Friends Change Our Direction
Good friends give good advice.
Linn Winters
Aug 20, 2017 38m
Having good friends means having good advice readily available. If it is from a Godly, wise and righteous friend then it can alter our direction in life in a good way. Always assess the motives when a friend gives advice. Video recorded at Chandler, Arizona.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
Pastor Linn: 00:01 Hey cornerstone. How are you.
Pastor Linn: 00:06 Hey we're in the middle of a discussion about friendship and what we're really trying to tackle together is what does it mean to be the type of friend that the people I'm friends with are benefited. I mean they are, they are just absolutely we'd call in church, we call it blessed by the fact that they're friends with us. And what does it mean to look for in, to find friendships that change me, that help me, that push me in the right moments. And challenge me when I need to be challenged, what does it like to have friendships like that and not just surface type of relationships.And so we've been having that discussion together. Matter of fact we've really said hey we want it, we're looking for friends with benefits and maybe a better way of saying that for some of us is to say hey what does it mean for you and me to find friends who deeply benefit our lives that, that friendship changes everything for us. And we've been having that conversation. We're going to dig in again today. Before we do that though I just want to do a shout out to San Tan and to Scottsdale to the 5 p.m. service and those that are in the venue, man, just thank you for being part of this conversation with us, and we're just proud of you guys for that.
Pastor Linn: 01:21 All right. So we just saw a clip from The Lord Of The Rings. How many guys are familiar with Lord Of The Rings? OK. Truth is I didn't need to ask that question because all of you that are familiar with all the rings you're wiping tears from your eyes right now because that clip, that moment is like the capstone, it's the moment within Lord Of The Rings. But I know some of you don't know. So let me catch you up a little bit. So the guy who's weak in that moment is actually the hero of all the three stories. His name is Frodo and he's been assigned a task to take a ring that grants whoever wears it huge power. The downside of it is it brings out the darkest parts of whoever wears it. And so the decision is it has to be destroyed. Frodo is picked to be the one who takes it back to its birthplace and throws it into the fiery pit to destroy it because Frodo is pure of heart. And so he's the only one who's going to be least affected by the power of the ring. And so he's gone on this journey. The guy who's with him, the kind of chubby little character, his name is Sam, Sam is Frodo's friend and the reality is all through the story Sam has been kind of this hapless little guy who's along with him. The only reason he's in this story is because he's Frodo's friend and he makes a decision that Frodo shouldn't have to do this thing by himself. So he decides to tag along. Not thinking, just I'll go with Frodo. When they get to this all pivotal moment. Frodo is now weak. He's gone as far as he can possibly go. And the crazy part is that victory, the thing that they've been working for the whole time is just there, it's barely out of reach. But he is not going to make it. And in that moment Sam turns to Frodo and says Look. I can't carry the ring. But I can carry my friend. And he ends up being in many ways the hero of the story. The most hapless character ends up being the one who changes the entire outcome. But here's something to think about. The only reason that Sam is there with Frodo is because Frodo's his friend. By all rights Sam belongs back in the shire hanging out cooking smores. The only reason he's there in that moment is because he chose to be friends with Frodo and go with Frodo. Which brings us to an incredibly powerful truth. You ready for this? Your friends who you choose to do the deepest level of friendship. Not just your acquaintance but your friends, your best friends will change your destination. Let me just say that again just in case you leave and go to the bathroom or at least pretend to go to the bathroom and don't come back. Let me help you with where we're going. Your friends, your best friends, the people you most do life with. They will determine the destination of where your life lands.
Pastor Linn: 04:32 And if that's true let me ask you a question. If you stay friends with the people you're friends with right now, the people you're most deeply involved in friendship with. Where will your life be in 10 years, 20 years and do you like the answer. If your friends determine where you go. And you're friends with who you're friends with right now where will you be in 10 or 20 years. And if right now you go,"You know what Linn, honestly I don't know. I mean I'm thinking about it but I'm not even sure what that answer would be." Then you want to listen to what we're going to talk about today. If you answer that question and you went, "Uh, I'm not sure I like, what 10 years down the road, 20 years down the road looks like if I keep hanging with who I'm hanging with right now," then today's conversation is for you.
Pastor Linn: 05:30 We've been talking about friendship and we've been talking about the moments out of the life of a guy by the name of David. The reason we chose David is this, big deal, if you look at the life of David, if you survey it on the one side you go hey this is the guy who killed Goliath. I mean that's remarkable. This guy is an unbelievable military tactician. I mean this guy is General Patton or General Sherman, I mean this guy is unthinkable in his military ability. But on the other side, are you ready? He is a murderous adulterer. And yet David is going to go down in history as being one of the best kings, if not the best ever in the history of Israel. And you go wait, wait, wait, wait. Military tactician killed Goliath. Murderous adulterer. How does that turn you into the best king ever in Israel?
Pastor Linn: 06:20 And here's something that's interesting when you chronicle the life of David, that the thing that tips David's life is that at the most significant moments of David's life he had a friend, a friend who said whoa, whoa, whoa David, David, wait, wait, if you do that it will head you in the wrong direction. David, David, David, wait, wait don't give up. I know you're discouraged. I know you're struggling but God has a destiny for you. David stay on course. And the tipping point of David's life is his friends and you and I have been digging in to say what is that, and what would it look for us to have that type of friends and be that of friend. Today we're going to go in a little different direction with it because there's a group of men who decide to be David's friend to hang out with him. And it's David who will change the course of their lives. They will be forever different because they decided to do life with David. So here we go. Let me read you a passage of scripture that will set this up. You don't need to go there. I'm going to make you go to a whole bunch of bible today so you don't have to turn to this one if you're just you have to do it or you're taking notes. It's 2 Samuel chapter 23. It's verse starting in verse 8. But let me just read this for you. These, you ready? These are the names of David's mighty warriors.
Pastor Linn: 07:49 There was Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, was chief of the three. He raised his spear against eight hundred men whom he killed. In one encounter. This guy's a stud. Next to him is Eleazar the son of Dodai the Ahohite as one of the three mighty warriors. He was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas-Dammin for battle. Then the Israelites actually retreated but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines until his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned, oh by the way, to Eleazar but only to strip the dead. Next to him with Shammah, son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils Israel's troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and he struck the Philistines down and the Lord brought about a great victory. Now the passage goes on to list man, after man, after man, after man, after man who are numbered among David's mighty men. At first glance you go, "Oh, hey big deal." Here's why it's a big deal. The big deal is where these men started from. Because these men started as criminals and outcasts.
Pastor Linn: 09:16 You remember the moment in which David is fleeing from Saul because Saul has become jealous of him and his popularity. And now David is on the backside of the desert just trying to survive. This is where he finds his friends. And guess who's living on the backside of the desert. Criminals. People who've stayed there waited along the road and they've ambushed travelers. These are people who have committed crimes in the city and now they're being hunted. And so they're out living on their own and they end up banding with David. And the question becomes in that moment are they going to influence David or is David going to influence them. And the answer is, you ready? David changes the destination of these men's lives, that by hanging with David because they choose to go with him they go from the outcasts of Israel to criminals of Israel to the heroes of Israel. Because, because, because you're ready for this? Because who you do life with, who are your best friends are will change your destination. It will change the outcome of how your life is remembered.
Pastor Linn: 10:32 How does that work. How is it possible that my friends determine my destination. So now grab your bibles and you are going to play Bible treasure hunt because we're going to go to one of the tiniest books in the entire Bible. So take your Bible open it somewhere right in the middle and then you're going to start working to the right. You're going to find Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Keep going but slow down. Because you're looking for the Book of Amos, tiny, tiny book. Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos Chapter 3 Verse 3. When I read this first to you in just a moment and you'll go,"That's the dumbest verse in the Bible." If you, if you couldn't by common sense reason that I have no idea why god even put it there. He put it there because something that is very simple is actually very, very profound. Amos Chapter 3 Verse 3, you ready? Get your minds blown. Here we go. Amos Chapter 3 Verse 3. Do two walk together unless they've agreed to do so? Let that sink in for a moment. Do two people walk together unless they've. Of course they don't.
Pastor Linn: 11:43 It's just incredibly obvious principle. If you have a friend and you say,"Hey what are you doing this Saturday?" and they said, "Hey I'm driving to Tucson." And you say to them, "Well that's a shame because I'm heading up to Flagstaff." The obvious answer is you're not going in the same car, right because you two can't go together unless they've agreed on where they're going. Agreed on the destination and what you and I are supposed to pick up from this is that friendship, that going together is a moment built on what we agree on. And what we agree on will determine where we end up. It's almost like, you're ready for this? That the moment I enter into friendship with someone I really, in that moment end up inking my life to their life, it's kind of like we are suddenly bound together. Moms in the room you intuitively know this. It's why you freak out when your kids start hanging with the wrong kids. Because you just intuitively know that if my kid is hanging with the wrong kid then this is going to go ugly. Because who you do life with determines your destination.
Pastor Linn: 13:17 I'm 13 years old and I'm out of church for the most part. I'm frustrated with God. I'm kind of heading the wrong direction. The little church that I had attended on occasion just a few blocks away from my house hired a youth pastor. When he got there he said who's in the youth group. The answer they gave to Wayne was. There's two girls and then there is one boy who comes sometimes, the one boy. So next thing I know Wayne is at my front door knocking on my door inviting me back to youth group. Now here's the thing you got to know. First impressions were horrible. I was cool. Remember this is the 70s. So I've got hair all the way down my back. I got bell bottoms on. I am cool. Wayne is not cool. Wayne is wearing a leisure suit and patent leather shoes. I mean just the opposite of cool. And yet somehow he compelled me and got me to go to youth group where I found as my heart changed something in common. I began to fall in love with this Jesus that Wayne loved. I cannot tell you the countless hours my friend who, oh by the way, happened to be my youth pastor spent with me sitting at Coco's and at Denny's over cups of coffee exploring scripture together, arguing theology together. Can I tell you can I tell you that. That and literally my walk with Jesus was transformed out of my friendship with Wayne. It was while Wayne was my youth pastor that I surrendered to ministry. It was his influence that ultimately led to me going to the particular Bible college that I ended up attending. All out of my friendship with Wayne and, oh by the way, I met Lisa while attending that Bible college and I look back now when I go, the starting, the very fuel of my walk with Jesus, Wayne, my called ministry, Wayne, my wife, Wayne, and all of those things were directly affected by my friendship with him.
Pastor Linn: 15:34 Let me ask you a question, if you were to really stop in a moment just consider do you have a friend like that, do you have somebody in your life you look back and go wow their friendship hitting my life at just the opportune. I mean I'm just telling you it changed some of the trajectory of my life. I met the person I married. I went to the college I went to. I mean I went into the field of work that I went because of that friend's influence in my life because, because, because, you're ready? Because friends determine our destinations which means if you're a Christ follower and youre serious about being a Christ follower then who you allow into your innermost circle is a big deal. Its a big deal because your friends determine your destination.
Pastor Linn: 16:26 Grab your bibles again and go with me to 2 Corinthians. So if you close your bible or go to the back of your Bible work to the left. 2 Corinthians, I'll give you a clue it's right next to 1 Corinthians. 8 years of bible school for that one boys and girls. 2 Corinthians Chapter 6 started in verse 14. Watch his. You ready? Do not. Just don't do it. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in. Next word: common. What do they share or what fellowship can light have with darkness. And what. Next word: harmony, is there between Christ and Belial. Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever. Now here is what it is simply saying, friendship exists when we share something in common. See I really like bowling they really like bowling. Chances are we can be pretty good friends. But here's what's interesting. It also takes even kind of a common intensity because if my friend is like crazy serious about bowling and I just like oh hey bowling take or leave. Chances are that's not going to be a deep friendship because are the intensity of the commonness is also different but friendship is built on commonality. This thing that binds us in friendship for some of us it's being gamers. For some of us it's shopping. Which simply means every woman has the potential to be friends with every other woman in the world either just because they have that in common. Right. It's just that it's an intensity question right. So you get friendship is always built on something in common. Here's the interesting thing. I guarantee you have friends that you no longer have anymore, you want to know what probably happened? Whatever it was that you shared in common changed. I used to like but I don't anymore or my friend used to go along with me when. But now they won't anymore. And the commonality was broken. When I'm a kid my uncle loved hunting and he took me out one day when I was 9 years old and introduced me to hunting. And I mean it was instantaneous. I was hooked. And I'm just telling you I lived, I lived to go hunting with Uncle Marty. Every weekend I called up and I said Uncle Marty, you're going hunting this weekend. Well it's not season, let's go kill Rabbit. So I was just let's go, let's go, let's go. I got a little older. And for me guys I have to apply to you. I have nothing against those who hunt. All the more power, but here's what happened to me. Although I was a really, really good hunter. Even as old young boy I was challenging and rivaling the success of a lot of the full grown men that I was with. The problem was every time I got done I found myself giving away the game because I didn't like the taste and tasted gamey me and. There came a moment for me in which I just simply asked the question, should I be out hunting like this if if I if I'm not eating the meat. If I find myself constantly trying to pawn it off on someone else and it just kind of shifted for me and I lost interest.
Pastor Linn: 20:22 Can I tell you that that was nearly 40 years ago. And my Uncle Marty and I have never been as close since because, because, because the thing that drives friendship is commonality the things we hold in common which then scripture comes back and says, hey if you're a Christian how many things do you actually have in common with someone who doesn't know your Jesus yet. And how deep can that friendship actually go. Because there is going to be moment if, if your deepest friendships if you're hanging with someone doesn't Lord and they're going invite you over there and say hey let's go do dinner and let's go hit a movie and you're gonna go hey that sounds great and your dinner will be over and then you start to head to a movie. Hey what movie you were going to. And then they tell you the name of the movie. And as a Christ follower you find yourself going, yeah I don't think I can go to that movie which, which is which is going to be a tension, and for all of you that are in the room and you're pre-Jesus and ... look I know, I know, I know, I know, I know as Christians get weird in moments like that, we get weird because we ask ourselves like really strange questions, we ask ourselves questions like this. If Jesus was sitting in that movie with me what would he think. And I know, I know, I know that sounds bizarre to you but as a Christ follower that actually is a question we ask. See there's going to be a moment where your friend who just hasn't figured out Jesus yet it's just not the decision they've made in their life yet is going to be describing how they hired their most recent secretary and he's going to say to you I did not hire her for her work assets. I hired her for her assets, and he's going to lean over for a high five and as a Christ follower you're going to leave him hanging and it's just going to be weird.
Pastor Linn: 22:19 Ladies there's going to be a moment that you're out with your friend and it's not because we're judging or trying to be angry or put anybody down but she's going to be gossiping because that's just that's fun to do. And then as a Christ follower in that moment you're going to sit in silence because it's going to be weird and it's going to be awkward and you have scripture saying hey ahh ... when you have a friend it's the things you hold in common that either bonds you together or will create a distance and you go," Linn, Linn, Linn are you telling me I can't be friends with someone who doesn't know the lord, who's not a Christian?" No, no, no, no, no, that's not what I'm telling you absolutely not what I'm telling you. Matter of fact remember Jesus described Christians and said you are the salt of the Earth which means salt anywhere you put it makes whatever it touches salty. Put it on lasagna it makes it salty. Put down your arm makes it salty, right? Anywhere you put salt it makes it salty. Guess where the one place that salt isn't salty, in a bag of salt. You put salt in a bag of salt it doesn't change anything around it. And you put a bunch of Christians in a huddle with a bunch of Christians and your life will immediately become ineffective you will not be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. I am not, I am not, I am not, I am not telling you that you can't be Christians or can't be friends with somebody who doesn't know your Jesus. Which brings us to principle number two which is simply this is the principle of the lean, the principle of the lean which works this way. Can a Christian, notice you got baptized, but anyway a Christian. He was a Christian before he got baptized by the way we can talk about that later, a Christian is hanging out in friends with someone who hasn't figured out Jesus yet okay and their friends and you can have this type of a friendship with someone who doesn't know Jesus because there's going to be some things... Hey you both have the same rotten boss at work. We got that in common right. You may both like working on cars or whatever, that doesn't matter. You can be friends like this with somebody who doesn't know your Jesus yet, matter of fact it keeps your life in proximity. You can also be friends with a lean but the lean has to be the person who doesn't know your Jesus yet. Leaning on the person who does. So you can be in a friendship like that and this is, this is so cool a moment because there is going to be a moment in his life when life isn't going to be working just right and he suddenly gonna say hey my marriage is so screwed up and he will be leaning into his Christian friends saying, but your marriage looks so much stronger than mine. What are you doing that I'm not doing. There is going to be moments in his life when life is going to be horribly unfair.
Pastor Linn: 25:40 I've got a friend who recently lost his father and he's just going, "How how is that right. How did. How does that make any sense?" And suddenly he has a place to lean because there's somebody in his life who knows Christ and I'm just saying to the room, look, if you're here today and you're someone who's on the front side you just haven't quite crossed the cross you haven't made a decision for Jesus yet. Okay this is, this is a place for you and can I just suggest to you that the most important friendship you have the most valuable friendship when life is really screwed up might just be your friendship with a Christian. Because in that moment when life makes absolutely no sense and your friends who are on the same side of trying to figure out life have no answers for a moment like that, it might just be a really really cool thing to be able to lean on somebody who has contact with the one who is bigger than, stronger than, smarter than all of your questions. This might just actually be your best friendship. If you're still trying to figure God out but what scripture is saying cannot happen is a lean that heads the other way.
Pastor Linn: 27:06 I cannot be a Christ follower whose most significant friendships and relationships, the people I depend on in the darkest moments of my life are people who don't know my Jesus, why? Because my friends determine my destination and if in that moment when, man, life is really, really miserable and I'm about ready to give up, when my marriage is screwed up like crazy and I turn to a friend who hasn't figured God out and hasn't figured out the power of the truth of scripture and I say look my wife is just an idiot. You realize chances are the response is going to be is, you're right. Rather than wait, wait, wait, rather than stick in there be a servant to your spouse and let Jesus do the talking to their heart see someone, someone who doesn't, hasn't figured out ... they will never be capable of giving that advice to you because they haven't learned that for themselves.
Pastor Linn: 28:10 When you get ready to make a huge decision, I mean a decision that's going to change everything -- it's about moving out of state or changing where you work. I mean it's just it's a big decision. Someone who hasn't figured out God yet is never going to say to you you know what you need to be praying right now. Because in moments when there are no easy answers and when you can't put it on a checklist and figure it out your best bet is to figure out what God wants you to do next. And if someone hasn't figured out ... there's no way they can offer that advice for you. Which is why God says Hey, you cannot be in a leaning relationship, a depending relationship with people who don't know your Jesus because they won't know how to be the right type or friend in the moment when you really, really need a friend. It's not putting them down. He just hasn't gotten there yet.
Pastor Linn: 29:07 If you live in a leaning relationship as a Christian with somebody who doesn't know your Jesus yet then everything you have in common cannot include Jesus. You'll have to leave him out of that leaning relationship. If this is true, if what we've been talking about together is true. If my friends end up determining my outcomes, they end up determining where I go. What if we flipped it on its ear. What if today you and I decided I'm going to let my destination. I'm going to let where I want my life to be in 20 years. I'm going to let where I want my marriage to be in 20 years. I'm going to let where I want my walk with Jesus to be in 20 years be the thing that determines the friends that I bring closest to my life, that I lean into.
Pastor Linn: 30:00 Grab your Bibles one more time. It's Matthew. And if you close your bibles just started the back work to the left are going to find this book of Matthew. This is Jesus inviting some men to be his friends. But when he does it he says Hey, if you're going to be my friend you've got to go where I'm going. Because my destination is determining who's going to be there with me.
Pastor Linn: 30:43 It's Matthew Chapter 16, it's Verse 24. Ready? Watch this. Watch how the destination determines who's Jesus's friends. Then Jesus said to his disciples whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. You know what Jesus is saying at that moment, he says look, look, look. I'm going this way. I'm, I'm following God. And if you want to be my friend you just need to know it's going to be expensive. This is going to be hard because where I'm going costs a lot. Are you up for it? What if, what if you and I said to those around us hey look here's the deal. Just lay it out. I'm going to go follow Jesus that's my plan. Twenty years from now that's what I want to be an amazing follower of Christ. And so if you're ready to go with me then you can be my deepest best friend. But if you're not willing to pay that price then we probably aren't in a leaning relationship because friends determene your destination. We know this intuitively think about this. We knew this when we were kids. Remember, remember when you would go out on the playground and play kickball and you are one of the captains who did you pick on your team. You picked the best player, right? Because in that moment what you were saying was the destination, the outcome I'm looking for is to win the game. And the best way to win the game is to pick the best players on my team. So my destination, win the game, is what's determining who I pick to play with me. We knew this even when we were kids.
Pastor Linn: 32:32 I've got a friend whose name is Dave and a couple of years ago one of his friends decided to introduce him to paint ball, anyone ever paintball? Hey you're really dumb ... anyways. But. No it's, it's a wonderful sport as long as you enjoy pain. So his friend decides to introduce him to paintball and they get there and it gets really obvious from the very beginning who the beginners are probably because they're holding the tiny little rental guns and looking down the barrel, and who the pros are because they've got like paint ball bazookas and they're all camo'd out and got the face paint and all that stuff going on. So they're going to play a version of Capture the Flag. If you're not familiar Capture the Flag is pretty simple. One team takes a flag goes to the far end of their territory hides or puts it down somewhere and then the other team takes their flag puts it at the far end of their territory and the goal is to go into your opponent's territory, kill off a few of their soldiers and then capture the flag, hence Capture the Flag. So they're there they're choosing up sides. Dave's friend who brought him that day gets picked for the other team. So now Dave is by himself and apparently his absolute terror and fear was obvious because bazooka guy comes walking over and says, "Just hang with me." So sure enough the big horn sounds. They go out onto the field. Bazooka guy and Dave they're kind of making their way through the field. You know shootin guys. Dave's actually just hiding the whole time but bazooka guys taken a few guys out. They get within proximity of the flag. But here's what everyone knows, there are four or five of the other team just hunkered down in hiding waiting for someone to be dumb enough to stand up and try to get the flag, at that very moment bazooka guy turns to Dave and he says, "I've got a plan." You, when I say go jump up and run toward the flag thus making you the bait. Dave turns to a bazooka guy and says, "Are you sure?" The bazooka guy says, "Yes! One, two, three, go!" And Dave leaps up and tarts running toward the flag. And sure enough there are enemy guys popping up everywhere and bazookas guy's going you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead. By the time Dave gets to the flag the entire team is dead. Dave gets to the flag, lifts up, wins the game for the team. They now come back together. They're choosing up teams for the second round. The second they say they're choosing a team. Dave raises and goes, "I'm with him." Because, because, because you ready? Who you're with changes the outcome. Who you're with determines how it ends up. It's the power of friendship. Which is, you ready for this? It's one of the reasons that your church has over, and over, and over, and over again said to you be with other people who are equally committed to following Christ.
Pastor Linn: 35:53 And if all you do is sit in the purple chairs and listen to a couple amazing sermons on Sunday it's not enough because who you're with is what determines where you turn out. And it's why we've encouraged you to be a part of small churches and small groups so that you would surround yourselves with friends who are headed to where you're headed for the next 20 years. So here here's what we did again today. We stuck within your program today just a list of all the opportunities we have for you to actually do this thing with Jesus in relationship with people who have the most important part of their lives in common with you. That it might change where you end up.
Pastor Linn: 36:43 And so my challenge is just simply this, that all of us consider today as we get ready to leave either to go out on the patio and hit the grow booth at our sites. You would hit the info tables and just say you know what I need. I need to check one of these out because I need some people to go with, because who you go with changes where you go.
Pastor Linn: 37:16 Ask Sam, ask Sam if going with Frodo changed where his life landed, ask David's mighty men if the moment they chose David forever changed where their life landed and then ask yourself if I stay with the people I'm with right now. Where will I be in 10 years.
Pastor Linn: 37:51 Let's pray. Hey dear Lord Jesus we, we simply come to a moment that suddenly makes real sense in our hearts that, that who we go with changes where we go. It changes our destination which means the people who are our deepest friends, the people that we lean into the hardest in our lives have got to be people who have our Jesus in common with us. God I just pray, I pray that today would be a day of recalibrating, that today would be a day of just deciding that I want my very, very best friends to be those who are heading toward my Jesus recklessly. God help some of us to head out to grow booths or to info tables and just say, "You know what? I need more friends like that in my life and so I'm going to put myself out there. I'm going to change my destination today." In this we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Recorded in Chandler, Arizona.
Pastor Linn: 00:06 Hey we're in the middle of a discussion about friendship and what we're really trying to tackle together is what does it mean to be the type of friend that the people I'm friends with are benefited. I mean they are, they are just absolutely we'd call in church, we call it blessed by the fact that they're friends with us. And what does it mean to look for in, to find friendships that change me, that help me, that push me in the right moments. And challenge me when I need to be challenged, what does it like to have friendships like that and not just surface type of relationships.And so we've been having that discussion together. Matter of fact we've really said hey we want it, we're looking for friends with benefits and maybe a better way of saying that for some of us is to say hey what does it mean for you and me to find friends who deeply benefit our lives that, that friendship changes everything for us. And we've been having that conversation. We're going to dig in again today. Before we do that though I just want to do a shout out to San Tan and to Scottsdale to the 5 p.m. service and those that are in the venue, man, just thank you for being part of this conversation with us, and we're just proud of you guys for that.
Pastor Linn: 01:21 All right. So we just saw a clip from The Lord Of The Rings. How many guys are familiar with Lord Of The Rings? OK. Truth is I didn't need to ask that question because all of you that are familiar with all the rings you're wiping tears from your eyes right now because that clip, that moment is like the capstone, it's the moment within Lord Of The Rings. But I know some of you don't know. So let me catch you up a little bit. So the guy who's weak in that moment is actually the hero of all the three stories. His name is Frodo and he's been assigned a task to take a ring that grants whoever wears it huge power. The downside of it is it brings out the darkest parts of whoever wears it. And so the decision is it has to be destroyed. Frodo is picked to be the one who takes it back to its birthplace and throws it into the fiery pit to destroy it because Frodo is pure of heart. And so he's the only one who's going to be least affected by the power of the ring. And so he's gone on this journey. The guy who's with him, the kind of chubby little character, his name is Sam, Sam is Frodo's friend and the reality is all through the story Sam has been kind of this hapless little guy who's along with him. The only reason he's in this story is because he's Frodo's friend and he makes a decision that Frodo shouldn't have to do this thing by himself. So he decides to tag along. Not thinking, just I'll go with Frodo. When they get to this all pivotal moment. Frodo is now weak. He's gone as far as he can possibly go. And the crazy part is that victory, the thing that they've been working for the whole time is just there, it's barely out of reach. But he is not going to make it. And in that moment Sam turns to Frodo and says Look. I can't carry the ring. But I can carry my friend. And he ends up being in many ways the hero of the story. The most hapless character ends up being the one who changes the entire outcome. But here's something to think about. The only reason that Sam is there with Frodo is because Frodo's his friend. By all rights Sam belongs back in the shire hanging out cooking smores. The only reason he's there in that moment is because he chose to be friends with Frodo and go with Frodo. Which brings us to an incredibly powerful truth. You ready for this? Your friends who you choose to do the deepest level of friendship. Not just your acquaintance but your friends, your best friends will change your destination. Let me just say that again just in case you leave and go to the bathroom or at least pretend to go to the bathroom and don't come back. Let me help you with where we're going. Your friends, your best friends, the people you most do life with. They will determine the destination of where your life lands.
Pastor Linn: 04:32 And if that's true let me ask you a question. If you stay friends with the people you're friends with right now, the people you're most deeply involved in friendship with. Where will your life be in 10 years, 20 years and do you like the answer. If your friends determine where you go. And you're friends with who you're friends with right now where will you be in 10 or 20 years. And if right now you go,"You know what Linn, honestly I don't know. I mean I'm thinking about it but I'm not even sure what that answer would be." Then you want to listen to what we're going to talk about today. If you answer that question and you went, "Uh, I'm not sure I like, what 10 years down the road, 20 years down the road looks like if I keep hanging with who I'm hanging with right now," then today's conversation is for you.
Pastor Linn: 05:30 We've been talking about friendship and we've been talking about the moments out of the life of a guy by the name of David. The reason we chose David is this, big deal, if you look at the life of David, if you survey it on the one side you go hey this is the guy who killed Goliath. I mean that's remarkable. This guy is an unbelievable military tactician. I mean this guy is General Patton or General Sherman, I mean this guy is unthinkable in his military ability. But on the other side, are you ready? He is a murderous adulterer. And yet David is going to go down in history as being one of the best kings, if not the best ever in the history of Israel. And you go wait, wait, wait, wait. Military tactician killed Goliath. Murderous adulterer. How does that turn you into the best king ever in Israel?
Pastor Linn: 06:20 And here's something that's interesting when you chronicle the life of David, that the thing that tips David's life is that at the most significant moments of David's life he had a friend, a friend who said whoa, whoa, whoa David, David, wait, wait, if you do that it will head you in the wrong direction. David, David, David, wait, wait don't give up. I know you're discouraged. I know you're struggling but God has a destiny for you. David stay on course. And the tipping point of David's life is his friends and you and I have been digging in to say what is that, and what would it look for us to have that type of friends and be that of friend. Today we're going to go in a little different direction with it because there's a group of men who decide to be David's friend to hang out with him. And it's David who will change the course of their lives. They will be forever different because they decided to do life with David. So here we go. Let me read you a passage of scripture that will set this up. You don't need to go there. I'm going to make you go to a whole bunch of bible today so you don't have to turn to this one if you're just you have to do it or you're taking notes. It's 2 Samuel chapter 23. It's verse starting in verse 8. But let me just read this for you. These, you ready? These are the names of David's mighty warriors.
Pastor Linn: 07:49 There was Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, was chief of the three. He raised his spear against eight hundred men whom he killed. In one encounter. This guy's a stud. Next to him is Eleazar the son of Dodai the Ahohite as one of the three mighty warriors. He was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas-Dammin for battle. Then the Israelites actually retreated but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines until his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned, oh by the way, to Eleazar but only to strip the dead. Next to him with Shammah, son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils Israel's troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and he struck the Philistines down and the Lord brought about a great victory. Now the passage goes on to list man, after man, after man, after man, after man who are numbered among David's mighty men. At first glance you go, "Oh, hey big deal." Here's why it's a big deal. The big deal is where these men started from. Because these men started as criminals and outcasts.
Pastor Linn: 09:16 You remember the moment in which David is fleeing from Saul because Saul has become jealous of him and his popularity. And now David is on the backside of the desert just trying to survive. This is where he finds his friends. And guess who's living on the backside of the desert. Criminals. People who've stayed there waited along the road and they've ambushed travelers. These are people who have committed crimes in the city and now they're being hunted. And so they're out living on their own and they end up banding with David. And the question becomes in that moment are they going to influence David or is David going to influence them. And the answer is, you ready? David changes the destination of these men's lives, that by hanging with David because they choose to go with him they go from the outcasts of Israel to criminals of Israel to the heroes of Israel. Because, because, because you're ready for this? Because who you do life with, who are your best friends are will change your destination. It will change the outcome of how your life is remembered.
Pastor Linn: 10:32 How does that work. How is it possible that my friends determine my destination. So now grab your bibles and you are going to play Bible treasure hunt because we're going to go to one of the tiniest books in the entire Bible. So take your Bible open it somewhere right in the middle and then you're going to start working to the right. You're going to find Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Keep going but slow down. Because you're looking for the Book of Amos, tiny, tiny book. Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos Chapter 3 Verse 3. When I read this first to you in just a moment and you'll go,"That's the dumbest verse in the Bible." If you, if you couldn't by common sense reason that I have no idea why god even put it there. He put it there because something that is very simple is actually very, very profound. Amos Chapter 3 Verse 3, you ready? Get your minds blown. Here we go. Amos Chapter 3 Verse 3. Do two walk together unless they've agreed to do so? Let that sink in for a moment. Do two people walk together unless they've. Of course they don't.
Pastor Linn: 11:43 It's just incredibly obvious principle. If you have a friend and you say,"Hey what are you doing this Saturday?" and they said, "Hey I'm driving to Tucson." And you say to them, "Well that's a shame because I'm heading up to Flagstaff." The obvious answer is you're not going in the same car, right because you two can't go together unless they've agreed on where they're going. Agreed on the destination and what you and I are supposed to pick up from this is that friendship, that going together is a moment built on what we agree on. And what we agree on will determine where we end up. It's almost like, you're ready for this? That the moment I enter into friendship with someone I really, in that moment end up inking my life to their life, it's kind of like we are suddenly bound together. Moms in the room you intuitively know this. It's why you freak out when your kids start hanging with the wrong kids. Because you just intuitively know that if my kid is hanging with the wrong kid then this is going to go ugly. Because who you do life with determines your destination.
Pastor Linn: 13:17 I'm 13 years old and I'm out of church for the most part. I'm frustrated with God. I'm kind of heading the wrong direction. The little church that I had attended on occasion just a few blocks away from my house hired a youth pastor. When he got there he said who's in the youth group. The answer they gave to Wayne was. There's two girls and then there is one boy who comes sometimes, the one boy. So next thing I know Wayne is at my front door knocking on my door inviting me back to youth group. Now here's the thing you got to know. First impressions were horrible. I was cool. Remember this is the 70s. So I've got hair all the way down my back. I got bell bottoms on. I am cool. Wayne is not cool. Wayne is wearing a leisure suit and patent leather shoes. I mean just the opposite of cool. And yet somehow he compelled me and got me to go to youth group where I found as my heart changed something in common. I began to fall in love with this Jesus that Wayne loved. I cannot tell you the countless hours my friend who, oh by the way, happened to be my youth pastor spent with me sitting at Coco's and at Denny's over cups of coffee exploring scripture together, arguing theology together. Can I tell you can I tell you that. That and literally my walk with Jesus was transformed out of my friendship with Wayne. It was while Wayne was my youth pastor that I surrendered to ministry. It was his influence that ultimately led to me going to the particular Bible college that I ended up attending. All out of my friendship with Wayne and, oh by the way, I met Lisa while attending that Bible college and I look back now when I go, the starting, the very fuel of my walk with Jesus, Wayne, my called ministry, Wayne, my wife, Wayne, and all of those things were directly affected by my friendship with him.
Pastor Linn: 15:34 Let me ask you a question, if you were to really stop in a moment just consider do you have a friend like that, do you have somebody in your life you look back and go wow their friendship hitting my life at just the opportune. I mean I'm just telling you it changed some of the trajectory of my life. I met the person I married. I went to the college I went to. I mean I went into the field of work that I went because of that friend's influence in my life because, because, because, you're ready? Because friends determine our destinations which means if you're a Christ follower and youre serious about being a Christ follower then who you allow into your innermost circle is a big deal. Its a big deal because your friends determine your destination.
Pastor Linn: 16:26 Grab your bibles again and go with me to 2 Corinthians. So if you close your bible or go to the back of your Bible work to the left. 2 Corinthians, I'll give you a clue it's right next to 1 Corinthians. 8 years of bible school for that one boys and girls. 2 Corinthians Chapter 6 started in verse 14. Watch his. You ready? Do not. Just don't do it. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in. Next word: common. What do they share or what fellowship can light have with darkness. And what. Next word: harmony, is there between Christ and Belial. Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever. Now here is what it is simply saying, friendship exists when we share something in common. See I really like bowling they really like bowling. Chances are we can be pretty good friends. But here's what's interesting. It also takes even kind of a common intensity because if my friend is like crazy serious about bowling and I just like oh hey bowling take or leave. Chances are that's not going to be a deep friendship because are the intensity of the commonness is also different but friendship is built on commonality. This thing that binds us in friendship for some of us it's being gamers. For some of us it's shopping. Which simply means every woman has the potential to be friends with every other woman in the world either just because they have that in common. Right. It's just that it's an intensity question right. So you get friendship is always built on something in common. Here's the interesting thing. I guarantee you have friends that you no longer have anymore, you want to know what probably happened? Whatever it was that you shared in common changed. I used to like but I don't anymore or my friend used to go along with me when. But now they won't anymore. And the commonality was broken. When I'm a kid my uncle loved hunting and he took me out one day when I was 9 years old and introduced me to hunting. And I mean it was instantaneous. I was hooked. And I'm just telling you I lived, I lived to go hunting with Uncle Marty. Every weekend I called up and I said Uncle Marty, you're going hunting this weekend. Well it's not season, let's go kill Rabbit. So I was just let's go, let's go, let's go. I got a little older. And for me guys I have to apply to you. I have nothing against those who hunt. All the more power, but here's what happened to me. Although I was a really, really good hunter. Even as old young boy I was challenging and rivaling the success of a lot of the full grown men that I was with. The problem was every time I got done I found myself giving away the game because I didn't like the taste and tasted gamey me and. There came a moment for me in which I just simply asked the question, should I be out hunting like this if if I if I'm not eating the meat. If I find myself constantly trying to pawn it off on someone else and it just kind of shifted for me and I lost interest.
Pastor Linn: 20:22 Can I tell you that that was nearly 40 years ago. And my Uncle Marty and I have never been as close since because, because, because the thing that drives friendship is commonality the things we hold in common which then scripture comes back and says, hey if you're a Christian how many things do you actually have in common with someone who doesn't know your Jesus yet. And how deep can that friendship actually go. Because there is going to be moment if, if your deepest friendships if you're hanging with someone doesn't Lord and they're going invite you over there and say hey let's go do dinner and let's go hit a movie and you're gonna go hey that sounds great and your dinner will be over and then you start to head to a movie. Hey what movie you were going to. And then they tell you the name of the movie. And as a Christ follower you find yourself going, yeah I don't think I can go to that movie which, which is which is going to be a tension, and for all of you that are in the room and you're pre-Jesus and ... look I know, I know, I know, I know, I know as Christians get weird in moments like that, we get weird because we ask ourselves like really strange questions, we ask ourselves questions like this. If Jesus was sitting in that movie with me what would he think. And I know, I know, I know that sounds bizarre to you but as a Christ follower that actually is a question we ask. See there's going to be a moment where your friend who just hasn't figured out Jesus yet it's just not the decision they've made in their life yet is going to be describing how they hired their most recent secretary and he's going to say to you I did not hire her for her work assets. I hired her for her assets, and he's going to lean over for a high five and as a Christ follower you're going to leave him hanging and it's just going to be weird.
Pastor Linn: 22:19 Ladies there's going to be a moment that you're out with your friend and it's not because we're judging or trying to be angry or put anybody down but she's going to be gossiping because that's just that's fun to do. And then as a Christ follower in that moment you're going to sit in silence because it's going to be weird and it's going to be awkward and you have scripture saying hey ahh ... when you have a friend it's the things you hold in common that either bonds you together or will create a distance and you go," Linn, Linn, Linn are you telling me I can't be friends with someone who doesn't know the lord, who's not a Christian?" No, no, no, no, no, that's not what I'm telling you absolutely not what I'm telling you. Matter of fact remember Jesus described Christians and said you are the salt of the Earth which means salt anywhere you put it makes whatever it touches salty. Put it on lasagna it makes it salty. Put down your arm makes it salty, right? Anywhere you put salt it makes it salty. Guess where the one place that salt isn't salty, in a bag of salt. You put salt in a bag of salt it doesn't change anything around it. And you put a bunch of Christians in a huddle with a bunch of Christians and your life will immediately become ineffective you will not be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. I am not, I am not, I am not, I am not telling you that you can't be Christians or can't be friends with somebody who doesn't know your Jesus. Which brings us to principle number two which is simply this is the principle of the lean, the principle of the lean which works this way. Can a Christian, notice you got baptized, but anyway a Christian. He was a Christian before he got baptized by the way we can talk about that later, a Christian is hanging out in friends with someone who hasn't figured out Jesus yet okay and their friends and you can have this type of a friendship with someone who doesn't know Jesus because there's going to be some things... Hey you both have the same rotten boss at work. We got that in common right. You may both like working on cars or whatever, that doesn't matter. You can be friends like this with somebody who doesn't know your Jesus yet, matter of fact it keeps your life in proximity. You can also be friends with a lean but the lean has to be the person who doesn't know your Jesus yet. Leaning on the person who does. So you can be in a friendship like that and this is, this is so cool a moment because there is going to be a moment in his life when life isn't going to be working just right and he suddenly gonna say hey my marriage is so screwed up and he will be leaning into his Christian friends saying, but your marriage looks so much stronger than mine. What are you doing that I'm not doing. There is going to be moments in his life when life is going to be horribly unfair.
Pastor Linn: 25:40 I've got a friend who recently lost his father and he's just going, "How how is that right. How did. How does that make any sense?" And suddenly he has a place to lean because there's somebody in his life who knows Christ and I'm just saying to the room, look, if you're here today and you're someone who's on the front side you just haven't quite crossed the cross you haven't made a decision for Jesus yet. Okay this is, this is a place for you and can I just suggest to you that the most important friendship you have the most valuable friendship when life is really screwed up might just be your friendship with a Christian. Because in that moment when life makes absolutely no sense and your friends who are on the same side of trying to figure out life have no answers for a moment like that, it might just be a really really cool thing to be able to lean on somebody who has contact with the one who is bigger than, stronger than, smarter than all of your questions. This might just actually be your best friendship. If you're still trying to figure God out but what scripture is saying cannot happen is a lean that heads the other way.
Pastor Linn: 27:06 I cannot be a Christ follower whose most significant friendships and relationships, the people I depend on in the darkest moments of my life are people who don't know my Jesus, why? Because my friends determine my destination and if in that moment when, man, life is really, really miserable and I'm about ready to give up, when my marriage is screwed up like crazy and I turn to a friend who hasn't figured God out and hasn't figured out the power of the truth of scripture and I say look my wife is just an idiot. You realize chances are the response is going to be is, you're right. Rather than wait, wait, wait, rather than stick in there be a servant to your spouse and let Jesus do the talking to their heart see someone, someone who doesn't, hasn't figured out ... they will never be capable of giving that advice to you because they haven't learned that for themselves.
Pastor Linn: 28:10 When you get ready to make a huge decision, I mean a decision that's going to change everything -- it's about moving out of state or changing where you work. I mean it's just it's a big decision. Someone who hasn't figured out God yet is never going to say to you you know what you need to be praying right now. Because in moments when there are no easy answers and when you can't put it on a checklist and figure it out your best bet is to figure out what God wants you to do next. And if someone hasn't figured out ... there's no way they can offer that advice for you. Which is why God says Hey, you cannot be in a leaning relationship, a depending relationship with people who don't know your Jesus because they won't know how to be the right type or friend in the moment when you really, really need a friend. It's not putting them down. He just hasn't gotten there yet.
Pastor Linn: 29:07 If you live in a leaning relationship as a Christian with somebody who doesn't know your Jesus yet then everything you have in common cannot include Jesus. You'll have to leave him out of that leaning relationship. If this is true, if what we've been talking about together is true. If my friends end up determining my outcomes, they end up determining where I go. What if we flipped it on its ear. What if today you and I decided I'm going to let my destination. I'm going to let where I want my life to be in 20 years. I'm going to let where I want my marriage to be in 20 years. I'm going to let where I want my walk with Jesus to be in 20 years be the thing that determines the friends that I bring closest to my life, that I lean into.
Pastor Linn: 30:00 Grab your Bibles one more time. It's Matthew. And if you close your bibles just started the back work to the left are going to find this book of Matthew. This is Jesus inviting some men to be his friends. But when he does it he says Hey, if you're going to be my friend you've got to go where I'm going. Because my destination is determining who's going to be there with me.
Pastor Linn: 30:43 It's Matthew Chapter 16, it's Verse 24. Ready? Watch this. Watch how the destination determines who's Jesus's friends. Then Jesus said to his disciples whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. You know what Jesus is saying at that moment, he says look, look, look. I'm going this way. I'm, I'm following God. And if you want to be my friend you just need to know it's going to be expensive. This is going to be hard because where I'm going costs a lot. Are you up for it? What if, what if you and I said to those around us hey look here's the deal. Just lay it out. I'm going to go follow Jesus that's my plan. Twenty years from now that's what I want to be an amazing follower of Christ. And so if you're ready to go with me then you can be my deepest best friend. But if you're not willing to pay that price then we probably aren't in a leaning relationship because friends determene your destination. We know this intuitively think about this. We knew this when we were kids. Remember, remember when you would go out on the playground and play kickball and you are one of the captains who did you pick on your team. You picked the best player, right? Because in that moment what you were saying was the destination, the outcome I'm looking for is to win the game. And the best way to win the game is to pick the best players on my team. So my destination, win the game, is what's determining who I pick to play with me. We knew this even when we were kids.
Pastor Linn: 32:32 I've got a friend whose name is Dave and a couple of years ago one of his friends decided to introduce him to paint ball, anyone ever paintball? Hey you're really dumb ... anyways. But. No it's, it's a wonderful sport as long as you enjoy pain. So his friend decides to introduce him to paintball and they get there and it gets really obvious from the very beginning who the beginners are probably because they're holding the tiny little rental guns and looking down the barrel, and who the pros are because they've got like paint ball bazookas and they're all camo'd out and got the face paint and all that stuff going on. So they're going to play a version of Capture the Flag. If you're not familiar Capture the Flag is pretty simple. One team takes a flag goes to the far end of their territory hides or puts it down somewhere and then the other team takes their flag puts it at the far end of their territory and the goal is to go into your opponent's territory, kill off a few of their soldiers and then capture the flag, hence Capture the Flag. So they're there they're choosing up sides. Dave's friend who brought him that day gets picked for the other team. So now Dave is by himself and apparently his absolute terror and fear was obvious because bazooka guy comes walking over and says, "Just hang with me." So sure enough the big horn sounds. They go out onto the field. Bazooka guy and Dave they're kind of making their way through the field. You know shootin guys. Dave's actually just hiding the whole time but bazooka guys taken a few guys out. They get within proximity of the flag. But here's what everyone knows, there are four or five of the other team just hunkered down in hiding waiting for someone to be dumb enough to stand up and try to get the flag, at that very moment bazooka guy turns to Dave and he says, "I've got a plan." You, when I say go jump up and run toward the flag thus making you the bait. Dave turns to a bazooka guy and says, "Are you sure?" The bazooka guy says, "Yes! One, two, three, go!" And Dave leaps up and tarts running toward the flag. And sure enough there are enemy guys popping up everywhere and bazookas guy's going you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead. By the time Dave gets to the flag the entire team is dead. Dave gets to the flag, lifts up, wins the game for the team. They now come back together. They're choosing up teams for the second round. The second they say they're choosing a team. Dave raises and goes, "I'm with him." Because, because, because you ready? Who you're with changes the outcome. Who you're with determines how it ends up. It's the power of friendship. Which is, you ready for this? It's one of the reasons that your church has over, and over, and over, and over again said to you be with other people who are equally committed to following Christ.
Pastor Linn: 35:53 And if all you do is sit in the purple chairs and listen to a couple amazing sermons on Sunday it's not enough because who you're with is what determines where you turn out. And it's why we've encouraged you to be a part of small churches and small groups so that you would surround yourselves with friends who are headed to where you're headed for the next 20 years. So here here's what we did again today. We stuck within your program today just a list of all the opportunities we have for you to actually do this thing with Jesus in relationship with people who have the most important part of their lives in common with you. That it might change where you end up.
Pastor Linn: 36:43 And so my challenge is just simply this, that all of us consider today as we get ready to leave either to go out on the patio and hit the grow booth at our sites. You would hit the info tables and just say you know what I need. I need to check one of these out because I need some people to go with, because who you go with changes where you go.
Pastor Linn: 37:16 Ask Sam, ask Sam if going with Frodo changed where his life landed, ask David's mighty men if the moment they chose David forever changed where their life landed and then ask yourself if I stay with the people I'm with right now. Where will I be in 10 years.
Pastor Linn: 37:51 Let's pray. Hey dear Lord Jesus we, we simply come to a moment that suddenly makes real sense in our hearts that, that who we go with changes where we go. It changes our destination which means the people who are our deepest friends, the people that we lean into the hardest in our lives have got to be people who have our Jesus in common with us. God I just pray, I pray that today would be a day of recalibrating, that today would be a day of just deciding that I want my very, very best friends to be those who are heading toward my Jesus recklessly. God help some of us to head out to grow booths or to info tables and just say, "You know what? I need more friends like that in my life and so I'm going to put myself out there. I'm going to change my destination today." In this we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Recorded in Chandler, Arizona.
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