It is too bad you two lost the bond you used to have. Those memories were real, and the spark of insights you gained in that time of growth will remain forever, if you so choose.

I remember a time in my life when I had to live in a new city and make new friends. I was living with my sister, and went to her church, because I had no other options. I had nothing. In my home town I remember how incredibly helpful our Bibble study groups were. We took turns reading a small passage. Everyone would in turn relate to it. A leader would help us to understand the meaning, and put things as simple as possible. We would finish with prayer requests with the verse freshly on our hearts and minds to guide us.

In the new church, our Bible study was so bad, I became more angry when leaving than before I arrived. All of their prayer groups, worship services, concerts left me feeling the same way. They would use personal experience and feelings of how the Spirit was speaking to them to interpret scripture. Why are they interpreting this way now, and last time another way? They also caused drama in the music department and with the ministry staff by letting each person define their own calling to be the right way to proceed with God's Will in leading the church. Why not just do the job they were hired to do, as clearly defined in old doctrines backed by scripture? It was really hard to sit through the gossip about all this drama every week. Prayer in this church always made me feel rotten to have to endure it silently. After exercising vulnerabilities and honesty, by sharing prayer requests about personal matters, our leaders would use prayer time as an opportunity to give needy people criticism and advice using scripture again in poor context. It was very insulting to myself and others to endure these leaders who were very wishy washy in their feelings for the day, and could never establish a truly bonding network, a solid rock for the church to lay on.

Hope you can restore the friendship, if nothing else. Beware the verse dropping arguments. They can lead to confusion if you are connecting too many random, yet slightly related verses together. This was a common practice of the Pharasees, to have debates, to make the winner seem mighty for knowing more about God's Word. Focus on smaller, simpler parts, and find agreement. Let that be all, and be glad. There should be no need to win a debate. Don't try to change anyone's mind. I learned that lesson so easy. A person will never change their mind if they don't want to. Either help them want to change, or pray on your own for God to open their eyes to the Truth.