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There have always been many voices saying “This is the way to know God.” Today’s media explosion has created more voices and more confusion. Why then another? Our purpose is to share truth to help strengthen your relationship with God and with other believers in your locality.

Personal connection with other believers cannot be replaced by the mass media. It is much more satisfying to have a deep spiritual relationship with ten believers than to be in a crowd of ten thousand. Every individual is important to God, and His plan involves each one in a very real way. There are things that are important to God that can only take place in close personal relationships.

The goal of God is to build a family of His children together in love, walking in truth. Personal submission and obedience to Christ will bring conformity of each member to Christ, and a growing expression of the nature of God in a local gathering. The testimony going out to the world around will be as a “light set on a hill that cannot be hidden” and “the pillar and ground of the truth.”

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74 First Love

Apr 20, 2017

Episode 74 First Love


When God addressed the Ephesian church in the book of Revelation, He said that they had lost their first love, and that if they did not recover that He would remove their candlestick. What is first love? How do we get that? I think that all would agree that love is the critical element in our relationship with God and with one another. The Ephesian church was commended for their love, yet by the time John wrote to the church it appears that they had lost that element God called “first love.” Is this also a danger to us? If so, what is our defense against that and if we are already in that position, how can it be regained?


• The truth in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 is for all ages
• The Ephesian church had a very good beginning (Acts 19-20)
o They began in the Holy Spirit
o Their faith was seen in deeds
o Their love for the truth and one another was very real
• God commended them for many things (Rev. 2:1-7)
o Works, labor, patience, against evil, identified false apostles, perseverance, patience,
o Hate the deeds of Nicolaitans (“it does not matter how you live”)
• What was included in the love they had in the beginning
o Love for all the saints (Ephesians 1:15)
o God’s great love for us (2:4)
o Rooted and grounded in love (3:17)
o Love which passes knowledge (3:19)
o Bearing with one another in love (4:2)
o Speaking the truth in love (4:15)
o Edifying of the body in love (4:16)
o Walking in love as Christ did (5:2)
• What was the answer?
o “Do the first works”
o What did we do when we first came to the Lord?
o Familiarity is a great danger to us all
o Are we continually in awe of God’s love for us in Christ? (I John 3:1)
o Does the love of God in the heart by the Holy Spirit move us to deeds of love?
• Deeds of love
o Purify yourself (keep yourself unspotted from the world) (I John 3:3)
o Setting an example (“follow me as I follow Christ”)
o Bringing refreshment to our brothers and sisters (fragrance of Christ)
o Maintaining a pure attitude towards others even when hurt
o Opening our lives and homes to others
o I Cor. 13:4-8
• He who has an ear, he who overcomes—the tree of life
o Love is of God (I John 4:7)
o Without love, nothing else is of value

• Additional resources at http://www.ntchurchsource.com/
• Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne
• Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com