: Love is not a fight, but always worth fighting for.
Talk to your spouse about establishing healthy ground rules.
Today's challenge
DAY 14
Love delights.
Ecclesiastes 9:9 says: "enjoy life with the woman you love all the
days of your fleeting life".
Today's challenge can lead to a real and radical change in your
thinking.
With determination, set aside an activity that you do in general so
that you can spend time with your spouse.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Do something your spouse would love to do, or a project you
know he or she wants to be involved in, just spend time together.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians
13).
Today's challenge
DAY 15
Love is honorable.
1st Peter 3:7 says: "And you husbands likewise live together with your
wives in an understanding manner, giving her honor as heirs of the
grace of life. "Choose a way to show honor and respect to your spouse
that is different from the usual.
Maybe it's opening the door for your wife.
Maybe it's keeping the husband's clothes.
Maybe it's the way you listen and talk, when they communicate.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Show your spouse that you hold him or her in high esteem.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things. Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
DAY 16
Love intercedes.
3rd John 2 says: "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all
things, just as your soul prospers.
And may you be in good health.
Start praying today for your spouse's heart.
Pray for three specific areas in which you want GOD to work
in your life and in your marriage...
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love will never cease to be"...
Today's challenge
DAY 17
It always takes time for the reality of intimacy to develop.
Especially after having been put in danger.
Today you can make the commitment to restore it.
This is true for anyone who is willing to accept the challenge.
Decide to protect your spouse's secrets, unless they are dangerous to
him or her or to you, and pray for him or her.
Talk to your spouse and decide to show love despite these issues.
Today's challenge
DAY 20
Love is JESUS CHRIST. Romans 5:6 says: "while we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly".
True love is found only in Christ.
And after receiving his gift of new life, by accepting his death in your place and
the forgiveness of your sins, you are finally ready to put the challenge into
practice.
Dare to take God at His word.
Dare to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Today's challenge
DAY 21
Love is satisfied in GOD.
Isaiah 58:11 says: "The Lord will guide you continually. It will satisfy your
desire.
Day 20 was vitally important to the challenge of this book and to your life.
You came face to face with the manifest need of every human heart.
That is, to invite Jesus to enter into it.
Intentionally set aside time to pray and read the Bible.
Today's challenge
DAY 22
Love is faithful... Hosea 2:20 says: "I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you will
know the Lord"...
You can give undeserved love to your spouse because God gave undeserved love to
you. Repeated on a lasting basis.
Often the least deserving are the ones who receive the most expression of love.
Ask Him to fill you with the kind of love, which only He can provide, and then propose to
give it to your partner in a way that reflects your gratitude to God for loving you.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
It is the power of fidelity.
Love is a decision, not a feeling.
It is an action that is set in motion, not a reflex action.
Today, choose to commit to love, even if your spouse is no longer interested in
receiving it.
Tell her today with words like these: I LOVE YOU, I CHOOSE TO LOVE YOU, EVEN IF
YOU DON'T RETURN ME.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love will
never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
DAY 23
Love always protects.
In 1 Corinthians 13:7 it says: He who loves, defends firmly.
Many issues make up marriage, including joys, sorrows, achievements and failures.
Yet when you think about what you want marriage to be like, the last thing that comes
to mind is that it's a battlefield.
However, you should be more willing to fight some to protect your spouse.
Today's challenge
DAY 24
"The world passes away and so do the passions, but he who does the will of God will remain forever" (1 John
2:17).
It is time to unmask lust and show what it really is.
A misguided thirst for satisfaction that only God can quench.
Lust is like a warning light, on the dashboard of your heart.
What alerts you, if you are not allowing God's love to fill you.
When you have your eyes and heart set on him, your actions will lead you to lasting joy, rather than endless
cycles of reproach and condemnation.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world: if any man love the world the love of the father is not
in him."
Today's challenge
DAY 26
Romans 2:1 says: "by judging others you condemn yourself, for you do precisely what they do".
Love is responsible and willing to admit and correct its faults and mistakes frankly.
You take responsibility for this person whom you have chosen as the love of your life.
Do you intentionally seek to meet the needs of your spouse?
Oh, you're just worried about him covering yours?
love calls us to take responsibility for our partner in marriage.
To love, honor and value it.
Today's challenge: set aside time to pray about what you have done wrong.
Ask God for forgiveness and then humble yourself enough to confess them to your spouse.
Do it sincerely, and ask your spouse for forgiveness as well.
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
No matter how he responds, be sure to fulfill your responsibility in love, even if he responds with
criticism, accept it and receive it as advice....
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
DAY 27
Love encourages.
Psalm 25:20 says: "Keep my soul and deliver me, let me not be put to shame, for in you I take
refuge".
Marriage tends to alter our vision.
We enter with the expectation that our partner will fulfill our hopes and make us happy.
But this is impossible for our spouse.
Unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment.
The higher your expectations, the more likely your spouse will fail you and cause frustration.
Commit to let go of unrealistic expectations every day and become your spouse's greatest
encourager, that person God designed will begin to emerge as a new hope and love for you.
Eliminate the poison of unrealistic expectations from your home.
Today's challenge
DAY 32
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Love satisfies sexual needs.
In 1 Corinthians 7:3 we are told: "let the husband do his duty to his wife, and the wife likewise to
her husband".
Some people believe that the Bible has nothing good to say about sex, as if all God cares about is
telling us when not to have sex and with whom not to have sex.
However, the reality is that the Bible has a lot to say about sex and the blessing it can be for both
husband and wife.
Even its limits and restrictions are the ways in which God holds our sexual experiences at a level
far beyond what appears on television or in the movies.
In Christian marriage, romance should thrive and flourish.
After all, it was created by God.
It is all part of celebrating what God has given us as we become one with our spouse, while at the
same time pursuing purity and holiness.
He delights in us when this happens.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love will never
cease to be".... (1st Corinthians 13)
Today's challenge
Today's challenge
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
DAY 35
Love is accountable. "When counsel is lacking, plans fail; when counsel
abounds, it prospers"...this is stated in Proverbs 15:22.
Getting wise counsel is like having a detailed road map, and a personal guide,
while on a long and challenging journey.
It can mean the difference between continued success or the destruction of
another marriage.
It is vital that you invite strong partners to share with you the wisdom they have
gained through their own successes and failures.
Today's challenge: find a mentor for your marriage.
A good Christian who is sincere and loving to you.
If you feel therapy is necessary, take the 1st step and make an appointment.
During this process ask God to guide your decisions and give you
discernment.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
DAY 38
Love fulfills dreams.
Psalm 37:4 says: "Set your delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart".
What would your spouse really like?
How often do you ask yourself this question?
We can't give our spouse everything he or she wants, our budget and our bank account tell us that we probably
can't afford it.
Even if we could, perhaps, it would not be good for us or for him.
You may have let him NOT become too quick to respond.
Perhaps you have allowed this negative default option to become too rational, too automatic.
What would happen if instead of dismissing the idea, you did everything possible to fulfill it. What would happen if
what your partner says you would never do for her became the next thing you would do.
Sometimes love must be extravagant.
You need to do the impossible.
Sometimes you need to leave out the details, blessing just because you want to.
Today's challenge: Think about what your spouse would like, if it were possible.
Put him in prayer and begin to map out a plan to fulfill some, if not all, of his desires, to the extent possible.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love will never cease to be"...
(1st Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
DAY 39
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Love endures.1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us: "Love never ceases to be".
Of all the things that love dares to be, this is the greatest of all.
Although he is threatened, he keeps going.
Although challenged, he continues to move forward.
Although he is mistreated and rejected, he refuses to give up.
Love never ceases to be.
Spend time praying alone.
Then write a letter of decision and commitment to your spouse.
Include the reason why you are committed to this marriage until death and
express that you are determined to love him/her, no matter what.
Leave the letter in a place where your partner can find it.
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love will never cease to be"... (1st Corinthians 13).
Today's challenge
DAY 40
"Love is like Fire, if it is not communicated, it goes out".
Love is a pact.
Ruth 1:16 tells us: "Where you go, I will go, and where you
dwell, I will dwell; your people shall be my people, and your
God shall be my God.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have reached the end of the challenge in this book.
However, the experience and challenge of loving your spouse never ends.
They continue for the rest of your life.
Now is the time to renew your covenant of love with all sincerity and dedication.
Love is too holy a treasure to exchange for another. And a bond too powerful to break without dire consequences.
Refocus your love on this person, whom the Lord has given you to cherish, value and honor.
They have a life together ahead of them.
Dare to take it and never let go. ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF LOVE.
Write a renewal of your vows and place them in your home.
Perhaps if appropriate, you could plan a formal renewal of your marriage vows before a pastor and family present.
May it be a living affirmation of the value of marriage in the eyes of God and the high honor of being one with your spouse....
"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love will never cease to be"...