Youth Ministry - Developing Friendships

Developing Friendships Youth Ministry Sudden Impact   Developing Friendships from the "Sudden Impact" section of The Youth Ministry Zone. These are copy and paste devotionals you can email to your teens or handout. For details go to http://www.teenlifeministries.com/thezone There are 49 Sudden Impact available.   When I was in the sixth grade I started a new school. I sat across the isle from a guy who was about twice my size. He was a little over six feet tall and had the biggest arms I had ever seen. He was intimidating just to look at. You would think that at any time he could chew you up and spit you out. As the weeks went by we became close friends. I soon learned that not only did he have a big body but he had an even larger heart. All the way through jr. and sr. high school we were the best of friends. If I was not at his house, he was at mine. One thing I soon learned about this friendship was that it was not just a surface type friendship. It was the kind of friendship that if I needed help at the spur of the moment, he was there. There were times when I wanted us to do something mischievous or get into something that I shouldn't and he would stop me. There were times when I would say something about someone and he would correct me. I soon learned that only a true friend would try to make me a better person. Proverbs 28:23 says, "Those who correct others will later be liked more than those who give false praise." 1. How do your friends help you in your walk with God? 2. How do you help your friends with their walk with God? 3. How do you determine whether a person is a good friend? 4. How do you choose your friends? Proverbs 13:20 "Spend time with the wise and you will become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer." Proverbs 14:7 "Stay away from fools because they can't teach you anything." I Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be fooled: Bad friends will ruin good habits." John 14:18 "I will not leave you alone like orphans; I will come back for you." John 15:12-14 "This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." Today pray that God will give you the strength and wisdom to choose the right friends. Pray that He will put people in your life that will help you get to heaven and also someone you can help get to heaven.   Your Partners in Youth Ministry, Paul & Al   Sign up for The Zone!  http://tinyurl.com/223da4   For Members Only: We now have 70  discussion sheets for use in small group.   P.S. Pass this issue of the Youth Ministry MAXimizer along to 3 youth ministry friends.   P.S.S. For previous issues: http://tinyurl.com/3724k8     This Week's Updates for Zone Members Members: Login to your account for access to this week's updates.   New Lesson series on Prayer. Lesson 4... http://tinyurl.com/2z8btu   Praise Preceding Deliverance (Oct 10, 2007 at 3:20 AM) - As I read through the Old Testament, sometimes I am stunned by the Israelites' lack of faith in trusting a God who delivered them time and time again. Rake and Run for Fun (Oct 5, 2007 at 3:24 AM) - This outreach idea is as old as the trees in your grandma's yard. However, some ideas are worth keeping around for a while. The leaves are beginning to fall and that could mean fun times for youth groups.   Growing up Without Selling Out : The Professionalization of Youth Ministry (Sep 28, 2007 at 2:33 PM) - My brother and his wife spend most of their waking hours thinking about drag racing. Their whole lives revolve around race cars: they build them, race them, rebuild them, and race them again. Identity (Sep 26, 2007 at 2:15 AM) - Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Perhaps you've been told that you remind someone of their close friend- that you have an uncanny resemblance. Resource Highlight   Not a Member of The Zone? Get the details here     Did you receive this email as a forward? Sign up for this free newsletter at:   http://tinyurl.com/2bojj9