Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Teaching Notes

Did you know that you can have all types of friendships?  Some are long term and mean a lot to you.  Some are short term and add a blessing to your life just the same.  No matter how long the friendships are God still requires us to treat everyone we meet rightly. The people that meet you often times serve to change your life, mold you and help you to become more of what God desired for your life.  Did you know those friendships, relationships and brief encounters are often used by God to help grow you up, to help you "graduate" in life.  Don't you want to graduate or do you want to have to keep repeating the same grade again and again?
Do You Have Any Friends?
Leviticus 19:12-14 (The Message)


"Don't swear falsely using my name, violating the name of your God. I am God. "Don't exploit your friend or rob him. "Don't hold back the wages of a hired hand overnight. "Don't curse the deaf; don't put a stumbling block in front of the blind; fear your God. I am God.

Notes: The book of Leviticus is the book of Laws that were given to Moses by God for the children of Israel to live by.  In this list of commandments are some behavioral things God is requiring of them.

Question: Why do you think it was so important to God that he would make a requirement to treat friends fairly?

Answer: God is a just and fair God, so therefore he would want his children to reflect him.  I believe it is also important because God wants us to cherish friendship.  If we would do those we say we love wrong, how much worse would we treat our enemies?  God's requirement is for us to treat our friends right.  Sometimes we do not keep friendships because we do not treat each other right.  If you have a good friend, today let them know how much you appreciate them.

Prayer: Lord help me to cherish my good friendships that you have allowed me to have. Help me not to rob them of not only physical things, but of things that would hurt them emotionally.  Help me not to treat them wrong.  This is your requirement of me, to treat others rightly.

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