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“No longer do I call you servants…; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” --John 15:15 Friendship is so very important in life. Even if you have just a few friends, you are blessed beyond measure. But did you know you can be a friend of God as well? Well, you can, and that’s what Jesus is telling the disciples, as well as you and me, in today’s verse.  So if you can be a friend of God, what kind of friend are you to him? Are you an intimate friend of Jesus or are you just a casual acquaintance? Is Jesus just the kind of friend that you see every now and then, or do you really know him? If you and I are going to experience true friendship with God, we must be responsive to him. James put it this way when he said, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you…” (James 4:8). Today, if God seems a long way away, if he seems like a distant deity, here is what you need to do. Draw near to God today by reading his Word… and you will find him welcoming you and receiving you as his friend. DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU… (JAMES 4:8). Avoiding Defections Wednesday, August 21, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Acts 20:28–31 When Paul met with the elders of the church at Ephesus for the last time, it was a bittersweet moment. He had poured years of his life into this church, which had become one of the most important and influential churches in the world. The church had been built on evangelism, love, hard work, and a passion for others. But as good as it was, Paul knew the church would come under attack, both from without and from within. It is no different in our day. The truth is still under attack, but not just from the world around us; there are some people inside of churches who spread false doctrine. There are some churches today where many people go because they like what they hear, but what they are hearing is far from the truth. There is always a temptation to make the message more accepted by removing the “rough edges.” But that path leads to destruction. Paul did not tell the Ephesians to be popular or accepted by the world. He told them to be on guard for attacks against the truth. Maintaining a belief in the truth requires diligence, attention, and effort. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Hebrews 12:1). No one remains in the truth accidentally. Today's Growth Principle:  We must remain alert to the dangers to truth no matter where their point of origin is.