Various Texts – A GOOD FRIEND
David: A Man’s Man, God’s Man
Lesson #7 – A COMPLETE LESSON
· If you could only have one friend, who would you choose? Why?
· Let’s make a list of the qualities of a good friend.
· Why is honesty an important quality in friendship?
· Why is it sometimes hard for people in authority, such as a king or a president to have good friends?
· Is it harder to be friends with an authority figure like a boss, a parent, or a pastor?
David knew something about friendship from his relationship with Jonathan. Another friend was David’s “pastor” or spiritual advisor, the prophet, Nathan. Nathan proved himself to be a faithful friend.
HE CORRECTED – 1 Chronicles 17
· Have you ever spoken in haste, and then discovered that what you said was the wrong thing? What did you do about it?
· Vss. 1-2 – Why is it easy to think that something that sounds good is the will of God?
· Why is something that sounds good not always the will of God?
· Vss. 3-15 – How do you feel when you discover you’ve given someone wrong information?
· Why is it important for us to correct misinformation when we give it out?
· Do you think that such corrections will help or hinder a friendship, and why?
· What do these verses tell you about the will of God?
· Vss. 16-27 – How does David set a good example?
HE CONFRONTED – 2 Samuel 12:1-14
· Why is it difficult to confront friends with their faults?
· Why would we want to confront a friend with his faults?
· How should we go about confronting a friend with his faults?
Galatians 6:1 – Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
· What did Nathan risk by confronting David? What do we risk when we confront a friend?
· Vss. 1-7 – Why was the story an effective tool in helping to convict David?
· Why did Nathan know how to approach David? What does that teach us?
· Vss. 7-12 – What lessons do we learn about God, sin, and discipline in these verses?
· Vss. 13-14 – There will be times when we are the ones being confronted by a friend. How should we react?
· Psalm 51, which was written for this occasion by David, indicates that David’s confession of sin and repentance was real.
· Vss. 15-23 – Why didn’t God change his mind concerning the life of this child?
HE COMFORTED – 2 Samuel 12:24-25
· How might have Nathan been personally disappointed in David?
· Sometimes we find it harder to forgive and move on than God does. Why?
· Why should those who confront people, as Nathan did, be the same ones to comfort after things are dealt with?
· Nathan brought comfort and a “nickname” from God. Jedidiah means “Beloved of the Lord”.
· What does this nickname tell you about the character of God?
· In what ways might we be able to comfort a person who has confessed and forsaken sin?
· What are some other instances when our friends will need comfort?
HE COOPERATED – 1 Kings 1
· David was about 70 years old and at the end of his life.
· Nathan was perhaps around the same age.
· Nathan was aware of David’s (and God’s) plan for Solomon to be the next king.
· Vss. 5-9 – There was a plan to usurp David’s throne by one of Solomon’s half brothers, Adonijah.
· Vss. 10-40 – Nathan cooperated with his friend David by cooperating with Bathsheba and those loyal to David and Solomon. The end result was that David commanded that Solomon be anointed king.
· Why is it important that we look out for the well-being of our friends?
· What are some kinds of instances when our friends will especially need our help?
Proverbs 27:10 – Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.