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Our Calling Is To Be Like Jesus
Your purpose in life is not found in a career, a degree, or a dream, it is found in one simple but profound calling: to be like Jesus. In this message, Pastor Mirek Hufton unpacks what it truly means to be conformed to the image of Christ, why holiness and consecration are not optional extras but the very pathway to freedom, and how the fire of God's Word and the Holy Spirit give you the power to live it out every day.
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Small Group Guide
Small Group Discussion Guide
"Our Calling Is To Be Like Jesus"
Pastor Mirek Hufton
1. SERMON RECAP
Pastor Mirek Hufton opened with a simple yet profound declaration: the purpose of every believer's life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Drawing from 1 John 3:1-3 and Romans 8:29, he reminded the congregation that God foreknew and predestined each person to reflect the character of His Son. He challenged the group to pursue holiness, guard their minds, and surrender their personal agendas entirely to God, emphasizing that a sanctified life is the secret to genuine spiritual power and fulfillment.
2. KEY SCRIPTURE
Romans 8:29 (NKJV)
"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
3. ICE BREAKER
Think of someone you admired growing up and naturally tried to imitate. Who was it, and what was one habit or quality you picked up from watching them?
4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Pastor Mirek described being like Jesus as the defining purpose of a Christian's life, not just one goal among many. Does that idea feel fresh and motivating to you, or does it feel like pressure? What makes the difference between those two reactions?
2. He pointed out that when mankind fell, humanity shifted from selfless, God-honoring motivation to a nature dominated by self-centeredness. Where do you personally notice that pull toward self most strongly in your everyday life, and what tends to help redirect you?
3. Pastor Mirek said that Jesus was completely consecrated to the Father's will, with no hidden agenda. He asked whether our own consecration is real or whether we have "a little portion for God" while other agendas run underneath. How honest can we be with ourselves about that? What would full consecration actually look like in your current season of life?
4. He taught that holiness in the Hebrew sense means "to live carefully," and that guarding what we see, hear, and consume is our personal responsibility. Where do you find it hardest to live carefully, and what practical boundaries have you found genuinely helpful?
5. Pastor Mirek described the Word of God and the fire of the Holy Spirit as the two great tools God has given believers to renew the mind and walk in purity. How consistently are you using both, and which one tends to get neglected in your routine?
6. He closed by sharing a moment from that very morning when he was too sharp with a staff member and had to go back and ask forgiveness. He said that being real rather than flaky is essential to avoiding hypocrisy. How does seeing a leader respond that way affect the way you think about pursuing holiness yourself?
5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE
Identify one specific area this week where you know your mind is being set on the flesh rather than the Spirit, whether a habit of scrolling, a recurring conversation, an entertainment choice, or a pattern of thought. Choose one concrete boundary to put in place for the next seven days, tell one person in this group what it is, and report back next week on how it went.
6. PRAYER POINTS
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Pray that each group member would gain a fresh, personal conviction that being conformed to the image of Jesus is genuinely the purpose of their life, not just a religious phrase.
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Pray for the discipline and desire to guard hearts and minds through consistent time in the Word and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, especially in areas where compromise has quietly crept in.
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Pray for the courage to pursue full consecration, surrendering personal agendas to God, and for the grace to return quickly and honestly to Him whenever there is a stumble.
7. MEMORY VERSE
1 John 3:3 (NKJV)
"And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
Daily Devotional
You Were Made for This
Romans 8:29 — "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."
I want you to sit with something this morning that I believe will change how you see your entire life. Before the earth was formed, before your parents ever met, God had you in mind. And the destiny he wrote over you was not a career title or a bank balance — it was simply this: to be like Jesus. That is your purpose. That is mine too. When someone asks what your calling is, I want you to be able to say without hesitation, "My calling is to be like Jesus." It sounds simple, maybe even a little ordinary, but it is the most extraordinary thing you could ever pursue. When you understand that this is the goal, everything else in your life begins to line up around it. You stop chasing things that were never meant to carry you.
Father, thank you for knowing me before I knew myself. Help me to embrace being like Jesus as the true purpose of my life, not just a Sunday idea but a daily reality. I say yes to that destiny today.
The Pull of His Love
1 John 3:1 — "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are."
I have stood in rooms around the world, across 63 mission trips in a single year, and I can tell you this from the bottom of my heart — nothing draws a person toward Jesus like the love of the Father. When that love saturates you, you do not want anything else. You do not need anything else. It is complete. It is whole. The reason I am still in this after nearly 40 years of full-time ministry is not willpower or discipline alone — it is because I have tasted that love and I cannot walk away from it. You are not just a church member or a good person trying to do better. You are a child of God. That is what you are. Let that truth settle into the deep places in you today. His love is the engine behind everything else we do.
Father, let your love be real to me today, not just a verse I know but something I actually feel and carry. Thank you for calling me your child — I do not take that lightly.
Guard the Gate
Romans 8:6 — "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."
I want to talk to you honestly today because I love you enough to tell you the truth. Where your mind goes, your life follows. I have seen it in my own life and I have watched it happen in the lives of people I deeply care about. The enemy is not subtle anymore — he uses your phone, your screen, your scroll, to suggest things that set your mind in the wrong direction. One click becomes a habit. One habit becomes a stronghold. But here is the good news I also want you to hear: you have authority over that. Second Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us we can pull down strongholds and take every thought captive. The fire of the Word of God and the fire of the Holy Spirit are more powerful than any temptation the enemy can throw at you. Guard the gate of your mind today. It matters more than you know.
Holy Spirit, help me to catch the thoughts that do not belong and to pull them down before they take root. Fill my mind with your Word and your presence so there is simply no room for what the enemy is offering.
All In
John 6:38 — "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."
Jesus did not hold anything back. His entire life on this earth was oriented around one thing — what does the Father want? Not what is easiest, not what is most comfortable, but what does the Father want? I remember when God told me to walk away from a Fortune 500 company and step into full-time ministry. My salary dropped. My security felt shaky. But I had made a decision that my life was not my own. And I want to tell you, with 40 years of perspective behind me, it was the best decision I ever made. Not because it was easy — the path with God is never the easy path — but because it was his path. That uphill road stretches your faith and builds something real in your spirit. I want to ask you today, is there an area of your life where you are still holding something back from God? He is waiting, and he is worth it.
Lord, I want to mean it when I say I surrender. Show me any area where I am still making my own plans first and help me to lay it down. I trust you with all of it.
The Secret to a Victorious Life
1 John 3:3 — "All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."
I want to leave you with this as you head into your weekend. The secret to a victorious life in Jesus Christ is a sanctified life. I know the word sanctified can feel distant and religious, but all it really means is this — a life set apart, carefully lived, dedicated to God. The ancient Hebrew understanding of holiness was simply to live carefully. Carefully with what you see. Carefully with what you say. Carefully with the company you keep. That is not a life of joyless restriction — it is actually the most free and powerful life you can live. When you walk in purity before God, your faith has authority. Your prayers have weight. You know he hears you. I am not talking about perfection — I told my own staff just this week where I fell short and I went back and made it right. But the direction of your heart matters. Press toward him. Purify yourself. He is worth every single thing it costs you.
Jesus, I want to be like you — not just in the big moments but in the quiet everyday ones where nobody is watching. Purify my heart and help me to live carefully for your glory.