A GOOD FRIEND
Various Texts
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.
· 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?
·
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?
·
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?
·
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.