1. How To Grow In Our Friendships Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. I Thess. 5:11 (ESV )

2. How To Grow In Our Friendships What Can We Do To Enhance Our Friendships ?

3. How To Grow In Our Friendships We build up one another in Christ by encouraging one another in the Lord. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify [build up] one another, even as you do (1Th 5:11). Exhort one another daily. “but exhort ( admonish, urge, and encourage) one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Heb. 3:13

4. How To Grow In Our Friendships Those that God has chosen to have the oversight of the body of Christ, to minister to them and admonish them in the truth of God. Paul said, And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you (1Th 5:12) And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

5. How To Grow In Our Friendships God also shared how to build up those that were doing wrong. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly (1Th 5:13-14), You see a person that is not living right, warn them. God is in us and it is an important of our ministry to warn those that unrighteous people, and those righteous who had turned on their righteousness in love. If it is not motivated by love it is done in error.

6. How To Grow In Our Friendships We have a tendency many times to become annoyed with those that we consider weak in the faith. We tend to pass them off. But we are told here we ought to be comforting them. Our hearts should be going out to them and we should be patient and seek to comfort them, rather than being abrupt and short. Support the weak, be patient toward all men (I Thess. 5:14)

7. How To Grow In Our Friendships Don’t work on getting even, when someone does you wrong Isn't that difficult? How we love to get even, but see that we don't. Vengeance is the Lords See that none render evil for evil unto any man (1Th 5:15); but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1Th 5:16-18).

8. How To Grow In Our Friendships Keys To Better Relationships: Key No. 1: Don’t raise your voice. The Bible says that a “soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). When discussions turn into yelling matches, people’s opinions are not changed. Instead, they are hardened and people feel justified in their own position because of the other person’s behavior.

9. How To Grow In Our Friendships Key No. 2: Always tell the truth. Although it has become common for people to routinely lie, if your friend realizes that you don’t always speak the truth, he or she will never know whether to believe what you say. Relationships are built on trust; and when one party lies, trust is undermined. Paul told the Ephesians to put “away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor’” (Ephesians 4:25).

10. How To Grow In Our Friendships Key No. 3: Always show respect. While we may not appreciate or agree with someone’s opinions or actions, we need to show respect to the person. We may not understand all that went into the decision, or the person may have simply made a mistake. As Paul wrote, “Speak evil of no one” (Titus 3:2).

11. How To Grow In Our Friendships Key No. 4: Strive to be a gentle, peaceful person. While some people mistakenly believe such attributes are signs of weakness, they are actually keys to better relationships and reflections of godliness. Paul admonishes us: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). James says: “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

12. How To Grow In Our Friendships Key No. 5: Think before you speak. While it is tempting to quickly respond to slights and false accusations, we will do well to carefully consider our words before we speak. Will what we say help resolve the issue or only deepen a wound? Once uttered, words cannot be retracted. Even though we may apologize, the other person is still likely to remember what we said. As James wrote: “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).

13. How To Grow In Our Friendships Key No. 6: Forgive-Be quick to apologize and to accept an apology. Everyone makes mistakes, so be quick to apologize when you learn that you have offended someone or done something wrong. We also need to readily accept apologies when others admit they made a mistake and apologize to us. Expounding upon this expectation, Christ said, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14- 15).

14. How To Grow In Our Friendships Key No. 7: Use God’s Holy Spirit. The evidence of God’s Spirit working within us is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit also helps us to be sound- minded and spiritually mature (2 Timothy 1:7). If we truly “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), these traits will characterize our actions and communication. These traits will also endear us to our friends.

15. How To Grow In Our Friendships Your relationship with others are important Put these keys to work in your relationships and watch the positive results unfold. God’s timeless principles always bear good fruit.

16. Next Week Toxic Relationships Scripture: Prov. 22:24;James 4:4; Ps. 55:12-14

17. Reference Relationships: LifeHope and truth.com Blue Letter Bible Commentary-Chuck Smith