Excerpts from a message by Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative

"Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." - James 1:2-4 (NASB)

"When a goldsmith heats up gold, to purify it - the question is, how does he know when it's ready. All goldsmiths use the same standard to know when the gold has been purified, and when it is ready. It is always when they see their reflection in it. God uses trials and He uses heat, until He sees Himself in you. Trials are designed to conform us to the image of Christ." - Tony Evans

"One of the things runners want to do, when they want to increase their speed, is increase their stretching. You see the players out stretching, because stretching gives you the ability to run faster, to go longer, to broaden your stride. When God wants to take you further, he stretches you - it's called a trial. This process of maturity or becoming like Jesus Christ demands that your faith is tested." - Tony Evans

Listen to the short message here: Tony Evans - Trials: The Test of Spiritual Growth (Essentials of Spiritual Growth Volume 2)