Friends & Family Sunday | Sunday, Feb 15

Who are you inviting? This is the perfect Sunday to bring a guest for a powerful service and a warm welcome.

Bible Verses about Friendship – Scriptures on the Value and Meaning of Friends

Friendship is truly one of God’s blessings to mankind. With honest and wholesome friends, we can better endure the hardships of life and rejoice in the wonderful moments. However, we must know how to choose friends and how to be a good friend ourselves. Thankfully, we can look to the Bible for guidance on friendship.

Friendship in the Bible

Friendship can be beautiful but it can also be messy and difficult. There is no doubt that friendships can be challenging and they take time and effort to build healthy relationships. The Bible provides plenty of guidance on the topic of choosing friends and how to respond to each other. The following are just some of the characteristics of a true friend:

• Friends encourage us to our highest good (1 Thessalonians 5:11); Friends forgive each other and help each other in difficulties (Colossians 3:13; Ecclesiastes 4:10).
• Friends do not gossip or listen to gossip, allowing it to hurt the friendship (Proverbs 16:28); Friends stick around even when things get difficult, being reliable (Proverbs 18:24).
• Friends give pleasant, sincere advice, seeking our highest good (Proverbs 27:9; Proverbs 12:26); Friends honor each other above themselves (Romans 12:10).
• Friends love each other the same way Christ loves us (John 15:12-13); Friends challenge each other to meet the highest good (Proverbs 27:17).
• Friends are not bad-tempered (Proverbs 22:24-25); Friends never withhold kindness and mercy (Job 6:14).