Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you went in? You stand there like a detective at a crime scene, scanning for clues— “Did I come for my phone? No, it’s in my hand. Snacks? No, kitchen’s the other way. Am I lost in my own house?”

It’s a strangely accurate picture of what happens in our faith. We start out sharp, focused, deeply in love with Jesus, and then somewhere between classes, careers, bills, and endless group texts, we find ourselves standing in the middle of life thinking, What was I doing again?

That’s where the church in Ephesus found itself. In Revelation 2, Jesus says, “I see your hard work. I see how you endure. I see your courage. But I also see this—you’ve lost the love you had at first.”

That line hits hard. They weren’t lazy. They weren’t morally reckless. They were busy, faithful, doing the right things, but they’d forgotten the why.

The Problem: Losing That Spark

Imagine a couple who’s been married for ten years. Early on, it’s handwritten notes, long late-night calls, surprise ice cream runs. A decade later, they’re arguing over Wi-Fi passwords and whether anyone remembered to buy toilet paper. The love didn’t vanish—it just got buried under the noise.

That’s us. We can serve at church, show up to House Church, listen to worship playlists on Spotify, and still be functionally loveless. Jesus isn’t after empty activity. He wants our hearts.

The Call: Repent and Return

Jesus’ advice is simple but not easy: Repent. Do the things you did at first. Repentance isn’t about wallowing in shame. It’s about changing direction—like realizing you’ve been walking the wrong way to class for ten minutes and finally deciding to turn around.

And then He says: Return to your first love. That means choosing again and again to put Jesus at the center. Not as a nostalgic memory, but as a living relationship.

Psalm 27 says, “One thing I ask of the Lord… to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” That word dwell means to return, again and again. Dwelling isn’t about staying perfectly locked in. It’s about coming back. When busyness crowds you out, when shame tells you to hide, when idols demand your attention—you return.

The Gift: Community Over Isolation

John, who wrote Revelation, was exiled on an island—isolated, cut off, alone. Yet even then, God gave him words not just for Himself but for the churches. Because faith isn’t a solo project.

Sin isolates us. Church restores us. Instead of “I” and “me,” Jesus calls us into “we” and “us.”

Here’s the challenge: Take one concrete step this week to return to your first love. For you, it might mean:

Carving out ten uninterrupted minutes to sit in God’s presence.

Singing an old worship song that once fired up your faith.

Reaching out to a trusted friend and saying, “Let’s pray together.”

Don’t just remember the love you had at first—return to it. Jesus isn’t asking for a polished performance. He’s asking for you.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.

James Weekly Verse Challenge:

Want to go beyond just reading God's Word? Want to take action? As we study the Book of James in the "Faith That Works" message series, we encourage you to do more than read the theme verse. Each week, we challenge you to memorize the verse and put it into action. Beginning Monday, October 6, we will text the weekly verse on a downloadable wallpaper on Monday mornings. Download the mobile wallpaper to your phone and memorize the weekly verse as you strive to live it daily. 

Text "JAMES" to 601-299-4493 to receive each week's theme verse.