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FAITH & VALUES
®ljt iberalti <©a?Ettf Tuesday, August 10,2021 3B
The importance
of right friendships
REV. BENNY TATE
Rock Springs Church
Have you or someone
close to you ever claimed
to know
someone
because
you’re
“Friends”
on Face-
book?
In those
cases,
it’s likely that Facebook
is the only space where
connection of any kind
takes place with that per
son. Newsweek shared
research conducted at
Oxford University that
reported “Of the 150
Facebook friends the
average user has, only
15 could be counted as
actual friends and only
five as close friends.” I
think it’s safe to say that
the criteria for friendship
status has changed quite
a bit over the years.
The American Psycho
logical Association says
that the average number
of close friends reported
25 years ago was 6 while
today’s average is 2. It
seems that not only have
the criteria and environ
ment for friendships
changed but there seems
to be a complete friend
ship deficit happening
around the world.
So what has hap
pened in the past 25
years to create such a
deficit in friendships?
Two common reasons
friendships aren’t being
created and maintained
are longer work hours
and the explosion of
social media. As the
average daily schedule
becomes busier, a large
number of people have
let social media become
a substitute rather than
a supplement to friend
ship. Regardless of how
busy our lives become,
we are healthier, hap
pier individuals when we
have thriving face-to-face
friendships because we
were created for connec
tion.
Let me be clear: don’t
be so quick to log off
Facebook and make
friends with just anyone
around you. You have to
be sure that you are mak
ing the right friends. Dan
Pena once said, “Show
me your friends and I’ll
show you your future.”
If that quote is true, you
must take a good look at
who you consider to be
your close friends. When
it comes to friendship, a
large number of people
have very few individuals
in their lives they would
consider close friends.
You may be wondering
how someone goes about
making good friends and
building strong friend
ships. There are a few
things you need to do if
you want to be a good
friend and make the right
friends:
Show up and Listen
up - be someone who
spends quality time with
people and asks ques
tions of them rather than
talking about yourself
constantly. Focus on be
ing interested instead of
being interesting. People
want your presence more
than your platform. Too
often, we get together
with people only to give
them an update on all
that has happened in
our own lives without
ever taking time to care
about what’s happened
in theirs.
Stand up and shut up
- be someone who cares
enough to stand up and
speak truth into the lives
of others. True friends
say good things behind
your back and bad things
to your face. You need a
friend - and need to be a
friend - who will expect
accountability. However,
friendships will only
have accountability if
they first have confiden
tiality. True friendship
means you shut up - you
refuse to gossip. After
all, if someone gossips
to you, there’s a strong
chance they’ll gossip
about you.
We all experience
periods of loneliness in
our lives, but let’s make
sure we are prioritizing
friendships with the right
people to be our hap
piest, healthiest selves.
C.S. Lewis once said,
“Friendship is born at
that moment when one
person says to another,
‘What! You too? 1 thought
1 was the only one.” A
trustworthy, understand
ing friend is a wonderful
gift!
1 challenge you to pur
sue quality friendships
and determine to be an
intentional friend. May
we all work harder at
being better face-to-face
than we are thumb-to-
thumb!
Would you follow Jesus on social media?
BY BARBARA LATTA
kbkj@bellsoutli.net
Social media as we
know it today, obviously,
was not available in
biblical
days.
Even
without
tech
nology,
word
spread
quickly
about the Messiah, and
He amassed thousands
of followers. No one
traveled by car, train
or plane; their two legs
were the modes of travel.
In today’s terms, we
could say his profile gen
erated a lot of likes.
After he fed over five
thousand people with
five loaves of bread and
two fish, he went to the
other side of the Sea of
Galilee. The community
flocked to find Him.
They followed Jesus
because they got some
thing they wanted. And
he did want to give them
healing and food as he
still does today.
He did these miracles
because he had compas
sion on them all.
But the reason he gave
was because he wanted
the world to see the
heart of God. He fulfilled
their natural needs
because he loved them.
But satisfaction of bodily
wants would not last.
Tomorrow they would be
hungry again.
“Do not labor for the
food which perishes, but
for the food which en
dures to everlasting life,
which the Son of Man
will give you, because
God the Father has set
His seal on Him.” (John
6:27 NKJV)
He showed them he
was the bread that came
down from heaven so
they could have everlast
ing life. Their reply indi
cated they still thought
this was a literal loaf of
bread when they said,
“Lord, give us this bread
always.” (John 6:34)
Jesus continued his
explanation by telling
them they had to eat of
his flesh and drink his
blood to have eternal
life. They still didn’t get
it and thought he was
speaking of cannibalism.
Their hearts needed
to change and when he
showed them how to do
that, many left him.
“From that time many
of His disciples went
back and walked with
Him no more.” (John
6:66)
In the social media
world, they would have
unfriended him, deleted
his posts, and probably
would have shared some
of their own sprinkled
with some hate speech.
Members of his own
family deserted him. “For
even His brothers did not
believe in Him.” (John
7:5)
It was popular to
follow Jesus when he
walked the earth if it
didn’t cost the popula
tion anything. But once
he asked for a commit
ment, not so much.
“If anyone desires to
come after me, let him
deny himself, and take
up his cross and follow
me.” (Matthew 16:24)
When he experienced
the worst struggle of his
life, and asked his friends
to pray for him, they
unfriended him too.
“Then they all forsook
Him and fled.” (Mark
14:50)
If Jesus were physi
cally on the earth today,
he could use social
media and technology to
get his message across
the globe. He could hold
meetings, gather sup
porters, and broadcast
sermons across the
airwaves. His profile
page would be filled with
hundreds of thousands
of followers, likes, and
shares. If invitations to
banquets were provided,
the subscription would
grow.
But when it came to
turning to him and away
from the world, suddenly
it would become un
popular to be his friend.
After slander attacked
his motives, Facebook
shut down his page and
Twitter banned him from
their platform because
his words were offen
sive, the crowds would
dwindle.
And his words are of
fensive to the conscience
of those who know they
are doing wrong but
don’t want to turn from
it. That’s why the former
devotees would want
to shut him down and
get any association with
the Son of God away
from their name. They
wouldn’t want the stigma
of the cross attached to
them either.
“But the natural man
does not receive the
things of the Spirit of
God, for they are fool
ishness to him; nor can
he know them, because
they are spiritually dis
cerned.” (1 Corinthians
2:14)
What about now?
The words he spoke will
always be relevant.
Christianity is under
attack all over the world
like never before. It costs
something to follow
Christ. But anything that
carries a high price re
flects an immense value.
“So we’re not giving
up. How could we! Even
though on the outside
it often looks like things
are falling apart on us,
on the inside, where God
is making new life, not a
day goes by without his
unfolding grace. These
hard times are small
potatoes compared to
the coming good times,
the lavish celebration
prepared for us. There’s
far more here than meets
the eye. The things we
see now are here today,
gone tomorrow. But the
things we can’t see now
will last forever. (2 Corin
thians 4:16-18 MSG)
The reward of follow
ing the Son of God out
weighs the momentary
sacrifice. The decision
for us is which button
to click, thumbs up or
unfollow.
Barbara Latta is a freelance writer
who posts online articles at barbara-
latta.blogspot.com and contributes
to the devotion website Christian
Devotions.
NAACP awards scholarships
Members of the Lamar County NAACP Unit 5211 recently presented four scholarships for the 2021 school year. Pictured
in the photo above left are (l-r) U’landa Barkley, NAACP president, Jimerra Fambro (attending Albany State), Kelyse Harris (at
tending Gordon State), Talaijah Murphy (attending Georgia State), Gloria Fallings, NAACP educational chairperson and pictured
at right, Gerniya Flewellen, (attending Georgia Southern).
APOSTOLIC
• Apostolic Church of the Lord
Jesus Christ, 148 Silver Dollar Rd.
ASSEMBLY OF GOD
• First Assembly of God, 522 Hwy.
18 W., 770-358-0646
BAPTIST
• Antioch Baptist, 2175 Bames-
ville Rd., 706472-3024
• Antioch Baptist, 2269 Bamesville
Rd., 706472-3373
•Bethel Baptist Church, 702
Johnstonville Rd., 770-358-1720
•Bethel Baptist Church, 448
Zebulon Rd., Milner, 770-358-1727
•Calvary Baptist Church, 640 Rose
Ave., 770-358-1208
• Central Baptist Church, 530
Greenwood St., 770-3584482
• East Mt. Sinai Baptist, 100
Washington St., 770-358-1214
• First Baptist Church of Bames
ville, 200 Zebulon St., 770-358-2353
• Friendship Baptist, 121 Friend
ship Church Rd., 770-227-1885
• Greater Spring Hill Baptist
Church, Locust St., Milner, 770-358-
1818
•Lilia Memorial Baptist, 802 Hwy.
36 E., 404-509-9366
• Midway Baptist Church, 158 City
Pond Rd., 770-358-1856
• Milner Baptist Church, 107
Pecan Dr., 770-358-2954
• Mt. Calvary Baptist, 446 Hwy. 18
West, Bamesville, 770-3584984
• Mt. Pleasant Baptist, 863
Piedmont Rd., 770-358-3205
• Mt. Zion Baptist, 612 Perdue Rd.,
Bamesville
• New Hope Baptist, 1471 Hwy. 36
E., Milner
•New Life Baptist, 167 Hwy. 41
N., 770-358-3911
•Pine View Baptist, 430 Collier
Rd., 770-358-2915
• Ramah Primitive Baptist, 1274
Ramah Church Rd., 770-358-1505
• Sardis Baptist Church, 100
Leverette Rd., 770-358-0015
•Shiloh Baptist Church, 1530 Hwy.
41 S., 770-358-7390
• Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church,
198 Van Buren Rd., 770-3584611
• The Rock Baptist Church, Hwy.
36 & Piedmont Rd., 706-6474545
• West Mt. Sinai Baptist, 117 Akins
St., 770-358-2517
CATHOLIC
•St. Peter The Rock Catholic
Church, 706-648-2599
CHURCH OF CHRIST
• Bamesville Church of Christ, 518
College Dr., 770-358-3905
• Body of Christ Church of the Liv
ing God, 640 Atlanta St., Bamesville
•Church of Jesus Christ
Deliverance Center, 770-233-9832
CHURCH OF GOD
• Feast of Tabernacle Church of
God, 755 Hwy. 18 W.
• Rehoboth Deliverance Center
Church of God in Christ, 358-2748
• Shaw Temple True Church of
Godin Christ, 600 Mill St.
•The Church of God, 755 Hwy. 18
West, 770-358-1689
METHODIST
• First United Methodist Church,
375 Thomaston St., Bamesville, 770-
358-1494
• Fredonia CMC, 1024 Fredonia
Church Rd.,
• Rock Springs Church, 219 Rock
Springs Rd., 770-229-8663
METHODIST-EPISCOPAL
• Bethel AME, 189 Mill St., 770-
358-1330
* Mt. Olive Christian Methodist
Episcopal, Fambro Rd., The Rock
• Mt. Sinai Christian Methodist
Episcopal, 770-584-0694
•Sand Hill CME, 184Sand Hill Rd.,
770-3584645
•Sugar Hill AME, 770-358-6100
• White’s Chapel Christian
Methodist Episcopal, 141 Mill St.,
770-358-6872
METHODIST-UNITED
* Aldora United Methodist Church,
170 Aldora St., 404-772-9500
• Bamesville First United Method
ist, 375 Thomaston St, 770-358-1494
* Ebenezer United Methodist
Church, Highways 18 & 109
•GreenMountUMC, 639Hwy.41
S., 358-3838
* Marvin United Methodist Church,
1235 Johnstonville Rd., Bamesville,
770-3584504
•Milner United Methodist Church,
173 Main St., Milner, 770-3564504
• Pleasant Hill United Methodist
Church, 655 High Falls Rd.,2284141
• Rocky Mount United Methodist
Church, 1387 Hwy. 41 South
• Unionville United Methodist
Church, 971 High Falls Park Rd.
NQN-DENQMINATIQNAL
• Experience Community Church,
3400 Johnstonville Rd., 678-544-1546
• Congregation Beth Yisrael, 1165
Hannahs Mill Rd., 706-646-5312
• Faith Church, 782 Ingram Rd.,
• New Life House of Praise, 100 Aldora
Street, 770-358-6524
• Fresh Manna Ministries, 619 Old
Milner Rd. 470-592-2143
•Full Gospel Fellowship, 103
Main St.
• Good Hope Family Worship
Church, 1161 Hwy. 41 S., 770-358-
4343
• Holly Grove Outreach Community,
770-358-7710
• House of Prayer Healing &
Deliverance Outreach, 770-358-3337
•Liberty Hill Church, Hwy. 36 E. at
Morgan Dairy Rd., Bamesville
• New Life Annoited Ministries,
948 Veterans Parkway, 770-358-9102
• New Mount Calvary Community
Church, 640 Maynard St., 770-358-
7750
• New Provident Community
Outreach Ministries, 770-358-6838
• Rehobeth Church, Zackery Road,
770-358-1119
• Walking in the Light Ministries,
122 Zebulon St., 770-358-7554
•Jesus the Bread of Life, 785
Veteran’s Pkwy., 770-584-6145
PENTECOSTAL
• First Pentecostal Lighthouse
Church, 419 Forsyth St., 478-258-7043
•Good Shepherd Worship, 805
Zebulon St.
• First Pentecostal Church, 3409
Bamesville Hwy. 36 W.,
• Mid Georgia Gospel Assembly,
1390 Hwy. 341 S„ 770-358-3258
PRESBYTERIAN
• Bamesville Presbyterian
Church, P.0. Box 323,478-986-7266.
CHURCH OFTHENAZARENE
• Church of the Nazarene, 744
Hwy. 341 S., 770-358-1314
S^StateFarm
943 Thomaston St.
Bamesville, GA 30204
Bus: 770-358-1108
Phillip Bell, Agent
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
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Jordan Forest
Products LLC.
752 Grove St.
Bamesville, Ga. 30204
770-358-2440
HINES
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FUNERAL HOME IMS.
770-358-2266
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FREDONIA
CHURCH
OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK
Mon. - Fri. 9 - 6; Sat. 9 ■ 1
Sunday School 9:45am
Worship Service 11:00am
770-358-2381
Pastor: Ken Peeples
Minister of Music:
Steve Pattison
149 Mill Street,
Bamesville, GA 30204
tricefuneralhomeinc.com
■1 IB
1024 Fredonia Church Road
Bamesville, Ga
First
United
Methodist
Church
Sunday Services 10 a.m. in
the Sanctuary, no reserva
tion required, with overflow
in the Fellowship Hall
Services are still offered online
Sunday mornings streamed on
YouTube and on Zoom.
Come early or tune in early for
the pre-service music at
9:45 a.m. At 11 a.m. the
worship service is rebroadcast
on Facebook.
375 Thomaston Street • Bamesville
770-358-1494