We're told to imitate Christ, but the fact is that there are many things He did that are impossible for us to imitate. Let's face it. None of us walked on water to get here this morning. None of us have turned water into wine. We may not be able to imitate His miracles, but we can imitate His attitude, the attitude in which He approached His relationship with His Father.

Is Jesus your Savior? And is He also your Lord? Discipleship has its requirements!

One of the best things you can do is to bring together people who once were far apart, to help them resolve their conflict & restore a right relationship. In the book of Philemon, Paul shows us how to do it. There are 4 guidelines to bringing about reconciliation.

As you devote yourself to prayer & you grow in the knowledge of the Word & spend time with God's people & you spend time in God's presence & you lose yourself in service to others you will become rock solid in your faith, you'll be able to spot deception at a distance & you'll know when to exclude those with a negative influence.

Jesus' example is more than a perfect pattern. Following Him brings the blessings that make us perfect in Him. Following the perfect example of Jesus gives us assurance of eternal life.

Let us love one another. How do we put this into practice? There are a thousand different ways. It begins with this prayer: God, help me love others as you have loved me, so that each person I meet today has a sense of Your great love for them.

Do something now just to stretch your soul. When you give you stretch your soul—you become more like Jesus. You bless his people & create a legacy that will outlive you, that will, in fact, follow you to heaven.

On the one hand, Paul said: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." (1 Thessalonians 3:10) On the other hand, we are to practice compassionate generosity for those who can't take care of themselves.

If you didn't realize it before, you realize it now. You're in training. You might not be a perfect example in all areas, but you're in training to become a godly example. You might not yet have mastered the deepest theological truths of Scripture, but you're in training to become a person who knows & lives the Word.

It's about how to prepare for the ultimate job interview—in other words, how to prepare yourself to be used by God in a great way.