The fine art of friendship
We humans are communal by nature and
that means we all crave friendships. Healthy friendships are vital to a
satisfying life. When our friendships are going well we are usually going well.
When our friendships are fragile and conflicted, we are usually fragile and
conflicted.
Given friendship is a universal need
of the human race you would think that we would know how to make friendships
work. Yet, as our lives often reflect, finding and maintaining healthy
relationships is not easy. It can seem more like a fine art we have to finesse
than something we can strategically implement in our lives.
The book of Proverbs in the Bible
speaks a lot about friendship. While there are never any guarantees when it
comes to how people will respond to us, Proverbs gives us some very helpful
insights into what makes us a good friend.
Not surprisingly Proverbs says, ‘A friend loves at all times.’
(Proverbs17:17) Love is not just a word we say, but it is something we show
through our actions. Love is the basis of all good friendships. This is not a
syrupy sentimental love, but a love that continues in the tough times. Proverbs
goes on to say that a real friend is loyal (18:24), forgiving (17:9) and honest
(24:26).
Our friendships also shape the
person we become. ‘As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend’ (Proverbs 27:17). When this Proverb was
written the only way to sharpen an iron blade was to rub it up against another
piece of iron to smooth over all the rough sections and sharpen the edge. Good
friendship will sharpen us as people. As we interact with our friends sharing
love, loyalty, forgiveness and honesty, we become better people. The opposite
is also true if we have bad friends. Our interaction with bad friends can
negatively shape us. In saying that, difficult friends can teach us a lot about
loving when it is not easy, and also patience.
Given friendship can profoundly
shape us it is important to choose our friends well. The friendship that has
the greatest potential to shape us in a positive way is our friendship with
Jesus. In Jesus we experience the ultimate in friendship and it is through
Jesus’ friendship that we are transformed to be more like him. Jesus shapes us
to be more like him so we can be better friends with each other.
Jesus’ offer of friendship is to
everyone. Have you received Jesus as your friend? If not, why not ask him
today?
Pastor Noel
This Sunday at Good Shepherd
This
week’s message will be ‘The approval
trap’ as we continue our series ‘The Barriers to Spiritual Growth’ Podcasts
of the message are available at www.paravista.org.au
Bible Readings:
Proverbs 29:25; Luke 12:4-12
Kingdom Kids:
Kingdom Kids is
currently on school holidays until the 20th October. We would like to invite
you to continue worshipping as a family during this time and look forward to an
exciting and fun final term.
2013 Celebration
Service:
We are excited!!!
Kingdom Kids will be hosting an all age worship service on Sunday the 1st
December and already plans are being made to pull this event together. We will
kick off our preparations on Sunday 20th October and will spend the entire term
rehearsing, learning songs, making costumes and props and so much more in
preparation for this special event. Please keep the date free and get ready to
be blown away once again by the kids and their incredible creativity and love
for Jesus. Please contact Laura Carson if your child is interested in being
involved in the drama team that will rehearse during the week during this time.
Playgroup:
Playgroup is
currently on holidays until the start of term 4. Wednesday the 16th October
will be our first week back and the launch of our Christmas program ‘The Things
We Love About Christmas’. 9:30am-11:30am in the church hall. $2 per child or $3
per family. Please bring a piece of fruit to share. All welcome.
Please contact Beth
Einthal for more info 0438 233 671.
Prayer
requests
Prayer
requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the
current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If
you have a prayer request please email churchequiries@paravista.org.au with your request.
The confirmation program at Good Shepherd is called Transform.
Transform is a yearlong discipleship program for people in Years 9 and 10. It
is about taking the next step and deciding to commit a year to learning more
about self, others and God. Expressions of interest are being taken for 2014.
For more information please contact Sophie sgerrrie@paravista.org.au
Sunday 27th October after the 10:30am Service in the Church Hall
Invite your friends and neighbours to join you as we celebrate together with German Fare; bratwurst, schnitzels, sauerkraut, metwurst and dill cucumbers.
A gold coin donation will be appreciated to offset costs.
Cebu Fundraising
Plant
Stall
The Plant Stall will be held on Sundays 13th
and Sunday 20th October after both morning services. If you have
potted up plants to sell, please name your plants and also if they flower, put
what colour they will be. We will be setting up the Plant Stall in the Hall, on
Saturday 12th October from 10.30am - 12.30pm, so please bring your
plants between those times or prior to the service that you will be attending.
Notice Board
Craft fair
Saturday 26th October from 9:00am - 3:00pm
Handmade Gifts, Plants, Devonshire Tea and Sausage Sizzle
Tea Tree Gully Uniting
600 Milne Road, Banksia Park
Bells required for
Central Australia - Finke River Mission
The bells can be big or small. Small hand-rung bells are required for
home devotions and other larger bells are required for future church buildings.
Please bring donated bells in to Kate Hampel at the SA/NT District Office, 137
Archer Street, North Adelaide.
Friends of Lutheran
Archives meeting
Topic: 175 Years of
Lutheran Theology in Australia. Speakers: Drs Dean Zweck, Erich Renner,
Vic Pfitzner and Jeff Silcock. A discussion of significant theological issues in our 175 year history. At Bethlehem House, Sudholz Place, Adelaide, on Monday 21st October at 7.30 pm.
Vic Pfitzner and Jeff Silcock. A discussion of significant theological issues in our 175 year history. At Bethlehem House, Sudholz Place, Adelaide, on Monday 21st October at 7.30 pm.
(NOTE: AGM at 7pm)
Supper. Gold coin donation.
“A true friend is a gift from God and one who points
us back to Him”
