Essentials of Spiritual Friendship: Created for Connection - Part 2
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
September 12, 2021
Friendship love is a unique sort of love. It brings something into our lives that we sorely need. Ancient cultures celebrated great friendships and recognized the unique contribution friends play in our emotional, physical, and spiritual health. We cannot be wise without meaningful friendships. You were created for connection. Join us this Sunday as we learn about the "Essentials of Spiritual Friendship."
SERIES: Created for Connection
Too many are suffering from a lack of love which leaves them feeling isolated, uncared for, and lonely. We were made to enjoy satisfying relationships with God and one another. We really do need each other to be fully human, fully Christian, and fully alive. No matter how strong we are, all of us from time to time need help to carry our burdens. We need each other's gifts. We need to hear the truth spoken in love. We need relationships that nourish us, build us up, and affirm our gifting and uniqueness. You were created for connection.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Friendship love is a unique sort of love. It brings something
into our lives that we sorely need. Ancient cultures
celebrated great friendships and recognized the unique
contribution friends play in our emotional, physical, and
spiritual health. We cannot be wise without meaningful
friendships. But, as Pastor Keith pointed out, friendship is
often the least prioritized, least celebrated, and least valued
of all our relationships. Discuss why this is so.
2. The discovery of friendship involves finding others who
share our beliefs, values, and journey in life. This is the
beginning point of all great friendships. Not every
relationship where you find commonality with others will
blossom into a great friendship. Why is that so? What shared
interests are important to you in friendship? In your longest-lasting friendship, what are those initial “me, too” moments
that brought you together?
3. The four qualities of a great friendship are constancy,
carefulness, candor, and counsel.
a. constancy – they love you for you and are there for you
when you need them
b. carefulness – there is an emotional vulnerability shared
in the relationship and it is protected and valued
accordingly
c. candor – great friendship always speak the truth in love
d. counsel – counsel is the willingness to share the
secrets of the heart and to be open to receiving
perspective, guidance, and direction in our
vulnerabilities
How have you seen these qualities played out in your
friendships for good or bad? Have you ever been violated in
one of these areas by a trusted friend? What did that do to
you and how did it affect the relationship?
4. The best security we share as Christ-followers is the promise
of Christ that He is our friend and has brought us into a
relationship where all of these qualities are perfectly fulfilled
in Him. Because we have the security net of His friendship
love, we can risk loving others in this way knowing if they
disappoint us, hurt us or betray us, we have One Who never
will. How has the friendship of Christ helped you in your less
than perfect friendships? If you’ve never thought about it in
those terms before now, what examples can you think of
from Scripture or your own experience where Jesus had
modeled these qualities of a great friend?
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