Secrets to a Solid Squad

Life without friends is boring... like eating plain cheerios for breakfast (not the honey-nut ones) or having nachos without queso... You can't have Woody without Buzz Lightyear or Chandler without Joey. You need people around you who support you, laugh with you, and cry with you when you need it. So how do you build and keep GOOD friendships?

1. EVALUATE WHAT YOU'VE GOT

- Do they SUCK? Do they take everything? Is it always about them?

- Look at Jonathan and David in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. He gave what he had to David.

- Good friends not only recognize the strengths and abilities in one another, but they’re not afraid to promote one another above themselves.

- Are they SILENT?

- Do they never stick up for you?

- Jonathan went to the King on David's behalf - 1 Samuel 20:32

- Are they SLY?

- Do they work behind the scenes to get what benefits them?

2. KEEP WHAT YOU NEED

- LOVE!

- Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times...

- As iron sharpens iron, so one friend sharpens another...

- Real friends don't tell you what you want to hear... they tell you what you NEED to hear.

- LOYALTY!

- John was a close friend to Jesus, and he was the only one of the 12 disciples that remained when Jesus was crucified. John showed up when no one else did.

- Friendship bypasses convenience for calling. Loyalty and trust are important factors in friendship. The more trustworthy we are, the more we are trusted with.

3. BE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE

- James 1:19 (NLT) — …be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.