Christians Together
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  • How to's
    • Loving Your Inner Circle
    • Being Married >
      • Finding Long-Term Stability and Deep Meaning
      • Preventing Unfaithfulness
      • Growing in Christ Together
      • Enjoying Each Other
    • Raising a Family >
      • Having Enough Money
      • Helping One Another Succeed
      • Helping Kids Turn Out Right
      • Making Family Life Enjoyable and Responsible
      • Caring for Elderly Parents and Grandparents
      • Parenting Alone
    • Having Friends >
      • Making Friends
      • Keeping Friendships Interesting and Meaningful
      • Meshing with Family
    • Being Single >
      • Finding Meaning in Life and Dealing with Loneliness
      • Picking a Mate
    • Aging Well >
      • Getting in Touch with Life’s Deeper Meaning
      • Avoiding Helplessness
      • Surviving Financially
      • Not Burdening the Kids
      • Braving Illness
      • Facing Death with Courage
    • Tackling Life >
      • Preventing or Resolving Conflict
      • Succeeding in a Job
      • Maintaining and Growing in Purity
  • Essential Foundations
    • Preface & Introduction
    • Chapter 1: Growth of Our Spirits into Christ's Image
    • Chapter 2: Faith Together Must Become Essential
    • Chapter 3: Preparing for Heaven Needs to Be Now
    • Chapter 4: The Togethers in Worship & Battle
    • Chapter 5: The Togethers and Eternal Relationship with God
  • The Togethers
    • Togethers of Relationship with God >
      • 01 Worship God
      • 02 Submit to God
      • 03 Led by Jesus
      • 04 Communicate with God
      • 05 Serve God
    • Attitudinal Togethers >
      • 06 Love
      • 07 Belong to
      • 08 Be Devoted
      • 09 Accept
      • 10 Bear with
      • 11 Forgive
      • 12 Submit to One Another
      • 13 Serve One Another
    • Togethers That Hold Together >
      • 14 Citizens of Heaven
      • 15 Meet Together
      • 16 Unity
      • 17 Peace
      • 18 Humble
      • 19 Harmony
      • 20 Mercy
      • 21 Meet Needs
    • Togethers That Strengthen >
      • 22 Hospitable
      • 23 Treat Equally
      • 24 Share
      • 25 Administer Grace
      • 26 Speak Truthfully
      • 27 Encourage >
        • Encouragement Methods
      • 28 Honor
      • 29 Commend
      • 30 Spur On
    • Togethers That Heal >
      • 31 Hurt With
      • 32 Comfort
      • 33 Confess Sins
      • 34 Carry Burdens
      • 35 Restore Faith
    • Togethers of Spiritual Growth >
      • 36 Seek the Kingdom
      • 37 Pursue Holiness
      • 38 Examine Faith
      • 39 Teach
      • 40 Counsel
      • 41 Disciple
      • 42 See Do His or Her Part
      • 43 Face Discipline
    • Togethers of Involvement in the World >
      • 44 Be Salt
      • 45 Be Wise
    • Togethers of Evangelism >
      • 46 Uphold Messengers in Prayer
      • 47 Be the Light
    • Togethers of Battle >
      • 48 Contend for the Faith
      • 49 Arm Yourselves
      • 50 Warn
      • 51 Battle Temptation
      • 52 Stand Up to Devil
      • 53 Test the Spirits
      • 54 Hate Evil
      • 55 Die For
      • 56 Rescue and Restore
    • Togethers of Perseverance >
      • 57 Pray for One Another
      • 58 Run the Race
      • 59 Preserve Hope
      • 60 Face Hardship
      • 61 Hold to the Truth
      • 62 Look Out for One Another's Good
      • 63 Forbid Mistreatment
      • 64 Prevent Love Money
      • 65 Prevent Revenge
  • Resources & Applications
    • Friends Together with Jesus >
      • Getting Started in Friendships That Build the Church
      • Jesus in the Cereal Aisle
      • 3 Friends Walk into a Cafe
    • Family Together with Jesus >
      • Getting Started in Family Life That Builds the Church
      • How to Lead a Family as a Family
      • Successful Family Dialogue
    • Marriage Together with Jesus >
      • God-Centered Marriage
      • Getting Started in Helping Your Marriage Build the Church
      • Successful Couple Dialogue
      • Powerful Hints for a Successful Marriage
    • Communication & Fun Games
Basic Preparation for Transformation
Week 1, Email 1, Monday
Introduction: Part One

Growing into the likeness of Jesus Christ 
more and more thoroughly
 should be our life’s purpose. 

The Crucibles for Transformation that bring exceptional Christlikeness are our inner circles of Christian relationships filled with costly biblical love.  The 65 Togethers of Scripture, derived from hundreds of Bible verses and passages, tell us what God wants from Christians when they get together.  All 65 Togethers are aspects of loving God and one another.  They are best implemented in our smaller, most regular, frequent and important relationships.  When implemented within our Christian friendships, families, and marriages, these Togethers produce more and more of the character of Jesus Christ in us.
Therefore, knowing about and implementing the 
Togethers opens the door to entering our Crucibles for
Transformation that we might grow more like Christ.
Growing in Christlikeness allows Jesus to live in you more and more. 
I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

Gal 2:20
Being more like Jesus is very advantageous for this life and the life to come.
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Col 1:27
Godliness is the same as Christlikeness, and we are told to put hard training into it, again to benefit this life and the life in heaven.
... train yourself to be godly.  
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, 
holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

1 Tim 4:7b, 8
Christlikeness is everything!  Bringing Jesus into this world in each of us individually and in all of us together – is what it is all about.  Only God Himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are more important, and increasing Christlikeness in us is the best way to put God first.
(A)  Christlikeness is praise.  Since worship is reflecting back to God His own character, exceptional Christlikeness is exceptional praise.

(B)  Christlikeness is the doorway into the Kingdom of God.  In the Lord’s Prayer we ask, “. . . thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.”  We can help God answer this prayer by living together in the way God has instructed in the Bible.  

(C)  Christlikeness is the way to defeat evil.  Not only are we to face temptation together and prevent it from becoming sin, but we are to march against the gates of hell.

(D)  Christlikeness is the way to prepare for heaven.  Anything not like Christ is not going into heaven.  We put off the old self of sin and put on the new self that is created in Christ Jesus.  In this way we make ourselves more prepared for heaven.

(E)  Christlikeness opens the door to connection and bonding with God.  This will be especially precious in our eternal life in heaven where we hope to have the privilege of walking along with God as He did with Adam and Eve in the unspoiled Garden of Eden.
Therefore, The 65 Togethers of Scripture as a Blueprint for Becoming Like Christ, are also a Handbook for Kingdom Relationships, a Field Guide for Lifestyle Worship, a Strategic Battle Plan, a Manual to Prepare for Heaven, and a Guide for a More Personal Relationship with God in Eternity.

In our Crucibles for Transformation, our Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages, we must know and implement the Togethers to significantly grow in Christ and internalize His character.  This Crucibles for Transformation into Exceptional Christlikeness curriculum will prepare us to do just that.

Bible knowledge is not enough for the journey now or even in heaven.  The eternal life that awaits us requires changed people, not merely knowledgeable believers.  Each Together is a spiritual skill that becomes more and more natural as we practice it consistently in our lives here in the sinful environment of earth.

Please consider all the extremely valuable things to be gained by spending the rest of your life before death implementing the Togethers more and more deeply.

Ever increasing practice of these Togethers of Scripture will: 
(1) create in Christians the loving essence of Jesus, 

(2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, 

(3) provide Christians with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, 

(4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to Him through Christlike behavior in relationships, 

(5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer, and 

(6) defeat evil both in the physical world and in the demonic spirit realm.  

And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will: 
(7) prepare Christians for eternal life in heaven’s relationships, 

(8) qualify Christians for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, 

(9) give Christians greater empathy with God for closer relationship-bonding and connecting with Him for all of eternity.
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