TEEN CHALLENGE

     Have you ever known someone who was unfaithful? You couldn't count on them to do what they said they would do or be where they said they would be. They might criticize the people they call their friends behind their backs. They might be a friend some of the time, but only when it is convenient for them. When a friend is in trouble, they won't be around.      A faithful friend, however, is a true blessing. They always do what they say they are going to do, unless they absolutely can't. They are where they said they would be when they were supposed to be. They would never talk about their friends behind their backs and would stick up for them if someone else did. They are always a friend- in good times, and when you are in trouble. The Bible says, "Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint." Proverbs 25:19. Broken teeth and feet out of joint- that sounds painful. Unfaithful friends are painful too....

  "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."     When picking your friends, pick ones that are wise. The Bible says "Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." But dull iron can't sharpen dull iron. If you choose all friends that are not strong Christians, that have worldly habits and personalities, you will soon be like that too. If you want to build Christian character, find a friend who has strong character. You cannot expect to grow as a person, and as a Christian if the people you spend your time with are not helping you towards that goal.      In Proverbs it says again and again to find wisdom. Seek it, find it, keep it, treasure it. Wisdom is very important. And if you walk with wise men, you will be wise.  Find some friends. Choose wisely! 

               "Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget." -Plautus     How many friends do you have? One? Twelve? Three? Ok, here's a different question; how many good friends do you have? You know- the one that you're thinking about right now. The one who you want to tell all of your news, whether good or bad. The one that you can work with, play with, talk with, or just do nothing with. The one who challenges you, encourages you, and just makes you a better person.      So, what is a good friend? Is it someone who is just like you? From experience, I would say no. Most of my good friends have personalities opposite of mine. Is it someone who let's you order them around and does what you say? No (If you want a relationship like that, get a dog).      So, what is a good friend? What qualities should you try to have in order to be a good friend? We could never cover all of the...

This months devotional comes from Pastor Tom Brennan from Dubuque, Iowa          Peter’s first epistle dwells on the subject of suffering in depth, not just by specific mention but all through the book. Toward the beginning we find this wonderful text.   Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations (I Peter 1.6).  Peter understood each of us have an all too human tendency to think when we are trudging through the vale of sorrow that it is going to last forever. To allay that natural attitude, he lovingly inserts three little words I could not get past in preparing this series,  for a season.  They were in heaviness, a word specifically relating to sorrow. They were experiencing this hard-to-bear sorrow for manifold reasons. Peter was assuring them that this sorrowful weight they carried for several different reasons was not going to last forever. It was only for a sea...