WEBVTT 00:00:05.099 --> 00:00:11.766 Well, it was exciting to see all these kids down here continuing the energy from Vacation Bible School this week. 00:00:11.766 --> 00:00:15.500 It was a it was a spiritually powerful week. 00:00:15.500 --> 00:00:23.432 And if you were involved in VBS in any way, whether you volunteered, help plan anything, would you stand up? 00:00:23.432 --> 00:00:25.966 And just so we can appreciate you and give you thanks? 00:00:25.966 --> 00:00:26.365 Come on. 00:00:26.365 --> 00:00:29.233 I know there was a bunch. 00:00:29.233 --> 00:00:32.232 Yeah. 00:00:34.765 --> 00:00:38.133 It it was almost easier to have you stand if you didn't participate. 00:00:38.133 --> 00:00:40.665 I think we had so many involved. 00:00:40.665 --> 00:00:41.865 We had some exciting moments. 00:00:41.865 --> 00:00:43.665 In fact, unfortunately, Lauren is not here. 00:00:43.665 --> 00:00:48.365 She headed up the whole thing, or I'd have her come up and we just give her some thanks. 00:00:48.365 --> 00:00:50.232 Because she's over our children's ministry. 00:00:50.232 --> 00:00:53.799 She and her husband, they both were athletes at Murray. 00:00:53.799 --> 00:00:56.665 He played baseball there and she ran track there. 00:00:56.665 --> 00:00:59.466 And so they were like, we, this may never happen again. 00:00:59.466 --> 00:01:01.000 They're in the College World Series. 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:01.932 We're going to go see it. 00:01:01.932 --> 00:01:03.466 So they're off doing that. 00:01:03.466 --> 00:01:14.865 But we had some exciting times in fact, we even lost, some of our members involved in this lost parts of their person in the process of raising missions funds. 00:01:14.865 --> 00:01:20.400 Steve Brown, if you don't mind standing up, you may not recognize him. 00:01:22.832 --> 00:01:29.465 Steve, Steve had a beard down to about here, but he promised if we hit the missions funding goal, I'm going to shave it off. 00:01:29.465 --> 00:01:33.165 And of course, that got a lot of the it wasn't the missions part that got the kids motivated. 00:01:33.165 --> 00:01:34.066 It was the beard, maybe. 00:01:34.066 --> 00:01:35.500 And hopefully it was both. 00:01:35.500 --> 00:01:37.233 That's why we left out in the lobby though. 00:01:37.233 --> 00:01:40.665 This igloo they built, all the snowflakes that are hanging down. 00:01:40.665 --> 00:01:47.099 Each one represents$5 given toward missions by those kids last week. So it was a great time. 00:01:47.099 --> 00:01:50.900 A lot of really powerful spiritual conversations as well. 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:54.266 And thank you for all you're a part of in participating in that. 00:01:54.266 --> 00:01:59.200 It's probably the most powerful outreach we have as a church the week of VBS. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.266 So thank you for being involved in that. 00:02:01.266 --> 00:02:01.533 All right. 00:02:01.533 --> 00:02:05.533 We're continuing in our study of the book of Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom. 00:02:05.533 --> 00:02:09.366 We all need ancient wisdom for a modern age. 00:02:09.366 --> 00:02:12.133 And as we study the Book of Proverbs, we went through the first nine chapters. 00:02:12.133 --> 00:02:19.866 Now we're just going to look at a time because Proverbs hips hits so many different topics all across the various chapters in the middle. 00:02:19.866 --> 00:02:22.800 This week we're going to be looking at friendships. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:28.300 What does Proverbs have to say about developing strong, godly friendships? 00:02:29.566 --> 00:02:33.265 One of my favorite authors as a child and still today, is C.S. 00:02:33.265 --> 00:02:34.466 Lewis. I loved reading. 00:02:34.466 --> 00:02:44.532 You may have heard of read Chronicles of Narnia Lion, the witch and the wardrobe, and I love those stories as a kid, but I also loved learning about all the other things he had written. 00:02:44.532 --> 00:02:49.133 One of the things that was really important to him was friendship. 00:02:49.133 --> 00:02:53.432 In fact, he had a very close friendship with a number of other authors. 00:02:53.432 --> 00:02:54.332 They would meet weekly. 00:02:54.332 --> 00:02:59.165 One of those was the writer of the Lord of the rings, J.R.R. Tolkien. 00:02:59.165 --> 00:03:01.366 They were very close friends. 00:03:01.366 --> 00:03:04.165 They would meet often to discuss what are you writing? 00:03:04.165 --> 00:03:05.733 How could this improve? 00:03:05.733 --> 00:03:08.199 They would challenge one another. 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:09.866 Lewis actually wrote about friendship. 00:03:09.866 --> 00:03:26.599 He has this book called the For loves and in there he said, describing the beginning of a friendship, he said, friendship start when you have that first moment where you meet someone and you find out they're interested in that same weird thing that you like and you thought no one else like, you know, for them it was ancient languages. 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:29.800 They would meet and discuss Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse. 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:30.532 So typical. 00:03:30.532 --> 00:03:31.932 I know for most of us. 00:03:31.932 --> 00:03:34.832 But they went, you like that too? 00:03:34.832 --> 00:03:37.500 You must be my friend. 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:44.233 We've all had that happen where there's that thing that you're really into and you're like, you do that you two moment. 00:03:44.233 --> 00:03:45.566 That's how friendships start. 00:03:45.566 --> 00:03:50.099 But what I want to talk about today, what does a true friend look like. 00:03:51.099 --> 00:03:53.900 And you know, the difference we're going to be looking at. 00:03:53.900 --> 00:03:57.532 In fact, I have a handout with a number of verses printed on there. 00:03:57.532 --> 00:03:59.832 If you didn't get a handout, just raise your hand. 00:03:59.832 --> 00:04:02.133 We'll make sure one gets to you right where you are. 00:04:02.133 --> 00:04:04.366 We have some people with copies. 00:04:04.366 --> 00:04:06.800 We're going to talk about what is a true friend. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:08.032 You know the difference. 00:04:08.032 --> 00:04:14.133 We all have lots of acquaintances, but how do you get a true friend? 00:04:14.133 --> 00:04:17.132 And what are the marks of a true friend? 00:04:17.233 --> 00:04:20.600 So we're going to be looking at this handout and and we'll see you in there. 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:28.065 Seven marks of a true friend in the book of Proverbs we're going to use Proverbs chapter 27 as our anchor passage. 00:04:28.065 --> 00:04:32.000 So if you have a Bible, also turn to chapter 27 in Proverbs. 00:04:32.266 --> 00:04:35.966 And the page number for that in the church Bible is on that handout. 00:04:35.966 --> 00:04:38.533 It's on page 513. 00:04:38.533 --> 00:04:45.533 We'll be reading from the Bible directly as we look at these seven marks of a true friend. 00:04:45.533 --> 00:04:55.833 How do we get a true friend who is someone that is a true friend, not just a casual acquaintance there occasionally, but a true deep friend? 00:04:57.199 --> 00:04:59.899 Let's look at this first one here, the letter F. 00:04:59.899 --> 00:05:04.500 The first mark of a true friend is that they are faithful. 00:05:04.833 --> 00:05:05.399 They're faithful. 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:06.365 Look at verse ten here. 00:05:06.365 --> 00:05:09.000 Just the first line of verse ten. 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:15.065 Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend. 00:05:15.266 --> 00:05:16.365 A true friend is faithful. 00:05:16.365 --> 00:05:18.100 They don't forsake you in the hard times. 00:05:18.100 --> 00:05:22.932 In fact, look at a couple of these other verses here that I listed on the handout 1824. 00:05:22.932 --> 00:05:26.665 There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. 00:05:26.665 --> 00:05:29.466 You've had this happen even though you're very close to family members. 00:05:29.466 --> 00:05:40.033 You you find that friend that they become even closer than family or look at 1717 a friend loves at all times. 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:43.065 This is what I mean by that. 00:05:43.065 --> 00:05:50.266 That word faithful, the faithful friend is there with you even when you let them down. 00:05:50.266 --> 00:05:58.365 Even when you make poor choices, even when you go through hard times, when you mess up, when you're not the good friend, the faithful friend is. 00:05:58.365 --> 00:05:59.966 They're still there. 00:05:59.966 --> 00:06:01.432 They're not going anywhere. 00:06:01.432 --> 00:06:02.533 They stick by you. 00:06:02.533 --> 00:06:07.065 They're the ones who show up that you can count on when no one else is there. 00:06:08.699 --> 00:06:10.333 And, you know, it's interesting. 00:06:10.333 --> 00:06:16.365 Job's friends get a are given a pretty hard time, and rightfully so. 00:06:16.365 --> 00:06:19.365 For saying a lot of unhelpful things to him. Job. 00:06:19.365 --> 00:06:22.466 You know, if you just obey God more, none of this bad stuff would have happened to you. 00:06:22.466 --> 00:06:24.365 You obviously are disobeying him. 00:06:24.365 --> 00:06:28.165 God wouldn't allow all this bad stuff to happen to you otherwise. 00:06:28.165 --> 00:06:32.699 They're preaching to him when he didn't really want to hear it. 00:06:32.699 --> 00:06:37.899 But we often gloss right over chapter three when they first come on the scene. 00:06:37.899 --> 00:06:42.932 Because even though, yeah, they said a lot of wrong things, they were unhelpful in many ways. 00:06:42.932 --> 00:06:50.065 But when they showed up, his friends sat silent with him for seven days. 00:06:50.266 --> 00:06:52.733 And in fact, it says they sat on the ground with him. 00:06:55.833 --> 00:07:00.300 Have you ever had someone just come and say, I'm going to sit with you? 00:07:00.300 --> 00:07:01.966 I don't even have words to say. 00:07:01.966 --> 00:07:03.766 I know you're going through a hard time. 00:07:03.766 --> 00:07:05.266 I'm just going to be here. 00:07:05.266 --> 00:07:12.699 I'm going to lay down on the ground with you in your lowest moment for seven days, silent. 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:16.300 That's a faithful friend. 00:07:16.300 --> 00:07:18.333 That's rare to have someone that will do that. 00:07:18.333 --> 00:07:25.000 And it's rare when we extend that kind of committed friendship. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:27.000 I'm going to be there no matter what. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:31.565 I don't even know what to say, but I'm there. 00:07:31.733 --> 00:07:33.165 I had a friend in little Rock. 00:07:33.165 --> 00:07:34.565 He was probably my closest friend. 00:07:34.565 --> 00:07:35.365 There we were. 00:07:35.365 --> 00:07:36.699 We would meet together regularly. 00:07:36.699 --> 00:07:37.699 We'd pray for one another. 00:07:37.699 --> 00:07:38.533 We'd have accountability. 00:07:38.533 --> 00:07:41.533 We had just a big encouragement to one another. 00:07:41.533 --> 00:07:46.565 And he went off the rails with drugs, ruined his family. 00:07:46.565 --> 00:07:51.300 He was a successful attorney, and from the appearances he seemed to have it all together and he went off the rails. 00:07:52.833 --> 00:08:00.699 And in the midst of this, we were on the phone a number of times and I knew he was lying to me left and right. It was so obvious. 00:08:00.699 --> 00:08:06.733 And I just said to him, look, man, I want you to know what you're doing makes me so sad. 00:08:06.733 --> 00:08:10.600 It breaks my heart for you, for your beautiful family, for all you're going through. 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:15.466 But I want you to know I'm not going anywhere, all right? 00:08:15.466 --> 00:08:17.365 You can shut me out of your life if you choose. 00:08:17.365 --> 00:08:17.966 But I'm not. 00:08:17.966 --> 00:08:19.100 I'm not abandoning you. 00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:20.100 I'm not going anywhere. 00:08:20.100 --> 00:08:21.365 I don't know what that looks like. 00:08:21.365 --> 00:08:23.466 I'm not approving of how you're acting. 00:08:23.466 --> 00:08:25.766 I hate this for you. 00:08:25.766 --> 00:08:28.766 I'm not going anywhere. 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:30.165 What's really amazing? 00:08:30.165 --> 00:08:33.533 In the midst of that, he ended up turning things back around. 00:08:33.533 --> 00:08:34.365 Lost his family. 00:08:34.365 --> 00:08:38.200 In the midst of that, though, they've reconnected, reestablished a relationship. 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:39.633 He went through recovery. 00:08:40.765 --> 00:08:53.799 And then when I first came here as pastor for those six months of driving back and forth between little Rock and Louisville, he was on the phone with me every time, and we talked for hours and hours and hours. 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:56.799 And he was a huge encouragement. 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:01.133 And that friendship grew even stronger through that. 00:09:01.133 --> 00:09:04.365 The faithful friend says, I'm not going anywhere. 00:09:04.365 --> 00:09:05.932 I'm here. 00:09:05.932 --> 00:09:06.799 I'm here for you. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:08.232 Yeah, we had to set up boundaries. 00:09:08.232 --> 00:09:11.566 I don't approve of what you're doing, and we need that too. 00:09:11.566 --> 00:09:14.932 But the faithful friend sticks by you even through the hard times. 00:09:14.932 --> 00:09:21.299 That's the letter F, the first mark of a true friend is that they're faithful. 00:09:21.299 --> 00:09:23.865 Now, you can contrast this with what? 00:09:23.865 --> 00:09:29.865 Chapter 19, verse four says, the fairweather friend wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted. 00:09:31.299 --> 00:09:33.966 Yeah, when times are great, everyone is your friend. 00:09:33.966 --> 00:09:35.000 Everyone shows up. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:36.865 Everyone wants a slice of the pie. 00:09:36.865 --> 00:09:39.133 And then when it's all gone, like the prodigal son. 00:09:39.133 --> 00:09:41.700 Where are all your friends now? 00:09:41.700 --> 00:09:43.466 Those weren't true friends. 00:09:43.466 --> 00:09:44.899 Those were fairweather friends. 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:46.133 Fickle friends. 00:09:46.133 --> 00:09:48.166 They just wanted you for what you offered. 00:09:48.166 --> 00:09:51.166 Not because of you. 00:09:52.432 --> 00:09:55.265 But the true friend is faithful. 00:09:55.265 --> 00:10:00.200 Next is the letter R faithful. 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:03.166 And then r reputable. 00:10:03.166 --> 00:10:06.166 Or some pronounce that reputable. 00:10:06.365 --> 00:10:07.566 That's a better way to say it. 00:10:07.566 --> 00:10:13.265 Reputable, meaning they're of good standing, of good character. 00:10:13.265 --> 00:10:17.566 They in the community are well known and respected and admired. 00:10:17.566 --> 00:10:19.899 You want to surround yourself with people like that. 00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:20.865 Look here at verse 12. 00:10:20.865 --> 00:10:23.865 In chapter 27. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:28.299 Actually verse 11, first, be wise, my son. Make my heart glad. 00:10:28.299 --> 00:10:33.466 Then verse 12, the prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. 00:10:33.466 --> 00:10:38.232 You want to surround yourself with people who are described as wise, as prudent. 00:10:38.232 --> 00:10:40.033 We did a whole sermon on character. 00:10:40.033 --> 00:10:41.066 You want to surround yourself. 00:10:41.066 --> 00:10:50.633 You want the people closest to you to be people of high moral character because they're going to influence you. 00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:52.466 In fact, look at chapter 13 here. 00:10:52.466 --> 00:10:56.865 It says 1320 whoever walks with the wise becomes wise. 00:10:57.533 --> 00:11:02.765 The people you surround yourself will influence you. 00:11:02.765 --> 00:11:04.066 It's unavoidable. 00:11:04.066 --> 00:11:07.066 They're going to rub off on you over time. 00:11:07.066 --> 00:11:13.232 That's why First Corinthians 1533 warns us bad company corrupts good morals. 00:11:13.365 --> 00:11:14.500 Watch out for those. 00:11:14.500 --> 00:11:17.500 And we've just listed a few here that Proverbs says to watch out for. 00:11:17.500 --> 00:11:18.700 Chapter one. 00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:20.932 Do not walk with the wicked. 00:11:20.932 --> 00:11:22.332 Do not be among the drunkards. 00:11:22.332 --> 00:11:27.732 Chapter 23 2024 one do not be envious of evil men or desire to be with them. 00:11:27.732 --> 00:11:30.732 Create distance from those who are evil. 00:11:31.166 --> 00:11:33.700 Make no friendship with a man given to anger. 00:11:33.700 --> 00:11:36.000 An angry person. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:36.765 Create distance. 00:11:36.765 --> 00:11:39.865 Don't have them as your inner circle of friends. 00:11:39.865 --> 00:11:41.399 They are going to influence you. 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:44.566 And then look at chapter 27, verses three and four. 00:11:44.566 --> 00:11:52.932 He describes a couple of people here a stone is heavy, a sand is weighty, but a fool's proclamation is heavier than both wrath. 00:11:52.932 --> 00:11:54.466 This cruel anger is overwhelming. 00:11:54.466 --> 00:11:59.066 But who can stand before jealousy, before a jealous person? 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:03.932 You don't want the fool, the jealous, the anger, the wicked, evil. 00:12:03.932 --> 00:12:12.466 Those shouldn't be your closest friends, your inner circle of people, because they're going to distance you. 00:12:12.466 --> 00:12:24.299 In fact, one one quote I like to share, especially with young people, that I don't remember who said it, but he said you will basically become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. 00:12:24.299 --> 00:12:25.666 Now, is that exactly true or not? 00:12:25.666 --> 00:12:28.265 I don't know, but you know what the point is? 00:12:28.265 --> 00:12:33.765 The people around you shape you deeply and oftentimes in ways you don't realize it. 00:12:33.765 --> 00:12:37.066 Not just the people you spend time around, but also the people you admire. 00:12:37.066 --> 00:12:40.466 You subconsciously try to become like them. 00:12:40.466 --> 00:12:51.166 And so it's important to be around reputable people. Now, let me give a balance to this as a caveat, because I know many of us are also thinking, now wait a second. 00:12:51.166 --> 00:12:54.200 Scripture calls us to be salt and light to the world. 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:56.399 So you're saying avoid the world. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:59.133 Avoid people who are. All these things? 00:12:59.133 --> 00:13:02.133 Describe wicked, evil, angry on and on. 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:13.066 Well, no, I'm not saying to completely avoid them, but the reality is, those who are in your inner circle need to be ones that are going to help you grow, improve. 00:13:13.066 --> 00:13:17.399 You've become a better person, not not bring you down. 00:13:17.832 --> 00:13:21.365 And yes, we engage with those who are described this way. 00:13:21.365 --> 00:13:26.533 Even, but we don't make them the people who are most influential in our life. 00:13:26.533 --> 00:13:28.033 We know when to create distance. 00:13:28.033 --> 00:13:33.133 And this is especially important if you're a new Christian, because I see this happen over and over again. 00:13:33.133 --> 00:13:38.133 You become a new Christian, and you've been running with a crowd that has been tearing you down and pulling you away from Christ. 00:13:38.133 --> 00:13:41.299 Well, now, of course, you're a new Christian and you want them to know Christ. 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:42.365 Do you want to know them? 00:13:42.365 --> 00:13:52.166 To know the hope, joy, peace that you have in Christ, but yet also, you know, but if I go back, run them with them. 00:13:52.232 --> 00:13:55.899 I'm going to go right back to the way I was. 00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:58.566 You have to create some distance for a season. 00:13:58.566 --> 00:14:01.666 And that's not, by the way, that's not giving up on them. 00:14:01.666 --> 00:14:07.399 What you're doing is you're actually you're becoming strong enough to actually be a help to them. 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:14.265 If you go back to them and they pull you right back down to you where you're not helping them or yourself, it's it's not that you've given up on them. 00:14:14.265 --> 00:14:22.200 And by the way, by creating some distance from someone who's pulling you down, you're also saying, God, I trust you enough to bring the right person into their life. 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:24.500 You actually are powerful enough to reach them. 00:14:24.500 --> 00:14:26.066 It all doesn't depend on me. 00:14:27.533 --> 00:14:29.033 You see how prideful that can become? 00:14:29.033 --> 00:14:30.166 Well, if I don't do it, who will? 00:14:30.166 --> 00:14:31.066 Well, okay. 00:14:31.066 --> 00:14:32.966 Yes, we do have responsibility. 00:14:32.966 --> 00:14:34.066 But there's a point. 00:14:34.066 --> 00:14:38.166 And there's a time where you operate from a place of strength, a spiritual strength. 00:14:38.166 --> 00:14:43.865 And when you're weak, you've got to grow stronger in him to be of to be of use in those friendships. 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:47.500 So we want to be surrounded by people who are reputable. 00:14:47.500 --> 00:14:51.533 It's your core group, those who are closest to you, who are going to influence you. 00:14:51.533 --> 00:14:53.566 Now. 00:14:53.566 --> 00:14:55.732 Next the letter I. 00:14:55.732 --> 00:15:02.799 We want faithful, reputable, and then we want people who give intentional advice. 00:15:03.765 --> 00:15:05.765 The word often used in Proverbs. 00:15:05.765 --> 00:15:08.765 But it didn't start with an I is council. 00:15:09.332 --> 00:15:11.265 We give counsel intentional advice. 00:15:11.265 --> 00:15:16.500 You want to be surrounded by people who can give you advice that you think is helpful. 00:15:16.500 --> 00:15:18.466 You respect their opinion. 00:15:18.466 --> 00:15:19.600 You admire them. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:24.033 You think that what they have to say and what they have, they have to offer is useful to you. 00:15:25.066 --> 00:15:27.299 Look here at a couple of these verses. 00:15:27.299 --> 00:15:36.033 Chapter 27 verse nine says, oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. 00:15:36.765 --> 00:15:46.066 One of the rich byproducts of a good friendship is when they can help give you good advice that help improve your life, that help point you in the right direction. 00:15:46.066 --> 00:15:48.200 We all need that, you know. 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:55.299 It's too easy to get isolated and to think that everything you think is perfect. 00:15:55.832 --> 00:15:56.865 Has that ever happened? 00:15:56.865 --> 00:15:59.865 I have the best idea ever. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:05.466 And then you share it with someone you respect and admire and they go, what are you doing? 00:16:05.466 --> 00:16:07.232 What are you thinking? 00:16:07.232 --> 00:16:11.500 And you realize maybe that wasn't as great as I thought it was? 00:16:11.500 --> 00:16:12.633 We get isolated. 00:16:12.633 --> 00:16:14.865 Proverbs 18 one we didn't spend time. 00:16:14.865 --> 00:16:16.332 We spent time in chapter 18 last week. 00:16:16.332 --> 00:16:17.166 We didn't look at that verse. 00:16:17.166 --> 00:16:20.899 He who isolates himself, seeks his own desire, breaks out against all sound judgment. 00:16:20.899 --> 00:16:25.166 Sometimes we get isolated because we don't want to hear what our good friends have to say. 00:16:25.166 --> 00:16:28.600 We actually don't want their advice because I want to keep going down the path. 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:30.765 I'm going down because I think it's the best idea ever. 00:16:30.765 --> 00:16:34.200 But actually, I know what they would say and they would disagree, and I don't want to hear it. 00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:41.533 But the good friend, the true friend gives intentional advice. 00:16:41.533 --> 00:16:45.799 You come to them, you ask, and they say, here's the direction to go. 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:46.865 Here's how I see it. 00:16:46.865 --> 00:16:50.500 Not in a top down, heavy handed way, but to help give you direction. 00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:51.799 They offer intentional advice. 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:54.799 Now there's two caveats to this. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:57.265 Okay, I wrote in here in the notes to ditches. 00:16:57.265 --> 00:17:01.765 Meaning if you're going down a road, there's two ditches you can fall off on either side. 00:17:01.765 --> 00:17:05.032 One is to say, I'm going to find selective wisdom. 00:17:05.032 --> 00:17:12.165 You've seen people do this where you go and find the person you know will give you the answer you want. 00:17:12.365 --> 00:17:15.266 I don't go to people who I respect and admire. 00:17:15.266 --> 00:17:20.932 Maybe I do kind of respect them, but I only go to those who I think will give me the answer I want to hear in the moment. 00:17:22.432 --> 00:17:24.799 That's not what true biblical counsel is. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:35.766 I need to surround myself with people who I know are going to the Scripture first and foremost, not just to make me happy, but to help deliver truth to my heart through the Scripture. 00:17:35.766 --> 00:17:37.865 So that's one is selective wisdom. 00:17:37.865 --> 00:17:43.599 In fact famous story in the Old Testament first Kings, Rehoboam, Jeroboam. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:47.099 Brabham was Solomon's son, was given the kingdom. 00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:49.700 But Solomon had been pretty heavy handed on the people. 00:17:49.700 --> 00:17:55.599 And Jeroboam was like, look, hey, by the way, you need to lighten up or I said, let me think about it. 00:17:55.599 --> 00:18:02.365 So he goes to the old men, gets their advice, and they say, yeah, now's the time to lighten up. 00:18:02.365 --> 00:18:05.365 Your dad was too heavy handed. 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:09.465 And then he says, well, let me, let me ask some other guys what they think. 00:18:09.465 --> 00:18:14.500 And he goes to the young men and they say, oh, you think Solomon was heavy handed? 00:18:15.700 --> 00:18:18.700 Wait till you see this. 00:18:18.766 --> 00:18:20.299 And divided the kingdom. 00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:26.299 He went and found the wisdom he wanted rather than godly biblical counsel of a true friend. 00:18:26.700 --> 00:18:33.299 You need to surround yourself with people who aren't afraid of sharing with you the truth of Scripture. In love. 00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:43.700 However, another ditch you can follow up on, on the other side of the equation is sometimes we get into this situation where we're just endlessly searching for wisdom. 00:18:43.700 --> 00:18:49.965 I got a hard decision to make, and so I ask someone, and I ask someone else, and I ask someone else. 00:18:49.965 --> 00:18:53.532 And I keep asking because really, I don't want to make the hard decision. 00:18:53.532 --> 00:18:59.465 I got enough wisdom about 13 people ago, and I just don't want to make the hard decision. 00:18:59.465 --> 00:19:01.532 And so I just need a little more information. 00:19:02.833 --> 00:19:08.066 Sometimes we put off the hard decision under the guise of I need a little more counsel. 00:19:08.066 --> 00:19:10.465 Don't don't fall off on either side. 00:19:10.465 --> 00:19:14.665 And it takes, by the way, great wisdom to know when's the time to make the hard decision to pull the trigger? 00:19:14.665 --> 00:19:18.299 When I have enough advice that requires wisdom as well. 00:19:18.299 --> 00:19:23.133 But the true friend will give you the intentional godly counsel. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:25.566 That's letter I. 00:19:25.566 --> 00:19:27.165 Now let's look at letter E. 00:19:27.165 --> 00:19:31.032 What's another mark of a true friend? 00:19:31.032 --> 00:19:34.032 It's that they are an encourager. 00:19:34.766 --> 00:19:36.266 They're an encourager. 00:19:36.266 --> 00:19:38.700 Look at chapter 27, verse two. 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:43.299 Let another praise you in not your own mouth, a stranger and not your own lips. 00:19:43.299 --> 00:19:49.000 The word stranger hints at the idea of a neighbor, someone nearby. 00:19:49.099 --> 00:19:51.766 You want to be surrounded with people who will encourage you. 00:19:51.766 --> 00:19:54.700 And I'm not talking about false encouragement and flattery. 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:55.599 That's not helpful. 00:19:56.732 --> 00:20:05.566 But you want the people closest to you to be those who build you up in general, not look for opportunities to tear you down. 00:20:05.566 --> 00:20:10.599 A couple of great verses on this are here in the notes Ephesians chapter 429. 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:16.400 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as good for building up. 00:20:18.133 --> 00:20:20.066 We spent all last week talking about our words. 00:20:20.066 --> 00:20:22.432 Your words can build up or tear down. 00:20:22.432 --> 00:20:45.232 Let the words of your mouth build others up even hard words as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear that's who you want to be surrounded with, not empty praise, but you want the people closest to you to be those who build you up, that make you better through their words that encourage you. 00:20:46.532 --> 00:20:56.865 Now, in contrast to that is verse 15, a continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife or are like. 00:20:59.232 --> 00:21:03.799 Now we'll get to marriage here over the coming weeks. 00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:06.865 I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the quarrelsome wife here. 00:21:06.865 --> 00:21:14.465 We'll just say the quarrelsome person, the people who are closest to you shouldn't be quarrelsome. 00:21:14.465 --> 00:21:20.500 They shouldn't be the kind of person who's always looking to pick a fight, always looking to point out everything that's wrong with you. 00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:24.732 That's like a continual dripping of water and water. 00:21:24.732 --> 00:21:27.732 Rain should be a great blessing. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:30.299 And yet too much of it. 00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:33.465 In fact, I've heard from so many recently, unprovoked. 00:21:33.465 --> 00:21:35.266 I'm so down with the rain. 00:21:35.266 --> 00:21:36.965 I'm so tired of all the rain. 00:21:36.965 --> 00:21:39.965 You know there's something about it. 00:21:40.066 --> 00:21:42.566 It just gets you restless. 00:21:42.566 --> 00:21:43.566 Sitting in the house all day. 00:21:43.566 --> 00:21:44.599 It's raining all the time. 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:46.665 I feel like I need to go somewhere else and do something else. 00:21:46.665 --> 00:21:47.599 I gotta get away from it. 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:49.133 I can't escape it. It's everywhere. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:57.365 That nagging, that continual dripping, that criticism over and over and over again. 00:21:59.965 --> 00:22:07.032 That's the opposite of what a true friend is called to be called to be an encouragement. 00:22:07.165 --> 00:22:11.266 Not only are they an encourager, they know when to say what's right. 00:22:11.266 --> 00:22:12.165 They have tact. 00:22:12.165 --> 00:22:14.333 They have wisdom with their words. 00:22:14.333 --> 00:22:17.232 I love these verses here that are listed out 2714. 00:22:17.232 --> 00:22:18.965 You can look at it here in chapter 27. 00:22:18.965 --> 00:22:25.965 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice rising early in the morning will be counted as cursing. 00:22:25.965 --> 00:22:28.633 We talked about this one last week. 00:22:28.633 --> 00:22:30.599 There's something about the timing of your words. 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:32.432 Yeah, you came to be an encouragement. 00:22:32.432 --> 00:22:34.099 I'm not ready for it. 00:22:34.099 --> 00:22:36.732 And it actually has the opposite effect. 00:22:36.732 --> 00:22:47.066 2520 says songs sung to a heaven heavy heart are like vinegar on soda, and you've had this happen. 00:22:47.066 --> 00:22:52.432 Maybe you're in the period of mourning and someone comes in to cheery and it does not catch you, right? 00:22:52.432 --> 00:22:53.500 It's not the right moment. 00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:54.465 It's not the right time. 00:22:54.465 --> 00:22:58.833 A true friend sees that and they sit silent for seven days. 00:22:58.833 --> 00:23:00.400 They know now is not the time. 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:02.865 They're sensitive to your needs. 00:23:02.865 --> 00:23:04.633 They're engaged with who you are. 00:23:04.633 --> 00:23:06.766 They're being intentional. 00:23:06.766 --> 00:23:11.500 They're really, truly thinking about, how do I best love this person right now? 00:23:13.432 --> 00:23:16.066 Lastly, what's listed here is 2618 through 19. 00:23:16.066 --> 00:23:27.133 You can flip over there and read it like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, I'm only joking. 00:23:27.865 --> 00:23:29.766 I'm only kidding. 00:23:29.766 --> 00:23:30.465 No big deal. 00:23:30.465 --> 00:23:35.865 Why are you so upset? And look, I've got friends. 00:23:35.865 --> 00:23:39.400 We are all the time giving each other a hard time joking with one another. 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:42.200 But a true friend knows when you've gone too far. 00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:46.932 A true friend knows when to dial it back a true friend knows when it's not funny. 00:23:46.932 --> 00:23:49.833 When it's not appropriate. 00:23:49.833 --> 00:23:53.700 A true friend knows when it goes from humor to pain. 00:23:55.365 --> 00:23:57.232 And they say that's not who I'm called to be. 00:23:57.232 --> 00:23:59.965 I'm called to build up, not tear down. 00:23:59.965 --> 00:24:02.965 Called to be an encouragement. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:04.965 That's letter E now. 00:24:04.965 --> 00:24:06.333 Letter in. 00:24:06.333 --> 00:24:07.965 And the seven marks of a true friend. 00:24:07.965 --> 00:24:11.400 A true friend should be nearby. 00:24:12.066 --> 00:24:12.932 Look at verse ten. 00:24:12.932 --> 00:24:20.900 The last part of verse ten better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. 00:24:22.200 --> 00:24:27.365 A true friend more than likely needs to be someone who's nearby, who is accessible. 00:24:28.365 --> 00:24:30.266 In fact, I think there's two dynamics to this. 00:24:30.266 --> 00:24:34.465 I have two factors when it comes to building friendships here. 00:24:34.465 --> 00:24:39.900 One phrase that Julie and I use all the time, and this would be the first one listed here. 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:43.865 Proximity is the key to community in churches. 00:24:43.865 --> 00:24:48.732 Talk all the time about how important it is to build community with one another. 00:24:48.732 --> 00:24:52.000 Proximity, meaning distance, is the key to community. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:55.465 You're most likely to connect deeply with those you have the best access to. 00:24:55.465 --> 00:24:59.133 You're most likely to be closest to the people you spend the most time with. 00:24:59.133 --> 00:25:05.266 Probably neighbors, probably people that were probably people you're hanging out with at church regularly. 00:25:05.266 --> 00:25:13.665 So I encourage people look for opportunities to live closer to those you worship with, go to school with, go to church with, work with. 00:25:13.665 --> 00:25:15.532 It's kind of anti-American. 00:25:15.532 --> 00:25:18.000 The American mindset is, man, just go. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:19.266 Go as far as you can. 00:25:19.266 --> 00:25:22.665 Get better house, get more land, move further out. 00:25:22.665 --> 00:25:27.900 Go to the place you've always wanted to be, but that's isolating. 00:25:27.900 --> 00:25:29.665 I'm not saying never to do that, you understand. 00:25:29.665 --> 00:25:35.266 But there's something about proximity that will deepen friendships. 00:25:35.532 --> 00:25:39.165 The other one to pay attention to here is time. 00:25:40.165 --> 00:25:45.165 Okay, when it comes to developing friendships, they've got to be nearby, both in distance. 00:25:45.165 --> 00:25:46.633 But in in time. 00:25:46.633 --> 00:25:49.965 There's there's no shortcuts to building friends. 00:25:49.965 --> 00:25:52.732 There's no shortcuts to friendships. 00:25:52.732 --> 00:25:55.732 Time is probably the key factor. 00:25:56.900 --> 00:25:59.900 And that takes a takes commitment. 00:26:00.500 --> 00:26:01.465 It takes dedication. 00:26:01.465 --> 00:26:03.799 That takes some hard choices about your life. 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:11.566 We're often rushing around everywhere, and especially as you get older, it's harder to build true deep friendships. 00:26:12.665 --> 00:26:16.232 I got a couple of guys that we met at freshman orientation in college. 00:26:16.232 --> 00:26:20.400 We were all four of us in freshman orientation. 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:25.599 We met the first day, and ever since then we've been very close friends. 00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:29.865 But of course, after college we kind of separated off different directions. 00:26:31.066 --> 00:26:34.865 But even then, right away, we said we spent so much time together in college. 00:26:34.865 --> 00:26:36.400 We developed such deep friendships. 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:40.333 We had almost every class together through the whole time. 00:26:40.333 --> 00:26:43.165 We can't give this up. 00:26:43.165 --> 00:26:47.732 We had grown very close through Bible studies, through ministries on campus. 00:26:47.732 --> 00:26:48.833 We can't give this up. 00:26:48.833 --> 00:26:51.299 We got to fight for this. 00:26:51.299 --> 00:26:53.099 So we started to do annual camping trips. 00:26:53.099 --> 00:26:56.000 And then when kids came along, we thought, well, we're gonna have to give this up. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:57.799 No father son camping trips. 00:26:57.799 --> 00:26:59.099 Let's bring the kids along. 00:26:59.099 --> 00:27:01.965 And then, of course, the kids get older and we can't work out schedules to them. 00:27:01.965 --> 00:27:03.333 I said, well, forget the kids now. 00:27:03.333 --> 00:27:05.299 We're going to keep meeting together. 00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:07.066 We're not going to give it up. 00:27:07.066 --> 00:27:12.566 We'll go back to how it was before the kids because these friendships are too important. 00:27:12.566 --> 00:27:16.599 You can't just all of a sudden go find a true friend when you need them. 00:27:16.732 --> 00:27:20.865 In fact, as we met together every year, we realize we got too much to cover. 00:27:20.865 --> 00:27:24.599 In this brief three nights together, we need to get regular phone calls. 00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:29.200 We start scheduling monthly phone calls, sometimes more often than that. 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:31.965 And look, what does your true friendship look like? 00:27:31.965 --> 00:27:35.365 I don't know, but the reality is someone's got to fight for that friendship. 00:27:35.365 --> 00:27:38.299 It's not just going to happen on its own. 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:41.566 You gotta carve out the time and make it happen. 00:27:41.566 --> 00:27:46.732 Figure out how to have that friend be nearby so they can speak into your life. 00:27:46.732 --> 00:27:47.965 That's let her in. 00:27:47.965 --> 00:27:48.965 And now let her die. 00:27:51.032 --> 00:27:56.165 The mark of a true friend, one mark of a true friend is that they are can be, will be when needed. 00:27:56.165 --> 00:27:57.932 Direct. 00:27:57.932 --> 00:28:01.766 In fact, the word is candor and that could also be used. 00:28:01.766 --> 00:28:03.165 Are not afraid of saying the hard thing. 00:28:03.165 --> 00:28:06.465 In fact, look at verses five and six in chapter 27. 00:28:06.465 --> 00:28:12.000 Better is an open rebuke than hidden love. 00:28:12.266 --> 00:28:15.266 Faithful are the wounds of a friend. 00:28:15.365 --> 00:28:18.365 Profuse are the kisses of an enemy. 00:28:19.532 --> 00:28:22.665 I love that verse because it's the opposite of what you expect. 00:28:22.665 --> 00:28:24.133 Wounds usually come from an enemy. 00:28:24.133 --> 00:28:25.465 Kiss is usually come from a friend. 00:28:25.465 --> 00:28:29.032 Well, maybe don't go around kissing your friend, but you understand. 00:28:29.032 --> 00:28:31.133 Like the loving should come from a friend. 00:28:31.133 --> 00:28:34.133 And this shows sometimes wounds help. 00:28:34.165 --> 00:28:37.133 Sometimes kisses aren't true. 00:28:37.133 --> 00:28:37.799 They're false. 00:28:40.066 --> 00:28:44.566 And the faithful friend isn't afraid to be direct. 00:28:45.932 --> 00:28:49.932 They know there are times I've got to say the hard thing to a friend. 00:28:49.932 --> 00:28:51.400 For the sake of for the relationship. 00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:56.232 I'm willing to risk saying the hard thing, knowing that this couldn't hurt the friendship. 00:28:56.232 --> 00:29:01.066 But hopefully we've got enough goodwill built up that I can say this to them because I love them. 00:29:01.066 --> 00:29:05.665 Because I care about them for the good of the friendship. 00:29:05.665 --> 00:29:07.833 Your truest friends are willing to do that. 00:29:07.833 --> 00:29:10.133 They are. 00:29:10.133 --> 00:29:21.932 It's not a true friend who will ignore the hard thing that won't point out the blind spot in your life that let you keep going along, and not even realizing that you're blind. 00:29:22.633 --> 00:29:27.432 True friends are built and that friendship is built on truth. 00:29:30.066 --> 00:29:30.400 C.S. 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:31.566 Lewis highlighted this as well. 00:29:31.566 --> 00:29:37.333 He said, if if someone wants to be your friend and they say, but I don't want to hear the truth. 00:29:38.066 --> 00:29:45.900 That's not a friendship that that friendship has nothing that it's based on whatever they want. 00:29:45.900 --> 00:29:48.900 It's not it's not a true friendship. 00:29:49.133 --> 00:29:52.133 The true friend will be direct. 00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:54.200 They will be clear. 00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:56.566 They're not afraid of giving you the rebuke. 00:29:56.566 --> 00:29:58.932 They're not afraid of telling you what you need to hear. 00:29:58.932 --> 00:30:01.500 Now, let me give two caveats to that as well. 00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:02.400 Yeah. 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:08.400 Remember, the title is friend, not Holy Spirit. 00:30:08.465 --> 00:30:12.000 You are not the Holy Spirit for your friend. 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:18.099 And if you're always rebuking and correcting me, we're not going to be hanging out a whole lot after a while. 00:30:19.833 --> 00:30:24.566 Distance is going to come between us because the person who does that over and over again, and sometimes you'll hear this. 00:30:24.566 --> 00:30:26.865 Well, I just told it like it is and they couldn't handle it anymore. 00:30:26.865 --> 00:30:32.900 Well, sometimes that's a sign that maybe you think there's nothing wrong with you. 00:30:32.900 --> 00:30:35.865 Or I should say maybe I think there's nothing wrong with me. 00:30:35.865 --> 00:30:38.365 But I'm not talking about you, per se. 00:30:38.365 --> 00:30:41.266 I've been there, overly critical of the friend. 00:30:41.266 --> 00:30:44.865 All you see is the things they're doing wrong. 00:30:45.665 --> 00:30:46.965 I'm not the Holy Spirit. 00:30:46.965 --> 00:30:48.532 I'm not your Holy Spirit. 00:30:48.532 --> 00:31:02.032 The call of the friend is to know, to have the wisdom, to know when to deliver the rebuke and to do it in kindness and in love, and with a measure of humility, realizing, look, I may not be 100% right on this, but here's what I'm seeing. 00:31:02.032 --> 00:31:10.566 And as your friend, I know you would be willing to risk the friendship to bring this up with me, to help me be better. 00:31:10.566 --> 00:31:13.500 That's the mark of a true friend. 00:31:13.500 --> 00:31:16.500 That is love. 00:31:18.066 --> 00:31:20.500 So you're not the Holy Spirit. 00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:26.299 And then second, one thing to be mindful of is. 00:31:28.865 --> 00:31:37.665 We've already looked at first, Peter, that talked about the reality that love covers a multitude of sins and a good friendship. 00:31:37.665 --> 00:31:41.766 Does that, overlook many things with a true friend? 00:31:41.766 --> 00:31:46.133 Things that might bother me normally I overlook for the sake of the friendship. 00:31:46.133 --> 00:31:47.032 So, John, which is it? 00:31:47.032 --> 00:31:52.665 Are you saying to go around rebuking, or are you saying to go around overlooking things? 00:31:52.665 --> 00:31:56.032 Well, keep in mind with first Peter says love covers a multitude of sins. 00:31:56.032 --> 00:31:59.032 It doesn't say every sin. 00:31:59.032 --> 00:32:10.400 There are things for the sake of the friendship, we got to bring up if we want to keep growing, if we want the relationship to be based on truth, we've got to bring it up. 00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:10.766 And look. 00:32:10.766 --> 00:32:12.432 All this brings us to letter S. 00:32:12.432 --> 00:32:16.032 Here's what's happening in a true friendship. 00:32:16.032 --> 00:32:19.900 What happens in a true friendship is sharpening. 00:32:20.299 --> 00:32:24.266 I didn't listen to verse here, but it's verse 17. 00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:30.766 Iron sharpens iron and so one man sharpens another. 00:32:31.333 --> 00:32:32.232 You've had this happen. 00:32:32.232 --> 00:32:33.965 The best friendships. 00:32:33.965 --> 00:32:38.165 You sharpen one another, you make one another better. 00:32:38.165 --> 00:32:41.965 And by the way, sharpening iron, sharpening iron. 00:32:41.965 --> 00:32:43.799 Sparks are flying. 00:32:43.799 --> 00:32:45.465 Metal is being shaved off. 00:32:45.465 --> 00:32:51.099 That's not a comfortable process, but we're making one another better. 00:32:51.099 --> 00:32:52.665 We're sharpening one another. 00:32:52.665 --> 00:33:00.799 We're willing to say, I care enough about you to enter in to this hard thing, to make you stronger. 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:02.865 I think another word we could use sharpening. 00:33:02.865 --> 00:33:05.633 We could use sanctifying. 00:33:05.633 --> 00:33:16.165 As Christians, those closest to me should be those who are pursuing Christ, and that when we get together, there is this longing to discuss scripture. 00:33:18.900 --> 00:33:24.333 There's this longing to talk about what Christ is doing in my life. 00:33:26.066 --> 00:33:29.066 That's a sharpening relationship. 00:33:29.700 --> 00:33:31.066 That's part of why we come together. 00:33:31.066 --> 00:33:32.566 Hebrews talks about that. 00:33:32.566 --> 00:33:35.732 Do not forsake meeting one another. 00:33:35.865 --> 00:33:39.766 Spur one another on towards love and good deeds. 00:33:42.766 --> 00:33:48.465 The thing I want to plead with you with to wrap all this up. 00:33:48.465 --> 00:33:53.266 Do whatever it takes to be building those true friendships. Don't wait. 00:33:53.266 --> 00:33:56.099 We're in a very isolated culture, a very isolated world. 00:33:56.099 --> 00:34:02.000 We think we can connect with everyone online, and there's some of that, but nothing replaces what's happening here right now. 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:04.165 Nothing replaces the face to faith. 00:34:04.165 --> 00:34:07.165 Face. 00:34:07.566 --> 00:34:11.532 You can't go find a true friend when you need them. 00:34:11.532 --> 00:34:29.266 I've had a number of true friends, and one of them I grew up here with, and I remember in first grade we were down the hall in the children's area in those little bitty blue plastic chairs, and I'm in my three piece suit like you should be in first grade back then back in the day, 1978. 00:34:30.166 --> 00:34:34.266 And he I don't think he was wearing three piece suit, but I still I didn't look down on him. 00:34:34.266 --> 00:34:36.199 Too bad. 00:34:36.199 --> 00:34:42.865 And we said, hey, you two friendship, first grade, five years old. 00:34:43.266 --> 00:34:47.632 And we went through so much of life together year after year after year. 00:34:47.632 --> 00:34:49.599 But then I moved away. 00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:51.132 He started doing other things. 00:34:51.132 --> 00:34:56.766 We started living life, our own lives, and we kind of drifted apart. 00:34:57.699 --> 00:35:00.699 In 2016, he took his own life. 00:35:01.465 --> 00:35:05.699 And I got to tell, you know, that was a hard day because I thought, where was I for him? 00:35:06.833 --> 00:35:07.865 Where was I? 00:35:07.865 --> 00:35:09.565 I should have been there in his life. 00:35:09.565 --> 00:35:10.500 This is a true friend. 00:35:10.500 --> 00:35:14.365 You can't just go find another true friend. 00:35:14.365 --> 00:35:16.666 Don't wait. 00:35:16.666 --> 00:35:20.800 Whoever that friend is, press into their life. 00:35:20.800 --> 00:35:23.666 Be the friend you want to have. 00:35:23.666 --> 00:35:26.132 Be the true friend. 00:35:26.132 --> 00:35:31.266 It's too important for your own sake and for the gospel. 00:35:31.266 --> 00:35:34.266 Let's pray. 00:35:35.333 --> 00:35:38.932 God, we thank you that you give us friendship. 00:35:38.932 --> 00:35:45.932 You even said to us, you said to your disciples, I have called you friend. 00:35:47.032 --> 00:35:48.365 Thank you that you are God. 00:35:48.365 --> 00:35:53.599 You are Lord, you are creator, you are sovereign, and you are also friend. 00:35:54.900 --> 00:36:07.599 God, give us the courage to be a true friend, to know when to be direct, to know when to be silent, to be growing ourselves in the gospel every day so that we can be the kind of friend that we all need. 00:36:08.865 --> 00:36:11.599 Thank you for the book of Proverbs that gives us great wisdom. 00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:14.599 We love you, Jesus. 00:36:15.266 --> 00:36:18.166 Amen. 00:36:18.166 --> 00:36:25.532 Well, it is Father's Day, and so for fathers and wannabe fathers, we have a gift as you're leaving. 00:36:25.532 --> 00:36:30.465 It's a small book on what it means to be a father, what it means to be a godly man. 00:36:30.465 --> 00:36:31.833 That'll be a big encouragement to you. 00:36:31.833 --> 00:36:34.699 Be sure to grab one of those on your way out. 00:36:34.699 --> 00:36:38.266 Thank you again for all your work on VBS this week, and your prayers. 00:36:38.266 --> 00:36:40.099 Be praying for those kids this week. 00:36:40.099 --> 00:36:45.632 Many of them are chewing on many of the biblical truths they heard this week, so be praying for them. 00:36:45.632 --> 00:36:51.965 But let's all stand and we'll have a closing prayer of blessing. 00:36:54.266 --> 00:36:56.465 May the Lord bless you and keep you. 00:36:57.465 --> 00:37:00.800 May his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:07.965 May you feel the fullness of his countenance in your life, his presence in your life today. 00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:13.065 And may you feel the overwhelming fullness of his peace. 00:37:13.565 --> 00:37:14.865 We love you, Jesus. 00:37:14.865 --> 00:37:17.865 Thank you for loving us. 00:37:17.932 --> 00:37:22.932 It's in your powerful, majestic, holy good name we pray. 00:37:23.266 --> 00:37:24.666 Amen. 00:37:24.666 --> 00:37:26.032 Have a great day. Go in peace.