Friends

Philippians 2:20 (ESV)

For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

Perhaps you are in a time of emotional discouragement and need a word of encouragement. Maybe you feel like a spiritual orphan and need some gracious assurance. Do you long for a voice of hope as you struggle with the things you face? In difficult times, true friends are essential.

A true friend is one who is ready to help, comfort, and stand by another, especially in times of adversity. But a true friend is also discerning. A friend asks hard questions, confronts falsehood, and demands truth. Ultimately, this kind of honesty can be the best soil for encouragement, assurance, and hope.

This is what Paul saw and experienced in two friends. Timothy was a friend who was like a son to Paul “in the work of the gospel” of Christ, and Epaphroditus was like a brother, serving as a “fellow worker” and “fellow soldier” in the cause of Christ. Paul welcomed these friends with joy because they shared a genuine Christ-centered interest in the well-being of others.

The most dependable friend, however, is Jesus. As the friend of sinners, he is always ready to help, comfort, and stand by those who turn in repentance to him. His help is always encouraging, his comfort is assuring, and his presence is the foundation of hope. All who trust in Jesus can be called “God’s friend” (James 2:23).

Dear Lord, thank You for sending Jesus, our Savior and Friend. Enable us, we pray, to help, comfort, and stand by each other, as He has done with us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Back to school

Acts 2:46 (ESV)

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.

It’s game day, time to start school. You know what you have to do, so you get out on the court or field to face your opponents. Then you realize something’s wrong. You’re all by yourself. The other team is there, looming over you like a dark storm cloud from the other end of the field. However, not one of your teammates can be seen. Not on the court. Not on the bench. Nowhere. You have no one on your side.

Do you ever feel like that is your spiritual situation? Maybe you feel like the only Christian at your school facing the whole science department that teaches evolution as truth. Maybe you’re the only one at your job who doesn’t want to take a longer break than allowed.

In those situations, you may feel alone and unable to handle the pressure. You know his promise to always be with you, yet the present situation makes you question God’s presence.

That’s one of the reasons God surrounds us with the church and puts other Christians in our lives. God does not want us to be alone. He wants us to be together.

God equips your Christian friends to help you through all kinds of life’s problems, earthly or spiritual. Whether you have questions about the Bible or about your homework, whether you’re trying to pick a college or what to wear to school tomorrow, Christian friends can help because they (like you) know where to find answers to life’s critical questions. Christian brothers and sisters can remind you of God’s promises and give encouragement, comfort, or even correction from God’s Word. And not only do you get to enjoy these benefits, but to share them! God calls you to be that encouraging, supportive Christian friend to others too.

Most importantly, when you do crack under the pressure and give in to sin, your Christian friends are there to point you to Jesus. Your Christian friends are there to show and give you Jesus’s forgiveness. His perfect life and innocent death paid the penalty for all your sins. That’s the message you need to hear most of all. That’s also the message your friends need to hear from you most of all.

Do you have Christian friends? Thank God for them! Surround yourself with them. Then be one for them!

Dear Lord, thank You so much for blessing us with Christian friends so we can encourage each other to stay close to You. Forgive us for the times we haven’t been the friend You want us to be. Thank You for being the perfect friend. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Thanksgiving the gift of friendship and food

1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    for his steadfast love endures forever!

When Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday, he asked that we remember to pray for “all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, and sufferers.”

Jesus called us to do this as well. As Christians, it’s imperative to remember those who suffer; those who often go without; and those who have lost their family.

Lincoln also asked that we pray for “the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and restore it.”

His proclamation ended with four words. Peace, harmony, tranquility, and union — what the Wampanoags provided when they met 102 pilgrims: the gift of friendship and food. 

This season remember it was compassion that led to thanksgiving.

Why not advocate Thanksgiving this holiday season? Show compassion to the hungry.

Dear Lord, Thanks for the many things You have given each of us. Help our day of celebration not end today but go on throughout the year. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Don’t forget your team

Acts 2:46 (ESV)

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.

It’s game day. You know what you have to do, so you get out on the court or field to face your opponents. Then you realize something’s wrong. You’re all by yourself. The other team is there, looming over you like a dark storm cloud from the other end of the field. However, not one of your teammates can be seen. Not on the court. Not on the bench. Nowhere. You have no one on your side.

Do you ever feel like that is your spiritual situation? Maybe you feel like the only Christian at your school facing the whole science department that teaches evolution as truth. Maybe you’re the only one at your job who doesn’t want to take a longer break than allowed. Maybe you’re the only one at a party who doesn’t want to drink.

In those situations, you may feel alone and unable to handle the pressure. You know His promise to always be with you, yet the present situation makes you question God’s presence.

That’s one of the reasons God surrounds us with the church and puts other Christians in our lives. God does not want us to be alone. He wants us to be together.

God equips your Christian friends to help you through all kinds of life’s problems, earthly or spiritual. Whether you have questions about the Bible or about your homework, whether you’re trying to pick a college or what to wear to school tomorrow, Christian friends can help because they (like you) know where to find answers to life’s critical questions. Christian brothers and sisters can remind you of God’s promises and give encouragement, comfort, or even correction from God’s Word. And not only do you get to enjoy these benefits, but to share them! God calls you to be that encouraging, supportive Christian friend to others too.

Most importantly, when you do crack under the pressure and give in to sin, your Christian friends are there to point you to Jesus. Your Christian friends are there to show and give you Jesus’s forgiveness. His perfect life and innocent death paid the penalty for all your sins. That’s the message you need to hear most of all. That’s also the message your friends need to hear from you most of all.

Do you have Christian friends? Thank God for them! Surround yourself with them. Then be one for them!

Dear Lord, thank You so much for blessing us with Christian friends so we can encourage each other to stay close to You. Forgive us for the times we haven’t been the friend You want us to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

David and Jonathan

1 Samuel 20:4  (ESV)

Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

If you want to know what true friendship is, the greatest biblical model that I know of is that of David and Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of David’s enemy, King Saul. Saul was out to kill David because he was insanely jealous of him and knew that he would replace him on the throne of Israel. Saul’s son Jonathan knew this and was such a loyal friend of David that he alerted David of the danger and literally saved his life when he found out that Saul wanted to kill David. Jonathan told David that, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you”

Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves and Jonathan loved David “as he loved himself” fulfilling this Royal Edict from Christ (Mark 12:31).

Jonathan was a loyal friend to David and made a plan to warn him whether he could come to King Saul’s table or whether Saul would kill him do he devised a signal for David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the LORD lives, you are safe; there is no danger. But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the LORD has sent you away”

Jonathan risked his life for David because, “Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!” “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David”. Jonathan understood that he would be next in line for the throne if David was taken out of the way and could have easily betrayed David and had the throne of Israel for himself, but Jonathan’s love and loyalty for his friend David was evident by his selfless act of saving David’s life. Jonathan was willing to risk his own life for his friend David and with the understanding that Jonathan would sacrifice his chance to rule Israel. David’s friendship was more important that the throne of Israel to Jonathan. Jonathan loved David more than a brother and he proved it by his actions in I Samuel 20.

So Jonathon sent a messenger boy to shoot arrows for the signal that it was not safe for David to return to King Saul’s presence for he would surely be killed. What a touching show of affection that Jonathan showed David because, “After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most. Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town”. David showed such respect to Jonathan that he “bowed down three times before Jonathan“, even though David knew that God had anointed him to be the eventual king. Here is the future King of Israel; the greatest earthly kind that Israel would ever have, bowing to the son of is enemy, King Saul. And “then they kissed each other and wept together – but David wept the most”.

The fact is that friends are indispensable in this life. The older a person gets the more valued their friendship becomes. Many friends are closer than brothers or sisters are to each other. There is something special about having a friend that you can confide in, tell your troubles too, and share your life with. It has been said that a sorrow shared is halved, but a joy shared is doubled. Proverbs 27:10a says, “Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family” because you may need that friend in a day of trouble. The value of friends is one of the most important things in a person’s life: Their worth is not diminished by time, not devalued by inflation, not worn out by use.

Dear Lord, we thank You for our friends! Help us to work to make our friendships stronger. Help us to be the friend to someone today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Be friendly

Genesis 2:18 (ESV)

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

"I feel plain, unlikable and lonely," despairs Frank, a bright teenager from a loving home. "It seems nobody wants to be my friend — or at least my really good friend. What's wrong with me?"

Like Frank, many of us experience loneliness, some more than others. The truth is that all people, no matter what their age — even the most outgoing, wealthy and popular — experience loneliness at least occasionally. But sporadic feelings along this line are light years away from facing the rejection of peers on a day in, day out basis. That's how Frank feels. Nearly every day he wakes up to a world where it seems no one his age cares.

Perhaps you can relate to Frank. You've been there. Or you are there. Or maybe it's just that you're lonely more often than you'd like to be. You'd like to have more friends. Or at least one or two very special friends you can count on.

It’s healthy and natural to want to be around people who care. After all, from the very beginning of time, God has said that it is not good for man to be alone. We've all heard the phrase "No man is an island." It's true. We all need others in our lives.

How do I make friends?

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, offers counsel in Proverbs 18:24 on the subject of friendship. He explains that if we want friends, we must be friendly and reach out to others. But reaching out involves risk. Perhaps you think, What if they don't like me? What if they embarrass me in some way? Because we are often afraid of rejection, many of us are unwilling to reach out to others. We take a safer approach and wait for others to befriend us. But if we want friends, we've got to get beyond this. We must realize it is our responsibility to make friends. So just how do we go about it?

Here are some great actions to take if your goal is to make more friends.

Be willing to take the initiative. If you see someone whom you would like to know, don't wait for her to make the first move. Approach her and begin a conversation. Invite her over to your house or to church or a youth activity. Let her know in a nonaggressive, nonthreatening manner that you are interested in being friends.

Reach out to those who are lonely. When you see someone at school or at church sitting alone, go over and sit with her. Talk to her and get to know a little bit about her. And don't let popularity determine whom you reach out to. You'll often be surprised at the beautiful qualities hiding behind a shy or awkward appearance. When you break the ice by demonstrating that you love and care, you receive love and care in return.

Ask questions. People always like talking about themselves, so initiate your first conversation by asking this potential friend what they like to do. Show interest. Be sure to ask questions that cannot be answered yes or no. For instance, don't ask, "Do you have a dog?" Instead say, "So, tell me about your pets." This gives your potential friend an opportunity to elaborate on the question, not end it awkwardly with a one-word answer. Even more important than asking the right questions is listening (and remembering) the answers.

Be friendly and smile. Be warm and friendly to others. Smile ... a lot. We all enjoy being around someone whose face reflects happiness. So make sure you approach your potential friend(s) with warmth and body language that sends an "I care" message.

Be patient. Give friendship time to grow. Many times we scare away potential friends by sharing or expecting too much, too soon. Allow your friend time to get to know you, and give yourself time to know her before you share the deeper things of your life. Remember, when you give anyone some of your heart, you are giving that person a precious gift. Therefore, you want to present it to someone who will treasure it. That means you will want to know that your friend is trustworthy. But it takes time, so don't rush the process.

Remember, not everyone will like you. None of us wants to be rejected. Yet, we must realize that sometimes when we reach out, people will decline our offer of friendship. That's okay. Remember that friendship involves risk. And we can only have so many friends. If you have three or four intimate friends in a lifetime, you can consider yourself fortunate. For one thing, you only have a limited amount of time to invest in relationships. If you seek too many friends, you will shortchange yourself; you'll find you do not have a real closeness with any of them. Intimacy takes time and investment. When you discover that your efforts at finding a true friend haven't succeeded, don't give up. Just begin the process all over again. It's truly worth it when someone responds and a great friendship is formed!

We need to be willing to slowly share our hearts and allow our friends to do so as well. Everyone is fearful of rejection, but someone has to reach out first. We must be willing to take risks, realizing we really have nothing to lose . . . and a lot to gain. As we seek genuine friends and live the message of King Solomon — if we want friends we must be friendly — we will discover that this biblical principle really works. Just don't give up!

Dear Lord, help us to be more friendly so that we can share Your love with those that come into our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Being a good friend

Proverbs 18:24 (ESV)

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Being a good friend isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it takes hard work. However, being a good friend is something that with God’s help can be accomplished. Here are some ideas on how to become a good friend.

1.  Be Friendly – If you want to have friends you must begin by being friendly. Proverbs 18:24 – A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.  If you want to have good friends you’ve got to begin by being friendly. Focus on going out of your way to talk to others. By being friendly, and talking to others, you’ll find that you attract more friends.

2.  Be There – If you have a friend that is going through a hard time, don’t bail on them. Stick around and just be there for them. Many times you might not know what to say or do, but you just being there will mean a lot to your friend.

3.  Listen – A good friend listens to others. Do you spend all the time talking and dominating the conversation? If you do, perhaps take some time to spend listening to others. People will want to be around you more if you’re willing to listen to them.

4.  Be Light –  One of the best ways you can be a good friend is by letting your life show others how good Jesus is. Let your friends know what a difference Jesus has made in your life. Don’t hide your relationship with God, but let that relationship shine though in all you do.

Being a good friend takes work, but it is worth it. When you develop good habits in your friendships, you’ll find that you become the type of person others want to be around. Become a good friend so that you can help lead others to know Christ.

Dear Lord, we thank You for being our friend! We pray that we would be good friends to those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Pop Tarts and friends

Philippians 4:11 (ESV)

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Pop Tarts are one of the best foods on the planet! Whoever created them was a genius. From the frosting to the filling, Pop Tarts are just plain awesome. Did you realize that the yummy goodness of Pop Tarts could teach you about friendships?

One great thing about Pop Tarts is that there isn’t just one flavor to choose from. There are tons of filling flavors. There are Strawberry, Cookie Dough, Blueberry, Cherry, Hot Fudge Sundae and S’Mores just to name a few.  Just like Pop Tarts, there are tons of varieties of friendships. Some are really deep and will last a lifetime. Others are just fun and for the week of Spring break. Its easy at times to be frustrated with a friendship. You might wish that it was more meaningful, or something was different about that friendship. Instead of becoming unhappy with the friendships you have, you can cheer yourself up by realizing that like Pop Tarts, friendships come in lots of different flavors. It would be silly to get upset over the fact that your Cherry Pop Tart wasn’t a S’More flavored one. Yet, lots of times we do that in friendships. We get mad that our friendship isn’t the way we want it to be. Rather than getting upset, choose to be grateful for the friendships you have.

Another great thing about Pop Tarts is that they’re wrapped in foil. This keeps the pastry fresh for when you’re ready to eat it. That’s a lot like friendships. Friendships sometimes take time to unwrap. It may take some time to discover the true friends that you have around you. Never get frustrated feeling like you don’t have anyone or any true friends. Perhaps its just time for you to look around in your life for someone that could be a friend that you need to unwrap so to speak and get to know. Friendships take time to develop. Don’t become discouraged if it takes you a bit to find some true friends in your life.

Pop Tart flavors come and go. Some flavors have been retired. Other flavors are just used for an anniversary or birthday of Pop Tarts. New flavors of Pop Tarts come out from time to time. The same is true of friendships. Some friendships go. While it isn’t always easy in seasons when it doesn’t feel like you have lots of friends, you can take comfort in the fact that there are seasons in life. Some seasons you find that you have more friends than others. Don’t become discouraged when you feel that you have fewer friends. It’s just a part of life. Other seasons of your life, you will have more friends. Just choose to have a good attitude and not let the seasons of life get your down.

Finally, if you’re in need of friends, know that God is always there. He’s a friend that will never leave you. If you need to talk, get things off of your shoulders, you can go to God. He’s always ready to listen and bring you comfort.

Just like Pop Tarts, friendships are an awesome part of life. They both bring lots of flavor and fun to our lives. Choose to enjoy both friendships and maybe even a Pop Tart this week!

Dear Lord, we thank You for the friends You bring in our life. Help us to treasure then as the gift that they are. Thanks You for being a friend that will never leave us nor forsake us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Loving friends

Proverbs 17:17a (NIV)

A friend loves at all times.

   

This week as I kept up on Facebook I found so many of my friends are hurting in one way or another. Some are fighting the flu or other sickness. Some have financial problems. I even have a friend who was in a major accident and is unable to work. I am able as their friend to pray for them and send encouraging words.

 

Friends are so important. Not just because they are fun and enjoyable to be with but because they help you in times of need. God wants us to make good choices and pick good friends because friends are going to be there your whole life. If it’s one thing that will last, it is a really good friend.   Good friends have your back and are there for you. They are there to make you smile when you are sad. A true friend is a friend no matter what is going on around you. God wants us to remember that to have good friends we need to be a good friend too.

Are you being a good friend to someone today?

Dear God, thank you for this day. Thank You for the friends You have given us. We pray that we would treat them with love so they will see they are important. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Best Friends

Ephesians 4:29-32 (New International Version)

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Former prisoner James Knapp confessed to police that he'd robbed two stores in Oklahoma, because he missed his old cell mates. Police said they'd see if James could be reunited with his old friends.

I think Mr. Knapp may have expressed something important, however. Friends, wherever we find them, are absolutely necessary.

But do you know who your best friend is? Automaker Henry Ford was having lunch with a man, when he suddenly asked the man that very question. "Who is your best friend?" Ford asked.

The man hesitated and Ford went on. "I'll tell you who your best friend is," he said. Then he wrote this sentence for the man to read: "Your best friend is he who brings out the best that is within you." Our best friends are those who do more than simply like us. They also believe in us. They support us but, occasionally, they nudge us as well.

Someone put it well: "A friend is someone who knows you as you are, understands where you've been, accepts who you've become, and still, gently invites you to grow."

Are you that best friend to somebody today? Let’s make it our goal to become a best friend today.

Dear Lord we pray that we would be the kind of friend today that will help others grow to become the very best that they can. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Are You Rich?

Romans 13:8 (New International Version)

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

I read a story about an elderly, blind lady living alone named Stella, one might think she should have spun long tales of hardship and misery. And I suppose she could have told such stories, but she made little room in her life for self-pity. She might have mentioned the deaths of friends and family, including her husband; the glaucoma which finally claimed her eyesight; the small pension on which she was forced to subsist and the arthritis which kept her home bound in a little trailer house. And nobody could blame her had she despaired that she had grown so dependent on others.

She never did lament about all her hardships, either past or present. Many times she would talk about her good fortune. Speaking of her son, she often would say: "My Jimmy came to see me today. He's so good to me!" Of her friends, she often commented: "I've been talking on the phone all morning. I'm so thankful I have such good friends." Then, with a slap on her knee and a broad smile on her lips, she would invariably exclaim, "I'm the richest person in the world!"

And maybe she was! She had love. She found it in her friends, her family and her faith. She had everything she needed for a happy and fulfilled life. And what’s more, she knew it.

Stella spoke of her upcoming 90th birthday. "All my family will be here," she smiled. And with that familiar slap on her knee, she exclaimed, "You know, I'm the richest person in the world!"

But she barely made that birthday celebration herself. Several days prior she was laid in a hospital bed and slipped into a coma. Her family was told she would die shortly.

However, a strange thing happened. On the day of her birthday, she opened her eyes and greeted the smiling faces of family and friends surrounding her bed. She sat up and enjoyed birthday cake while someone read cards. They told her they loved her and they said, "Good-bye." With family and friends around she smiled and whispered, "I'm the richest person in the world!"

Stella went to sleep that night and slipped peacefully away.

As I read the story I wondered if she felt sorry for those who have everything but happiness.

After all, they could be just as wealthy and happy as she, if they only realized that the greatest of all riches is love.

Let’s make it our goal to become the richest person in the world!

Dear Lord we thank You for the gift of love that You have given to each of us We pray today that we would share that love with family and friends around us so that we may be the richest person in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friendship and the Rhino.

Across the grasslands of East Africa, live some of nature's most fascinating animals. The rhinoceros, a two-horned terror of tremendous speed, size and agility, is feared by most of the creatures in the wild. Being one of the most dangerous animals in the world, the rhino is avoided by most animals, that is, except the buffalo bird. Watching the rhinoceros in his natural habitat, you would see these birds perched on his back. From time to time, some would be pecking into his back much as a woodpecker would work away at an old tree. Others would be flying about the head of the rhino and still others lighting on his ears. The most amazing thing is that the rhino does not attack. This is so, for the two have an understanding. From birth, the rhino has poor eyesight. In addition, his body is covered with parasites which he cannot control. The flock of birds on his back do him a great service by eating these parasites, which are the whole of their diet. And, if there is any danger in the area, these birds let out a shrill call warning the rhino of what he cannot see. In return for this service, they are protected from their natural predators by one of Africa's largest mammals. In a real sense, these two totally different animals of the world kingdom are fulfilling the responsibilities of mutual friendship.







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.


- Ecclesiastes 4:10 (New American Standard Bible)






Dear Lord we are thankful for our friends. We pray that we will be the encouragement that they need and that we will be there when they need to be lifted up. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

True Friends

In a battle in Scotland there were two brothers in the same regiment. Their army was beaten and was leaving the field. One of the brothers lay on the ground desperately wounded; but the other brother, also wounded, was still able to walk. Disregarding the entreaties of his brother that he leave him to die and flee with the others, he stooped down and lifted him to his back and thus left the field. By and by the warmth of the body of the brother who carried him revived the spirit and strength of the unconscious one; but the brother who carried him, when he had reached a place of safety, staggered and fell dead beneath him. One brother had given his life for another. Yet we are told that there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

- Proverbs 18:24 (New International Version)

Dear Lord, we thank you for our friends and we pray that we will be good friends back to each one. Above all else we thank you for being a close friend we can always count on. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Are You Sharing God's Love?

Nell Mohney in her book, DON'T PUT A PERIOD WHERE GOD PUT A COMMA, tells about a young lady named Kathy. There was an aliveness about Kathy that was evident as soon as you met her. She exuded energy and interest, joy in being alive, and openness to those she met. Kathy was not always like this. She had grown up in a dysfunctional family where she was a victim of verbal abuse by her mother and physical abuse by her alcoholic father. As she described it, she "felt like a big zero."

Then something happened that changed her life forever--even though it didn't seem like a big deal at the time. Kathy was in the sixth grade when the girl seated behind her invited her to attend Sunday School. The girl explained that her Sunday School teacher had challenged them to each invite a friend. "Do you go to Sunday School and church?" the girl asked Kathy. "No, I don't," was the reply. "Do you want to meet me at the front of my church at 9:30 this Sunday?" asked the girl. And Kathy attended her first Sunday School class.

Mrs. Parsons, the sixth grade Sunday School teacher became, in Kathy's opinion, her guardian angel. She took special interest in Kathy, often inviting her into her home where the two of them had long talks. She told Kathy that God loved her. She said that Jesus' death on the cross shows how much God cares. Mrs. Parsons made a world of difference to Kathy.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

- Proverbs 18:24 (New International Version)

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, help us to make a world of difference to someone in need of your love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Friends are God's gift

Today in Sunday school we studied about friendship and the importance of having good friends, and being able to be transparent with each other. It made me think about all the friends I have made through out the years. I want to thank each one of my friends for their part in helping make me the person I am today.

Packing up the dreams God planted

In the fertile soil of you

I can't believe the hopes He's granted

Means a chapter of your life is through

But we'll keep you close as always

It won't even seem you've gone

'Cause our hearts in big and small ways

Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

'Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

And with the faith and love God's given

Springing from the hope we know

We will pray the joy you live in

Is the strength that now you show

We'll keep you close as always

It won't even seem you've gone

'Cause our hearts in big and small ways

Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

'Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

'Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

To live as friends

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

No a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends.

-Michael W Smith

Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for
his friends.
-John 15:13

Dear Lord we want to take the time to thank you for our friends. We pray that you will use us to help make our friends better, give us the right words at the right time that we may be able to help them grow to be more like you want them to be. In Jesus name, Amen