Becoming God's Friend: Understanding Your Growth from Servant to Friend

Faith is not the absence of doubt. Where there is no doubt there is no need for faith. Faith is the confidence to move forward in spite of doubt. Abraham could not see the fullness of God's plan nor did he know the timing. There were still many years to go before Isaac would come. In spite of those doubts, he stayed true to his commitment to his fr

The friend values the loyalty of his fellow-laborer: "For we are fellow-workers with God."

There was nothing that ever drove us apart. Our paths simply diverged. We stopped walking down the same road. He took one fork. Julie and I took another. We still hold Jimmy as a friend and I am confident he does the same for us, but the relationship has not grown in years. Our choices led us in different walks of life. When our paths diverged, our

You should never be afraid to fail while trying to live for God.

From the first time God appeared to Abraham, His focus was on the gospel of Jesus. God's work in Abraham's life was never about the 25 years it took to bring Isaac into the world.

Every challenge he will face from Genesis 13 forward will be met by being willing to subjugate his own needs to another’s. Exalting what others need or desire above your own is the motivation behind every act of godly giving.

There is a greater blessing in giving than receiving (Acts 20:35). Giving helps the recipient, but it transforms the giver. God always gives. To have that same nature which seeks to supply the needs of others is the transformation we are seeking in order to become God’s friend.

Each of us has some sense of "ought" within. There is something that we know we could and should do. We may not have ever intended to see it. The pull we are feeling may not be our "passion" in life. But it will not go away. In our dreams, both day and night, there it is. Faith has moved us to realize a great need around us. Its

Friends live with shared values.