subject: Building Quality Relationships [print this page] You dont haphazardly walk around and just say, Well, Ill scatter some seed here. Ill scatter some seed there. Wherever the seed falls, no big deal. The plants will come up. I dont really worry about it. If youre smart, if you do what the book of Proverbs says and the book of Proverbs is about relationships you choose the right soil, meaning that as you search for the right soil you have to eliminate certain areas and choose the right dirt.
Take your scripture outline cards, which should be in your bulletin, or hopefully they were handed to you as you walk in. Ive listed a number of scripture verses. All the points, all the principles were talking about today, come from the book of Proverbs. Four principles from the book of Proverbs concerning building quality relationships. The first principle: youve got to choose the right soil. Heres what Proverbs 27:19 says: A mirror reflects a mans face. How many of you looked in the mirror this morning? How many didnt? I can tell. But what he is really like is shown by the friends he chooses. In other words, you could meet my closest friends dont even meet Ed Young talk to my best pals, and youll know what kind of guy I am. The same is true for you.
True or False: I can choose the wrong friends, and they can mess my life up. Is that true? Yes, its true. It is a fact. So many times, we have such a desire to have a quality relationship, a deep friendship, well choose any old soil. Well plant it, it doesnt really come up like it should, and we wonder, Whats wrong with my life? Whats wrong with my relationship? Why dont I have the kind of relationships that the Bible talks about, that God wants me to have?
Ed Young thought about a friend of mine back in high school as I read this verse this past week. His name was Lucius. Lucius was a very talented individual; he came from a great family. In fact, we played in the back court together for three years on our high school basketball team. During the tenth grade Lucius began to steal some things now and then, no big deal. He got in trouble a couple of times, and everyone thought it would pass. The drugs came in.
