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DEVOTIONS
FOR April 19-24, 2010
Topic:
“Building True
Friendships”
Don’t forget to start your devotion time with a prayer!
Ask God to speak to you through His word and that His Spirit would give you
understanding as you APPLY His truth to your life.
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Spend time with the devotions this week. Read the Scriptures and then
think how you can apply them to your life.
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MONDAY
April 19
Look
up and read
Proverbs
17:17
A True Friend Loves
“A _______
loves at ____ times, and a brother is born for _______.” Have you ever
thought about what kind of friend you are? Do you recognize the difference
between knowing someone and being a true friend? It’s so easy to be
someone’s friend when things are going well, you’re getting along, and
you’re both getting something out of the relationship. Sometimes we have
friends who “help” us in some way. Maybe they help you fit in with a
certain group at school. Maybe they’re people that you really enjoy
spending time with- they help you have fun. What happens when you face a
tough situation or maybe you have a disagreement? How loyal are your
friends? Are you loyal to them? 1 Corinthians 13:7 says that love ALWAYS
protects, ALWAYS trusts, always hopes and always PERSEVERES. Can you say
that about your friendships? What attitudes and behaviors can you change to
be more of a loving friend?
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TUESDAY
April 20
Look
up and read
Romans 15:7
Accept One Another
“_____ one
another then, just as Christ _______ you, in order to bring praise to God.”
How can we “accept” one another? Think about how it feels when you are NOT
accepted by a group of people. Have you ever tried to change something
about yourself to help you fit in? When you’re truly accepted, that means
that you are free to be yourself and you feel welcomed. What motivates us
to cling towards certain people as our friends? Why is it easier to be
friends with people who are similar to you and your other friends? Have you
ever thought about all the different types of people Jesus accepted? He
spent time with tax collectors, sick people, prostitutes, Samaritans, Jews,
poor people, wealthy people, women, men, and children. He loved everyone
the same. He embraced the people who everyone else tried to stay away
from. He taught us that just because people are different doesn’t mean that
we should love them any less. How often do you make new friends? Are you
willing to spend time getting to know people outside of your normal group of
friends? Think about the people you interact with. How can you be more
accepting of others this week? Spend some time thanking God that He accepts
you just the way you are!
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WEDNESDAY
April 21
Look
up and read
Psalm 34:13
Watch Your Mouth
So much of
the way we communicate with our friends is through the words that we speak.
What do you and your friends spend time talking about? Are your words
encouraging and uplifting? Is gossip a struggle for you? “Keep your tongue
from ____ and your lips from speaking ____.” We know that one way we can
show our love for God is by obeying His commands. He wants us to honor Him
with our words, not to use them in ways that may be harmful to others. We
can also love our friends by choosing to speak well both of them and to
them. Love is kind and love is honest. It is important to be truthful with
our friends so that we can build each other’s trust. Take note today of the
conversations you have with your friends. Ask yourself if your words are
encouraging and glorifying to God. Think of how you can make changes to be
more loving. Ask God to help you speak out of love.
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THURSDAY
April 22
Look
up and read
James
4:11-12
Friends Don’t Judge
“…but you
–who are ___ to judge your neighbor?” (vs. 12) Have you ever caught
yourself criticizing someone else for a mistake they’ve made? Why is it so
easy for us to point fingers at other people? Jesus tells us over and over
again that we are called to love our neighbors. Rather than finding fault in
our friends, Jesus wants us to point out the good things we see in each
other. Think of a time when you received a compliment from a friend. How
did that make you feel? How much better do you think our friendships could
be if rather than pointing out each other’s faults, we tried to find the
good things in each other and build each other up? This week, take some
time to let your friends know what you appreciate about them. Ask God to
help you adjust your heart to look for good. Thank Him for being in control
and holding us in His hands. |
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FRIDAY
April 23
Look
up and read
Mark
9:33-36
We’re Not Competing
with Each Other
We probably have more
in common with the disciples than you think. In this particular story,
they’re arguing with each other about who is the greatest among them. Have
you ever felt the need to “out do” your friends? What is it about us that
makes us want to be the “best” or the “favorite?” How does Jesus respond to
His twelve friends when He hears them arguing? “If anyone wants to be
first, he must be very ____and the ________ of all.” Jesus says that to be
first, we must be very last; that means we need to put others before
ourselves. How can we do that? When you’re with your friends, do you think
about their feelings and what they want, or are you focused on your own
goals? What does a servant do? Servants meet the needs of their master.
Are you looking for ways to meet your friends’ needs? Are you willing to
take time to help them if they need you? Jesus recognizes servanthood; He
gave us the perfect example. Spend some time today reflecting on how you
can serve your friends today.
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SATURDAY
April 24
Look
up and read
Romans
13:8-10
Love Fulfills the Law
“Let no
debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to ____ one another, for
he who loves his fellowman has _________ the law. The commandments, “Do not
commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, and whatever
other commandment there may be, are summed up in this ONE rule: “_____ your
neighbor as ______.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore ____ is
the fulfillment of the law.” Because Jesus loved us and gave His life for
us, we owe it to Him to love each other. Even if we don’t have the highest
self-esteem, we still love ourselves. We make sure to eat when we’re
hungry, we get dressed every day and find a doctor to help us when we’re
sick. This is the kind of love Paul wants us to show our neighbors. Are
you looking to meet the needs of people around you? When we are loving God
and loving other people then we are living by all of God’s law. Take some
time today to read over 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 to remind yourself what
true love looks like. How can you respond today in a way that demonstrates
love for God and love for others in your actions?
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See you at Sunday
School, Worship and Youth Fellowship this Sunday!
Bible references provided by
www.biblegateway.com
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