167: Deepening Your Friendships by Jesus' Example (Solo Episode 31) with Rebekah Hargraves (Friendship Matters Series #4)

About a month and a half ago we kicked off a brand new solo podcast series based on a book I co-authored with my dear friend, Amber Durgan, entitled "Friendship Matters: Cultivating Meaningful Connections in an Isolated World".   Today we are focusing on chapter 4, a chapter that is all about deepening our friendships according to Jesus' own example. For Amber's perspective on this chapter, head on over to her podcast episode tomorrow! What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~The 3 reasons Christian friendship is so crucial (and how Jesus Himself emulated this fact): 1. Christian friends are there to help us in times of need. 2. Christian friends edify you and are used by God in your sanctification process. 3. Christian friendship is a powerful tool for keeping your heart in close fellowship with the Lord and His ways. ~How to grow deeper in your friendships ~Growing in the all-important art of listening as the first step towards deepening your friendships; how this practice is the antidote to each of the 5 most common barriers we experience when trying to pursue friendship ~Four practical ideas for growing deeper: 1. Have regularly scheduled get-togethers (online or in person) so that you can truly be doing life together. 2. Share prayer requests, bear one another's burdens, share our sin struggles, and pray for each other. 3. Do Bible studies and book studies together and discuss. 4. Volunteer together ~Understanding what a big deal it is to grow in your friendships; how this is a non-negotiable if we want to live well and be strong ~Friendship as a "slow ripening fruit" ~Understanding that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (and why we're wrong if we think this is just talking about church attendance!) ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast