Talk (Friends)

Stuff needed

• Paper to write ideas on / pen

Talk Introduction

• Tonight we are going to talk about friends

The middle bit

• What makes somebody a good friend?
• What do you expect from a friend?
• Acceptance – take you as you are
• Honesty
• Trust
• Loyalty
• Understanding
• Love
• [Do your friends live up to your expectations?]
• How important are friends to you?
• Could you live without them?
• Some people have lots of friends…some have only one or two…
• Is it better to have loads of friends or just one ‘best friend’?
• Do you ever fall out with your friends?
• About what?
• How does that make you feel?
• The Bible tells us that we can be God’s friend, if we want…
• Jesus said…
• John 15:12 – 15
  ”This is my command: love each other as I have loved you.   The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends.   You are my friends if you do what I command you…I call you friends because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father.”
• If that’s what the Bible says, how do we become God’s friend?
• By following him…
• By living our life for God, rather than living our life for ourselves…
• According to the Bible, ‘the greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends’
• What do you think that means?
• To love someone so much, that you’d be willing to give up your life for them
• That’s what Jesus did!

Conclusion

• Friends are an important part of our lives…
• They can be frustrating, drive us mad
• They can bring us a great deal of happiness
• So let us finish by praying for our friends…
• What I’d like you to do, is to write the names of your friends on a piece of paper and put them in the bowl…
• Then when we’ve all done that, I’d like you each to pick a name from the bowl and pray for that person
• [Pray]

Talk (friends…boyfriends…girlfriends)

Talk Introduction

• Today we are going to talk about friends, boyfriends and girlfriends

The middle bit

• How important are friends to you?

• Some people have lots of friends, some maybe only have one or two…
• Do you think it is better to have loads of friends or one 'best friend'?

• What do you expect from a friend?
• Accepting - takes you as you are
• Honesty
• Trustworthy
• Loyalty
• Understanding
• Love
• Do your friends live up to your expectations?

• John 15:13 says
  "The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends"
• Would you be willing to die for your friends? Why?

• Do you ever fall out with your friends?
• About what?
• How does that make you feel?
• The reality is friendship is hard work.
• Friends do get close, but do you think they can get too close?
• Have you ever fancied / asked out one of your friends?
• What's the difference between a friend and boyfriend…girlfriend?
• Is it completely different?
• If you're going out with someone, is it more important to get off or be friends?
• What is more exciting?
• Which will last?

Conclusion

• Friends are an important part of our lives.
• They can be frustrating, complicated, but at their best they can bring us a great deal of happiness.
• Ecclesiastes 4:9
  "Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help"
• So let us pray for our friends…
• What I'd like you to do, is to write the names of your friends on a piece of paper and put them into the bowl…
• When we've all done that, I'd like you each to pick out a name, from the bowl and pray for that person 

Other Bible references

• Proverbs 27:
  "The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you, but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies"
• Proverbs 18:24
  "Some friends may ruin you, but a real friend will be more loyal than a brother"
• Proverbs 17:17
  "A friend loves you all the time, and a brother helps in time of trouble."
• Luke 7:34
  "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! He eat too much and drinks too much wine, and he is a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"
• Luke 11:5-13 What are we willing to do for friends?
• John 11:1-16 and 38-44 Lazarus "a friend"
• Song of songs 5:10-16 P613:
• My lover is healthy and tanned, the best of ten thousand men
• His head is like the finest gold; his hair is wavy and black like a raven.
• His eyes are like doves by the springs of water, they seem to be bathed in cream and are set like jewels
• His cheeks are like beds of spices; they smell like mounds of perfume. His lips are like lilies flowing with myrrh
• His hands are like gold hinges, filled with jewels. His body is like shiny ivory covered with sapphires.
• His legs are like large marble posts, standing on bases of fine gold. He is like a cedar of Lebanon, like the finest of the trees.
• His mouth is sweet to kiss, and I desire him very much. Yes daughters of Jerusalem, this is my lover and my friend.