Faith Alive Church - Sunday Message
Join us by audio! We are Faith Alive Church - a church with the mission in the name - to keep faith alive. Faith isn't a one time decision, or a checkbox on a form. Faith is how God functions and He's given us a portion of His faith to live by on earth. Located in Greenville South Carolina and online at faithalivechurch.us.
Faith Alive Church - Sunday Message
Friendship – Part 4: Discerning Friendships 8.31.25
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Season 6
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Episode 35
Jordon Gilmore
Theme:
- Today’s focus is not just on bad friends, but on discerning between good and bad friendships.
- Scripture calls us to steward our relationships wisely as part of our Christian walk.
Today’s Focus
- Discern friendships
- Take inventory: Is this friendship healthy, harmful, or in need of attention?
- Steward friendships
- Nurture the godly relationships God has entrusted to us.
Key Scriptures
- John 15:12–15 – Jesus calls us friends, shifting the relationship into deeper covenant love.
- James 4:4–6 – Warning about friendship with the world. But note: James also reminds us of grace; we can’t simply cut off all “worldly” relationships in pride.
- Romans 12:1–2 – Don’t conform to the world; be transformed by renewing your mind. Through testing, we learn discernment.
- John 17:14–21 – Jesus prays for us: not to be taken out of the world, but to be sanctified in truth while living in it.
- Mark 2:15–17 – Jesus dines with tax collectors & sinners. He models how to engage relationships with grace and purpose, not isolation.
Key Insights
- Friendship = Spiritual Formation
- Relationships shape holiness, sanctification, forgiveness, and love.
- Big biblical commands (“love your neighbor,” “forgive,” “lay down your life”) become real only in relationships.
- Spectrum of Friendships
- Some friends are unsaved, some are spiritually immature, some are mature.
- God calls us to engage across the spectrum without conforming to ungodliness.
- Discernment Through Testing
- Immature believers may need clear boundaries (cutting off bad influences).
- Mature believers, with renewed minds, can discern through testing and experience.
- Jesus’ Example
- Didn’t isolate himself to only “safe” friends.
- Entered into relationships that others criticized, yet influenced people toward God.
Practical Takeaways
- Ask: Is this friendship sharpening me in Christ or pulling me away?
- Remember: cutting everyone off is easier but not biblical. Growth comes through discernment.
- Friendships are not just for our personal benefit—they bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.
- Like Jesus, we are called to engage, love, and influence—not to withdraw in fear.