Exemplar Coaching

Live by Design, Not by Default.

CoffeeChat 36 – True Friendship

Edition  36

True Friendship

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Lord, You are with us in every part of our lives; when You promised that You’d never leave nor forsake us, You meant it. Now teach us how to realise this truth in every aspect of our lives. Amen.
Introduction
A sign of true friendship: when two people can sit together without saying one word, yet walk away feeling as if they’ve discussed everything. We all have those friends we love but can’t depend on. Wonderful people, but when difficulty strikes, we won’t ask them for help. Then we have that special friend—or those few—we trust with our lives. Whatever the situation, they’re there. Within these cultivated friendships we find strength, support, care, honesty. They empower us, give us belonging. Profound loyalty is the key. Without it, true friendship cannot exist. In James 2:23, Abraham is called God’s friend—”the highest character ever given to man” according to Adam Clarke. As among friends everything is in common, God took Abraham into intimate communion, pouring out choicest blessings. God can never be in want because He possesses all things; Abraham could never be destitute because God was his friend. Thomas Aquinas said, “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” But here’s the question that matters: Does God see you as a TRUE FRIEND? When people look at you, will they say, “There’s a true friend of God,” or “There’s another so-called Christian who isn’t actually loyal to God”?
Chat Point 1
  1. Who is your best friend, and what’s your fondest memory with them?
  2. What qualities must a true friendship possess to endure?
  3. How would you feel if you’re loyal to your friendship but your friend was not?
  4. If your friend was loyal but you weren’t, how would they feel about that betrayal?
  5. On a scale of 1-5, how important is loyalty to friendship (1=Overrated, 5=Extremely important)? 
Read
John 15:1-17, James 4:4
Key Focus
John 15:14 – “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What stood out about Jesus declaring “You are my friends IF you do what I command”?
  2. According to John 15:13, is Jesus a true friend, and how did He prove it?
  3. What does it mean to be “a friend of the world” according to James 4:4?
  4. How does Jesus being loyal to His friendship with you—even to death—affect your response?
  5. What practical steps can we take to improve our friendship with Jesus?
Final Thought
God showed His loyalty by sending Jesus. Jesus showed His loyalty by dying for your sins. The Holy Spirit shows loyalty by being with us—guiding, helping, living within us—so we have everything needed to be loyal to God, to be His true friends. The condition is clear: “You are my friends IF you do what I command.” Not if you believe, not if you attend church, not if you feel spiritual—IF you do what He commands. Abraham believed God and it was credited as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. Among friends, everything is shared. God took Abraham into intimate communion, poured out His choicest blessings. Because God possesses all things, Abraham could never be destitute. This is what’s offered—not just salvation but friendship with the Creator. Yet many claim Christianity whilst showing no loyalty to Christ. They want the benefits of friendship without the obligations. They’re friends with the world Monday through Saturday, then nod at God on Sunday. James warns: friendship with the world is enmity with God. You cannot be loyal to both. Better question than whether others see you as God’s friend: Does God see you as a true friend? Or are you another fair-weather follower who isn’t actually loyal when it matters?
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer

Lord, through Your great love, You’ve chosen us to be Your friends; lead us not to take this friendship for granted or abuse it. Make our friendship true. Amen.

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In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. How loyal are you to God, really—and what evidence supports your answer?
  2. List the things you do that contradict Jesus’s commands—why do you do them?
  3. Why is it important not to do these things with regard to being a loyal friend of Jesus?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"