The Friendship Initiative: 31 Days of Loving and Connecting Like Jesus

by Amberly Neese

Overview

Spend 31 days learning how to build better relationships and connect with others following Jesus’s example in The Friendship Initiative, a devotional by Amberly Neese. We long for connection. Despite faster internet connections, better WiFi hotspots, and more ways to stay connected than ever before, our lives still feel less and less connected. We desire healthy friendships but feel less equipped to make and foster them. In The Friendship Initiative by Amberly Neese, we dive into the friendships and connections Jesus made in the Bible and discover 31 keys for building relationships. Each devotion includes Scripture, a devotional reflection, practical application ideas, and suggestions for reflection and prayer. Keys for relationship building include: - exercising grace - asking/answering questions - having compassion - exercising humility - being present - reaching out to those who are different - and more Readers will… - Find encouragement and practical help for connecting with others in their everyday lives - Focus on loving others as Jesus did - Discover 31 Keys for building relationships

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781791015916
Publisher:	Abingdon Press
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Pages:	154
Sales rank:	613,760
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Amberly Neese is a speaker, humorist, and encourager with a passion for “GRINspiring” others. As a featured speaker for the Aspire Women’s Events and the main host/comedienne for Marriage Date Night, two popular Christian events that tour nationally, she enjoys touching the hearts and minds and funny bones of people all over the country. The Bible says that laughter is good medicine, and she has found it’s also like glue—helping the truths of God’s Word to “stick.” Amberly loves to remind women of the power and hope found in Scripture. Through a flair for storytelling and a love for Jesus, she candidly opens up her story alongside God’s Word to encourage others in their walk with Him. With a master’s degree from Biola University, Amberly serves as an adjunct professor at Grand Canyon University and the Master Connector for Inspiring Growth, an organization developed to equip and encourage growth in leaders and businesses. She is the author of two Bible studies, Common Ground and The Belonging Project, and one devotional, The Friendship Initiative. She and her husband, Scott, have two teenagers and live in Prescott, Arizona, where they enjoy the great outdoors, the Food Network, and all things Star Wars.

Amberly Neese is a national speaker/teacher, humorist, and all-around encourager who has won the hearts—and funny bones—of people all over the country, and who loves sharing the joy of Christ. She is a featured Aspire speaker and the main host/female comedian for Marriage Date Night, two popular Christian events that tour nationally. She is the author of The Friendship Initiative (Spring 2021) devotional and two Bible studies, Common Ground (Spring 2021), and The Belonging Project. She and her husband have two children and live in Prescott, Arizona, where they enjoy the great outdoors, the Food Network, and all things Star Wars.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

A Parable about Connection xiv

Day 1 Grace Space (The Adulterous Woman) 1

Exercise Grace

Day 2 So Many Questions (Nicodemus) 5

Display Curiosity

Day 3 Going Out on a Limb (Zacchaeus) 9

Overcome Obstacles

Day 4 Truth Be Told (Pontius Pilate) 14

Be Truthful

Day 5 Out to Lunch (A Boy with Loaves and Fish) 20

Share with Others

Day 6 Be Faithful (The Centurion) 24

Intercede for Others

Day 7 Risky Business (Ten Lepers) 28

Take Risks

Day 8 Well, Well, Well (The Woman at the Well) 32

Make Connections

Day 9 Hanging Out by the Pool (The Sick Man at the Pool) 36

Pursue Wellness

Day 10 A Little Help from My Friends (The Paralyzed Man on the Mat) 41

Accept Help

Day 11 Cross Connections (The Dying Thief) 45

Offer Grace and Forgiveness

Day 12 Rise and Shine (The Widow of Nain's Son) 49

Show Compassion

Day 13 The Eyes Have It (The Blind Man) 54

Show Boldness

Day 14 Straighten Up (The Crippled Woman) 58

Be Real

Day 15 Naked Truth (The Demon-possessed Man) 62

Experience Change

Day 16 The Company You Keep (Tax Collectors) 66

See the Potential

Day 17 Blind Faith (Saul) 70

Have a Conversation

Day 18 Front Man (John the Baptist) 75

Exercise Humility

Day 19 Just Kidding (The Little Children) 79

Discover Your True Identity

Day 20 Scent by God (The Woman with the Perfume) 83

Be Willing to Sacrifice

Day 21 Dirty Job (Washing the Disciples' Feet) 87

Become a Servant

Day 22 Holy Interruptions (The Hemorrhaging Woman on the Road) 91

Change Your Plans

Day 23 Never Too Late (Jairus and His Daughter) 96

See with Eyes of Hope

Day 24 Raising and Praising (Mary Magdalene and the Other Mary) 100

Share the Message

Day 25 Shore Thing (Jesus Makes the Disciples Breakfast) 104

Connect over Food

Day 26 Food Network (Reclining at the Table) 109

Just Hang Out

Day 27 Service with a Smile (Mary and Martha) 113

Deal with Unresolved Issues

Day 28 Unlikely Hero (The Good Samaritan) 118

Love Indiscriminately

Day 29 Marching Orders (Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-two) 123

Trust in God's Provision

Day 30 Name Dropping (Healing of Aeneas and Dorcas) 127

Do Good in Jesus's Name

Day 31 True Love ("For God So Loved…") 131

Love Others

A Final Word 135