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It is unparalleled as a building block of society, a universal theme in great literature and film, and has a huge impact on our mental health, wellbeing and happiness. But many of us are lonely or feel suffocated by the pressures of life and quantity of relationships we have to maintain. Now, more than ever, we need better, deeper friendships. We need the best of friends.
Full of practical advice, humour and wisdom, Phil Knox shows us how to choose our friends wisely and maintain lasting and meaningful relationships.
— Miriam Swanson, Director, Fusion USA
'This book is invaluable.'
— Les Isaac OBE, President, Ascension Trust
'We all need friends, yet friendship is something we rarely think about. This thoughtful and thought-provoking book should help all of us to have richer, deeper and more lasting friendships and to use them to build God’s kingdom. Invest time in reading this book: it will be amply repaid!'
— Revd Canon J John
'I believe every human is created in God's image and as such deep relationships are hard wired into us and are needed to reflect Him into the world. There is a desperate need in our world to invest in meaningful, sacrificial relationships and Phil has written a book that not only has a compelling argument but makes the process and steps needed to actually build new friendships outside our Christian bubbles, easy and accessible to everyone.'
— John Kirkby CBE, Founder Isaiah 61 Movement i61m, Founder of Christians Against Poverty
'As we work to see change in our streets and communities there are few things more important than friendships. They are the relational glue that hold us together. Phil is such a wordsmith and has written a great book full of humour and wisdom that will help us all deepen our friendships and expand our network. It is a ray of hope that explores how we can thrive in our relationships and be the best of friends to those around us. I’m praying it has a huge impact.'
— Debra Green, OBE Executive Director, Redeeming Our Communities
'This book helps us recognise the pressures that friendships face in our culture, yet lifts our vision to the God-given potential of all our friendships. Phil Knox distils valuable insights from academic research and everyday life, combining helpful frameworks with highly practical tips. Most importantly of all, we’re brought back to our Creator God, shown how our ordinary friendships are part of God’s wonderful design for human beings, and can delight in finding the Best of Friends perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ.'
— John Russell, Lead Minister, Cornerstone Church, Nottingham
'Now I know why the Quakers have the best name for a denomination: “A Society of Friends.” You fall in love, but you make friends. This is a book that is timely, challenging, convicting, . . a barn-stormer of a book that shows us how to “make friends” like Jesus did.'
— Leonard Sweet, author, professor, publisher and founder of preachthestory.com
'Such an important book on a vital issue that’s so often overlooked. We are all built for relationship with one another and with the Lord. This book wonderfully highlights the importance of friendship, the need for us to connect well and to prioritise relationships. Get it, read it, and live it. A real book for our times.'
— Gavin Calver, CEO, Evangelical Alliance
'Phil is the kind of friend he writes about. He carries joy, enthusiasm, encouragement, and faith into every interaction. As he says in the book, this kind of friendship is costly. I’m so grateful he has been generous in friendship to me, and hope this book will be as helpful for every reader as it was for my own heart.'
— Canon Sarah Yardley, Mission Lead, Creation Fest UK
'Phil has done a great job of writing a book that speaks to us in this present moment. After the forced disconnection of the covid years the content in this book is so relevant and timely. It's well written and made me laugh at times, tear up at times and most of all, appreciate afresh the importance of friendships. Phil encourages and equips us all towards living intentional lives of relational richness. This is a book that needs to be widely read.'
— Ness Wilson, Pioneer UK Leader
Acknowledgments xvii
Enterlude xviii
Introduction 1
1 The power of friendship 7
2 The pressure on friendship 19
3 Circles of friends 34
4 One - Jesus had a best friend 45
5 Three - Jesus had an inner circle 70
6 Twelve - Jesus had a huddle 89
7 Seventy-two - Jesus had a network 107
8 Add a zero – Jesus had a following 130
9 × (multiply) - Moses had a mentor . . . and an apprentice 145
10 + (add) - Moses had a God 160
Conclusion 171
Afterword 175
Notes 177