The importance of a friend (part 2)
Omar Soto
(Audio: Spanish)
SUMMARY: The speaker is continuing their discussion on the importance of friendship and how it is part of the nature of God in us. They mention that not all friendships are the same and that there are different levels of intimacy. The speaker also talks about the dynamic of interpersonal relationships and how we all come with a tag that says "as is." The speaker shares an interesting point from a book they read, which is that when we meet someone for the first time, the subconscious question that arises is "does that person like me or not?" They also share several biblical verses that shed light on the importance of friendship and the different types of friendships that exist.
The speaker discusses the importance of friendship and the risks and benefits that come with it. He uses examples from the Bible, including the story of Job and his friends and Jesus choosing Judas as a disciple despite knowing he would betray him. He encourages listeners to seek out genuine, healthy friendships that challenge them to grow and live according to their values.
The saying "tell me who you're with and I'll tell you who you are" is not biblical, but it is based on the Pharisees' perception of Jesus as a friend of sinners. Jesus knew who he was and did not let others' opinions define him. We need to evaluate our friendships and be cautious about who we allow close to us, but also remember that we are someone's friend and need to learn to connect appropriately. Developing a friendship with God is the most important vertical dimension of our relationships. We should strive to be a friendly church that welcomes and loves others.
The speaker discusses the importance of friendship and the risks and benefits that come with it. He uses examples from the Bible, including the story of Job and his friends and Jesus choosing Judas as a disciple despite knowing he would betray him. He encourages listeners to seek out genuine, healthy friendships that challenge them to grow and live according to their values.
The saying "tell me who you're with and I'll tell you who you are" is not biblical, but it is based on the Pharisees' perception of Jesus as a friend of sinners. Jesus knew who he was and did not let others' opinions define him. We need to evaluate our friendships and be cautious about who we allow close to us, but also remember that we are someone's friend and need to learn to connect appropriately. Developing a friendship with God is the most important vertical dimension of our relationships. We should strive to be a friendly church that welcomes and loves others.
How many of you remember, I would say, about three weeks, almost a month ago, that I began to talk to you about friendship, the importance of having good friends. How many remember that? Let me see. Do they remember? Okay. Those who don't, well, brief summary.
I talked about friendship. And the way I talked about friendship was God put a concern in my heart, to be able to talk about that topic because I would say, that perhaps, in the last 3, 4 months I have been in conversations with different people from here. from the church, that for some reason or another, that aspect of the need that we have to be able to have genuine friendships has arisen. In other words, people you can count on, people you can laugh with, people you can blow off steam with, people you can go out and walk with and enjoy an afternoon of games, or people who can confront you in all confidence, knowing that it is not that they are criticizing us but that they are doing it to build our lives.
I talked about friendship. And the way I talked about friendship was God put a concern in my heart, to be able to talk about that topic because I would say, that perhaps, in the last 3, 4 months I have been in conversations with different people from here. from the church, that for some reason or another, that aspect of the need that we have to be able to have genuine friendships has arisen. In other words, people you can count on, people you can laugh with, people you can blow off steam with, people you can go out and walk with and enjoy an afternoon of games, or people who can confront you in all confidence, knowing that it is not that they are criticizing us but that they are doing it to build our lives.
