Going Places Week 1

[INTRODUCTION]

I'm curious about your snack opinions.

When you go on a road trip, how many snacks do you pack on a trip?

Do you let other people pick the snacks for the whole trip?

Do you bring a few things that you keep for yourself?

Who would love one of these snacks right now?

Snacks make everything better, but our tastes vary. This is similar to our friendships. We're all different. We have different wants, snack preferences, and ways to connect.

Not all differences are fun or delicious like these. Sometimes, they can be more challenging to navigate, and you may not feel understood.

Friends will go to many places together, but with so many unique needs and perspectives, moments along the journey can be hard.

We may be so focused on fulfilling our needs that we miss seeing the needs of those around us. We are so focused on what snacks we want to bring for us that we forget to ask what snacks we can bring for our friends.

[TRANSITION]

Let's read a story about how we care for each other from the perspective of Jesus' friends and followers.

Jesus traveled to many places with the same group of people, but the destination never mattered as much as the work they did together along the way.

Before we jump in, you need to know that Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John. That's why we call him John the Baptist. John was one of Jesus' first followers — he was family and a friend.

John believed Jesus was God's promise to the world even before Jesus' disciples did. He baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and constantly told others about Jesus. Just before the story we're about to read, Jesus found out that John was killed.

For Jesus, losing a family member and someone who believed in him from the beginning was a shock. He was experiencing a massive loss in his life, and then this happened.

Matthew 14:13–21 (CSB)

13 When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.

15 When evening came, the disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.”

17 “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of leftover pieces. 21 Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus' disciples were worried that it was getting late in the day, and they were in the middle of nowhere. They wanted to wrap up the gathering and send the massive group of followers away so they could find food for themselves, but there was a bigger picture to consider. They cared about the crowd and were concerned about what could happen if there wasn't enough food to go around.

Would they be responsible?

Could the crowd turn on them?

Would people die?

Jesus also cared for the large crowd and wanted to feed everyone. He told his disciples to give them something to eat immediately. Why wait?

There were thousands of people, though. Maybe they knew Jesus could do a lot with whatever they found, so when the disciples could only muster five loaves of bread and two fish, they brought them to him.

With the involvement of his friends, Jesus took the bread, prepared the fish, and miraculously fed everyone.

[ILLUSTRATION]

What was the biggest party you went to where everyone had enough to eat?

A wedding or a potluck, where everyone brought food?

Think about how many people it takes to serve a large group like that. Now imagine there are thousands of people!

Jesus knows what we need and will stop at nothing to make sure we have those resources, like food, love, and peace.

Where do you see yourself in this story?

Are you like the disciples, who were so focused on the enormity of the situation that they were overwhelmed? They preferred to send people away for their own good rather than have them stay near Jesus. They didn't realize how well Jesus provided for everyone.

Are you more like the crowd, who knew there was something good about this man, Jesus, so they wanted to stay near? Perhaps you're waiting for a miracle to prove Jesus is who he says he is.

Do you see yourself in Jesus' actions? Even when we find ourselves in overwhelming situations, we can still care for ourselves and those around us in creative ways.

Jesus reminds us that friends care for each other. Even when we're thinking of our own wants and needs, we're challenged to see others, and hopefully, they will do the same for us. We all feel like we individually don't have enough to offer, but when we gather our resources with others and invite Jesus in, we see that we have plenty.

[TRANSITION]

Caring for 5,000 friends was core to who Jesus was. He taught his disciples and teaches us that loving everyone, including our enemies, is part of following him.

Luke 6:31–32 (CSB)

31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

This is one of the most challenging things to live by: Do for others as you want them to do for you. Caring for others can be very difficult.

I think we want to care and don't always know how. It takes paying attention, but that's not always as easy as it seems. We know Jesus loves us, and when we follow him, we see people the way he sees everyone — lovable and worthy of care.

While Jesus was mourning the loss of his cousin, he still cared for thousands of people by feeding them. He practiced what he preached about loving others. When we follow and trust him, he shows us that we can do these things too.

We can be like Jesus by asking him to help us see the needs of our friends and others. As we do this, he will make us more and more like him — people who are open to opportunities to care because friends don't miss a chance to care for each other.

[CONCLUSION]

Now What? What does God want us to do about it?

How can we start paying attention and caring for those around us? Although we may not be asked to feed five thousand people, the world's needs can seem overwhelming. Let's take a look at some practical ways to notice and serve like Jesus.

PAY ATTENTION: Let friends know you're there for them through small actions. You could send a DM, a snap, a meme, or even a chocolate bar, as long as it's something that lets them know you're thinking of them. These small actions can show love throughout their day.

OFFER SUPPORT: What problems exist in your friends' lives? Is there some way you can offer support, like driving them places or being available for a call at certain times of their day?

CALL FOR HELP: When a friend comes to you with a big need, you don't have to solve their problems alone. You can invite others to help be a team of support, which may include professional help. If you have a friend going through an issue you don't feel equipped to handle, that's okay. Gather the courage to point them toward professionals like therapists and doctors.

Like any road trip, friendships are a journey. It's not always about the destination but the adventures along the way. A fulfilling friendship includes following Jesus together.

You may get lost, tired, or need to take a break, but we have the privilege of being the kind of friend who follows Jesus.

We can let him show us how to support others through the ups and downs of life.

Jesus shows us that friendships are not just about what we receive but how best to go through life together.

Friendships are two-sided. Jesus want us to care for others but he also wants us to have friends who care for and support us.

Maybe you haven't had the most incredible friendships, or you might say you don't have friends who care enough about you. That's okay. That's why we're doing this series about friendship. We hope this series will help you start seeking out friends who are caring and supportive.