Saturday, May 11, 2024
Speaker: Ben Snyder, Lead Pastor
Title: Why is friending so hard?
Theme Verse: Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
Bottom Line: Live-giving friendship takes deliberate investment.
Key Passage: Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 (NLT) Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?
Frientimacy - framework for intentionally developing depth of friendship
Positivity (Verse 9: help succeed) - Foundational to every life-giving relationship is the ability to add joy, fun, help, and more to each other's lives. (Proverbs 30:15)
Consistency (Verse 10: reach out) - Remember, a great friendship is the compound interest of regular small investments over time. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Vulnerability (Verse 11: keep warm) - It is risky to allow someone to see the "real you". But life-giving friendships find their way here. (Proverbs 18:24; Proverbs 27:6; Proverbs 27:17; 1 Corinthians 12:26; James 5:16)
John 15:15-16 (NLT) I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you.
Next Steps:
1. Evaluate your current friendships and consider a step of "frientimacy" to take with them.
2. Browse the Groups directory when it opens for an opportunity to do something fun and meet new people this summer.
Additional Resources:
Time spent with others vs. alone graphs
Surgeon General Report on Isolation
Shasta Nelson TED talk on Frientimacy
Frientimacy by Shasta Nelson
From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks
Song Links:
Praise - YouTube // Spotify
Firm Foundation - YouTube // Spotify
Discussion Questions:
Who was your childhood best friend?
Why can it be challenging to cultivate new friendships as we get older?
Read Ecclesiastes 4:7-10 and John 15:13-16. What do you learn about friendship from these verses?
What are three ways you can invest in your current friendships?
What is one thing you can do this week to cultivate a new friendship?