Friendship—Week 1

God desires a relationship with us. That’s why He created us in the first place. When we sinned and broke that relationship, God continued to pursue us. God sacrificed His only Son to make it possible for us to have a relationship with Him again.    
 
Jesus demonstrated friendship in the most generous way possible. He showed us the greatest love when He laid down His life for His friends. He went to the cross, not on principle or for a cause, but because of love and wanting to be with us forever. 

Friendship is a reflection of the character of God.    

Key Question: What makes someone a good friend? At this phase in their life, kids are starting to experience the ups and downs of friendship. That’s why we start with a foundational question to help them wrestle with what God says about having strong friendships with others. If they can recognize the qualities God desires for friendship, they’ll not only choose friends who exhibit those, but hopefully will put them into practice for themselves.

We start the month with something Jesus said in John 13:34, So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. (NLT). Along with that, we’ll take a look at one of the most famous friendships in the entire Bible: David and Jonathan. These guys went through a lot together. From making a promise to help each other to escaping the dangers of Jonathan’s own father, King Saul, they showed us exactly what it meant for friends to love each other.

Bottom Line: Friends love one another. Loving our friends often means putting aside what we want to give our friends what they need. We pray that kids will learn how they can show love to their friends in everyday situations at home and school.

​Memory Verse: So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  John 13:34 NLT