The Power of Friendship

God has called us to have friends. It's our job to make sure we solidify friendships and go through the stages needed for friendship.

Transcript

1. 11/09/2019 The Power of Friendship Pastor Rahisha Wright
2. Principle: Be “set apart!” Be “set apart” in your friendships by committing yourself to biblically appropriately behavior that will not compromise your integrity or defraud another person.
3. Who are you really? ✤ Friendship is an important aspect of life and the courtship process because it focuses on taking time to develop relationships all while teaching us to build solid friendships. ✤ Research shows that we are the happiest when are with a person who is much like ourselves. Therefore, it is stated that most often you will find your mate within your pool of friends. ✤ Even when having this group of friends you want to guard against spending one on one time with those of the opposite sex. ✤ We don’t curse dating, we seek to avoid the shortcomings of it t avoid activities that encourage intimacy without accountability.
4. It is easy to put on a facade ✤ Find out things about them that will have you like “who is this?” ✤ When you’re absorbed with each other you never get to see who the other person is. ✤ Friendships Should NOT be in isolation ✤ In courtship you spend time with each other families and in group activities. ✤ “Spending every minute alone while the bloom is still on the rose won’t give you a clear picture of what the garden will look like in another season.” Dr. Raunikar
5. Date “It ALL starts with FRIENDSHIP!”
6. “Friendships usually begin when outside circumstances throw two people together in the midst of a group.”
7. Levels of Friendship 1. Acquaintances: two people discover they have mutual interests. That build the relationship in the context of a group. 2. Casual Friends: people that you see regularly in the spaces that you frequent. 3. Close Friends: Few times in life you may experience a relationship that develops on this level, this should be the exception, not the norm. 4. Intimate Friends: This relationship only develops with a person that you’re choosing to be your spouse.
8. Beware of Sexual and Emotional Fraud ✤ Wrongful deception intended to result in personal gain. ✤ The crime of deceiving people in order to gain something. ✤ It happens in so many settings, schools, offices, in homes, and even in churches. Sometimes it’s intentional, and sometimes it isn’t. ✤ 1 Thessalonians 4:4-9
9. Beware of Sexual and Emotional Fraud ✤ Dr. Raunikar said, “Whatever you would be willing to do with, to, or for a natural-born brother or sister, you’d have to be willing to do with, to, or for another person.” ✤ Are you willing to make the decision to treat everyone like they’re your sister or brother?
10. BOUNDARIES 1. Friendships are to be kept inclusive, not exclusive. 2. Friendships should be kept open, not closed. 3. Friendships should be kept shoulder-to-shoulder, not face-to-face. 4. Friendships should be kept nonsexual. 5. Friendships should have conversations that honor God. 6. Keep track of where you are in your relationship. 7. Keep track of the time you spend with one another.
11. “If you know where God draws his, then you will know where to draw yours!”