Ephesus
Series: Seven Letters
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7

ch. 1 - make note of how Jesus describes himself

Ephesus:
v2: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.”
• Jesus commends them because they’ve _____________ and ______________ in spite of the many ________________.

vv4-5: “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.”
• They’d not abandoned the ______________, but they had abandoned the _______________ that was meant to __________________ it.

3 key verbs given as instructions:
• R__________________
• R__________________
• Starts with ________________ there’s a _____________ and then ___________________ ________________.
• They were no longer ________________ as Christ’s faithful __________________ in the world.
• They’d _____________ why they were doing it.
• R__________________
• Love _____________. Love ______________.
• Can we be a people who will _____________ ______________ like Jesus?
• The church loses its _________________ long before it loses its _____________________.

Start talking:
• Who was someone who had a significant influence on your life—for better or for worse? What made their influence so powerful?
Have you ever had a "first love" experience with a hobby, person, or activity that faded over time? What changed?
• What stood out to you most from this week's message?

Start Thinking:
• Jesus commended the church in Ephesus for their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to truth. Why do you think those qualities alone weren't enough?
• Pastor Troy said, “The church loses its witness long before it loses its building.” What do you think that means?
• Why is it difficult to hold firmly to biblical truth while also showing genuine love and compassion to people who disagree with us?
• Read Matthew 22:37-40. Why do you think Jesus refused to separate loving God from loving people?
• Which of Jesus’ three commands—Remember, Repent, or Return—do you think is most challenging for believers today? Why?

Start Sharing:
• Looking back over your own spiritual journey, when did you feel closest to God? What was different about your relationship with Him during that season?
• Have you ever found yourself doing the “right things” spiritually while your heart had begun to drift? What helped you recognize it?
• Are there people in your life who are difficult to love? What makes loving them challenging?
• In what ways can our church continue to hold firmly to biblical truth while becoming known for compassion?
• If Jesus wrote a letter to our church today, what encouragement do you think He might give us? What loving correction might He offer?

Start Praying:
• Ask God to rekindle your love for Him and help you remember the joy of your first love.
• Pray for a heart that speaks truth with grace and reflects the compassion of Jesus.
• Pray that our church would shine brightly as a faithful witness in our community by loving God wholeheartedly and loving people well.

Start Doing:
• This week, intentionally practice Remember. Repent. Return.
• Remember: Spend 10–15 minutes reflecting on when your relationship with Christ felt vibrant. Thank Him for His faithfulness.
• Repent: Ask God to reveal any attitude, habit, or relationship where love has grown cold, and confess it honestly.
• Return: Choose one intentional act of love this week. Reach out to someone you’ve overlooked, encourage someone who needs hope, forgive someone you've held at a distance, or serve someone with no expectation of anything in return.