How Sticky Are You? Wisdom and True Friendship

Verses used:Proverbs 17:17; 18:24; 14:20; 12:15; 27:5-6, 9; 28:23; 27:17; 13:20; 12:26; 22:24-25; 16:29; 1 Cor. 15:33; Ps. 26:4-5; Phil. 3:17; John 15:13

Key verse:Proverbs 18:24; John 15:13

Sermon Notes:

I. A friend sticks close.

II. A friend tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
Why we avoid transparency:

1. We are afraid of rejection.

2. We don’t want to be hurt.

3. We don’t want to meddle in people’s lives or have

them meddle in ours.

III. A friend will lead you to Christ.

Small Group QuestionsWeek 3: Respect the Beard

Icebreaker: Who was the very first friend you ever had and what were the circumstances around it?

1. How would you evaluate the friendships in your life?
2. Was there a difficult time in your life that you got through with the help of a friend? What did your friend do or say that showed you the love of Jesus Christ?
3. Read Proverbs 14:20. In our culture, we develop many of our relationships for superficial reasons. When you think of the picture that Hollywood paints of the person you want as your best friend, who comes to mind? What are the characteristics of celebrities that appeal to most people? Have you found yourself picking friends or seeking relationships based on these characteristics?
4. Read Proverbs 12:26 and 1 Cor. 15:33. Have you at earlier points in your life developed negative attitudes and behavior because of the influence of other people? What kind of behaviors were you drawn into, and how did you eventually resolve things?
5. Read Proverbs 27:9. Do you like getting advice from people? When are typical times that you ask for advice, and when are the times when it’s hard to accept advice? Is there one person in your life that is always welcome to share advice with you?
6. If you could create the perfect friend what would that person look like?
7. Read John 15:13. When you think of the person of Jesus does he meet who this person is that you created? What does the friendship of Jesus Christ mean to you?
8. In light of God’s wisdom on the topic of friendship, what would a healthy growth group look like?

Something to think about this week…

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. (Job 2:11-13)