GOOD OR BAD COMPANY

TEXT: Psalm 1:1- 6

AIM

1. To teach the importance of keeping godly company
2. To teach the ripple effect of ungodly company

INTRODUCTION:

With what kind of people do you hang out with? How would you describe your friends? Are they a good influence on you? Or do you do things when you’re with them that make you feel uncomfortable?

Psalmone shows us the people with whom we should keep company—and it’s not the popular or influential crowd.

The writer begins his Psalmsextolling the joys of obeying God and refusing to listen to those who discredit or ridicule him. Our friends and associates can have a profound influence on us, often in very subtle ways. If we insist on friendships with those who mock what God considers important, we might sin by becoming indifferent to God’s will. This attitude is the same as mocking. Do your friends build up your faith, or do they tear it down? True friends should help you to draw closer to God, not hinder.

God doesn’t judge people based on race, sex, or national origin. He judges them on the basis of their faith in him and their response to his revealed will. Those who diligently try to obey God’s will are blessed. They are like healthy, fruit-bearing trees planted along a riverbank with strong roots (Jeremiah 17:7-8), and God promises to watch over them. God’s wisdom guides their lives. In contrast, those who don’t trust and obey God have meaningless lives that blow away like dust.

DISCUSSION

1. In your own understanding, how can you describe godly company?
2. Read Psalm 1:1, 1 Corinthians 15:33, Prov. 13:20, 22:24-25 and explain the adverse effect of keeping wrong company.
3. In what way can good company add value to our life (Mark 2:1-2, 1 Samuel 18:1.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: There are only two paths of life before us—God’s way of obedience or the way of rebellion and destruction. Be sure to choose God’s path, because the path you choose determines how you will spend eternity.

MEMORY VERSE:1 Corinthians 15:33