FREE BIBLE STUDY FOR CHILDREN

CHILD OF GOD

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.

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.

Because of your friend, you are a better person, and because of you, your friend is a better person.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.