1 Thessalonians 1
"You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord [Jesus], for you received the message in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia" (1 Thess 1:5-7).
We see a pattern here. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are flesh and blood examples of what it looks like to be believers and Christ-followers. The Thessalonian believers imitated what they saw in these three men, and in Jesus himself. They then became examples to the believers of the churches throughout Greece.
The spread of the gospel and the establishment of believers and new churches involves a great deal of example following and imitation. Not slavish imitation, but thoughtful imitation. Disciple makers are to live in such a way that their lives are worthy of imitation.
Father, may Averil and I live in such a way that our lives, our marriage, our parenting, and our ministry is worthy of imitation. May the churches we work with be exemplary churches that provide an example for other churches to follow. May we care about the example we are setting. In Jesus' name, amen.
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- Jeff Coleman