DAY 9 : MAKING FRIENDS
A letter from a friend described the adjustments that his son and daughter-in-law were facing as young missionaries in a country long resistant to the gospel of Christ. “After some rough early going,” he wrote, “they are getting used to not having modern conveniences and are falling in love with the people.”
FRIENDSHIP & LOVE : POEM 4
CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP IS UNIQUE AT THE CORE...
DAY 8 : MAN EATERS
Have you ever heard of one snake eating another snake? According to zookeepers, two of these reptiles will sometimes grab different ends of the same piece of food. Sooner or later their struggle for that last bite brings them nose to nose. But then comes the surprise. The snake with the widest bite will keep right on going and actually swallow the other!
DAY 7 : CUTTING REMARKS
The writer of Proverbs describes an unwise person as “one who speaks like the piercings of a sword” (12:18). Our tongues can be like a multi-bladed Swiss Army knife when it comes to the variety of ways that we cut and destroy each other.
FRIENDSHIP & LOVE : POEM 3
TO MAKE A FRIENDSHIP WORK, LIP SERVICE ALONE IS DEFINITELY A NO-NO...
DAY 6 : SHALLOW FRIENDLINESS
Recently I received a phone call from a friendly-sounding person who told me she wanted to make my life easier. She called me by my first name and warmly asked how my day was going. Then she informed me that she could help me save thousands of dollars a year if I would simply refinance my home with a particular mortgage company. But once she understood that I really wasn’t interested, her friendliness evaporated.
DAY 5 : FRIENDS IN THE NIGHT
Do you have someone you could call in the middle of the night if you needed help? Bible teacher Ray Pritchard calls these people “2 a.m. friends.” If you have an emergency, this kind of friend would ask you two questions: “Where are you?” and “What do you need?”
DAY 4 : DO YOU CARE?
It’s one thing to tell a friend you care. It’s quite another to show it.
When David and Jonathan made a pact of friendship (1 Sam. 18:1-4), neither of them knew to what extent Jonathan would have to go to show his care for David. But it didn’t matter. Undaunted by danger, Jonathan courageously acted to save David’s life (20:1-23).
When David and Jonathan made a pact of friendship (1 Sam. 18:1-4), neither of them knew to what extent Jonathan would have to go to show his care for David. But it didn’t matter. Undaunted by danger, Jonathan courageously acted to save David’s life (20:1-23).
DAY 3 : A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
Many high school students with autism or Down syndrome feel excluded and ignored. They often eat alone in a crowded cafeteria because other students don’t know how to relate to them or simply don’t care. To address this need, speech therapist Barbara Palilis began “Circle of Friends”—a program that pairs students with disabilities with nondisabled peers for lunch dates and social activities.
FRIENDSHIP & LOVE : POEM 2
GENUINE FRIENDSHIP IS MORE THAN JUST A WARM FUZZY FEELING OF HAVING OR BEING A FRIEND...
DAY 2 : THE VALUE OF FRIENDS
John Chrysostom (347–407) was one of the great preachers in the early church. He was given the name Chrysostom, which means “golden-mouthed,” because of his eloquent sermons.
Here is one of his insights on the value of friends: “Such is friendship, that through it we love places and seasons; for as . . .
Here is one of his insights on the value of friends: “Such is friendship, that through it we love places and seasons; for as . . .
Day 1 : BENEFITS OF FRIENDSHIP
Cicero was one of the greatest thinkers of the Roman Empire. He was a skilled orator, lawyer, politician, linguist, and writer. Still today he is quoted for his clear prose and practical wisdom.