Week of July 19, 2026
Monday | Proverbs 17:17; 18:24; 27:5-6, 9-10, 17
What do these Proverbs suggest to you about the importance of investing in close friendships? How have you been hurt or steered in the wrong direction by “companions” who were not good friends? In what ways have you experienced the blessing of a close friend? How may God be encouraging you in your choices and commitments to friends?
Tuesday | Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
Which friend or friends have offered the kind of benefits outlined in these verses? How might these benefits point to the deeper spiritual benefits of having a close Christian friend? How might you take a risk to get closer to someone to share these benefits?
Wednesday | John 15:9-17
What is your emotional response to Jesus calling His disciples friends? What does it mean to you to consider Jesus as a friend like the friend described in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes? How can the love of Jesus be infused into the friendships you have, and how might that deepen your relationships with them? How might it make a difference, even with friends who are not followers of Jesus?
Thursday | Matthew 18:19-20
These words are shared in the context of forgiveness of sins but have broader implications. How does the promise of Jesus’ presence heighten the significance of investing in a relationship with other Christians? Do you have a friend or friends who help you to feel the presence of Jesus?
Friday | Colossians 4:7-17
The Apostle Paul recognizes and lifts several friends in this passage. Wherever he went, he risked investing in friendships even if he was only there for the short term. How can you be more diligent in investing in friendships? What barriers do you need to overcome? Who might God be calling you to go deeper with? How can your friendship with Jesus enable you to take the risk?
