BFF? What is BFF to you???

• Friendships in the Bible
• Friendships in our lives
• BFF
• Peter
• Best Friends Forever

BFF Time

Get together with someone at this table. Seriously. Talk
about at least one of these questions:

What does your name mean (i.e. my nephew’s name is
“Cooper” which means barrel maker)?
From now on your name
is…
Read John 1:35-42

Jesus gives Simon the nickname of “Peter” (or “Cephas”
depending which language it gets translated into), which
means “rock”. He is supposed the be the faithful one, the
strong one.

What are some of the nicknames that you’ve received
or given to friends

or family members?
Rock!…

Read Matthew 16:13-20

Peter’s name gains a little bit of meaning here. Jesus says
that on Peter’s confession (saying that Jesus is the
Messiah), Jesus will build the Church. That conversation is
the elemental faithful thing that builds this Church.

Think about your friends, is there an elemental
conversation or activity that solidified that you were
friends? Do they still live up to that elemental thing
that made you friends?
I don’t know you…

Read Mark 14:66-72 and Galatians 2:1-14

Peter betrays not only his best friend, but his teacher and
savior here. We would like to think that we’re immune to
betrayal, but we’re not. Jesus was completely faithful to him,
but he wasn’t even close to being faithful to Jesus in this
case. Later on in Peter’s life, it looks like Peter gives in
again to being unfaithful to Jesus’ words because of the
pressures that others put on him.

What sorts of situations do people find themselves in
where they betray a friendship? How do people
betray friendships (i.e. “I don’t know who that person
is…”)?
Love and feed…

Read John 21:15-19

Many scholars think that the reason that Jesus asks Peter if
he loves Him three times is to forgive him for the three times
that Peter denied Him, to reinstate him. Then He says
“follow me,” the first words that Peter ever heard from Jesus.
Everything is new.

What “faithfulness” do you expect out of your friends?
Have they ever betrayed you? What kinds of things
would worry you about “reinstating” a friend that has
betrayed you? Jesus reinstates you when you betray
Him, how does forgiveness renew you as God’s
friend?