Weekly Lesson 47

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TEAMMATES

The ability to choose good Godly friends is a helpful skill for all of us to have. Few things will shape your future better than hanging around the right people. The friends that you select will have a significant impact on your character, your choices, your interests, your conduct—and the direction of your life!

In this lesson, you will become thoughtful about your friendship choices and how these choices can last throughout your life. You need to understand that Godly friendships are not just gifts from God, but lasting treasures that you must seek and hold on to.
Friendships do not remain frozen in time and space. They are ever-changing, and they impact us greatly. Just as we are continually growing, learning, and maturing, so are our friends.

There are four types of people from the book of Proverbs:
The wise
The simple
The fool
The scoffer

You will need to learn to difference between and identify each type of “friend.” There are four different ways people approach life, and they have different outcomes. This may be the most useful way to help you choose good friendships. Remember, your friendships significantly impact your walk with God.

The Wise
Proverbs 13:20. Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
You can see that the Bible tells us that when we walk (have a friendship) with a wise person, we become wise. That is a wonderful thing to know when we are choosing our friends! If we want Godly friends, we must select from the wise people God has put in our lives. The psalmist states God’s standard for choosing friends, “I am a companion of all those who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts.” (Psalm 119:63). What is the psalmist saying? He is saying, “I will only have Godly friends.”

Proverbs states, “It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself, If his conduct is pure and right” (Proverbs 20:11; in other words, “a child is known by his actions”). We are to carefully watch the way someone lives before we try to become friends. Maybe, God wants you to tell this person about His son Jesus.

The Simple
When we read about “the simple” in Proverbs, this refers to “poor of understanding”; So, what the Bible says is that these are people that do not care enough to read and understand the Bible or God’s Word. You can easily understand that we do not want to choose to hang around those types of people. They do not have a heart that wants to take the time to read and gain an understanding of God or Christianity. You can see that they would not be the right choice of friendship. They only want to see and live life with no thought of God and His ways.

The Fool
Proverbs 1:7, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. A foolish person is different than someone simple. You can see that they are against God and His wisdom. They have heard God’s Word but reject it.
They are stubborn, say bad things, reject wisdom, have fits of anger, back talkers, and braggarts. Proverbs 18:7 says, “A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” You can see that a fool’s soul is in danger of not going to Heaven. You can easily see that they are not a wise choice to hang out with. They will, over time, bring you to ruin.

The Scoffer
Jude 1:18 says, “In the last time there will be mockers (scoffers), following after their own ungodly lusts.”

Acts 13:41, Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; for I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.

Proverbs 19:29, Condemnation is ready for scoffers and beating for the backs of fools.

Scoffers are someone who scorns or mocks God’s Word and God’s people. We read in the Bible that there were scoffers at Jesus’ crucifixion. They dared and taunted Jesus the entire time He was dying on the cross for all the world. They were hateful and spat at Him, saying bad things and mocking Him, unlike the Roman soldier who saw that He had done wrong, by nailing Jesus to the cross, and accepted Jesus as the Son of God.

They are the worst choice we could have as friends. They hate God and hate God’s people. They have their minds made up about Jesus and will do or say anything to make others feel the same way.

You may think, “Maybe if I hand around them, they will accept Jesus.” You must know that many people have thought the same thing, only to try and were themselves brought down and out of fellowship with Christ. Do not make that mistake. The Bible says, “Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.” (Prov 22:10).

Now that you know the different types of people around you, can you see the ones God would have you choose as teammates and friends?

Are you making the right choice of people you hang around?

Go to Romans Road to Salvation and/or Prayer of Rededication


Christ Centered Champions

Christ Centered Champions

We are more than champions through him who loved us. Romans 8:37