Table of Contents
Introduction: This One's for the Stragglers 9
Part 1 A New Vision for Friendship
1 When Did Friendship Become Such a Struggle? 15
2 The Dreams We Have for Friendship 23
3 How God Gives Friendship 33
4 Messy Beautiful Friendship 41
Part 2 Threats to Friendship
5 Fear of Being Burned 51
6 Ashes of Insecurity 59
7 Kindling for the Campfire 69
8 The Spark 78
Part 3 Discovering and Deepening Friendship
9 Be Kevin Bacon: Take Initiative 89
10 Back Doors: Open Your Home and Heart 94
11 No Makeup: Share Your Story 99
12 Dance Card: Make Space for Friendship 105
13 Friend Magnet: Honor Others 111
14 Naming: Know Who Your People Are 115
Part 4 Being a Friend
15 Back and Forth: Listen Well 123
16 Honey: Use Words Wisely 129
17 What Friends Are For: Enter the Adversity of Others 136
18 One Word: Pray for Your Friends 142
19 Room to Breathe: Temper Expectations 148
20 Faithful Wounds: Speak the Truth in Love 156
21 Homesick: Display Joy in Jesus 163
22 Hashtag Friendship: Enhance Offline Relationships Online 169
Part 5 Receiving Friendship
23 SOS: Ask for Help 177
24 Heed: Embrace Correction 183
25 Savor: Unwrap Imperfect Gifts with Gratefulness 189
Conclusion: The Sweetest Thing 197
Acknowledgments 203
Questions for Friends to Discuss Together 205
Lessons on Friendship 217
Wisdom from the Bible on Friendship 223
Notes 235
About the Author 237