2. The Blessing & Value of Friends “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17a). “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (27:6). “Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel” (27:9). “Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend” (27:10). “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (27:17).

3. Christian Friends We should be naturally drawn to godly companions (Psalm 119:63; Proverbs 12:26). But to have friends, and to keep friends, we must be friendly ourselves (Proverbs 18:24). Our “close friends” should be our brothers & sisters in Christ (Acts 10:24; 24:23; 27:3; 28:15).

4. Christian Connections “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44).

5. “Joined Together” “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you…be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Cor. 1:10). “in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21). “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies” (Ephesians 4:16).

6. “Knit Together” “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ” (Col. 2:2). “and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God” (Col. 2:19).

7. What Connects Us to One Another We have a “common faith” (Titus 1:4). We have a “common salvation” (Jude 3). We are the “children of God” (Rom. 8:14-16). We are “joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). We regularly worship together (Heb. 10:24-25). We strive “together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). We are “called in one hope” (Ephesians 4:4). We shall be in heaven together (I Thess. 4:17).

8. How We are to Treat One Another “Be kindly affectionate to one another” (Romans 12:10; cf. 12:13; 16:16). We are to “love one another” (John 13:34; 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; I Thess. 4:9; I Peter 1:22; I John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12; 2 John 1:5). We are to restore the erring (Galatians 6:1). Suffer wrong if need be (I Corinthians 6:7-8) We are to be willing to lay down our lives for each other (I John 3:16).

9. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) Christian Connections