“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
Proverbs 13:20
Better Off Without?
Can you remember a time you were better off without a strong friend or two? Unless, you are an extreme introvert then I'm guessing the answer is, no.
In MD5 we have a lesson called the Foundation of Friendship. This lesson comes from one of Craig Groeschel's sermons.
Here's the summary
We are all one friend away from a changed life. Simply put, the right kind of friends can move us closer to God.
On the other hand, we are one wrong friend away from trouble. So, it's crucial to make the right kind of friends, in this session we offered practical suggestions to help you discover the lost art of making friends.
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17
The Problem
In this lesson, we learned the top 3 contributors to the decline of great friends year over year.
Increased Work Hours
Increased Divorce Rates
The explosion of Social Media
These are serious issues that we need help with!
The Solution
Now, here are the two ways that we learned to combat these issues to ensure you always have great discipleship friendships around you.
Be Present - Schedule Face to Face time to share experiences and bond! Hebrews10:24-25
Be Transparent - Don't be scared to share and confess, this will ensure nothing is hidden and grows in secret! James 5:16
We were created to do life together!
The Harsh Reality
These stats that you see below, play right into Satan's battle plan for Christian men.
Isolate & destroy!
Tough Questions & Strong Action
So to combat this isolation issue, this lesson asks 4 questions that I want you to circle back to and check your initial answers then see how your answers may vary.
1. Craig Groeschel ended his lesson with the question, “Are you pleased with where you are?” Are you? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think people do not invest their energy in other people?
3. How applicable is the seven-year “churn” to the friends you remember in your past?
4. What does the paradox of giving more and receiving more have to do with friends?
Seriously, ask yourself these questions like I did and I hope you see positive movement too.
Choose to be apart of the solution for God's Kingdom and build one another up to act more like Jesus until he calls us home!
If you do this you will be on your way to living the abundant life in Jesus that he promises.
Ryan Johnson
MD5 Facilitator