Hank looks at “the Five Levels of Communication” so we can evaluate the level of our relationships, and the uniqueness of friendship as described by C. S. Lewis, to help us see the wonder of the fact that we can say, “I am a friend of God.” Jesus chose us and calls us “friend.” John 15:12-17; 21:15-17

“If there were a lifeboat adrift at sea, and in the lifeboat were a male lawyer, a female doctor, a crippled child, a stay-at-home mom, and a garbage man, and one person had to be thrown overboard to save the others, which person would you choose?”

Without God we are, by default, in the lifeboat. An understanding of Christianity as an identity in the lifeboat by which we compare ourselves to others is entirely inappropriate. The faith is larger than the lifeboat. You might say the faith is outside of it. Jesus would indicate the greatest thing you and I can do to display we know Him is to love our brothers and sisters unconditionally, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to love our enemies.

Joy is like a muscle, and the more you exercise it, the stronger it grows. Though we face “trials of many kinds,” still they have in common that all may be counted as pure joy. (James 1:2-4)

It was in the toughest acts of faith that these men and women came the closest to God and found life's deepest meaning. It was not the provision of comfort or happiness that led them to a deeper knowledge of God - it was often the lack of it.

God's will is done in the little things of life, daily and locally. God commands us to do his will in ordinary circumstances, which is the setting where most of life is lived anyway. Matt. 13:1-12; 25:14-29

Do you know how to forgive others? Are you as generous in spirit towards others as God has been towards you? Matthew 18:21-25

Show we the register of your checkbook and you’ve shown me what matters most. Show me your appointment book and you’ve shown me who matters most. Relationships grow in proportion to the amount of time you spend on them. Mark 3:7-19

Dealing with failure - There are no blowouts in the Christian life, only slow leaks. In a nutshell: Be unwilling to be stopped by your failures and be willing to learn from them. Mark 14:26-42; John 21; 2 Cor. 7-10

Hearing and discerning God’s voice is difficult, especially if we do it randomly, rarely, and primarily when we’re in a crisis. So, practically speaking, most of the time we have to seek solitude, silence, and stillness to hear it. John 10:1-16