Who are your friends?

Dan planned a get-together with his friends of the same age. He created posters and put them up around the street near his house.

Every Tuesday evening, he invited his friends from the neighborhood to gather at the big park.

First, they took their dogs for a walk, and then they sat on the hard benches near the large pond to chat.

During these times, they asked each other simple questions that 14-year-olds usually ask.

All 15 of them shared their thoughts about things like sports, school, and food. It was a great opportunity for them to talk about different topics and share their ideas.

They took turns asking their moms to make snacks for everyone to enjoy together.

One evening, after they finished talking about how to study better, three friends asked Dan why he started this group.

They had heard helpful things from their friends, but they wanted to know why Dan had the idea in the first place.

With a big smile, Dan explained that he reads the Bible every day, just like he always does. He found three verses that really inspired him.

The first verse is from Hebrews 10:24-25, which says, “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.”

The second verse is from Psalms 133:1, which says, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!”

The third verse is from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.

Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Dan wrote down these verses in his little notebook and gave each of his friends a page with one verse on it.

He encouraged them to read it at home and remember to treat everyone with kindness.

As they went their separate ways that day, they talked among themselves.

“If God wants us to care about others, even people we don’t know well, then we should really do it.”

From that day on, they decided to be kind to all their friends and classmates in their schools. They also started a habit of reading one Bible verse each day.

This link connects to many other children’s stories.