6th Sunday of Easter

What a friend we have in Jesus! Jn. 15:9-17

There was a book written in 1937  titled, 

“How to win friends and influence people. “

The first thing to do to win friends is not to criticize or condemn people. 

Criticizing people never makes anyone your friend.  

At a time when the country was torn apart by civil war

Abraham Lincoln once said,

“With malice toward none and charity for all.”

Jesus never criticized people. 

He always loved everyone, friend or foe, saint or sinner,

And this is how He changed their hearts. 

Give honest and sincere appreciation.

 Dogs are man’s best friend because they greet their master at the door with a wagging tale and unbounded excitement;

As if they were the most important person in the world. 

If you want to get someone to do something for you,

Show them that you appreciate them and that they are important to you. 

Because When people are made to feel valuable and important it brings out the best in them. 

When Jesus chose what appeared to be a rag tag group of fisherman and tax collectors,He had believed in them and 

brought out the best in them and they became Apostles. 

Inspire others

I like pizza but I find that fish prefers worms. 

So when I go fishing, I usually bait my hook with worms if I want to catch fish. 

If we want people to be our friend then give them something that they need not just what you “think” they need. 

Jesus offered a starving world the Bread of Life;

He offered the sick, healing. 

The dying eternal life. 

What a Friend we have in Jesus. 

He never criticizes or condemns us. 

He always brings out the best in us

And He inspires us to do great things. 

If only we could be a friend to one another

As Jesus is a friend to us,

The world would be a friendlier place!