Getting Started This Week | It's Fine | Week 1
November 2 - 7, 2026
FRIENDS
Focus of the Week:
We are really good at answering "How are you?" with things like: "I'm good!" "Never better." "Living the dream." However, what would it look like to have friends like Jesus did? Friends who saw what we are struggling with, excited about, and how they can help us.
We are really good at answering "How are you?" with things like: "I'm good!" "Never better." "Living the dream." However, what would it look like to have friends like Jesus did? Friends who saw what we are struggling with, excited about, and how they can help us.
Getting Ready For The Week
This week we will have a guiding post with scriptures for each day focused on the overall topic for the week. Reflection questions are set for the entire week to provide time to dive deeper into scripture each day.
Notes on the practices:
Journaling and reflection both help to slow down and be mindful of what is being read. Both are similar practices; feel free to journal reflection questions or reflect on journalling questions. These are here to be a guide, not a task. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to whatever He may want to highlight for you specifically.
Getting Started:
We kick off a new series and turn our focus on how we tend to put in place a social "mask" rather than allowing for those around us to see what is happening in our lives. Our culture likes to put on the façade that everything is perfect, that we are "living the dream." Often in reality, we are struggling and our life would depict more of a nightmare than a dream.
Throughout Scripture we have examples of friendships which go deeper than the quick "check-in" or "I'm good. How are you?" conversation that typically exists today. Some of the most famous would be that of David and Jonathan. These two are some of the most unlikely of friends: Jonathan is heir to the throne of Israel under Saul, and David is God's anointed as the next king. Yet, they grow close together, not just lifting each other up, but having disagreements and conflict as well. Of course, there are the close friendships of Jesus: Peter, James, and John. These three were close to Jesus and saw him struggle with fatigue. They disagreed with him and with each other. They fought with each other over what was the right way to do things and even who would be at Jesus' right hand in heaven.
These deep friendships were not destroyed by differing opinions, struggles with sin or by the accomplishments of one surpassing the other. These also didn't happen overnight. The friendships did not meet one day and the next were having life altering conversations. These were grown over years of being around each other. Experiencing triumphs, tragedy, heartbreak, joy, times of peace, and happiness. Taking time to live beside each other, with each other through each experience and reminding each other who God is and how He shows up through it all.
So, where are you with your friendships? Maybe you have a few friends that are growing together and are still learning how to navigate conflict. Maybe you are starting out and learning to let the mask down and be vulnerable with someone new. Maybe you have someone who is your best friend who calls you back to Jesus and you are able to do the same for them and it is the most beautiful friendship you know. Start somewhere with someone. Take down the "everything is fine," façade together.
Let this be the starting point:
Ask God to help you authentically engage with the people around you.
Notes on the practices:
Journaling and reflection both help to slow down and be mindful of what is being read. Both are similar practices; feel free to journal reflection questions or reflect on journalling questions. These are here to be a guide, not a task. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to whatever He may want to highlight for you specifically.
Getting Started:
We kick off a new series and turn our focus on how we tend to put in place a social "mask" rather than allowing for those around us to see what is happening in our lives. Our culture likes to put on the façade that everything is perfect, that we are "living the dream." Often in reality, we are struggling and our life would depict more of a nightmare than a dream.
Throughout Scripture we have examples of friendships which go deeper than the quick "check-in" or "I'm good. How are you?" conversation that typically exists today. Some of the most famous would be that of David and Jonathan. These two are some of the most unlikely of friends: Jonathan is heir to the throne of Israel under Saul, and David is God's anointed as the next king. Yet, they grow close together, not just lifting each other up, but having disagreements and conflict as well. Of course, there are the close friendships of Jesus: Peter, James, and John. These three were close to Jesus and saw him struggle with fatigue. They disagreed with him and with each other. They fought with each other over what was the right way to do things and even who would be at Jesus' right hand in heaven.
These deep friendships were not destroyed by differing opinions, struggles with sin or by the accomplishments of one surpassing the other. These also didn't happen overnight. The friendships did not meet one day and the next were having life altering conversations. These were grown over years of being around each other. Experiencing triumphs, tragedy, heartbreak, joy, times of peace, and happiness. Taking time to live beside each other, with each other through each experience and reminding each other who God is and how He shows up through it all.
So, where are you with your friendships? Maybe you have a few friends that are growing together and are still learning how to navigate conflict. Maybe you are starting out and learning to let the mask down and be vulnerable with someone new. Maybe you have someone who is your best friend who calls you back to Jesus and you are able to do the same for them and it is the most beautiful friendship you know. Start somewhere with someone. Take down the "everything is fine," façade together.
Let this be the starting point:
Ask God to help you authentically engage with the people around you.
Scriptures For The Week
Scripture helps us hear God and live out His truth. This week we will focus on Scripture that displays God speaking through the Holy Spirit.
- Tuesday | Clothe Yourself - Colossians 3:12-15
- Wednesday | Resolve Conflict - Matthew 18:15-17
- Thursday | Becoming Like Christ - Ephesians 4:20-32
- Friday | Make things Right - Matthew 5:23-24
- Saturday | Freedom for Service and Love - Galatians 5:13-15
Weekly Memory Verse
Read it once a day. Let it shape how you think and pray this week.
Reflection
Reflection helps us pause, listen, and let God speak to our hearts.
- Do I hide behind the mask of "I'm fine?"
- Am I willing to be vulnerable with those who know me?
- Can I have a conversation about conflict with someone and still be their friend?
Ready To Begin?
You don’t have to have everything figured out.
Just take the next step.
Just take the next step.
Engage Scripture Daily, Come Back Next Week
Spend time each day this week reading and rereading the passage of Scripture. Spend time in prayer as you reflect and journal about your friendships and what you might do to make them better. Join us next week as we dive into marriage relationships.