Friendship

In Proverbs 17:17 Solomon said, “A brother is born for adversity.” My sister, unfortunately, used to lift that verse out of context and use it to say that I gave her grief.

One of the keys to maintaining a positive and influential relationship with your teenager (or any other person for that matter) is to be aware of and address a wounded spirit. The Bible tells us that a wounded spirit is hard to bear, that strife can separate friends, and that offenses bring with them a hardness of heart. If an offense in our home occurs, just imagine all the damage that can be done.

Moses had Aaron; David had Jonathan; and Paul had Barnabas, then Silas, then Timothy. Moody had Torrey, Frank Norris had Louis Entzminger, and Lee Roberson had J. R. Faulkner.

As travelers through life, God never intended that we make our journey alone. There are simply too many obstacles and challenges to navigate without the help and assistance of others. Plus, life is simply too grand not to have someone to share the joy and wonder of it all with!

Part of the joy of ministry is that of enjoying it with fellow laborers in the work. In the secular workplace, friendship with coworkers is often a corny topic. When your expected ambition at work is to support your family and perhaps also further your career, who cares if you enjoy time with your coworkers? But the work of the ministry isn’t the same as the work of factory.

Over the years, it has become a common practice among certain Christians to treat others as if they are wearing either black or white hats, like the main characters in the old cowboy shows. Some will remember that the ones with the white hats were “the good guys” and the ones wearing the black hats were “the bad guys.”

In Psalm 133:1, King David wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” God desires His children to dwell together in peace and unity. How accurate are the famous lines, “To live above with saints we love, that will be glory. To live below, with the saints we know, that’s a different story.”

Let him know if his preaching is a help to you. Point out something specific God spoke to you about.

I have been reading 1 Samuel lately and meditating on the story of David. His life was certainly one filled with “ups and downs.” And, frankly, many of them were brought on by his own sin and mistakes.

An old Yiddish proverb says, “God gave burdens, also shoulders.” But have you ever felt that your shoulders were too weak to bear your burdens? This is one reason God has made the church a family—that we might bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

Who could you call at midnight? While I was studying Luke chapter eleven, I could not miss the emphasis Jesus put on the illustration of a friend.

The Bible speaks of ways that we can break our oneness with the Holy Spirit. It speaks of grieving Him, quenching Him, and resisting Him.

“I feel like I’m about to die if I stay there.” Bobby Roberson told his friend and mentor, Dr. Harold Sightler.

Sermon outline: This is an abbreviated outline with the complete sermon downloadable at the bottom of the post. When we consider the challenging, yet rewarding, aspect of leadership, the best and most reliable model for leadership will always be our Lord Jesus Christ.

These four types of people are a picture of the effectiveness of how co-laboring together and tag-teaming are essential in bringing people to Christ.

David was in the wilderness of Ziph, a rugged terrain near Carmel that was removed from any true settlement. He had no bed to sleep in, no table or chairs, no recliner, no comforts of home

Make a decision that you will settle any misunderstanding in a biblical and Christ-like manner. That means that if you have a problem you should go to the person and try to settle it rather than criticize what the missionary did.

Missionaries in your area most likely will have an impact (for good or bad) on your ministry because you and your workers will cross paths with the missionary and his workers often.You can also have a positive impact on their lives and ministry, depending on your attitude.