Publisher's Synopsis
In today's busy world, we're wired to appear "fine," warding off authenticity and shielding ourselves from judgment. We hide behind the hum of busyness to escape intimate friendships with the women God has placed in our lives. But we do want a seat at the table. We yearn for authentic relationships and the opportunity to be the opposite of "fine" with people who cheer for us. But comparison, envy, and entitlement often stop us from pulling out a chair at the table. Friendship can be hard, making new friends even harder, and maintaining genuine friendship the hardest of all. In this 7-session Bible study, Lisa-Jo Baker and friends from (in)courage explore our relationship with Jesus as the ultimate model for authentic friendship. Nothing shapes us like the impact of a friend—it's how Jesus radically and intimately connects with us. So instead of chasing perfection, overcome your fear of being known and find the courage to connect. Leader Kit Includes:One Bible study book with personal study segments to complete between 7 weeks of group sessions and leader guide to lead discussion within small groups2 DVDs with elective teaching videos, approximately 17-20 minutes per session Benefits:Explore your relationship with Jesus as a model for friendship.Debunk the myth of effortless friendship.Overcome the fear of knowing and being known.Stop running from friendship and find the courage to connect. Video Sessions:Session 1: Friendship Takes Showing Up (21:25)—What does it look like in practical ways to find and keep lasting friendships? Friendship takes action and initiative at times. Learn more about how friendship takes showing up and taking part with others.Session 2: Friendship Takes Vulnerability (17:30)—Friendship is sometimes hard and awkward. Often it takes vulnerability and going to the next level in friendship to go deeper in relationships. Join this honest and vulnerable conversation.Session 3: Friendship Takes Encouragement (18:55)—Dig deeper into the problem of comparison and the fear of missing out in this session. What does a friendship look like when we give and receive encouragement? How are our friendships different when we make the choice to encourage instead of comparing or competing with others?Session 4: Friendship Takes Service (19:00)—Learn to overcome the feeling of being the "new girl" and how to become part of community. How can we include and serve others? Sometimes it means going first and reaching out to others to connect with them.Session 5: Friendship Takes Forgiveness (21:00)—Forgiveness can be hard and uncomfortable. But we need to deal with past hurts and acknowledge how forgiveness is needed in friendships. Unforgiveness can impact all our relationships but forgiveness sets us free.Session 6: Friendship Takes Walking Away Wisely (19:50)—Different friendships go through different seasons. Learn to discern where we need to set healthy boundaries in our friendships. How can we love well, but also have balance in the boundaries and limits?Session 7: Friendship Takes Action (20:20)—Sit again with these five friends as they look at the next steps in friendship and how we need to take action. How can we continue to offer friendship to others? Dive deeper into what it means to love your neighbor in this final session.
