INTRO: With the exception of last week's singing, I have been preaching the last several weeks about things that help make a church strong, lasting and effective for the Lord. I talked about how important prayer was the first week; In that we looked at our talking with God. The second week I talked about the blessings of obedience, which is our doing the things of God. Then, I dealt with our need to have strong, healthy loving homes. Thus, teaching our children about God. Last week, I looked at worshipping God, we saw the blessings of praising and honoring God in our lives. That is praising God. Then I dealt with commitment in our lives. This is giving God what is His to have from our lives. Today I want to look at how good strong, vibrant friendships will help strengthen our church.

What is a friend? Webster's New World Dictionary tells us it is, "1. A person whom one knows well and is fond of; close acquaintance. 2. A person on the same side in a struggle; ally: opposed to foe. 3. A supporter or sympathizer: as a friend of labor."

One can tell that friends are important. They mean more to some people than to others. To some friends are closer than family.

Before I start this morning, I want o look at some terms we use with friends:

Best friends

Fair-weather friends

New friend

Old friend

True (blue) friend

False friends

Ex-friends

We think of many, many different people when we think of friends. Some

Are friends important in our lives? Do we need friends? Do friends matter? I think we all know the answers to these are yes.

Suicide, the ninth leading cause of death in our country is often the result of loneliness in life. People feeling like no one really cares or loves them.

I read a while back that we only have on average about 4 or 5 really close friends in a lifetime. Doesn't that seem too small? Why would it be so small? Because we do not work to culture friendships.

Okay, I need to get into the message this morning. How Does Friendships Help Strengthen New Beginnings Church?

Ex 18:13-20 ¹³And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. ¹⁴And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? ¹⁵And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: ¹⁶When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. ¹⁷And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. ¹⁸Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. ¹⁹Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: ²⁰And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

1 Samuel 18:1-4 ¹And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.