Finding Friends and Faith in Unlikely Places

0:00 Passing important values along to the next generation

4:13 The challenges and rewards of leading a diverse church congregation

8:42 Wayne’s thoughts and observations on male friendships

14:42 Engaging with those from a different faith, or no faith at all

20:20 Wayne’s upbringing as an immigrant in the Bronx

24:56 Grand Central Station and Wayne’s definition of redemption

27:32 A difficult season of life and how God guided Wayne through it

Snippets/excerpts

6:59 to 8:40—Observations on men and faith, and a spiritual re-awakening that’s been stirring across the country

9:53 to 11:54—From sunbathers to submarines: the different levels of male friendships

15:16 to 16:23—Why Wayne prioritizes interactions with people who don’t share his same faith

18:32 to 19:31—Wayne challenges listeners to begin building a friendship with a non-Christian acquaintance

23:10 to 24:53—“I was just being a total jerk”: Wayne recalls the Bible study that ended with him coming to faith

3:19—Would you describe yourself as having an entrepreneurial personality or worldview? Are you energized by embarking on your own ideas and ventures, or do you usually prefer to join someone else’s venture, assuming less of the risk? Are there any experiences or incidents from your childhood that might have influenced your philosophy? Colossians 3:23

5:10—Have you stayed in one place most of your life, or have you moved around a lot? If you’ve moved around a lot, have those moves mostly been your choice, or have they been up to the whims of others? Have those frequent moves made it difficult to get settled or involved in a church congregation? How do you think that’s affected your spiritual growth over the years?

11:55—Think of three or four male friends and reflect on what level of friend they are to you—sunbathers, surfers, snorkelers, scuba divers, or submarines. Does it seem like most of your current male friendships fall into one of those categories? How many “submarine” friends would you say you have, and do you feel like you’re lacking in that area? Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

15:55—Do you feel reluctant to interact or discuss your faith with people who don’t share that faith? What do you fear might be some negative consequences of those interactions? 1 Peter 3:15

29:08—Did Wayne’s recollection of his period of deep depression resonate with any dark periods in your own life? What were the things you had hoped for or strived for but hadn’t achieved? Did you ever imagine what the world would be like if you weren’t around anymore?

30:11—Who or what provided the spark that helped lift you out of your lowest period? In what ways did that period of darkness make you better, stronger, or more faithful than the person you’d been before? 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

Segment chapters

Make Friends with Anyone: Practicing God’s Design for Real Friendship in a Lonely World, Wayne’s forthcoming book