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Pastor Beal

A ONE-SIDED FRIEND!!!

"A man that hath friends must show
himself friendly..." Prov. 18:24

Wow, August already! School bells are being polished and oiled, and children will soon begin meeting schedules and deadlines. Can I dare to make some suggestions, parents, for sending your child to school? Have a fun family meeting and share with them the truth of friends. Let them know that true friendship starts with us doing right. Teach them to go to school to be a friend, not to get a friend. Don't ask your children when they get home if they found a friend; but guide them, by listening to see if they were being a friend. Parents need to share with their children about the reality of friends. As adults, we have learned that if a person has a couple of true friends, he is a blessed person. What we each need to work on is being a friend to others. We need to teach our children to be kind, sensitive, helpful, and never to make fun of other people. We need to teach them that a friend "does right", and that a true friend will bring the best out of you and respect your convictions. Prov. 18:24 says, "and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." You see, Jesus is the greatest friend the world will ever have. Jesus has never had a friend that He didn't have to befriend first. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" we're told in Rom. 5:8. Jesus is a friend to those who curse Him, to those who reject Him, to those He has died for, even though they have not received Him. Jesus stands in truth and does right. He never moves and continually waits for you to be His friend. When we compromise, conform to wickedness, or move from right to be accepted, we are not really being a true friend. We can rest assured that when all else fails, Jesus will be right there in truth and waiting to help us. Won't you accept His friendship?

Thanks! Pastor Earl Beal