Sometimes my friendships suffer for reasons I can not control. However, sometimes they suffer or even end because of something happening inside of me. It’s not easy to see and it’s not easy to admit, but when I struggle to see my own sin I often begin to lack care and compassion for other sinners. When I don’t see my sin and begin to feel entitled to God’s acceptance, I am experiencing self righteousness, not only impacting my relationship with God, but also impacting the way I relate with others, including my friends.

Friendship has a powerful influence on who we become—but not all friendships shape us in the same way. This message explores how true, biblical friendship isn’t about comfort or constant affirmation, but about people who care enough to speak truth, even when it’s hard. Drawing from Proverbs, we see that the right friends help strengthen our character and point us toward God, while the wrong influences can slowly lead us astray. Ultimately, we’re challenged to be intentional about who we allow closest to us—and to pursue friendships that value holiness over happiness, just as Jesus has done for us.

Many of us wonder why we aren’t finding the kind of friends we are looking for. The reality is that meaningful friendship isn’t found, but built by seeking to BE the kind of friend you’re looking for. As it turns out God’s Word has a lot to say to us about how to be a friend and build purposeful friendships; the kind that God will use to bring you joy, shape your character, and help us live for Him.

We tend to give a lot of attention to whether or not the resurrection historically took place and this is a very important question with a lot of evidence. However, in Philippians 3 Paul was not only concerned with the reality of the resurrection, he was concerned with experiencing the power of the resurrection in his own life as a way of knowing Jesus more. You might believe the resurrection happened, but are you experiencing it’s power in your life? The resurrection is real, and it’s power is really good.

Every day, we make decisions that expose what’s most important to us. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself living for something far less important that you realize. For Paul, what was most important was something he called “being found in Christ”, and he was dead set on making sure his life aligned with it. Why did this matter so much to him and why should it matter to you?

In Philippians 3:7-8 we are challenged to radically change our perspective as Paul did. Paul, sitting in a Roman prison, was able to look back at all of his pedigree and accomplishments and consider them in the loss column compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. Paul came to an understanding that whatever difficulty he might be going through at the moment is actually a chance to know more of Jesus. He releases anything that competes with Christ and embraces the suffering as an opportunity for fellowship and a pursuit of the power of the resurrection.

It’s easy to think of the salvation God offers as either a forgiveness we received in the past or something that is only effective once we die. The book of Esther paints a picture of a God’s rescue that offers redemption in the midst of our current circumstances and invites us to participate in a new beginning.

Most of the time we live very calculated lives. When we do take risks, we often take them to further our own interests. But there’s a different kind of risk worth taking. Taking a kingdom risk means putting our benefits on the line to further God‘s purposes. The outcomes are never guaranteed in this life, but risking our own benefits, makes us a part of a far bigger story than our own. 

Esther is a signpost, pointing to God’s salvation for the world. Ester makes the choice to rick her life in the hopes of saving the people, while Jesus knowingly gave His life to secure salvation and reconcile us to God. Our response is participation through obedience and dependence, not because God needs us, but because He invites us into His mission.