Friendship: Who do you think of?

When you see the word, “friendship”, who immediately pops into your mind?  Have you known them for a long time? What is it that makes you friends? 

When I think of the word friendship, I think of someone who has been with me since high school. That was our initial meeting but over the years we have become more than friends, we are family. We have done life together — the good, the bad and all the times in between.  We have laughed together, cried together but what I believe has been our greatest strength is that we have not only prayed for each other, we have prayed together.

Friendship is one of life’s greatest gifts. 

True friends want good for their friends: and the highest good, is that they might point their friend to God. To remind them of God’s love for them and the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul and mind.

A wonderful example of true friendship in the bible is the relationship between David and Jonathon.  Jonathon was the son of King Saul and King Saul despised David because it was David that was to be the next king. Saul wanted that title for his own son, Jonathan.  But Jonathon knew that God had called David, and he was fine with the call that God had placed on David’s life.  Saul, not so much.

In 1 Sam 23: 15-16 reads,  While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life.  And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.  

That is the essence of true Christian friendship. It goes beyond common interests, beyond affection, beyond fun and laughter —the ultimate aim is to help our friends find strength in the Lord. As friends we are to remind them of God’s wisdom and refresh their spirit with words of God’s love. 

In the midst of all the crazy, who couldn’t use such a friend as that?

Join us this Sunday as we continue our new sermon series entitled: Friendship in the Time of Covid.

Are you missing your friends?

As I have been speaking with people, either on the phone, by text or various parking lot visits the thing I hear the most is how much people — young and old — are missing their friends. 

And I agree. I have missed sitting face to face with friends, breaking bread together, properly catching up over a cup of coffee, and of course, just hugging them! During these isolating Covid times, I have truly missed the friendship connection.

I believe that friendships are one of the key elements of a blessed life. I also believe that to really experience the power of friendship, we need to be a great friend to others. 

Scripture has quite a bit to say about friendship. 

Proverbs gives us wisdom for navigating the complexities of our relationships. And it addressed the friendship relationship specifically . 

For example, it teaches us: 

• what to look for in finding true friends (Prov. 13:20; Prov 22:24-25).

• why loyalty is so important for cultivating friendship (Prov 18:24;  27:9–10). 

• That the most damaging thing to the friendship relationship is spreading secrets (Prov. 16:28).

Scripture teaches us so much more.

Would you agree that the attitudes of those you spend time with tend to rub off on you? 

They do.  And not only is that a biblical truth it is exactly what your mom told you growing up:  When it comes to friendships, who you hang with matters. Actually, it matters a great deal. Friends should build us up and take us forward. “So choose your friends wisely”.

So over the next few weeks, let’s talk about friendships — the one’s we miss, the one’s that influence us and the one’s that enrich our lives for the better.

This week we are starting a brand new sermon series (click to Amberlea’s Youtube page) entitled: Friendship in the Time of Covid.

Let’s hear from you!

Send me a story about your bestie… perhaps something fun or crazy you did together; the story of how you met, or the reason why you are friends. Send me your favourite friendship story and I will include it in our next blog. 

Send it to revmona@amberleachurch.ca. 

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ”  John 15:13-15

Where is God?

What a crazy Thanksgiving weekend it was for our family. Perhaps you can relate? Not only did I miss the big Thanksgiving dinner, I missed gathering with you!  I did, however, take time to stop, remember and reflect on how blessed we are as a family, and as a community of believers.  

We have so much to be grateful for, don’t we?  Grateful for all God has done, and will continue to do in our lives and yet even set amid the plethora of grateful thoughts and expressions toward God, we still doubt, don’t we?   

As I hear of the number of Covid cases rising, the upcoming election in the States, the racial hatred demonstrated here in our own backyard….it is overwhelming.    

Sometimes I wonder, how is it that the world seems to be unravelling?  Where is God?  

Do you ever doubt?  I know that there are some of you who don’t.  You have a deep trust and faith that, at times, defies understanding.  I used to think you were naive, or maybe a little phony but I don’t think that now.  Now, I believe that you are blessed, no rather, I believe that you are gifted with faith... and that is an amazing gift.  

But there are others of us who wonder...where is God when a loved one gets sick, or when a relationship falls apart?  Where is God as I pray for the starving children, or the senseless wars in other parts of the world? Where is God in the midst of the crazy?

Do you remember the story of the disciples when they were in the boat, Jesus was on the mountainside praying, and storm came in?    

As the wind billows and the waves beat against the boat, Jesus came to them walking on the water.  And we read that “they were terrified” (Matthew 14: 22-33).  In the midst of the unknown, the uncertainty, the fear and the struggle, it is obvious by reading Matthew’s account that the disciples were not expecting what they saw.  In fact, because Jesus came in a way they didn’t expect, they almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers.

Maybe that is true for us as well, in the midst of our doubts and questions, unless we look and listen closely, we may risk making the same mistake. 

God is present, even in the midst of our doubt, even in the midst of the crazy, if only we’ll look.   God is closer than you think!

Join us this week as we conclude our 6 part series entitled, Optimism in the Midst of the Crazy. Tune in, doubt and all, and let’s look for God together!