Why You Need Friends from the Opposite Gender as a Christian Single Man or Woman

I always was sort of skeptical of friendhsips with opposite sex.but ever since i became a youth teacher i have gained three female friends, and it has been such a blessing. Initially I kinda liked two of them,but god has taken care of those feelings,essentially eliminated them so i can just enjoy the friendships. Girls offer different things in friendships, and infeel really lucky to have met all three of them. And am just more cofnortable around women because of them i feel.

This topic brings into my mind the story of Mark himself about his Christian service trip overseas to Africa* and how one of the main things he had to learn there was to treat all the people on board and others according to 1 Tim 5 "Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, 2 the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity" (NASB).
Great video, thank you.
* here's the story: https://youtu.be/rGq_7IfO42s?list=LL0_Asmd70yU3KQNEpdhIjrw&t=240 "6 Tips to Find a Christian Husband/Wife From How I Met, Dated, and Married Bethany"

Hi Pastor Mark. I am looking to find a good book/dvd that teaches Christian men and women about healthy friendships that help build greater relationships with each other in a safe way. If you can recommend a book or a dvd, I would be grateful. I will continue to pray about this as I believe God has called me to lead a group. Thank you.

Also, sometimes being friends with a girl can make her grow feelings for you and vice versa. Just like the fourth reason, friendship helps in the long term in love if those are the two people's intentions. I'll become friends with my crush that I was friends with in kindergarten. She seems to like me back so I can see it going that direction. wish us luck

😩 this is so difficult for me. As a single, I think friends are just… hard 😂 mostly, I have coworkers or teammates/classmates, and mentors. I rarely let people in because I feel sooooo self-conscious! Omg.
This is a helpful video because it challenges me, but… Phew! What a journey! Lol
I'm low-key terrified of intimacy.

Thank you for the words.

So many good video’s. Don’t know which to choose from!

Maybe as a single so you can meet your mate…
But after in a relationship…I don't think so.
I'm a guy…in my last 10 year's at my job… Every guy that has said "hi" to the woman in the break room…or stopped by their cubicle to talk…are flirting… and are trying to get into your pants…then goes back to their friends and everyone talks about who is going to bang who first…
What we have to understand is…we are Christians.. the world is the world….They don't think like we do…so in think women should stick with their women co workers/friends…and men with men. Even as Christians we are sinners and tempted and have affairs. Look at the Christian divorce rate. Still 50 percent among Christians. Let's stop fooling ourselves and go back to classic values. I can still serve in church without getting close to the girls and chatting with them other than saying hi etc. There are plenty of men for that. If I was in a relationship of course. Being single…then I can see being friendly with both sexes because you need up meet your mate. But once you are committed to each other…game over

I'm blessed to have great male friends. We've been friends for over a decade now, and thanks to them my perspective on man in general has dramatically changed.

You can't live with them. You can't live without them.

Thank you for this video on YouTube. I do have some friends both men and women, for example, Megan herself. But she blocked me on facebook for talking with a strange, foreign woman who I met online. I even keep asking myself why, why has she, Megan, forsaken me of her existence I doubt. I just wish that I could tell her I miss her and would like to reconnect with her,just as friends with no benefits

I have no female friends. Not sure why . 🤷🏻‍♂️ Good video!

My so called friends are not good at all I try to find new friends but they seem to be really bad or just really stupid to me so I just keep to my self and I’ve been just fine no bs think about this people bring things to the table and it could be a big fat demons good luck with today’s world now we have a billion light 💡 workers it’s just a lot to tell who is who I trust me that’s who and god

I have to disagree with this one. I have had nothing but bad experiences with female friends. They always seem to be my friend until I find a woman who I am really attracted to. I never lead them on.I never made a play for them. I thought we we just friends. Nothing but trouble every time.

Ok is it just me or does he sound a lot like John B. Crist?

I have struggled with accepting male friendship.. yesterday and old Christian friend guy I was trying to date online message me and I was like guarded. but this video helped me realize.im just sitting here rolling my eyes like fiiiine . Lol I'll try to be friends

The Bible says don't give any room for the devil and we pray God to lead us from temptation….totally disagree with this. You want opposite sex friends, we have plenty of family which I had bad experience with as well. 1 Timothy 5 refers to older same sex mentors in Christ.

And then how do you meet Christian, like-minded people when you live in a community that is predominantly LDS and at your age, everyone is married with 10 kids and you live in a itty bitty tiny little small town with 4500 people? There are literally 10 people in church, on a good day, and online dating is the worst, bc there are so many dishonest people on there, proclaiming to walk the walk, but it's nothing more than talk, no fruit. I have had too many bad experiences that way and I have finally just said Lord, you brought me here to this little town, surely you can bring me to my future husband, just like you did with Ruth. Also, I met a man in church, who preached a good preach on the pulpit, but he cheated(homosexual relations) got drunk everyday, high aswell. So, I may seem bitter, but golly miss molly, EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS is whom I have become after this shocking experiences. I know God loves this man, but I know God loves me too. I also love myself enough to guard my heart like the good Lord tells me too.

But what if you have a Male friend, doesn't that keep a potential man(husband) away because when he sees you with another guy(even though you are not romanticly involved in any way) he may think you are completely unavailable?

One of my fav videos so far!
Can you do a video on the YouTube pickup artists? I watch them to learn techniques, but can it be applied in a Christian manner?

If they don't know each other. Ok maybe. If they do um um um um yeah. Wow! That's some serious homework right thurrrr.

I need some advice. 2 months ago, I confessed to a friend of mine whom I have been friends with for more than 2 years. She told me that she only saw me as a friend and a brother in Christ, and while I do appreciate her response, she has never spoken to me again. I have never tried to pursue her anymore since that day, but she is constantly avoiding me, making me feel like I am being punished.

Should I continue seeing her as a friend? Or as a stranger?

Seeing her as a friend makes me feel uneasy because its like, "I have a friend whom I don't talk to… wait that doesn't sound right."
On the other hand, seeing her as a stranger, makes me feel evil, as though I am holding a grudge, and Jesus called us to love our neighbours as ourselves.
I know she probably doesn't want to lean me on or feel awkward around me that's why she is avoiding me, but it's killing me thinking I have a friend whom I somehow feel like I have bad blood with.

Would love to have female friends, never have and the more I go on in life less I believe it is worth the effort. I've never seen guys and girls been just good friends it dosent work. I feel hurt by not having experienced or learnt the skills to talk to women earlier on but my mates are more than worth any friendship with a women. It just is not worth it in western culture.