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[0:00] 14th of August. Friends. Greet Prisca and Aquila and the church in their home. Romans 16.3. There is an old saying which goes, all roads lead to Rome. That was literally true when the Apostle Paul was alive. There was a huge network of roads right throughout the Roman Empire, and they all started from or led to the great city of Rome, the capital of the empire.

[0:28] When Paul wrote his great letter to the Roman church, he was far away in Corinth, and he gave his letter to a lady called Phoebe, who was from the seaport beside Corinth, and she delivered the letter to the Christians in Rome. At the end of his letter, Paul sent greetings to all the people he knew in Rome, and what a collection of friends he had there.

[0:48] Yet he himself had never visited Rome at that stage in his life. As you read the list of the people to whom he sent greetings, you can see how all roads led to Rome. They came from such varied and faraway places. They were all people, more than 30 of them, whom Paul had met in his journeys, and they had become friends. But they were more than friends. They were his brothers and sisters in Christ.

[1:13] At another time, we will be introduced to some of these good people. But for the moment, I just want us to see what a joy and comfort Paul found in the fact that he had good Christian friends, so many of whom had been a help and encouragement to him on his life's journey.

[1:27] Be sure to make good Christian friends in your church or fellowship. They are more precious than gold. A Prayer Dear Lord, I thank you for my Christian friends and ask that I may be a good Christian friend to them. Amen.