READ: JOHN 15:9-17; ROMANS 5:6-11; 1 JOHN 4:11

Relationships of any kind—with family or friends—are important to God. From the beginning, God made us to live in community. Shortly after He created Adam, the first human, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him” (Genesis 2:18). So God made Eve, Adam’s wife and the first human friend in history.

Besides Adam and Eve, there are lots of friendships in the Bible. David and Jonathan, King Saul’s son, were best friends and took care of each other when they faced tough times (1 Samuel 18:1-4; 20:1-42). Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, were very loyal to each other, even when they both lost their husbands and faced poverty (Ruth 1–4).

Jesus had friends too—He had twelve followers called disciples who were especially close to Him. Jesus even called Judas “friend” when this disciple came to betray Him (Matthew 26:50). The next day, when Jesus hung on the cross, Luke 23:49 says, “Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.”

Jesus was willing to go to the cross and die that terrible death—for us. He knew that we all would betray Him through our sin, but He still wants to be friends with us. And the amazing thing is, if you know Jesus, God is friends with you (John 15:15; James 2:23). That’s because Jesus is God the Son, and the Father sent Him to make the way for you to be close to Him. By dying on the cross and rising from the grave, Jesus took the penalty for your sins (John 14:6).

If you know Jesus, not only are you God’s friend, but you also have a whole family of friends—other Christians! All those who trust in Jesus are adopted by God and are brothers and sisters in Christ. They make up God’s family. Throughout the Bible, God encourages His people to love and care for one another as He loves and cares for us, and to tell others how they can become friends of God too. Because, ultimately, friendship with God is what we were created for. And once we’ve experienced His friendship, there’s nothing better! • A. W. Smith

• What does it mean for God to be friends with you? (You can find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Can you think of any ways you’ve seen Christians around you act as a family of friends? What does it look like to act like a brother or sister toward our fellow friends of God?

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 22:52-62; JOHN 21:15-19

The man sitting across the table from me makes me uneasy. His failures bear resemblance to mine. Yet, even with his failures, he has been with Jesus. Jesus loved this man.

I eye him suspiciously, wondering if he’s lying about knowing Jesus and being chosen by Him.

“How can I know you’re telling the truth?” I blurt out before I can stop myself. I feel my face flush but continue speaking anyway: “Why would Jesus want you after the way you failed and betrayed Him?”

I wince at my judgmental tone, but Peter smiles, neither surprised nor put off by my blunt questions. “I don’t know,” he says, “Jesus certainly shouldn’t have chosen me.”

I’m struck by the calmness with which this man states that God shouldn’t have chosen him. Where is Peter’s confidence in his abilities? Where is his refutation of my claim that Jesus shouldn’t have chosen him?

“I know Jesus didn’t choose me because of who I am,” Peter continues, “He chose me because of who He is, despite my failures.”

This man must be crazy. No one, especially the God of the universe, would choose someone who failed them, right? I look around, eager for an excuse to leave this conversation. But as he continues talking, I become wrapped up in Peter’s words as he recounts his time with Jesus and speaks of His great mercy.

“He called me by name,” Peter tells me with tears in his eyes. “He called me by name and just asked me if I loved Him. I said I did love Him, and, in the midst of my failures, He chose me.”

My skepticism falters. Though it seems crazy, I can’t help but believe it might be true. I can’t keep my lips from pulling upward into a smile that mirrors Peter’s. I thank him for his time and leave.

Could it be true? I wonder. Could I be chosen to follow Jesus? I begin to pray, “I love You, Jesus. I want to follow You.” • Julia Frontz

• Today’s fictional story is how one author imagines what it would be like to interview Peter (also known as Simon or Cephas), one of Jesus’s twelve disciples. If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about Peter’s failures and Jesus’s responses in Matthew 14:22-33; 16:21-23; 26:31-35; Luke 22:49-51, 54-62; John 18:10-11; 21:1-25; Galatians 2:11-21.

• Does God value us because of anything we do or don’t do? Is anyone more or less worthy of God’s love than anyone else? (Hint: read Romans 3:23-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5)

• Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” What might it look like for you to live in light of this reality—that God has chosen you because He loves you and wants to be with you?

You can find out more about what it means to know Jesus on our "Know Jesus" page.

[Jesus said,] “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 4:4; 1 PETER 1:22–2:3

Have you ever been hit by a sudden, bizarre craving? It might be in the middle of the night, when all the stores are closed and the pantry is empty, but there’s nothing in the world you want more than…potato chips.

While cravings seem to be more or less random, our bodies feel and function their best when we take care in planning and preparing what we eat and follow a healthy, balanced diet. In some ways, we are what we eat. The nutrients and vitamins in the food we eat are what makes our bodies grow and maintain health. And it doesn’t take long for a body deprived of nutrients to get sick.

In today’s passage Peter exhorts Christians to crave the pure, spiritual milk of God’s Word. It is through the Word that we are born again, and it is through the Word that we grow, like how newborn babies grow from drinking their mother’s milk. Peter wants us to have a holy craving for the Word of God, because it is through the Word that we learn how God loves us so much that Jesus died and rose again to save us. And, through the Holy Spirit, He uses the Word to help us grow in our sanctification—the process by which we become more and more like Jesus.

In my life, I’ve eaten a lot of good food. But when I really try to think about it, only a handful of meals come to mind that I specifically remember. And yet, even on days when I can’t recall what I had for breakfast, all that food has sustained me and helped my body grow. In the same way, God uses His Word to grow us.

Even if you can’t remember any specific lessons, you are who you are today because of the things God has shown you in His Word. Jesus wants to satisfy your deepest hunger with the pure nourishment of His Word—so keep reading! • Jacob Bier

• When we experience a craving to know God more, it’s because He is already reaching out to us in love. And He delights in fulfilling our desire through His Word (the Bible), His Holy Spirit, and His people (the church). Have you ever experienced something like this? What was that like?

• In our walk with Jesus, there will be times when we intensely crave His presence, and there will be times when following Him feels repetitive, boring, or uncomfortable. But even in those seasons, we need to be sustained daily by the food of His Word and His presence. What kind of season are you in right now? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this in prayer.

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 (NLT)