Proverbs 27:17 NIV — As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

As I have been thinking this week about my various friends and friendships I realize there is one thing they all have in common: I have a connection with all of them. Connection is the lifeline of friendship. Some synonyms for connection include relationship, kinship, affinity, and linkage. Think about how those words relate to your friendships. My relationships are strengthened through being intentional about daily connections such as spending time together, having conversations, phone calls, or texts. My friends and I encourage and challenge one another. How do you foster your relationships?

Now think about your friendship with Jesus? What do you do to strengthen your relationship with Him? How do you stay connected with Him? Do you have a daily time to sit at the feet of Jesus to pray and study His word? If not, I encourage you to make that a priority in growing your friendship with Him.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Help me to be intentional about connecting with my friends and especially with Jesus Christ. Help me to cultivate connections. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Matthew 19:26 NIV — Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Has this week been difficult for you as we have been talking about friends and friendship? Are you someone who doesn’t have many friends nearby? Are you lonely and searching for friendships? The best way to make friends is to be a friend. Making friends requires stepping out of your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. To make friends, find ways you can get involved outside of your home. Perhaps you can volunteer with a community organization. Brainstorm ways to get involved with activities at your church.

When tackling a difficult task, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just the first step.” Making friends requires stepping out of the boat and walking on water. It may be hard, but you can do it!

Let’s pray. Dear God, Help me to take the first step in faith and trust that You will reveal the rest of the stairs as I need them. Help me to step out of my comfort zone to meet others and be a friend. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV — Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

As I reflect on my friendships, I realize how blessed I am to have friends so in tune with what’s going on in my life who send me encouraging texts at all times of day. Sometimes I receive a phone call from a friend that is right on time that helps me to persevere in the midst of a bad day. A good friend embodies today’s featured scripture. A good friend builds up and encourages others. Are you a good friend? Are you in tune to the trials and tribulations of your friends? Do you reach out to your friends to encourage and build them up? How can you be a better friend today? Encourage a friend today by sending an encouraging text, note, or phone call.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for friends who are right on time with their encouragement. Help me to follow the example of Christ and be a better friend. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs 18:24 ESV — A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Think about all the friends you have in all the areas of your life. You may have childhood friends, friends from work, friends from church, friends you know through your children’s extracurricular activities, college friends, etc. As I reflect, I realize I have friends that fall into all of those categories except lasting childhood friendships. As the daughter of a United Methodist minister, I moved often which made it difficult to form lasting childhood friendships. Lacking childhood friendships doesn’t make my life less full of love. Each of the groups of friends have different dynamics and different blessings. However, they are all human friendships which means that like me, they have faults. There are times that each of us fail one another because each of us is flawed. However, we all have a friend in Jesus Christ who is perfect. He will stick closer to us than anyone else will.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Show me my imperfections that sometimes cause me to hurt my friends. Help me to be a better friend. Thank You for the perfect friend we have in our Savior. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

John 15:13 NIV — Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

This week we will talk about friends and friendship. Merriam-Webster defines a friend as someone attached to another by affection or esteem. Spend a few moments today thinking about all of your friends. Reflect on friends you have had in years past as well as your current friends. Then reflect on our best friend, Jesus, who laid down His life for you and me. As you worship today, thank God for the friend you have in Jesus and the relationship you have with Him. Are you a good friend to Him in return? What ways could you be a better friend to Him? Be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Listen, reflect, and obey. Begin your day of worship by listening to Alan Jackson’s rendition of “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” May each of us have a Son-filled Sunday.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is truly the best friend I could have. Open my eyes, ears, mind, and heart to ways I need to improve on being a better friend to Him. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV — Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.‬‬

Join me here for See You Saturday as I talk about a thousand generations of worship.

Worship with “Holy Forever” by Chris Tomlin.

Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — But showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV — He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.‬‬

1 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.

Jesus wrote in Matthew ‭11‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

One of my favorite and more widely used hymns, “Spirit Song,” was written by John Wimber in 1979. You can read more on umcdiscipleship.org. Some of the lyrics sing, “Let Him have the things that hold you and his Spirit like a dove, will descend upon your life and make you whole.”

In reading our key verse I envision myself surrendering all my burdens over to God so that He can give me rest. 

As our week on hymns comes to a close, I thought by sharing this musical video we could sing the words ourselves. Watch as Greg Sungshik Shin guides us through the musical notes.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for a week of beautiful hymns. I, as Your lamb, ask that you fill me up on this Friday. I surrender all my burdens to You and ask for rest.