3 Day Bible Reading Plan - “The Friendship of God”
“A being of love made us to be loved. We are not made for independence, but interdependence. We are not meant to be alone. We were made for intimacy. The world needs this more than ever. This understanding of God as a relational being has profound implications for how we live our lives. It challenges the prevailing notion of individualism and self-reliance that dominates our culture. We are not meant to be alone, isolated, and disconnected. We are created for community, for fellowship, for friendship.” - Pastor Paul Crandell, 9/7/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Genesis 1:26-27 - “God created man in his own image.”
In what ways does the creation of humanity in the "image" and "likeness" of a relational God imply that human relationships or friendships are designed to mirror the interpersonal dynamics within the Godhead?
If the Godhead’s internal relationship is marked by perfect fellowship, how might this shape our theological perspective on God’s desire for relational intimacy with humanity?
How does the creation of humanity in the image of a relational God suggest that friendship, as an expression of self-giving love, is inherent to the divine nature, and what does this imply for the nature of human community?
Pause and Reflect: How can you reflect the communal love within the Godhead, as seen in the plural language of “Let us make man in our image,” by fostering unity in your relationships?
“The love of God is eternal, and the Son and the Spirit are in that love one with the Father; and we, being made in His image, are called to a fellowship with Him, that we may taste of that sweetness which is between the Persons of the Godhead.” - Samuel Rutherford
Day 2
Featured Verse: John 5:19-24 - “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”
In John 5:20, where it says, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing,” how does this expression of divine love and transparency reflect the depth of communion within the Godhead, and how might it inform our understanding of divine friendship as a model for human relationships?
Considering John 5:21’s parallel between the Father and the Son in giving life, how does this shared authority illustrate the collaborative fellowship within the Godhead, and what implications does this have for understanding the Trinity as a relational community?
In light of John 5:24’s promise of eternal life through hearing and believing, how does the relational unity between the Father and the Son invite humanity into a participatory fellowship with the Godhead, and what does this suggest about the relational purpose of salvation?
Pause and Reflect: In what ways can you honor others in your community, reflecting the divine pattern of mutual honor between the Father and Son?
“Herein is a blessed mystery of love, that the Father and the Son are one in heart and purpose, so that what the Father willeth, the Son performeth, and what the Son doeth, the Father approveth, and this love is the ground of our hope.” - Charles Spurgeon
Day 3
Featured Verse: John 17:20-26 - “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.”
How does the shared glory in John 17:22-23 reveal the relational bond of love and honor within the Godhead, and how can it shape our understanding of Christian community as a reflection of divine friendship?
How does Jesus’ statement in John 17:23 that the Father loves believers “even as you loved me” show that God’s love for His children mirrors His love for the Son, and what does this teach us about being part of God’s family?
When Jesus prays to share the Father’s love with believers, how does this echo the close bond between the Father and Son in John 5:20, and what does it mean for us to experience this same love?
Pause and Reflect: How can you embrace the Father’s love for you, which mirrors His love for the Son, to deepen your sense of belonging in God’s family?
“The words, ‘that they may be one, as we are one’ (John 17:22), show the marvelous oneness of the Father and the Son, a oneness of love and will, so perfect that Christ prayeth it may be seen in his people. And when he saith, ‘thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me’ (John 17:23), it is a wonder that the same love wherewith the Father loveth the Son should be extended to us, that we may be partakers of their divine fellowship.” - J.C. Ryle