Have you ever felt like all your friends have left you? Maybe you feel like no one really gets you or cares about you. It’s true, friendships can be tricky, but here are a few secrets to help you make better friendships and to not be disappointed with the ones you have.
 
Ask yourself: “Am I doing anything to push people away?” Maybe you’re doing things that annoy or drive people away. Be honest and ask yourself if you are doing something that’s pushing others away.
 
Realize: Not everyone is going to treat you right. Even if you do everything right, some people aren’t going to be kind to you. Some people don’t know God and have no basis for treating others with kindness and respect. Life is full of people who aren’t going to treat you right, so realize that and be ready for it when it happens.
 
Be Friendly: One of the best ways to get friends is to be friendly. Do you ever take the time to listen to others? Do you go out of your way to try to talk to others? Doing these things can help you gain friends!
“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:24
 
Get God’s Perspective. If you are feeling bad about yourself due to a lack of friendships, don’t! Don’t allow other people to determine your self-worth. Whether you have tons of friends or not, you are worth a ton to God!
 
Psalm 139:14: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”
 
Even if you feel like all your friends have bailed on you, realize that God will never leave you. He’s there to help you and love you. No matter what people do to you, God is on your side. He cares about you like no one else can.
 
So don’t allow yourself to feel like you’re not important if others don’t always treat you right. People aren’t always going to do the right thing, so you’ve got to choose to let God’s opinion of you be the one that matters.
 
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Who's your 1ONE?
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We track and measure everything and sometimes, we think the only numbers that really matter are the big ones. I’m challenging us all, our church, our students, to focus on this number: the number ONE.
Who’s your ONE?
 
Thank your First Baptist Church for allowing me to speak this past Sunday. Please pray for your ONE.  Let’s make this a commitment this year and see what God does! 
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Praise team practice this Wednesday at 5:45!
 

I remember a time when it felt like I couldn’t go on. I felt like my whole world had crashed in on me. I felt I was the only one struggling and nobody understood. My friends were there to help me through my struggle but honestly I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. In the midst of my struggle, I found one thing that brought me peace, which was Jesus.
 
Jesus understood me when no one else did. Jesus listened when it felt like no one else would. In the midst of the trials and sorrows of life, Jesus was my peace.
 
The great thing about Jesus is that He wants to do that for you too. Jesus wants to be your peace for what you’re going through. Even when it seems like everything that could go wrong has, you can still be at peace. Trusting Jesus and placing your hope in Him is what can bring you the peace you long for. Looking for love, acceptance or joy in any other place will always fall short.
 
So today, challenge yourself to find your peace in Jesus. Let Jesus bring you the peace you need. Spend time with Him, reading the Bible and finding out who He is. As you read the word and talk to God about your situation you’ll be surprised at the peace that comes into your life.
 
God bless,
 
Bro. Brian
 
 AM I HAPPY?
 

This week will start Lesson 2 in our 4-week series entitled “Am I Happy”.  See you at 6:45.
 
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FUGE
 
I’m asking our church family to start praying for our student ministry.  We are all set and ready to attend MFUGE this year in Ridgecrest North Carolina.  All the students have turned in their deposits and had their forms signed by the parents.  Let’s pray for a heart changing event.  If you would like to donate to our mission trip this year, please mark your offertory envelope with “Main Event mission trip” so I know where to put the money.  We’ve got some fundraising work to do prior to leaving in July so start praying now.  I know God will provide!     
 
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I had a lot of fun at this year’s Valentines banquet.  We had a total attendance of 40.  We’re already looking forward to next year!
If any of you would like additional copies of your pictures, please let me know.

Valentine's Banquet