October 21-22, 2006, Proverbs 6:16-19; Selected

WHAT GOD APPLAUDS!
BUILDING WINNING RELATIONSHIPS!

*** Proverbs 6:16-19 "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, & a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." [NIV]

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF FRIENDSHIPS:
- CASUAL FRIENDS ARE A RESULT OF CIRCUMSTANCES!
- CLOSE FRIENDS ARE A RESULT OF CHOICE!

1. BY AVOIDING DESTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS!
*** Proverbs 27:19 "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses." [Living Bible]
*** Proverbs 12:26 "A righteous man is cautious in friendship...." [New International Version]
*** 1 Cor. 15:33 "Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." [NIV]
*** Proverbs 13:20 "If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined."

CHARACTER IS CATCHING!

1. LAZY PEOPLE!
*** 2 Thes. 3:6 "Now here is a command...given in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...Stay away from any Christian who spends his days in laziness..." [LB]

2. ANGRY PEOPLE!
***Proverbs 22:24 “Do not be a friend of one who has a bad temper, and never keep company with a hothead…or you will learn his ways and set a trap for yourself.” [GW]
*** Proverbs 16:32 “Better to get angry slowly than to be a hero.” [God's Word]

3. IMMORAL PEOPLE!
*** Proverbs 24:1 "Don't envy evil people or try to be friends with them." [NCV]
*** Proverbs 3:32 "The Lord doesn't like anyone who is dishonest, but he lets good people be his friends." [CEV]
*** James 4:4 "Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God."

4. GREEDY PEOPLE!
*** Proverbs 19:6 "Lots of people flock around a generous person; everyone's a friend to the philanthropist." [The Message Bible]
*** Proverbs 15:27 "A greedy and grasping person destroys community..."” [Msg]

5. UNBELIEVING PEOPLE!
*** 2 Cor. 6:14 "Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness?" [GW]
*** 2 Cor. 6:17 "The Lord says, "Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean." [GW]

2. BY SELECTING CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS!

1. RELATIONSHIPS THAT STIMULATE ME MENTALLY!
*** Proverbs 13:20 "Wise friends make you wise, but you hurt yourself by going around with fools." [Contemporary English Version]
*** Pr. 27:17 "Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other."

FRIENDS ARE PART OF OUR EDUCATION!

2. RELATIONSHIPS THAT SUPPORT ME EMOTIONALLY!
*** Pr. 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." [NIV]

FRIENDS CAN BE COUNTED ON IN A CRISIS!

3. RELATIONSHIPS THAT STRENGTHEN ME SPIRITUALLY!
*** Proverbs 27:5-6 "A truly good friend will openly correct you. You can trust a friend who corrects you, but kisses from an enemy are nothing but lies." [CEV]
*** Ecc. 4:9-10 "You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone....If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble."

FRIENDS LIFT UP WHEN THE WORLD PRESSES DOWN!

4. RELATIONSHIPS THAT SUSTAIN ME CONFIDENTIALLY!
*** Pr. 11:13 "A gossip tells everything, but a true friend will keep a secret." [CEV]
*** Proverbs 25:19 “"A friend you can't trust in times of trouble is like having a toothache or a sore foot." [CEV]
*** Pr. 16:28 "Gossip is no good! It causes hard feelings and comes between friends." [CEV]

FRIENDS CLOSE THEIR MOUTHS AND OPEN THEIR HEARTS!

3. BY BUILDING FANTASTIC RELATIONSHIPS!

1. BY GETTING INTERESTED IN OTHERS!
*** Pr. 18:24 "A man who has friends must himself be friendly..." [New King James Version]
*** Proverbs 18:1 "An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends..." [NIV]

2. BY TRYING TO SMILE!
*** Pr. 15:13 "A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit."
***Pr. 17:22 "If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over." [CEV]

3. BY NOT BEING A CHRONIC COMPLAINER!
*** Proverbs 21:19 "It is better to live alone in the desert than with a quarreling and complaining wife." [NCV]

4. BY BEING A GOOD LISTENER!
*** Proverbs 20:5 "Though good advice lies deep within a person's heart, the wise will draw it out." [NLT]
*** Pr. 20:12 [TEV] "The Lord has given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with."

5. BY ACCEPTING OTHERS UNCONDITIONALLY!
*** Pr. 17:17 "A friend loves you all the time, and a brother helps in time of trouble."
*** Proverbs 17:9 "Whoever forgives someone's sin makes a friend..." [NCV]

6. BY HELPING OTHERS FEEL SIGNIFICANT!
*** Proverbs 27:9 "The sweet smell of incense can make you feel good, but true friendship is better still." [CEV]
*** Romans 12:10 "Honor one another above yourselves." [NIV]

7. BY BEING LOYAL EVEN IN TOUGH TIMES!
*** Proverbs 18:24 "There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother." [NLT]

8. BY SHARING CHRIST WITH THEM!
*** Proverbs 12:26 "The righteous person is a guide to his friend..." [TEV]