Friends
A friend stick closer than a brother
I know this will sound crazy, but most of your friends that you have today will be going their separate ways and not be a part of your life. This is very sad, because some of you have known each other for years, but time, distance and new relationships will impact your friendships. Of course this is not in every case, but I guarantee you will make new friends. This is where I believe the rubber meets the road. The people you choose to hang out with will make an impression on you, and you have choices you can make right now. As you move forward from High School, many of you will be starting over with a fresh slate. This is where you can make a change for the better, for worse, or keep things as they are because they are good right now
Questions to Ask
What kind of friends do you want?
It’s really nice to be welcomed in by a group of friends, but who are you fitting in with?
Do they respect authority?
How do they treat other people?
What is their lifestyle like?
What’s important to them?
Do they love Jesus?
Do they have a correct view of who God is? (Not everybody does)
What does the Bible say about it?
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Proverbs 13:20
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
James 5:16
[16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Prov. 27:17
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Heb. 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
What do people smarter than me believe?
Charles Spurgeon
“Shall I give you yet another reason why you should pray? I have preached my very heart out. I could not say any more than I have said. Will not your prayers accomplish that which my preaching fails to do? Is it not likely that the Church has been putting forth its preaching hand but not its praying hand? Oh dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer.”
C.S. Lewis
“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire?”
George Macdonald
“It is only the great hearted who can be true friends. The mean and cowardly, can never know what true friendship means.”
Thomas Fuller
“He’s my friend that speaks well of me behind my back.”
C.S. Lewis
“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.”
Interesting Facts
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Email to send
We talked about how you don’t get to choose your family. They will alway be your family, but your friends on the other hand is a different story. I know this will sound crazy, but most of your friends that you have today will be going their separate ways and not be a part of your life. This is very sad, because some of you have known each other for years, but time, distance and new relationships will impact your friendships. Of course this is not in every case, but I guarantee you will make new friends. This is where I believe the rubber meets the road. The people you choose to hang out with will make an impression on you, and you have choices you can make right now. As you move forward from High School, many of you will be starting over with a fresh slate. This is where you can make a change for the better, for worse, or keep things as they are because they are good right now…Does that make sense?
Ask yourself, do I want someone pointing me to Christ, speaking truth in my life, communicating wisdom I might not want to hear at the time? or do I want a friend that will have me doing things you know are wrong, that will tell me only what I want to hear, and they do nothing to talk about Jesus?
How they make an impact on your life will be up to you. You will make new friends next year, the question is, what kind of friends? It’s really nice to be welcomed in by a group of friends, but who are you fitting in with? Do they respect authority? How do they treat other people? What is their lifestyle like? What’s important to them? Do they love Jesus? Do they have a correct view of who God is? (Not everybody does) What does the Bible say about friends? What do Biblical teachers have to say about it? Maybe you heard a sermon? What do you have to say?
What do you believe?
Statement
Email for college
We should have a big group this Wednesday, and we look forward to getting all back together.
As we move forward on our study, we talked about how you don’t get to choose your family. They will alway be your family, but your friends on the other hand is a different story. Now that you have gone to school, or moved on in life, how many of your high school friends are you still in touch with? What are your new friends like? Did you make better or worse choices? This is where I believe the rubber meets the road. The people you choose to hang out with will make an impression on you, and you have choices you can make right now. As you continue to move forward college this is where you can make a change for the better, for worse, or keep things as they are because they are good right now…Does that make sense?
- It’s really nice to be welcomed in by a group of friends, but who are you fitting in with?
- Do they respect authority?
- How do they treat other people?
- What is their lifestyle like?
- What’s important to them?
- Do they love Jesus?
- Do they have a correct view of who God is? (Not everybody does)
- What does the Bible say about friends?
- What do Biblical teachers have to say about it?
- Maybe you heard a sermon?
- What do you have to say?
Joe