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Speaker 1: Welcome to Abides Daily Christian Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's

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Speaker 1: meditation is brought to you by our partners at Life Audio.

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Speaker 1: If you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find

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Speaker 1: dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've

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Speaker 1: got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting and more. Head

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Speaker 1: over to lifeaudio dot com now, and remember you can

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Speaker 1: have full access to our meditations commercial free. Just text

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Speaker 1: Abide to two two four three three for twenty five

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Speaker 1: percent off. Now receive his piece as we meditate and

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Speaker 1: abide in Christ.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to this Abide Meditation. I'm James Seawood. Friendship. It

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Speaker 2: may not have the spark of romantic love or the

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Speaker 2: duty of familial love, but friendship is often the most

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Speaker 2: powerful and enduring form of human love that we experience.

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Speaker 2: As we meditate today on the power of God given friendships,

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Speaker 2: begin by taking a deep breath and centering yourself here,

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Speaker 2: slowing down, letting go of distractions, and turning your heart

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Speaker 2: toward God. The author of Proverbs says, a man of

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Speaker 2: many companions may come to ruin, but there is a

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Speaker 2: friend who sticks closer than a brother. If your friendships

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Speaker 2: are shallow or indiscriminate proverb says you may come to ruin.

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Speaker 2: A good friendship, on the other hand, can be even

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Speaker 2: more lasting and meaningful than the bond of biology or bloodlines.

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Speaker 2: Friendship is not a trivial part of your life. It

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Speaker 2: can cause you great harm or bring you great joy.

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Speaker 2: Call to mind the friendships that you value and ask

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Speaker 2: God to continue to bless them. Even our best friendships

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Speaker 2: can fail. But we have one friend who always sticks

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Speaker 2: closer than a brother, Jesus, who has called us his

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Speaker 2: friends and shown us by his life and example what

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Speaker 2: true friendship can mean. What can you see about friendship

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Speaker 2: when you look at the life of Jesus. In Greek,

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Speaker 2: the word for this kind of love is filio, which

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Speaker 2: means the kind of affection and love you feel toward

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Speaker 2: your friends. Consider the friend who brings you the most joy.

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Speaker 2: That is the kind of joy you bring to Jesus.

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Speaker 2: Pray with me, Jesus. I can't express what it means

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Speaker 2: to me to know that you don't just love me

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Speaker 2: regrudgingly because you have to, because it's your due that

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Speaker 2: you like me. You enjoy me, you feel affection for me,

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Speaker 2: you call me friend. This brings such joy to my heart.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for being my friend. Amen, take a slow

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Speaker 2: breath and exhaling sender your attention here on your breath.

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Speaker 2: Just notice it. Pay attention as it goes in and out.

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Speaker 2: You're not trying to accomplish anything, just being present. If

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Speaker 2: distracting thoughts into your mind, greet them and ask them

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Speaker 2: to wait and return to your breath, breathing in and

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Speaker 2: breathing out. Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit

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Speaker 2: to search your heart and to reveal to you any

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Speaker 2: sins that you're holding on to or trying to ignore.

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Speaker 2: Bring those sins to God now, asking for forgiveness. God

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Speaker 2: is always ready to forgive all friends of Jesus and

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Speaker 2: ready to help you walk in newness of life. Pray

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Speaker 2: with me, God, thank you for bringing friends into my

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Speaker 2: life who hold me up when I'm weak, encourage me

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Speaker 2: when I'm tired, and help me become the person You've

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Speaker 2: made me to be. Thank you for the joy that

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Speaker 2: friendship brings to my life. Help me to be a

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Speaker 2: faithful friend, one who loves like you love in Jesus name.

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Speaker 2: I pray. Amen. As you go, remember that Jesus is

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Speaker 2: your friend who sticks closer than a brother. Until next time.

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Speaker 2: May you abide in Christ