Title: Being a Good Friend
Text: Proverbs 13:20; 17:17

Notes:

Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.

Bible Tree:
Characteristics of a good friend:
3:28; 9:8-9; 10:12, 17; 11:12; 12:17; 13:20; 15:22; 16:28; 17:9; 20:30, 25; 25:8-14; 27:5-6, 9-10; 28:14

Be the Friend you want to have

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art […] It has no survival value; rather, it is one of those things which give value to survival”- C.S. Lewis.

Qualities of a good friend:
1) Be a faithful friend:
2) Be an honest friend
3) Be a forgiving friend

Be a faithful friend:

• Faithfulness is the foundation of any relationship.   
• “Fidelity is an absolute necessity in a true friend; we cannot rejoice in others unless they will stand faithful to us”- C.H. Spurgeon
• A good friend is someone who walks into your world when the rest of the world is walking out.
• Faithful friends counsel and encourage one another.

Be an honest friend:

• We need friends who will not flatter us, but refine us.
• A true friend will tell you unpleasant truths.

Be a forgiving friend:

Learning to forgive is essential to living a wise life.

*Originally posted on Desiring God’s website* Five ways to pray when hurt:
1) Pray for God to search your wounded heart (ps. 139:23).
2) Pray for the grace to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy in yourself and in your friend (Phil. 4:8).
3) pray for discernment.
4) If you must address the offense, pray that you would be honest and gracious.
5) Pray that you would love your friend at all times (Rom. 12:16).

Look to Christ our true, loving friend.

There is no higher quality of friendship than what Jesus offers to us.

When God reigns in our hearts, peace reigns in our friendships.