Inward Prayer

Small Group Questions:

1. 1. What is your favourite childhood memory with a best friend?
   2. Take some time to talk about the current friendships everyone has in their lives. What do your friendships look like in your life currently? Do you have an inner circle (best friends)?
   3. According to Scripture what makes a good friend? (hint. proverbs)
   4. Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” How does this apply to an individual’s walk with God?
   5. In the gospels, Jesus ate and drank with everyone, not just his disciples. How do we build friends with those who may have different beliefs or morals without putting our spiritual life in harm’s way? (1 Cor 15:33) or how do we treat people who are not in our inner circle?

Outward Prayer

THE MAIN POINT

Relationships are not easy but necessary. The relationship we cultivate with friends will impact our faith, self-esteem, and life.

THE BIBLE

Genesis 2:18, 1 Corinthians 15:33

THE CONTEXT

God designed humans for relationships. In the very beginning, He says, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Since then, relationships have been formed in various ways—through friendships, romantic partnerships, family bonds, and even the relationship one has with oneself. Humans, whether we realize it or not, need relationships in which we are loved, known, and cared for.

Loving relationships are God’s idea, reflecting His very nature. The Father, Son, and Spirit exist in perfect, loving relationship with one another. God Himself is our ultimate example of what a healthy relationship looks like.

“We thank God for friendship, we treasure God above friendship, and we enjoy God through friendship.” Drew Hunter

Relationships are not easy, but necessary. Friendship, at its best, is one of the best gifts we can give to another person. Friendship, at its worst, can leave us broken and vulnerable.

Cultivating good friendships is pivotal in living the Christian life, and seeing humanity thrive.

“Therefore, we must run every habit, every thought, every relationship-everything-through this simple grid: Does this sow my flesh or my spirit? Will this make me more enslaved or more free?

More beastly or more human?” John Mark Comer

THE CORE
As you prepare the core of the message using personal stories and questions keep in mind these points:

1. Relationships are not easy but are necessary
Although relationships can sometimes be hard, they are necessary. Friendships help us grow in faith, and maturity, bring joy and help in life’s circumstances.

2. Friendship has its levels

• We can’t expect to be best friends with everyone we know—it would be exhausting. Even Jesus had different levels of friendships. He had the crowds, His family, larger groups of disciples, the twelve disciples, and an inner circle of three (James, Peter, and John). Jesus shared different things with each group, yet loved them all.
• We become like those we spend most of our time with. Look around, do you want to become like them?
• “Bad company, corrupts good character.” (1 Cor 15:33) It is incredibly important as a follower of Jesus to choose wisely who we allow to influence us. Do you know who has the most influence in your life?
• Christians are called to love. Love our neighbours and love our enemies. This means friendship is not exclusive to those who share our beliefs and ways of life. We must look to Jesus’ example of friendship.
• DISCLAIMER: Your heart posture towards others reflects your heart posture towards God. How we treat those who are not in our direct friendship groups speaks highly of how we love God and view ourselves.

3. Helpful additional scriptures

Here are some more bible verses, and quotes to think about while writing this talk:

• “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” —Proverbs 12:26
• “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” —Proverbs 13:20
• “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” —Proverbs 18:24
• “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” —Proverbs 27:17

THE APPLICATION

As you prepare the application, challenge and/or encouragement, keep in mind these points:

• Take a minute of reflection. Challenge the youth to look at their current friend group and their “inner circle” relationships. Do they have friendships that are healthy?
• Encourage the youth to not only examine their friends but themselves. To ask themselves the question, “Am I a good friend?” or “How can I be a better friend?”
• Write down one friend that you are going to pray for every day.