CHILD OF GOD
STEP 2
FRIENDS ARE FUN-DAMENTAL
Welcome Back!
Today we're going to talk about friends!
What are friends for?
How do you choose a friend?
What makes a good friend?
Are you a good friend?
The most important thing to have in a friendship is trust. If you don't
trust someone, it's very hard to be friends with them. If a
person is honest, it's easy to trust them, because you know they are
truthful and you don't have to worry about getting hurt in any way by
them.
Another thing to look
for in a good friend is a person who is caring. A good friend would
never do anything on purpose to hurt you.
When you are deciding
whether or not you want to be friends with someone, think about what
kind of person they are. Are they Christian? Are they kind? Are they
loyal? Are they respectful? Are they a lot like you?
Hang around with people
that you want to be like.
Let's stop and think
about that for a minute.
What exactly do you
want to be like?
I'm going to talk with
you honestly now, because I want you to think of me as a good friend.
There are a lot of kids
that aren't like you. They don't know much about God, and they don't
really care to know. They think it doesn't matter if they're good or
not, because they think that nothing will happen to them if they're bad,
except that they might get more attention.
These are kids that
will say and do just about anything to make others laugh, they'll talk
back to adults and believe they're showing off, they'll lie, cheat,
steal, and destroy other people's things, and not think anything about
it, because they don't listen to their conscience. And there are other
kids that will laugh at them and think they're cool, and become their
friends and follow them ... And that's why the world is in the shape
it's in today.
Did you know that
people
become like the people they hang around with? So if you hang around with
friends that are bad, guess what will probably happen to you? Who your friends
are is very important, because most young people, especially if they go
to public school, spend more time with their friends than their own
family.
God wants us to be
friendly and kind to everyone, but most people only have a few very
close friendships. In a friendship, as a part of Christian fellowship,
we are supposed to help each other be good.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works.
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We are supposed to
urge each other to be loving and to do good things. It is your
responsibility as a friend to help your friends stays good. Good
friends want each other to be good because you care a lot about one
another and you want God to be happy with your friend. Don't forget,
when you need to be reminded to be good, a true friend will tell you,
and you shouldn't be hurt by it, but be glad that they care so much.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his
friend.
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Because
of your friend, you are a better person, and because of you, your friend
is a better person.
Proverbs 27:9
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of
a man's friend by hearty counsel.
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Again the Bible says
that it's good to make sure your friends be good. The good advice of a
friend makes your heart happy.
The Bible says:
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for
adversity.
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A friend is
loving at all times. We know that sometimes friends may do things that
hurt your feelings. They don't mean to, but people make mistakes, just
like you do. When this happens, God is counting on you to forgive and
forget, like He does when you sin and it hurts Him. Don't hold anything
against your friend, and if your friend is loyal, they will do the same
if you ever hurt their feelings.
Proverbs 11:13
A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful
spirit concealeth the matter. |
This Proverb teaches
that a tattle tale isn't only someone who tells your parents on you for
something you did, but someone who tells a secret of yours to anyone can
be a tattle tale. In the Bible, they call it a talebearer. This verse
means that a talebearer tells secrets, but a loyal friend keeps your
secrets.
There are some people
who want to know everything about everybody, because it makes them feel
popular. Most people who spend their time finding out a lot of things
about other people are also the kind of people who will also tell
everything they
find out. This is called gossip. If you have a friend that shares their
dreams or secrets or ideas or thoughts with you, they are trusting you
with it, and those things are usually very special to them. It's something
shared from one heart to another. Your friend trusts that you put their
special secret things that they shared, into your heart and that you will
keep them safe there. Imagine how hurt they would be if they found out
that you told other people about the secrets they trusted you with.
Gossip is talking about
people when you have no business to. Some people do it because they've
heard other people do it, and the world has taught them that it's okay,
but it isn't.
Proverbs 16:28
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief
friends. |
Disobedient people cause trouble, and people who gossip, can split up
the best of friendships.
Some people talk about
other people, just because they don't have anything else to say, and
they'll tell just about anything so that people will like them. It may
seem like some of the things that people gossip about aren't really bad,
but if it's something that you wouldn't want told about you, then it
isn't right. People who listen to gossip are just as wrong as the people
who tell it. If somebody tells you something about someone that is not
anybody's business, change the subject to something that God would like,
and don't repeat what you heard.
Proverbs
26:20
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no
talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
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If there is no wood, the fire will go out, so where there is no gossip,
there is no trouble.
How can you avoid
gossip? Well, you can't un-hear something, but you can sure not repeat
something that you know is gossip.
If someone starts a sentence with:
Did you hear .....?
Guess what so and so did .....?
or
Did you know that .....?
You can bet that it's
gossip. If you have friends who do this a lot, you would be a good
friend if you told them that you don't want to gossip about things that
aren't your business, and that the Bible says not to. If your 'friends'
don't like the TRUTH that you tell, it may be time to find some friends
that understand your wishes to live by God's plan.
Being a good friend
also means being loyal, and that means in good times and in bad times. That
doesn't mean defending something wrong, but it means being true to your friend because you
know how good they are. For example, if somebody says something about
your friend, you wouldn't stand by quietly because you're afraid to
stand up for them. You would defend your friend, just like you would
want them to defend you if you weren't there to speak up for yourself.
There is a story in Matthew
26:69-75 about the Apostle Peter, who denied his friendship with
Jesus, because he was afraid of what people would think of him if he
said he was one of Jesus' Apostles. Peter learned a great lesson, that
being a loyal and true friend is more important than what anyone else
might think.
What does a good friend
do if your friend does something wrong? You can't very well stand up for
something you know is wrong, so the best thing to do is tell your friend
the TRUTH about what they did being wrong, and urge them to ask God for
forgiveness and to make things right with whoever they did wrong to.
Another great thing to do is to pray for them.
Many people are jealous
of their own friends. If you want to have things that your friends have,
or be like your friends are, you'll find that it's hard to be happy. This
is called selfishness, when you want good things for yourself and can't
find happiness in your heart when it happens for others. Being a good
friend means being happy for the good things that happen in your
friends' lives. God wants us to lift our friends up, not step on them so
we can be taller. We're all different, and God has different plans for
each of us. If you get what your friend has, or become just exactly like
your friend, you wouldn't like it much anyway, because it's not God's
plan for YOU. The next time something good happens to one of your
friends, reach out and give them a friendly and heartfelt
congratulations and be truly happy for them. Imagine how proud God will
be of you, and soon something good will happen to you ... something
different, but something special that God has planned just for you.
While we're talking
about being selfish, attention is something that a good friend doesn't
need from their friends. If you're with a group of friends, being the
center of attention or always talking about yourself, and not being
interested in anything about the others is very selfish. A good friend
makes sure that nobody is ignored in a group or feels left out. Try and
talk to everybody so nobody feels like you think anyone is better than
anyone else.
John the Baptist was
kin to Jesus, but he was also a good friend to Him.
John
3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease. |
John said
that
Jesus must become more important, and John must become less important.
We all know how good it feels when somebody else makes us feel
important. John the Baptist was sent to announce the arrival of Jesus to
the world ... Just think of how Jesus will work through us, if we make people feel
more important than ourselves.
John 15:12-15
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have
loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do
whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants;
for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have
called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my
Father I have made known unto you.
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Jesus gave us
commandment, to love each other, the way that He loved us. He even died
for us. The best friend you can
have is Jesus Christ.
Hang around with Him a
lot.
STEP 2
Be sure to
write something in your journal or diary to God.
When
you find something that you know will help someone, you want
to share it ... Especially with a friend.
For this Step, tell
a friend about the CHILD OF GOD program.
To continue the CHILD OF GOD program,
you can return tomorrow and select:
STEP #3
And I'll meet you there!
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