The Friends Of Jesus Bible Study Book

America’s favorite inspirational novelist and #1 New York Times bestselling author paints vividly realized portraits of six of Jesus’ closest friends and companions, bringing biblical truths to life in this captivating continuation of her Life-Changing Bible Story series. In our everyday lives, friends are the people whom we spend the most time with, go through struggles with, and who know us best. Each of Jesus’ friends—Peter, John, Matthew, Judas, Mary Magdalene, and Lazarus—traveled with Jesus and were part of His daily ministry, and each has a compelling story to tell. There were some who would question or doubt Him…and one would even betray Him. Kingsbury brings these fascinating personalities to life in ways that will not only help bring you closer to the truths found in Scripture, but also to Christ. By combining valuable, instructive Bible study with compelling, insightful character sketches of Jesus’ companions, Kingsbury provides you with a deeper understanding of the scriptural teachings featuring these fascinating people. Emotionally powerful, thought-provoking, and soulful, The Friends of Jesus will help you to appreciate the Bible and understand how it applies to your relationships with the most important people in your life.

In this six-session study, Karen Kingsbury explores six people in the life of Jesus and the depth of friendship that is found with each one. After a life of loneliness, Simon the Leper discovered true friendship with Jesus and became a person full of gratitude. Martha is known for her busyness and work ethic, but she also learned to worship through her friendship with Jesus. Saturated in legalism, Jairus was a religious and synagogue leader who learned much more about his beliefs and what it means to value relationships over religion. Mary Magdalene came to personally know her Savior, Jesus. Her life then was marked by devotion as a friend and follower of Jesus. And, Peter, a man of both faith and failure, challenges the reader to step up after failure and become a person of obedience and commitment to Jesus. Finally, the Bible study closes with the life and friendship of John. This beloved disciple and friend of Jesus begins his journey with Jesus as one of the sons of thunder, but transforms into a man marked by humility and love. All six of these friends of Jesus bring a variety of experiences and examples that show the ups and downs of friendship - and remind us that true friendship is worth the time and commitment involved through those challenging and joyful times. Most of all, this Bible study reminds readers that Jesus is the greatest friend they could ever have. He is your Savior and your Lord, now make Him your friend. Sessions Topics Include: Simon the Leper: Gratitude Martha: Worship Jairus: Belief Mary Magdalene: Devotion Peter: Obedience John: Humility Features: Interactive teaching video approximately 25-30 minutes each week Biblically rooted and gospel-centered on the friends of Jesus Leader material (guides to questions and discussion with small group) Personal study segments in member book to complete between group sessions set up in daily format but can we used at the leisure of the learner Each week focuses on a friend of Jesus (Simon the Leper, Martha of Bethany, Jairus, Mary Magdalene, Peter, John) Includes excerpts from Karen Kingsbury's book The Friends of Jesus using storytelling to relate the scripture and characters Benefits: Focus on the gospel of Jesus and learn to recognize the power of forgiveness in forging real relationships Believe that your broken relationships can be the background for beautiful redemption Escape loneliness and enjoy deep friendship with Jesus Embrace Jesus as a friend, not only Savior and Lord Find new life in the fertile soil of friendship with Jesus and with others Overcome busyness and distraction by finding friendship at the feet of Jesus Trade sickness and shame for a second chance at a soul connection with others through Christ

For so many of us, our friends are like family members--we lean on them through our highest highs and our lowest lows--but sometimes those friendships don't turn out quite as we hoped. Bible teacher Kelly Needham debunks our world's constricted, narrow view of friendship and casts a richer, more life-giving, biblical vision for friendship. In Friend-ish, Kelly Needham reminds us that we were called to more than halfhearted friendships and lukewarm connections. We need something more stable, secure, and sacred. We were designed for real friendship--but the difficult truth is that too many of us are settling for less. Kelly deconstructs what Scripture says about the gift of friendship and takes a closer look at the distorted view that most of us have instead. As she shares the lessons she's learned from experience, Kelly paints her own glorious vision of what Christian friendship could look like. With hard-fought wisdom, a clear view of Scripture, and a been-there perspective, Friend-ish teaches us how to: Recognize symptoms of idolatry and toxic dependency Boldly ask for what we need from our community of friends Understand and address the problems that arise in friendship--from neediness to discord Recognize when it's time to end an unhealthy friendship Reorient toward the purposeful, loving relationships we all crave that ultimately bring us closer to God Find the friends you need and start to become that friend for others Join Kelly as she challenges you to view your chosen family in a new light, gain a vision of friendship according to Jesus, and finally enjoy friendships as God intended.

The following are some remarks, both positive and negative, that young people have made regarding friendships: • I have two friends, and they are real. • My friend and I are confidential. I cherish that. • I have been disappointed by people in the past. I don’t know whom to trust. It is best to stay by myself. • People are not what they seem to be. They are pretenders. • They call themselves my friends, but they say bad things about me behind my back. • People are not nice. They start off good, and then they hurt you. • A friend should support you when you are facing any difficulty, but I have never seen it. • My friend is the best! • We have been friends since we were toddlers, and now that we are teenagers, we are inseparable. There are many more comments about the experiences of young people when it comes to friendship. Most of them are bad. This book, along with the Bible, will help young people to make the right choices in association.

Retells Bible stories of Jesus and his disciples.

"The Bible teaches us that we can be friends of God, but we need to know Him first. We can know Him by studying the Bible and praying. That's called meditation. It helps us have a relationship with God, and that helps us have relationships with other people! Don't worry, this Bible study won't feel like homework! Let Dannah show you how to mediate on God's Word and have fun doing it! You can do it!"--P. [4] of cover.

America’s favorite inspirational novelist offers a fictional view of six of the family members of Jesus, all anchored by Scriptural truth, creating a life-changing and unprecedented emotional connection to the Bible.Through The Family of Jesus, readers will develop an emotional connection to the family members of Jesus, learning about their lives and falling in love with Scripture along the way. Bible studies and devotionals abound, and in churches everywhere people gather to seek a deeper understanding of God’s Word and its application to their lives. But too often these studies engage only the analytic approach to Bible learning. In The Family of Jesus Karen Kingsbury will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately care more deeply about the Bible by helping you grasp the truths in Scripture not just with your mind, but with your heart. The characters in these short stories were among those closest to Jesus – Mary, Joseph, Jesus’ brother James, John the Baptist, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Each has a compelling tale to tell. Kingsbury intersperses fictional, emotionally gripping details anchored in Scripture with historical and theological insights and questions that will guide soul-searching and reflection. The Family of Jesus not only provides a deeper understanding of the relatives of our Saviour, but also helps readers acquire tools that will draw them closer to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to each other.

Friends help you mature emotionally and spiritually. Friends teach you about forgiveness. Friends love you no matter what. Carolyn Nystrom leads you through ten inductive studies to discover what the Bible teaches about friendship. As you dig into the stories of friends like David and Jonathan or Ruth and Naomi, you will experience the riches of godly friendship for yourself. This revised LifeGuide Bible Study features additional questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection, together with expanded leader's notes and a "Now or Later" section in each study. PDF download with a single-user license; available from InterVarsity Press and other resellers.