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Friendship

Get to Know People (Feature Friday 09/06/19)

Being a friend is inconvenient, takes time, and is often difficult. It was true of friendships when I was 9 years old and wanted to play baseball, but my friends wanted to ride bikes. It was especially true in college when a friend and I realized we liked the same girl. And being a friend to others as an adult is hard on so many levels. But being a friend is part and parcel to following Jesus.

As Craig Etheridge shares, “Jesus was called a ‘friend of sinners.'” And if you want or claim to follow Jesus you will need to work on being a friend as well. We are surrounded by people who simply need friends and ultimately need Jesus. The reality is that people may never know they need Jesus until they have a friend who is a friend of Jesus. This is exactly what Craig is getting at in his article, “Friend of Sinners“.

Jesus instilled in his disciples a heart for people and his followers today should still be evidencing that heart. How are you doing at it? Comment below some routine ways to develop friendships around you.

Enjoy the article and your weekend and as always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day!

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Feature Friday (05/31/19)

Friendships are a strange thing. Some come and go. Others come and never go. While others never really develop. Each friendship is unique to the individuals who make it up and the experiences they share. Each friendship begins differently. I still regularly recall that the way I met one of my best friends was when I bit his ear as a young child. The ironic thing is…we are still friends today, over 25 years later.

Yet friendship is hard. As Chris Thomas states, “Our cultural depth has wrecked havoc on friendships. I suspect we are now far more proficient at acquiring acquaintances or ‘social connections’ than we are at forging the type of friendships” that last. Thomas goes on to give a “Defence of Deep Friendship“.

If you are someone who desires deep friendships but struggles to form them or someone who has been blessed by deep friendships check out the article. How have you developed or been blessed by deep friendships? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear the story.

When it comes to friendships one great place to find, develop, and remain in deep ones is in the local church. So as always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day!

Photo by Joseph Pearson on Unsplash

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Feature Friday (09/15/17)

It was an awesome experience. I had just left a group where I was so encouraged that I could not stop asking myself, “why did I enjoy my time with that group so much?” The more I thought about it the more I realized it was because of one person. The majority of my time that evening was spent with this one man. He had asked alot about me and my family. He was not offended when we disagreed. This man was excited about all the things going on in his life, not the things he was missing out on. But most obvious was his joy and love for Jesus.

After my interaction with that man and others like him, I realized what they all had…spiritual maturity. But how do you recognize spiritual maturity? What does it look like to be mature spiritually? What are tangible traits of mature Christians? Bill Hull gives us “3 Characteristics of Spiritual Maturity“. Enjoy the read, aim for maturity, and pray for transformation.

As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day!

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Feature Friday (08/11/17)

She was crying uncontrollably and I did not know what to do. Should I hug her in an attempt to comfort her? Would it be better to take her around the corner and then begin a conversation about what is going? Is the best option to find a woman leader to come over and begin to engage this female student? I found myself in an uncomfortable position with little to no confidence of what to do.

As a young student ministry intern, this was a situation I hoped was rare. But now as a more experienced student ministries pastor, I understand how common this type of circumstance is. While engaging a problem child is one thing, empathizing with a crying student is another. So how can we as parents, pastors, co-workers, neighbors, and even friends empathize with people around us who are hurting? Brene Brown has a great video clip on Empathy. It is well worth your 3 minutes and it may save you a friendship, relationship, and influence later. Check it out here.

Enjoy and as always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day.

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Feature Friday (1/29/16)

cropped-copy-skinny-Welcome-MatImage from: http://mothers-home.com/

Come on in! Make yourself comfortable! Can I take your coat? Would you like something to drink? So…all of these are common statements or questions when hospitably welcomed into someone’s home. But there is often some other focus in one’s mind during this time as well. The host seems to be very welcoming. The home seems to be in almost perfect condition, a place for everything and everything in its place. And then of course an superb 2-3 course home cooked meal is served. All of these things make for great hospitality right? If this were the case I am not sure my wife and I would have people over very often. Why? Because we are not always ready, rarely is everything in its place at our house, and a 3 course home cooked meal is a special occasion (even though almost all my wife cooks is homemade).

So what keeps us from begin discouraged to ask people over to our home? Something this article calls…”Scruffy Hospitality“. If you ever feel discouraged to open your home as a place of hospitality because things are not as perfect as you hope in your home, be encouraged, be ok with scruffy hospitality.

Enjoy and as always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day!

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