010 3 Friends Every Christian Man Needs

Good Monday Morning! The But Grow in Grace newsletter is now 10 weeks old 🎂. 

Each week I share passages and/or the Men of the Bible that have or are shaping my life. With your support and sharing, we have reached over 1,000 men with a positive, encouraging weekly message. Please keep sharing and please drop a comment below to let me know if you connected with today’s newsletter.

This has been a week of reflection - for me. A year ago this week one of my closest friends - Earl died. We lived busy lives of work and family a few states away so we didn't see each other much the last few years but we spoke often.

The night before he died, he called me to let me know me he and his sons were in town. Which was cool because we even though we were friends for 30+ years our sons hadn't met. So lunch was planned for that next day…but that morning he passed away in his hotel room at 55 years old.

I’m sure somewhere in that lunch conversation our mutual friend Dave would’ve come up. Dave introduced Earl and I back around 1994 when we are all in our early 20’s. Dave also had a heart attack and died in 2005 at 35 years old.

Both Earl and Dave were 2-3 years older than me so in differing ways they were mentors to me as I was coming out of college. Dave was the first person I met that had a personal business plan for his life. He also talked me into buying cowboy boots [fad/phase in the 90’s], manage my money (he was cheap 🤣) and hit a golf ball ⛳️ - straight. Earl always introduced me to good books to read and other good people to connect with. These were serious dudes, and coming out of college, I wasn't serious.  

This week I thank God for sending good, real friends into my life at different points & for important seasons. Forming friendships isn’t always easy for us as men but it is important… We need other positive, like minded or healthily completely different guys in our lives that teach us life and ultimately point us toward the Lord. 

3 Friends a Man Needs in His Life

1. Jonathan - We need and pray for Jonathan’s that care about the direction, purpose and success of our life. “…and Jonathan loved him as his own soul..And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him…” Read I Samuel 18:1-5

2. Daniel - We need and pray for Daniel’s that stand for and walk with God in ways that promote our own faith stance in the Lord.…Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon.” Read Daniel 2:46-49 

3. Nathan - We need and pray for Nathan’s to hold us accountable for how we walk with and for the Lord.And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him…Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Read 2 Samuel 12

We may not have all 3 at all times or the same time. But let’s pray God that supplies all our need, would send friends that make us better men and point us toward deeper relationship with Christ. Let’s also remember to have a friend we must be a friend: Lord, send friends into my life that have your heart, and push me to be more and see you more in my life…