1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,159 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We are so glad to 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 2: have you listening with us here today. Today's topic is 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 2: how much we need each other. 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 3: We will return after our brief message from our sponsor, 6 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 3: Wayne Lead each Other. 7 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 2: Written by Laurene Fletcher, read by Rochelle Albert Bible Reading. 8 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 2: Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely 9 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 2: ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God, 10 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,279 Speaker 2: but if we love each other, God lives in us, 11 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: and his love is brought to full expression in us. 12 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 2: First John four eleven through twelve. I have been blessed 13 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 2: with many close friends. It wasn't always that way, though. 14 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: There was a time when I didn't share much about 15 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: myself with others. I hid the not pretty part of 16 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 2: my life in a figurative coat closet with the bad 17 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 2: memories boxed up on the top shelf. There were things 18 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: I had learned that you do not talk about. All 19 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: of this changed when I started a new season of 20 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 2: small groups at church, within safe spaces. I learned I 21 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: could share my life with others and be fully accepted. 22 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: This surprised me. I realized the closet had to be 23 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 2: opened and the memories one by one, taken off the shelf, 24 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: boxes opened and shared with others. What I learned was 25 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 2: that friendship is a blessing and absolutely essential to the 26 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: Christian life. In friendship, we encourage each other and help 27 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: each other grow. I have a friend with a gift 28 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: for encouragement. I called herself times for a peptok. She 29 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: has a great way of encouraging me and the Lord 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 2: and reminding me of the truth. I can come with 31 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: my difficult circumstances on pray requests and lead with a 32 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 2: sense of hope. I am so grateful to her. In 33 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: First Thesalonians, it says, so encourage each other and build 34 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 2: each other up, just as you are already doing. First 35 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: Thessalonians five eleven. It is so important to encourage each 36 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: other because life can get difficult. We need each other's 37 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 2: help to keep going. As friends, we also help each 38 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 2: other grow. In Proverbs, it says as iron sharpens iron, 39 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 2: so a friend sharpens a friend Proverbs twenty seven seventeen. 40 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: We make each other better. In Christ, we help each 41 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 2: other in times of need. As I joined a woman's 42 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: group at my church, I saw this firsthand. Meeting around 43 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: the fire, I hear women share their stories and what 44 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: they were going through. Each person was met with support 45 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: and love. Sometimes we'd support each other through care packages, 46 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: times of prayer, and even meal trainings. This showed me 47 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 2: how to love others in our heart seasons and how 48 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 2: to be there for them. First John four eleven through 49 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 2: twelve says, dear friends, since God loved us that much, 50 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 2: we surely ought to love each other. No one has 51 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 2: ever seen God. But if we love each other, God 52 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 2: lives in us, and his love has brought to full 53 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 2: expression in us. As we put our love into action, 54 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: we show each other the love of Christ. We confess 55 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 2: our sins to each other. I remember at college I 56 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 2: was struggling with sin. At some point I confessed this 57 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 2: sin to a friend of mine, who listened, supported me, 58 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 2: and compassionately shared helpful scripture with me. What happened was 59 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: I no longer felt alone in things or hidden in shame. 60 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 2: A Galatians six Paul says, dear brothers and sisters, if 61 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 2: another believer is overcome by some sin, you, who are godly, 62 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 2: should gently and humbly help that person back into the 63 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 2: right path, and be careful not to fall into the 64 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 2: same temptation yourself. Share each other's burdens, and in this 65 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: way obey the law of Christ Galatians six one through two. 66 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 2: What I failed in sharing these hard things with friends 67 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: is that we begin to bite this battle together. I 68 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 2: am no longer by myself in it. It also removes 69 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: the same that I feel which causes me to hide 70 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: sin coming into the light. My friends have been waiting 71 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: and ready to help. And James, it says, confess your 72 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 2: sins to each other and pray for each other so 73 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 2: that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a 74 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results James 75 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 2: five sixteen. When we stop hiding our sin from each 76 00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 2: other and for good, He can heal us enter faith 77 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 2: in life. As I continue to learn about friendship, I've 78 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: found that friends help pick each other up. In Ecclesiastes, 79 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 2: it says two people are better off than one where 80 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, 81 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 2: the other can reach out and help. But someone who 82 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 2: falls alone is in real trouble. Ecclesiastes four world through ten. 83 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 2: The writer continues, a person standing alone can be attacked 84 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 2: and defeated, but two can stand back to back and 85 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,919 Speaker 2: conquer three are even better. For a triple braided chord 86 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes four twelve. I pray that 87 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 2: you find these things to be true in your friendships 88 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 2: as well. God did not create us to be alone 89 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,239 Speaker 2: or to walk out this life by ourselves. I pray 90 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 2: that God will. 91 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 3: Bring you the right people at the right time, and 92 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 3: strengthen the relationships you already have. 93 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: Thank you, Lord for friendships. Thank you that you intended 94 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 2: for us to walk through life with others. Thank you 95 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 2: for the good plans you have for our lives. Jeremiah 96 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 2: twenty nine to eleven. I pray that you would bless 97 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 2: my life with abundant relationships that reflect your heart. Show 98 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 2: me how to be a good friend in Jesus' name, Amen. 99 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 100 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 101 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 102 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 103 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 104 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.