TLO Disciple
January 2016  --  Friendship
Friendship in the Epiphany Light of Christ
  

Pastor's Message 
Dear Friends in Christ,
 
In Scripture, there is no more unlikely friendship than the relationship between David and Jonathan found in 1 Samuel 17-23.  The depth of their friendship was most demonstrated when Jonathan confirmed to David that his father, King Saul was seeking to kill David (1 Samuel 20).  Jonathan was a faithful friend to David.  He kept the oath the two had made with each other.  And as a faithful son, he honored his father, even dying with King Saul in the field of battle.  How could Jonathan and David's friendship grow deep under these complicated roles?  Jonathan's name means "gift of God."  Their friendship was formed and rooted by God.
 
We often choose our friends because there is something we like about them and we may have similar characteristics, interests, personalities.  While we choose the person we marry for a variety of reasons, it is important for a husband and wife to build a strong friendship within their marriage.
 
A true friendship will be rooted in God.  Scripture teaches that Jesus sticks closer to us than a brother.   Click here to read Pastor Kroonblawd's entire message.

10 ways you can build friendships at Trinity Lone Oak  
  1. Worship at TLO every week, unless you are sick or traveling
  2. 1st Saturday Mission - Set aside the 1st Saturday of the month to join in mission with other TLO members.  Start by clicking here!
  3. Come to the Pastor's Prayer Breakfast on the 2nd Saturday each month at 9:00 am.
  4. Game Nights - Put the TLO Game Nights on your schedule now--January 23 and April 2
  5. Church picnic - Come to the TLO Picnic--July 10, 2016
  6. Join the TLO Men's Network
  7. Invite your friends to worship with you--Sundays at 8am and 10:30am
  8. Have dinner with friends you've met at TLO
  9. Get connected with a small group Bible study
  10. Help with Church projects--contact the church office to get started
What would get you off the couch or pull you away from the video games?  Talk with pastor about how you would like to help a family.
Media Related
Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they're quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.
When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God ... and to their children?

Filled with action-packed police drama,  COURAGEOUS is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Viewers will once again find themselves laughing, crying, and cheering as they are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children.
Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That's courageous.

Click here for more info on this movie that's available for checkout from the TLO Library.

From God's Word
Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
    and the sweetness of a friend 
comes from his earnest counsel. - Proverbs 27:9
 
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.  - Proverbs 27:17
 
Friendship with the world is hatred toward God.  - James 4:4 
 
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.  - 1 John 2:15-17 
Quotes
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" - C.S. Lewis
 
C.S. Lewis said of friendship: "It is when we are doing things together that friendship springs up - painting, sailing ships, praying, philosophizing, and fighting shoulder to shoulder. Friends look in the same direction."
 
"Let the wife make her husband glad to come home and let him make her sorry to see him leave." - Martin Luther

Additional Resources

A fantastic article from Focus on the Family on   Developing friendships that last 
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Articles about the role of friendship in marriage from Focus on the Family  and  Thriving Family magazine

Check out Boundless,  an on-line community for Christian young adults who want to grow up, own their faith, date with purpose, and prepare for marriage and family. 
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Editor's note
TLO Disciple, with a topical study in each issue, is distributed primarily via email on the first of every month.  Print copies are available by contacting the TLO Church office at 651-454-7235 or the Church Office via email.

Calendars, volunteer information, serving groups and the like will accompany the TLO Together, on the last Wednesday of the month.   Click here for December 30 issue.  This publication is also mailed upon request.

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2950 Highway 55   
Eagan MN  55121
651-454-7235