Healthy Friendships

What are the top 5 qualities you look for in a friend?

What are the top 5 qualities you look for in a boyfriend or a girlfriend?

The Power of Influence!

Did you know that in the 60’s the biggest influence in a teenagers life was.

1st - Parents

2nd - Teachers

3rd - Spiritual Leaders

They did a survey again to see what influences the teens most today. Today the biggest influences in a teenagers life is:

1st - Friends

2nd - Media - Music, TV, Movies, Etc.

3rd - Parents

Spiritual leaders actually fell to number 17 in the list of biggest influences in a teens life.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE WHAT THAT MEANS FOR YOU GUYS!

-Generally speaking - Your friends, influence you the most! YOUR FRIENDS! And if your friends are the biggest influence in your life then you need to have some really good friends.

I WANT TO HIT ON 3 OBSERVATIONS. I’m not saying this applies to everyone, but I am saying examine yourself and see if one of these observations is true about you!

1) Your friends often have a greater influence on you then your own convictions - Meaning this - having that person as a friend is more important then doing what is right in God’s eyes.

HERE IS THE PROBLEM. The problem is....That in a vast majority of cases you don’t choose your friends at all.....THEY CHOOSE YOU! Oh you can say your choosing them, but in most cases if we are honest with ourselves we just longed to be accepted and loved.....and we joined the first friend or group of friends that made us feel that way.

THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE - Have you ever had a friend influence you to do something that was contrary, or against God’s will for you? THINK OF A TIME you were forced to choose between the acceptance of a friend or your deeply held beliefs.

- I believe it’s wrong to just go up and hit someone.

I told you guys the story of how I went and punched a kid in the arm in middle school because a couple of guys that I wanted to be friends with, told me to.

-You know it to be true right....Some of you can acknowledge that when you go on a missions trip, or even Districts you make these decisions to change for Christ, but as soon as you get back home and back into your lives you go right back to the way you were because of the influence of what you surrounded yourself with.

2) Your friends often have a greater influence on you then your own parents do.

In a sense your friends have taken the reins of influence away from your mom and dad. Let’s be real for a minute. You don’t trust your parents in many cases right. They say something that you don’t like and you do it anyways....Isn’t that the same as saying you don’t trust their plan for you, you don’t trust that they have your best interest in mind. Because if you trusted them you would obey better wouldn’t you?

So essentially what i’m saying is this. Doesn’t it appear that you trust your friends more then your parents?

3) Your friends often have a greater influence on you then God does.

How many of you can say yeah, unfortunately that is true. My friends do have a bigger influence in my life than God does.

-We kind of touched on this already. We know the difference between right and wrong. But we are so quickly to give up what is right or good, just so we can please a friend.

-Isn’t it crazy to think that a 15,16,17,18…year old can out influence God. You have the ability to pull people away from God and you also have the ability to push people towards God.

YOUR FRIENDSHIPS WILL DETERMINE THE DIRECTION AND THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE.

Proverbs 13:20 ESV

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

YOU HEAR THIS! There is a promise and a warning. You walk with the wise you will become wise. Then the warning. If you surround yourself with fools, you will suffer harm.

Here is the difference between a fool and a wise person. A wise person knows the difference between right and wrong and he chooses to do what is right. The fool knows the difference between right and wrong, and he chooses to do what is wrong.

YOUR FRIENDSHIPS WILL DETERMINE THE DIRECTION AND THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE.

1 Corinthians 15:33–34 CSB

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Come to your senses and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.