I feel really guilty about leaving this group silent for so long, but I hope to keep up a weekly lesson from here on. Not just for myself, but for all of you as well. For this week's lesson, what better topic than the one that brought us all here in the first place. Friendship.
Finding friends is one of the most important things that we can do. Friends, along with parents, are some of the greatest influences in our lives. Friends can lead us to do the things we’re afraid to do, like ask a girl out, go try out for a sport, encourage to improve ourselves for the better. They can lift us us when we’re down, give us a laugh when we need it most, allow us have some of the most fun that we’ll have. These people are some of the most important people in our lives.
However, I hope you’re aware of the dangers that can come from the wrong kind of friend. “Friends “that lead us down the wrong path, “friends” who tempt you to miss out on classes to do some immoral things, “friends” that... for real, aren’t the friends that you should be hanging out with. I can certainly testify about toxic friendships. I was friends with a jerk. Granted, when we first became friends he was nice. But as the years went by, he started losing himself in the world. He started swearing, skipping church, making fun of me for going to church activities rather than sports. I stopped associating myself with him when we went into middle school. He was still friendly with me, but I tried to avoid him at all costs. Eighth grade came around, and we were fairly hostile towards each other. But as we transcended into high school, I realized something. It wasn’t worth being mean to each other, and I had fond memories of when we were friends. He was still caught up in the world, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be friendly with him from time to time. We’re friends, but the type that only see each other at school.
Instead of dwelling on that distaste for him for the rest of my high school years, I decided to just let go of the past. I didn’t want to make an enemy of him, so I consider him an ally.
Making friends is an inevitable thing, so I urge you to find the right friends. Those that will lift you up and make you feel good. If that friend isn’t apart of our church, make sure he/she is a positive influence on your life. A friend that doesn’t encourage you to do immoral things, one that accepts you for who you are, and one that will keep his sins away from you. Some of the greatest friends I've met aren't even of my faith. I met them on this website, and they're all really great people. As far as I know. This is the Internet afterall, they could be meninists for all I know.
To close this short lesson, I would like to share with you a scripture from the Old Testament. Proverbs 27:17.
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
Make friends with those who sharpen you instead of rust you.

May God be with you ‘til we meet again.
-Joe