- Which of the three qualities discussed do you need to develop more? What things will you do this week in order to grow in this?
- How can you build godly friendship this week?
- How can you display the love of God to your friends this week?
- Thank God for the godly friends who remind, correct and encourage you.
- Pray for your friends to have godly relationships in their lives so that they will know God more.
- Pray for boldness to share the gospel to your friends who don't know Him and to be a godly friend to them.
Week 3: HAWAK KAMAY
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- What are the qualities of a good friend?
- Share something you did for a friend this week.
- Share a time when you had to tell your friend a truth that might hurt or offend them.
David was confronted by his friend Nathan about his sin, which led David to utter these words. He understood that growing in God means being surrounded by godly people who would remind, rebuke, and restore him to God. David’s friendship with Nathan helped him in his relationship with God and is a model of how we should build relationships today.
Today’s lesson shows the kind of friend God intends us to be and to have.
1. A friend reminds.
Nathan said to David, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms arms and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 2 Samuel 12:7,8
We all face different situations in life, at times very challenging at that. Just like Nathan who went to David and reminded him of who he was in the light of who God is and what He has done for him, we all need friends (whom God placed in our lives) whowill speak God’s Word to us and remind us of who we are in the eyesof God and who He is in our lives.
Share a time when a friend gave you a timely and godly reminder. How did it help you?
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2. A friend rebukes.
Why have you despised the word of the Lord,
todo what is evil in his sight?
2 Samuel12:9a
True friendsconfront us when we are wrong. They do thatbecause they care, not only about us, but also about our relationship with God. It is written that an open rebuke is better than hidden love (Prov 27:5). Just like how Nathan risked losing David’s friendship to rebuke his sin so he could be right with God, we need to realize that a friend speaks the truth in love and rebukes in love to see us soar higher in our relationship with Him.
Share a time when a close friend told you that you were doing something wrong.
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3. A friend restores.
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin;
you shall not die.
2 Samuel12:13
Have you ever tried fixing a messy room? This takes time but having a friend helps you quicken the process. A friend helps usrealize where we are at and helpsbring our relationship with Him back to order. As shown in Nathan’s example, he restored David by sharing about God's mercy and grace. Mercy means we don't receive the punishment that we deserve while grace means we receive blessings that we don't deserve. God is merciful and gracious. He demonstrated this when Jesus died on the cross on our behalf.
Share a time when a friend’s words brought restoration to you. What did your friend tell you?
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