Date:
January 19, 2024We Do Need Friends
Friends are essential. They provide comfort, encouragement, and strength.
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Friendship
We all make various acquaintances throughout our lives—people who come into our circle for a season and then move on. With some, we’re content to let them go. But with others, we’re not. Once an acquaintance turns into true friendship, we hold on more tightly to that friend. A friend is a favoured companion for whom we feel affection or esteem. Why is a friend favoured? Most likely, it has much to do with how we feel when we’re with him or her. A friend accepts us as we are and is patient with our faults. A friend points out our strengths and rejoices at our successes. A friend’s presence and listening ear fill a void in us and give our lives a sense of validation and greater depth.
Do you have such a friend? Do you know how to be that friend? These resources can help you recognize the need for friendship and develop the attributes that will make you a treasured friend to others.
A friend is always loyal,
and a brother is born to help in time of need.
(Proverbs 17:17 NLT)
Empathy and Sympathy
There’s a big difference between empathy and sympathy. To sympathize is to feel for someone. To empathize is to feel with someone.
Love Doesn't Go There
We’ve all been wronged, but keeping a list of the wrongs only makes things worse. The best way to recover is to forgive.
Colour-Blind
Prejudice is a learned trait, but it can be unlearned. It takes a renewed mind to remove the blinders of prejudice and see people for who they are...instead of what they look like.
We Need Encouragement
We all need encouragement. Many people are worn down by worry and anxiety and those who seem like they have it all together are often the ones who need encouragement the most.
Touching a Few More Lives
Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Words of encouragement can make a life-changing difference to someone in their time of need. Now that’s a sobering thought.
Stop Blaming and Start Forgiving
When someone hurts you deeply, it’s easy to feel justified in holding a grudge. But in this message, Chuck Swindoll warns us that holding onto resentment doesn’t just injure our relationship with the other person…it damages our relationship with God.
Set Your Sails for Joy
Does someone in your life bring a smile to your face every time you think of him or her? Then you'll identify with Paul's opening to the Philippian Christians.
The Promise of Persecution
There’s no shortage of preachers who offer a “prosperity gospel” promising health, wealth, and happiness. While those outcomes are wonderful, they’re not guaranteed! Chuck Swindoll reminds us that as followers of Christ, we will face persecution.
Qualities of a Friend
If you were to list the basic essentials for life, you would likely include air, water, food, and perhaps shelter. But what about friendship? Chuck Swindoll argues that companionship isn’t a perk, it’s a requirement for life.
