Friends

Intro: Where is your favorite place to spend time with your friends?

Study

  1. 2 Cor 6:14-15, James 4:4 The Bible tells us that we are to be careful about our friendships, we are all influenced by those around us.
    1. Eph 5:3-7 We need to show love to the unsaved people around us, but they should not be our closest friends.
      1. Gal 6:7 Many times people backslide and fall away from God because of ungodly friends who influence them to do wrong.
      2. Hosea 4:6, Psalms 1:1 Many young people don’t use wisdom in their friendships, and are pulled away from God.
    2. Prov 4:14-15 If there are friendships in our lives that are pulling us away from God, we must be willing to end these relationships.
  2. Heb 10:24-25, Prov 27:6 We need to build close friendships with people who are strong in Christ, and who can help us grow in God.
    1. 1 Cor 5:11 Sometimes there are people who claim to be Christians, but live like the world, we must guard against these people as well.
      1. Matt 7:20 We must look at heir fruit, what are their actions? what comes out of their mouths?
      2. Prov 13:20 if the fruit is not Christ like then these are not friendships God wants us to have.
    2. Heb 3:13, Rom 1:12 God is calling us to form strong friendships with others so that we can strengthen one another in the faith.

Discussion

  1. Can you share an example of a time when you were influenced to do wrong by a friend of yours?
  2. Why can it be difficult for many young people to cut off wrong friendships? Have you ever had difficulty with this?
  3. Please share a time when you were encouraged to do right by a strong Christian friend?
  4. Why is it so important for us to have strong Christian friendships in our lives?

End: Pray for those who have wrong friendships that they need to deal with, then take requests.