The Bible Reading Words of Jesus in John 15: 9-17

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you

13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command

15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

How many FRIENDS do you have?

The Facebook phenomena Facebook users average about 338 friends each. (The “UNFRIEND DAY” – 17 Nov 15) “Dunbar’s number.” That limit, it seems, is about 150 people

9 Aristotle – “Ethics” Aristotle – Greek philosopher B.C Wrote “Nicomachean Ethics” Which included study on THREE KINDS OF FRIENDSHIP

10 Three kinds of Friendship 1.Friendship based on pleasure. 2.Friendship based on utility. 3.Friendship based on virtue.

Proverbs on friends - NB רֵ ֫ עַ = friend (REA’) “neighbour” = “friend” – often KJV translates in the following way neighbour (102x), friend (42x), another (23x), fellow (10x), companion ( 5x), other (2x), brother (1x), husband (1 x), lovers (1x)

Cervantes ( ) It is a true saying that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him

Proverbs 25:17 Seldom set foot in your neighbour's house— too much of you, and they will hate you

Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.

Proverbs 27:7 Faithful are the wounds of a friend

Proverbs 27:7

Deuteronomy 13:6-8 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods”, do not yield to them or listen to them.

Job 6:14 For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the L ORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

" Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

You are My friends if you do what I command you.…

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.…