Cemented Friendships
Proverbs 12: 26, Proverbs 22: 24-25, Job 2: 11-13, Job 42: 7-9, 1 Corinthians 15: 33

1. We were challenged this week to think about the difference between acquaintance, casual, close, and inner circle friends. How would you define these different level of friendships and why is it important to differentiate between them?

2. Read Proverbs 12:24-25. Discuss this verse together. Why does the author state so dramatically the importance of not being friends with the wrathful or angry? What might a friendship with that kind of person look like?

3. "Dangerous associations lead to synchronized lives that result in bad situations." Where have you seen this played out in life? Whether professionally, personally, or in our society.

4. Knowing that your company will affect your character. What kind of character have you developed and how do you think you affect other people? In what ways have you compromised your character for friendship in the past?

5. Many of you are in a Home Group for, among many things, friendships. Are their sacrifices, time commitments, conversations, or confessions that you might need to have in order to help take certain friendships in the group from a casual or close friendship into an inner circle friendship?

6. Spend time discussing what inner friendship you do have, either in the group or outside of the group. How did you form this friendship? Did it take time, or was it instant? Have you ever added to or had to remove someone from the inner circle? As a word of caution use wisdom in using specific names.

7. It was suggested that one of the criteria for an inner circle friend is that they are first a follower of Jesus. Do you feel this is important? Why or why not?

8. End by thanking God that through Jesus we are friends with God and then ask the Holy Spirit to encourage and convict us about our inner circle of friends.