Hymns of the Church (Part V) – A Friendship With Jesus

Sermon Title: Hymns of the Church – A Friendship With Jesus

Good News Statement: Jesus seeks to have a friendship with us

Summary: Can you say “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”?

Preached: Sunday, October 12^th, 2025, at Dogwood Prairie & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): John 15:12-17, Today’s scripture reading comes from the Book of John, who reminds us of the friendship we have with Jesus. May the reading and hearing of scripture add understanding to your life.

Jesus the True Vine

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷ I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

 

The Word of God, for the People of God; And all God’s People said, “Thanks Be To God.”

History of Hymns: “Count Your Blessings”: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus

 

Introduction[1]:

For almost two thousand years, Christians have used music as a way to worship. In the Bible the Apostle Paul writes: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” In the Book of Psalm we read these words, “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 98:4 and Psalm 100:1). For the past two thousand years, music has been used across denominational boundaries, beliefs, religious practices, and traditions as a means to embrace and celebrate the lessons of scripture. Needless to say, music has become an essential practice of one’s faith.

Hymns originated in ancient cultures and evolved through Jewish, Greek, and Roman practices, eventually becoming systematic in early Christianity with Latin chants. The roots of hymns can be traced to ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, and India. The word “hymn” comes from the Greek word “hymnos” which means “a song of praise”. Originally, hymns were written to honor various gods of varying traditions. The first recorded hymn, found in Exodus 15, is the Song of Moses in the Old Testament, celebrating the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea. Later on, in the same chapter, Miriam, Moses’ sister, encourages those around with tambourine in hand to “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously…” (Exodus 15:21).

Hymnody—the singing or composition of hymns—has evolved and changed since that first hymn in the Old Testament as well as over the centuries and has been affected by new thinking and developing religious beliefs. For example, throughout the history of the church, whenever there has been renewal, a revival or restoration, new songs of worship have appeared. During the Middle Ages hymnody developed in the form of Gregorian chant or ‘plainsong’. It was sung in Latin and most often by monastic choirs. But in the 16th Century, church goers were given much greater access to hymns as a result of the invention of the printing press and the influential German theologian, Martin Luther, who began encouraging people to sing together in congregations. As one resource noted, “Martin Luther in the 16th Century revolutionized Christian hymnody by encouraging congregations to sing hymns in their own languages (vernacular) rather than just Latin, a movement that spread widely with the invention of the printing press.”[2]

In England the non-conformist minister Isaac Watts (1674-1748) began a transformation of congregational singing. Watts believed strongly that hymns should express the religious feelings of the people and he became a prolific writer, creating hundreds of new hymns—such as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Joy to the World.” Watts has been described as “the liberator of English hymnody” as his hymns moved people away from simply singing Old Testament psalms to inspiring people to sing from the heart with great faith and understanding.

In the same time period, another significant movement affected the hymns of the church: the Methodist movement, led by John Wesley. Wesley and especially his brother Charles used simple rhythms and sing-able melodies to help congregational singing. It has been noted that Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns during his lifetime from 1707-1788, and most of the hymns that he wrote were written to accompany specific sermons by John Wesley to convey a particular theological message. Some of Charles Wesley’s 6,000 hymns are still sung today in churches around the world: “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” and “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” and “ Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” and probably his two most famous hymns are “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “Hark! The Harold Angels Sing.”

Then in the late 19th Century a new style of hymnody known as “gospel” emerged. These songs were usually characterized by a strong lead vocal and exciting harmonies, and were a great influence on later contemporary worship worldwide. Then in twentieth and twenty-first centuries we have seen an explosion of new hymn writers and approaches. Old texts have been refreshed by new tunes. African American spirituals, especially those during the slave era, are now found in hymnals and churches around the world, and lots more contemporary hymns have sprung up. In the non-traditional church movement there has been a move away from the previous style of congregational singing to worship led by one singer or a worship band. Instrumentation has become more popular and musical styles have become much freer. The church today is richer than ever in musical resources and continues to bring congregations together through song.

It is clear, that throughout history—from Old Testament times to Gregorian Chants to Luther’s reformation to the thousands of hymns composed by Charles Wesley to spirituals to gospels and finally to contemporary music—hymns have been an essential building block of and for the church. But the question that we will be exploring is not necessarily about the history of hymns but of what hymns has the church found to be foundational all these years: “What hymns have shaped the church of yesterday for today?”

 

Body:

The phrase “Where words fail, music speaks” is attributed to the 19th-century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The original version, “When words fail, sounds can often speak,” appeared in his 1840 collection “What the Moon Saw.” The statement “music speaks when words fail” means that music has the power to express complex emotions, connect people across cultures, and evoke feelings in ways that verbal language cannot, acting as a universal form of communication. This idea highlights music’s ability to convey joy, sadness, and other profound sentiments when spoken words are inadequate or impossible. Have any of you ever heard that statement before: “Where words fail, music speaks”? If you really think about it, there is something about music that draws people together, that creates a common ground, and that conveys a sense of understanding. Music is powerful, especially when words are lost.

Music is powerful in several ways. Music as an universal language transcends linguistic and cultural barriers, allowing people from different backgrounds to connect and share experiences through melody and rhythm, even without understanding lyrics. Music is also a means of establishing an emotional connection: it can stir deep emotions, such as sadness, joy, or contemplation, providing a way for individuals to process and understand feelings they cannot articulate. Musical pieces can trigger vivid memories and create strong associations with specific events or periods of life, adding depth to emotional experiences. Furthermore, music communicates on a more primal, instinctual level, directly addressing the soul and providing a sense of meaning and understanding where logical explanations fail. And for many, music offers a vital channel of communication when words fail. In essence, music serves as a powerful and adaptable medium for human experience, offering a voice to feelings that words alone cannot capture.

Music is powerful. It’s all around us. It’s part of your life. I bet there is not a day that goes by that you don’t listen to some kind of music. The same goes for the church. There is not a Sunday that goes by that we don’t sing or hear hymns. Music is not just part of our life, but it’s part of our faith. So to help us understand this, each week for several weeks, we are going to explore hymns that shaped the church. The fifth hymn we examine is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”; and the question we ask today is “Do you know that Jesus is your friend?”

 

Movement One: History of “What a Friend We Have In Jesus”…

Thirty years ago on November 22, 1995, the world was introduced to the toys of a little boy named Andy. Now, these weren’t just some ordinary toys filling up a box in the corner of a room. These toys had personalities, they had history, they had adventures, they were loved, and they came to life. The toys included a green T-Rex who played video games, a piggy bank named Hamm, a slinky dog that could stretch several feet, a Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head that entertained red plastic monkeys, a doll by the name of Bo Peep who catered to the needs of her sheep, a cowgirl named Jesse, a stuffed horse named Bulls-eye, and three little green aliens that repeatedly said, “We are eternally grateful.” In addition to these toys, there was a space doll that sought to go to “infinity and beyond” and a cowboy who wore a brown hat and for some reason had a snake in his boat.

Anybody know the movie? Toy Story! Over the span of 30 years, Toy Story has been entertaining children and families by allowing them to dream about the possibility of having their toys coming to life. (I’ve always wondered what kind of races my Hotwheels did when I wasn’t looking! Or what my Legos designed when I was sleeping!) Over the span of 30 years, the Toy Story franchise has grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide between its four films, with a fifth film in the works. The first Toy Story was the first featured-length film to be created entirely using computer-generated imagery. During the early days of the franchise, Toy Story was initially based on the Oscar-winning animated short “Tin Toy,” which was about a toy named Tinny who reluctantly allowed a baby to play with him. Furthermore, Buzz Lightyear was named after Buzz Aldrin—the second man to walk on the moon after Neil Armstrong—and Woody, the infamous cowboy with the snake in his boot, was originally proposed to be a ventriloquist dummy.

For 30 years, Toy Story has caught the attention of millions of viewers of all ages, myself included. I remember the day Best Buy—a popular electronic store— was selling all three movies on DVDs, plus the short films, plus DVDs on how each movie was made. My dad came home after work one day carrying something that looked like a toy chest. He put in front of me and opened it up…. There before my eyes were the first three movies of Toy Story, neatly placed in foam slots. To this day, 15 years later, that replicated—movie-holding toy chest sits in my parents’ basement. And as a 24 year old, I went to the movie theater to watch Toy Story 4.

There is something special about the Toy Story franchise that I believe will last far more than 30 years. The wonder it offers, the imagination it inspires, the adventures it encourages, and the dreams it unfolds, are all cherished facts about these movies, but what will stand the test of time is the “theme song” written by Randy Newman titled “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” The chorus goes like this: “And as the years go by, Our friendship will never die, You’re gonna see, it’s our destiny, You’ve got a friend in me, You’ve got a friend in me, You’ve got a friend in me.”

How many of you can say that today to someone you know—that they have a friend in you? How many of you here today have a least one friend—a person who offers you support, improves your quality of life, promotes self-confidence, provides honesty and unconditional love, and is always in your corner? How many of you have a best friend? According to the American Sociological Review, “It can take approximately 50 hours to move from an acquaintance to a casual friend, 90 hours to become a “real” friend, and over 200 hours to become a close {or best} friend.”[3] It has been proven that friendships are essential for healthy human development, contributing to emotional, cognitive, and social growth. However, the sad reality is, is that sometimes the friendships we create don’t last: something causes the friendship to dismantle—arguments, disagreements, differences, jealousy, hurtfulness, lies, life circumstances, unexpected situations, and so much more. But I’m here to tell you, that even if your earthly friendships fail, you will always have a heavenly friendship with Jesus. Did you know that you have a friend in Jesus?

The hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus?” was composed by Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819–1886) in 1855. Scriven’s life was full of tragedy. Following the accidental drowning of his Irish fiancée on the evening before their wedding, he moved to Woodstock, Canada West (now Ontario) in 1844, where he led a Plymouth Brethren fellowship and taught. Scriven organized a private school in 1850 in Brantford and preached in the area. Some scholars believe that Scriven may have composed his initial draft of “What a Friend” written during this time. A few years later, tragedy struck again when his second fiancée, Eliza Catherine Roach, died in 1860 of an illness shortly before their wedding.[4]

What’s interesting about this hymn is that it was not initially written to be published as a hymn. As the story goes, Scriven published a collection of his poetic works, Hymns and Other Verses, which included seventy-one hymns “intended to be sung in assemblies of the children of God on the first day of the week and on other occasions when two or three are met together in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”[5] However, according to C. Michael Brown, this particular hymn was not included with the rest. Some writers have noted that the hymn was written for his mother, who was suffering from illness, and it was probably his mother that the hymn was given to the public.

The first verse establishes that Jesus is a friend that can bear our sins and burdens.[6] The second verse asks two rhetorical questions—rhetorical because, indeed, all humans suffer “trials and temptations” and witness “trouble.” The answer becomes a short refrain: “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” A third rhetorical question asks, “Can we find a friend so faithful . . .?” The intimate friendship with the one who “knows our every weakness” is the source of solace. The refrain returns: “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” And the third verse reframes the premise of the song with different questions, while the theme remains the same: “Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Do your friends despise, forsake you?” The answer to both questions is, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” The closing image of Jesus enfolding his friend in his arms is also a common trope in many hymns from this era.[7] C. Michael Brown ends his article on this hymn by stating, “A modest poem, written in Canada as a private meditation for the author’s mother in Ireland, has found its way into many hearts worldwide and, undoubtedly, has been a source of comfort for millions of Christians for more than one hundred and fifty years.”[8] Do you find comfort knowing that you have a friend in Jesus? What does it mean to say that Jesus is our friend?

 

Movement Two: What does Friendship look like in the Bible…

Before we look at what it means to say Jesus is our friend, let me say a brief word about friendship in general. People don’t realize that the Bible actually has a lot to say about friendship. We read about several close friendships in Scripture, like that between Jonathan and David in the Old Testament and between Paul and Barnabas and between Lazarus and Jesus in the New Testament. But the most extensive discussion of friendship is found in the book of Proverbs. So let me remind you of what we find there.

One thing that Proverbs makes clear right from the start is that although friendship is critically important, it isn’t easy to experience. “Many proclaim themselves loyal, but who can find one worthy of trust?” (Proverbs 20:6). It’s one thing for someone to loudly proclaim their loyalty to you; but be careful, don’t give your heart to someone until there is an established pattern of trust. This trust is what gives others the opportunity to see things from a different angle.[9]

We read in Proverbs 27:9 that “oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend is better than one’s own counsel.” This text tells us that just as simple luxuries like perfume and oil bring a sweet and enjoyable blessing to life, so too does a friend who gives us counsel out of their experience and wisdom and maturity in life. In friendship we experience both moral and mental refinement. [10]

Furthermore, Proverbs 17:17 informs us, “A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.” In friendship we are blessed with the constancy of genuine love. A family member, to whom you are related by blood, will be there when adversity comes—their connection is deep and will not be frightened off by hard times. But better still is a friend who loves “at all times,” whether in adversity or prosperity.

But we must be careful when it comes to trusting in that love. We are warned in Proverbs about trying to become close friends with everyone. It’s actually dangerous to do so. You may have numerous companions and acquaintances in life, but keep your close friends few. This is what we see in Proverbs 18:24, “Some friends play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one’s sibling.” If you try to multiply friends indiscriminately, you will sooner or later get the wrong kind. The warning isn’t against having friends, but against multiplying friends out of a misguided desire to be liked by everyone. One true friend is superior to a multitude of casual acquaintances. It may be great that you know everyone and everyone knows you. That feels good. For those on Facebook, it’s good to see how many “friends” like or following your page, but how many them are your “real” friends. But don’t assume this means they are the sort who will sacrifice everything for you when you are in a crisis. The words translated “sticks closer” means to cling to, to adhere tightly to, never to abandon or betray. That is the sort of friend you most need, and they are almost always in short supply. So cherish them when you find them. Cherish the friend that truly loves you at all times and doesn’t abandon you.[11]

Proverbs 22:24-25 also gives this warning: “Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hotheads, lest you learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” You must also steer clear of the person given to excess. “Hear, my child, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way. Do not be among winebibbers or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them with rags. (Proverbs 23:19-21).[12]

Close, intimate, trusting friendships are hard to maintain. That is why Proverbs speaks clearly on how to treat your friends. One consistent theme in Proverbs is the importance of being generous when your friends are in need. Proverbs 3:27-28 tells us, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go and come again; tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you.” “Those who despise their neighbors are sinners, but happy are those who are kind to the poor” (Proverbs 14:21). If a friend is in desperate need and you are in a position to help, don’t defer the gift; it increases the worries of the one in need and intensifies their embarrassment and shame in having to ask for help. Provide the gift without making them feel as if they are now in your debt. Be the friend that gives and doesn’t seek anything in return. Be the friend that serves and doesn’t need to be served and God will bless you with a friend that will do the same in return.

Proverbs is certainly filled with wisdom when it comes to understanding friendships—what kind of friend to receive, one that loves at all times and is there for you—and what kind of friend to avoid, one that takes and takes and leads you down the wrong path. However, reading these words is a lot easier than having them fulfilled in real life; and it gets harder as we get older because we begin to understand what sort of friend we need in life to be our best selves: we are looking for someone specific, we are looking for someone that is like us—that believes the same thing we believe, that is interested in the same things that we are interested in, that have the same schedules as us. We want a friend that looks like the person that stares back at us in the mirror.

As we look back on our life and begin thinking about all the people we called friend in conjunction with what Proverbs tells us, we begin to realize something. We realize that the person we called friend in elementary school may not be the friend we need now. That “friend” we made in the grocery store or on the golf course or while on vacation, may not be the friend we need when life throws something unexpected at us. We need a friend that loves us at all times. We need a friend that understands us. We need a friend that is not like the one who stares back at us in the mirror. We need friend that is always there.

Again, Proverbs gives us instructions on who to call a friend, but the decision is on us. Although it’s tough to find that true friend, the good news is that Jesus does all this and more. Each of these characteristics of a godly friend is true of Jesus. He is faithful, he provides us with wise counsel when we are confused, he always speaks the truth when we need to hear it, he perseveres with us through trial and tragedy, he is good, he doesn’t have a quick temper but is patient and long-suffering, and he is indescribably generous. Church, we don’t have to look hard to find a friend when we know that Jesus is right there beside us. If we spend our time looking for the perfect friend, the one that stares at us in the mirror, we will miss out on those genuine friends that love us at all times, like Jesus does.

 

Movement Three: Friendship with Jesus…

Knowing a little bit about what the Bible says about friends and friendships, we now move to asking ourselves, “What does it mean to have a friendship with Jesus?” This is where our scripture passage comes into play. There are five things that Jesus says about what it means to be friends with him.

First, our friendship with Jesus is only possible because of the sacrifice he made for us on the cross. John 15:12-13 says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” What was it about Jesus dying for his friends that made it an expression of the greatest love imaginable? The answer obviously depends on what he did in dying for us. Christ’s death for us is an expression of a love—agape love, unconditional love—beyond anything anyone could imagine. Jesus died in your place so that you could be saved from your sins. In dying in your place, as your substitute, he exhausted in himself the holy wrath of a holy God and secured your eternal forgiveness of sins. To have a friendship with Jesus means to understand that he died for you because he loves you. Do your friends love you? Do you love your friends, enough to make a sacrifice for them?

Second, our friendship with Jesus is confirmed and seen in our commitment to do what he has commanded us. John 15:14 asserts, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”  What is the meaning of the word “if” in this verse? Does Jesus mean you must do what he commands you to do in order to become his friend? That is one possible meaning of the word “if”. It’s the sort of “if” that we have in mind when we speak of a cause that produces an effect. For example: “If you hit the baseball hard enough it will fly over the centerfield fence and out of the park.” “If you will be nice to me I will in turn be nice to you.”

Is that what Jesus means? No! Here in v. 14 Jesus uses the word “if” to give expression to a confirmation or proof that something is true. For example: “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Hebrews. 3:14). In other words, Jesus is not saying, “If you do what I command it will lead you to becoming a friend with me.” Rather, he is saying, “If you do what I command it proves that you are one of my friends.” It confirms the truth that you are my friend. Doing what I command is the fruit or evidence that you are truly my friend. To have a friendship with Jesus is to claim Jesus as your friend.

Third, our friendship with Jesus is seen in his loving disclosure and revelation to us of the heart and will of our Heavenly Father. John 15:15 says, “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” Someone might easily misunderstand v. 14 and conclude that Jesus is saying we must do what he has commanded because, after all, we are only his servants, his slaves, here to do his will without hesitation or thought. Jesus quickly refutes any such notion. In a relationship between a master and his servant, the servant will be kept in the dark. His relationship is one where he is simply asked to do whatever his master says. There is no intimacy. There is no sharing of life. There is no mutual love and fellowship. But in the sort of friendship that we now have with Jesus, he has made known to us the nature of our heavenly Father. He has disclosed what God the Father is like and what He feels for us and what He has promised to do for us. To have a friendship with Jesus is to know that Jesus has made himself known to us.

Fourth, our friendship with Jesus is the result of his sovereign choice of us, not ours of him. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” So what does Jesus mean by this?

On the one hand, it is certainly true that the disciples “chose” to follow Jesus. Jesus didn’t drag them bound and gagged into the circle of disciples. They made a choice to believe in him and follow him. So too did we. On the other hand, I think his point is that behind, beneath, and before any decision that they or we have made to believe in Jesus and follow him lays his sovereign choice in selecting us and setting his affection upon us and empowering us to do what he has commanded us to do. He chose them and us and appointed them and us to live in obedience to what he has commanded. And we know that whatever God requires, He provides. To have a friendship in Jesus is to understand that we made the choice to want to have a friendship with Jesus and Jesus made the choice to want to have a friendship with us.

Fifth, our friendship with Jesus results in our bearing the fruit of godly living and effective prayer. John 15:17 says, “I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” One of the purposes for Jesus choosing his people is so that they might be enabled by his gracious power and the Holy Spirit to bear godly and righteous fruit, the sort of obedient life that remains and abides, and in doing so brings honor and praise to his name. Does Jesus have any particular kind of fruit-bearing in mind? Yes. Although we wouldn’t restrict it to this, he surely has in view our love for one another. To have a friendship in Jesus suggests that we are to love one another as Jesus love us.

When it comes to having a friendship with Jesus, John is clear that we are called to live our life through his love: to understand the sacrifice he made for us, to claim him as he claims us, to realize that he has made himself known to us, to strive every day to make the choice to have him as our friend, and to love others as he loves us. We truly do have a friend in Jesus because Jesus has chosen to love us. He has chosen to be in our corner. He has chosen to hear our prayers. He has chosen to heal us, strengthen us, encourage us, and restore our hope, faith, and love. Jesus wants to be your friend, but do you want to be his?

 

Conclusion:

In closing, is Jesus your friend? Are you willing to have a friendship with Jesus: to trust him, love him, follow his commands, to obey him, and to know that no matter what life throws at you that he will love you at all times? In your sins and griefs, Jesus is your friend. In everything you pray and in the peace that you forfeit and the pain you bear, Jesus is your friend. In your trials and temptations and troubles, Jesus is your friend. When you feel discouraged and filled with sorrows and overcome with weakness, Jesus is your friend. In your heavy laden and burdens and load of care and when others despise you, Jesus is your friend. Jesus is your friend at all times because he loves you at all times.

Church, if Jesus is our friend, then what do we need to do to maintain that friendship? Who needs to feel loved? Who needs to be cared for? Who needs support and comfort? Who needs to be heard and seen? Who needs a hug? Who needs a card of encouragement? Who needs a phone call of hope? Who needs a text message of joy? Who needs a visit of peace and generosity? Who simply needs a friend? What do you need to do to have a friendship with Jesus?

To be called a friend is more than having a title. It means that you are doing what Jesus would do. Being there for others no matter what, and finding within your heart to love them at all times, even when it is difficult to do so. To be a friend is both a choice and something that chooses you. To be a friend is more than asking when I can be friend and instead asking how I can be a friend. Everyone needs a friend of some sort: a person they can lean and count on. That friend is Jesus, that friend is someone you love.

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear every day what Randy Newman sang for the first time thirty years ago, when he sang, “You’ve got a friend in me?” If you listen closely, that’s exactly what Jesus is saying to you. Can you say the same thing to him? Can you say “Jesus, you’ve got a friend in me”?

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, we are thankful for the friendships in our life, for the people that love us at all time. And Lord, we are thankful that you repeatedly tell us that we have a friend in you. May we say the same thing to you and to those who we love at all times. In your great and peaceful name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

This week, I encourage you to reach out to your friends and make plans to do something with them. Let them know that they have a friend in you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth knowing that you have a friend in Jesus. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4vMxs6kctQgkwkvgQbJTXDk/a-brief-history-of-hymns

[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4vMxs6kctQgkwkvgQbJTXDk/a-brief-history-of-hymns

[3] https://www.achievebetteraba.com/blog/friendship-statistics#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20study%20by,likelihood%20of%20survival%20by%2050%25.

[4] C. Michael Hawn, “History of Hymns: ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’” United Methodist Discipleship, published February 2021. Accessed Tuesday, October 7, 2025. https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus

[5] C. Michael Hawn, “History of Hymns: ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’” United Methodist Discipleship, published February 2021. Accessed Tuesday, October 7, 2025. https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus

[6] This theme appears in the eighteenth century with Charles Wesley’s “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” (1740) and John Newton’s “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” (1779).

[7] The two most known are Fanny Crosby’s “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” (1868) and Elisha Hoffman’s “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” (1887).

[8] C. Michael Hawn, “History of Hymns: ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’” United Methodist Discipleship, published February 2021. Accessed Tuesday, October 7, 2025. https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus

[9] “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22).

[10]Friends sharpen our souls.  “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6).

[11] “Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips” (Proverbs 25:19). “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on” (Proverbs 4:14-15). “Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble” (Proverbs 24:1-2). Stay away from the fool! He says in Proverbs 14:7 that we should “leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge” (Proverbs 14:7). He has in mind the person who hates knowledge, is unteachable, arrogant, is not open to rebuke, has a flippant attitude toward sin, and is impetuous and deceitful. The hot-tempered are also a poor choice for close friends.

[12] As Proverbs 27:6 notes, “Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts….” We need friends who will resist the temptation to flatter us and will speak truth in order to refine us.