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Lessons from

THE BELOVED DISCIPLE by Beth MooreCALLED TO BE GOD’S LEADER by Henry & Richard Blackaby

H O W T O B E C O M E A C H R I S T I A N

A Step of FAITHIn your opinion, what does it take for a person to get to heaven and have eternal life? The Bible answers this question in one word—FAITH.

F Is for Forgiveness• Everyone has sinned and needs God’s forgiveness: “All have sinned and fall short of the

glory of God” (Romans 3:23).• God’s forgiveness is in Jesus only: “In Him we have redemption through His blood,

the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

A Is for Available• God’s forgiveness is available for all: “God loved the world in this way: He gave His One

and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

• God’s forgiveness is available but not automatic: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

I Is for Impossible• It is impossible to get to heaven on our own: “By grace you are saved through faith, and

this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

T Is for Turn• Turn means repent. Turn away from sin and self and turn to Jesus alone as your Savior

and Lord: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6); “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

H Is for Heaven• Here . . . Eternal life begins now with Jesus: “I have come that they may have life and have

it in abundance” (John 10:10).• Hereafter . . . Heaven is a place where we will live with God forever: “If I go away and

prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).

• How . . . How can a person have God’s forgiveness, eternal life, and heaven? By trusting Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You can do this right now by praying and asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and inviting Jesus into your heart.

Accepting Christ is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure with God! Follow Christ’s command in baptism. Join a church where you can worship God and grow in your faith. Get involved in Sunday School and Bible study. Begin a daily personal worship time in which you study the Bible and pray.

E S S E N T I A L M E S S A G E S F R O M G O D ’ S S E R V A N T S

MasterWork ®

F A L L 2 0 1 6

Lessons from

THE BELOVED DISCIPLE

by Beth Moore

CALLED TO BE GOD’S LEADER

by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

Lessons by Beth Moore are condensed from The Beloved Disciple. Copyright © 2003 by Beth Moore. Reprinted by permission of B&H Publishing Group.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lessons by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby are condensed from Called to Be God’s Leader. Copyright

© 2004 by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby. Reprinted by permission of Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in the lessons from The Beloved Disciple

are taken from the NIV, the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978,

1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in the lessons from Called to Be God’s Leader are

taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Used by permission.

Scripture quotations in the “How to Become a Christian” article and those marked HCSB are

taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman

Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from are taken from the New American Standard Bible®,

Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission (www.lockman.org).

MasterWork: Essential Messages from God’s Servants (ISSN 1542-703X, Item 005075042) is

published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville,

Tennessee 37234; Thom S. Rainer, President. © Copyright 2015 LifeWay Christian Resources.

For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service,

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C U RT I S H O N T SContent Editor

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We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay's doctrinal guidelines, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline.

•table of

Contents

INTRODUCING THE BELOVED DISCIPLE 5 SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF

SEPTEMBER 4 Session 1: To the Church in Ephesus 6

SEPTEMBER 11: Session 2: To the Church in Smyrna 18

SEPTEMBER 18: Session 3: To the Church in Pergamum 30

SEPTEMBER 25: Session 4: To the Church in Thyatira 42

OCTOBER 2: Session 5: To the Church in Sardis 54

OCTOBER 9: Session 6: To the Church in Philadelphia 66

OCTOBER 16: Session 7: To the Church in Laodicea 78

INTRODUCING CALLED TO BE GOD’S LEADER 90

OCTOBER 23: Session 8: Limitless Possibilities 91

OCTOBER 30: Session 9: Called to Be God’s Leader 103

NOVEMBER 6: Session 10: Obedience That Goes the Distance 116

NOVEMBER 13: Session 11: Character: The Foundation for Leadership 129

NOVEMBER 20: Session 12: Influence That Matters 142

NOVEMBER 27: Session 13: Joshua’s Leadership Principles 155

•G E T T I N G T H E M O S T O U T O F M A S T E R W O R K

Here are a few suggestions to help you get the most out of this resource:

Group Members 1. Read the daily assignments prior to attending the group time. Complete

the personal learning activities in bold type. Record your notes and questions.

2. Review your notes and questions a few moments prior to the group time as a means of preparing to be an active part of the group.

3. In the margins of this book, record insights gained during the group time.

Group Leader 1. Complete step 1 above. 2. Identify the one main idea and goal for the lesson. The main point of the

lesson and the goal are printed on the teaching plan pages at the end of each lesson. (See p. 16.) Focus on the session goal as you lead the session.

3. Read and study the key Bible passages listed in the margin of the teaching plan. Supplemental Bible commentary and Bible background articles are available in the MasterWork Leader Supplement. (See below.)

4. Develop a group time plan. Two options are offered in this book. One option is to follow the teaching plan at the end of each lesson. A second option is to use the discussion questions in the margins of the lessons. Some group leaders use a combination of both group time plans.

5. Customize the electronic versions of the suggested teaching plans, avail-able on the Internet at https://masterworkbylifeway.wordpress.com, to fit the needs of your group.

6. Review and refine your teaching notes as you move toward the group time. 7. Arrive early, praying for the group time.

M A S T E R W O R K L E A D E R S U P P L E M E N T

Bible commentary on key passages used in MasterWork lessons and related Biblical Illustrator articles are available at lifeway.com/masterwork. Look for “MasterWork Leader Supplement - Fall 2016.” Cost: $5.75 per quarter.

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The Beloved Disciple

Following John to the Heart of Jesus

The Beloved Disciple explores one of the most intriguing relationships in history, between Jesus and His youngest apostle, and it traces the life of that young follower. John would certainly qualify as one of the most fascinating characters in Scripture. He anonymously penned the Gospel that most people consider their favorite. He identified himself only as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” He took the other Gospel accounts of Jesus the Messiah and wrote as if to say, “You’ve heard what Jesus did, now let me show you who He really was.” Thus John shows us the cosmic Christ who created the world, died to redeem it, and lives to reclaim it.

The apostle John’s life includes unbelievable moments of courage and greatness. Of the twelve, only John stayed near for the crucifixion, and he became the recipient of the capstone of Scripture: the Revelation.

It is from that final book of the New Testament that our current study is drawn. We examine the seven churches of Revelation 2–3 and the message of Jesus Christ to them delivered through the pen of His trusted follower, John, the Beloved Disciple.

•A B O U T T H E

W R I T E R S

B e t h M o o r e wrote The Beloved Disciple. She is the writer and teacher of many Bible studies used in churches throughout the world. She is the author of the best-selling books A Heart Like His; Things Pondered; Praying God’s Word; Breaking Free; Feathers from My Nest; To Live Is Christ; When Godly People Do Ungodly Things; Jesus, the One and Only, Believing God; and others. A dedicated wife and mother of two, she lives in Houston, Texas.

R i c k P r a l l wrote the interactive questions and leader guide for this study. Rick is a graduate of Grand Canyon College, Phoenix, Arizona, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. He and wife, Helene, have two children.

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To the Church in Ephesus

•D A Y O N E

Learning from Revelation, Part 1Without exception, in every book or letter he wrote, John was adamant that we know Jesus Christ Himself. The letter begins with a salutation followed by a majestic vision of Christ. Drawing images from Daniel and Ezekiel, John described the resurrected Lord in terms of unmistakable power.

In Revelation 1:19 Christ supplied a basic three-part outline for the entire book. He said, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” I believe the vision of Christ and His intro-duction as recorded in 1:12-20 may have constituted “what you have seen.” Christ’s specific address to each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 may have constituted “what is now.”

1. When have you had some piece of news (a “revelation”) that you couldn’t wait to share with someone else? With whom did you share it? How was the news received? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

“But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.”– Revelation 2:4 (hcsb)

Discussion QuestionsWhat is your favorite type of mail to receive (physical or electronic)? Why?

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All seven of the cities were locations where believers in Christ lived and practiced their faith at the time of John’s exile. Years ago I learned a good rule of thumb that I’ve tried to keep before me in study: when plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense. Through the ages various interpreters have sought to make the churches symbolic, but what we can know for certain is that they were actual believers and real churches. The order of scriptural presentation is actually geographic in Revelation 2 and 3. All seven cities were located in Asia Minor, and their orders in Scripture suggest a very practical route a messenger might take if he began a journey in Ephesus and traveled on to the other six cities.

2. Using a Bible map (perhaps in the back of your Bible or on the Internet), locate the seven churches identified in Revelation 2 and 3. What do you notice about the location of the churches? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Much of the future prophecy in the Book of Revelation is beyond chapter 4; therefore, the remainder of the message is considered by many scholars to fall under the third category: “what will take place later.” To the chagrin of many, we cannot dogmatically interpret most of the symbol-ism in Revelation. Christ did, however, identify the mystery of the seven stars and the seven lampstands. “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20).

Scholars disagree over the exact interpretation of the “angels” of the seven churches. Some believe the angels are literal celestial beings assigned to each church. Since the basic meaning of the word is “messenger,” however, others think the messenger is a man and perhaps the pastor or overseer at each church. Thankfully, the message is the same no matter who Christ deemed messenger.

3. What is the implication of viewing your pastor as a messenger from God? How can God use your pastor as His messenger? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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•D A Y T W O

Learning from Revelation, Part 2We will spend our focused time in Revelation on the messages to the seven churches. The fact that God included the communication in Holy Writ tells us they have something to say to us. In fact, Christ Himself pointed out their relevance to others as He drew all seven letters to a close with a broad invitation.

1. As you begin your study of these seven letters, what do you expect God to say to these churches? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Christ’s invitation is first recorded in Revelation 2:7: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Now, feel the side of your head. Do you feel an ear? Try either side, for you only need one: “He who has an ear ….” If you have one, Jesus would like you to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. I have one, too, so I’m in with you. The reason is obvious. We of His church today have much to learn from the successes, failures, victories, and defeats of the early churches. The generations may be far removed, but our basic nature and the truth of Scripture remain consistent.

Actually, Christ had more in mind than talking to people who had at least one physical ear on the sides of their heads. I certainly had ears throughout my young years, but I’m not sure how well I used them to listen to God. For the most part my ears were important hair accessories. Will I put my hair behind both ears today? One ear? Or shall I let my hair hang over both ears? I was so deep. The messages to the seven churches are for people with a little more depth than that. Christ’s broad invitation was more like this: What I’ve said to them will speak volumes to anyone who really wants to hear and respond.

Discussion QuestionWhy do you think God included these seven letters in the Book of Revelation?

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2. As you begin your study of these seven letters, what do you expect God to say to you? Are you ready to hear and apply His message? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

The prophetic portions of Revelation are going to occur just as God wills according to His kingdom calendar. Our thorough study of them may increase our knowledge and understanding of future events, but their personal application in our daily lives is a little more challenging. On the other hand, Christ’s messages to the seven churches could be applied by the Holy Spirit to change us and indeed affect the condition of Christ’s church today. So let’s each grab an ear and hear!

3. If Jesus were to write a personal letter to you, what types of things might He address? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

•D A Y T H R E E

Common ElementsThe first message appears in Revelation 2:1-7. The letters contain several repeated elements that I want you to identify from the very beginning. Pinpoint these where they appear in each letter. Here are the common components in Christ’s messages to the churches. (An asterisk [*] marks the components that don’t appear in all seven letters.)

• Identification. Christ identified Himself in a specific way using some element of the first vision in Revelation 1:12-18.

Discussion QuestionsHow many times, including this one, have you read the messages to the seven churches? What is the most significant thing you have learned from the messages in the past?

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• Commendation. Christ issued a commendation* based on intimate acquaintance. While not every letter contains a commendation, all seven include the phrase “I know your ….” I practically shudder every time my eyes settle on the Scripture that tells us Christ “walks among the seven golden lampstands” (2:1). We already know that the lampstands are the seven churches. The verb tense suggests a continuous action.

1. Many people fear what God knows about what they’ve done (God knows everything). How could God’s knowing all be both good and bad? Explain. ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

As surely as Christ “walked” among the churches and knew them intimately in the first century, He walks among our churches today. We would be tragically amiss to think Christ is uninvolved and unmoved by the conditions, activities, and inner workings of His present churches. He walks among us. Nothing is more important to Christ in any genera-tion than the health of His church since it is the vehicle through which He purposes to reach the lost and minister to the hurting.

• Rebuke. Based on His intimate knowledge, Christ issued a rebuke.*• Exhortation. Christ issued an exhortation of some kind. He instructs

each church to do something specific.

2. When you hear the word exhortation, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Why? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

• Encouragement. Christ issued an encouragement to overcome. Celebrate the fact that no condition was utterly irreversible! In each case, the church (made up of individual believers) is invited to overcome, but we also must be aware that time is of the essence!

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3. When have you done something that made you feel as if God couldn’t love you as a result? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

•D A Y F O U R

Message to EphesusUsing the elements common to each letter to the churches, let’s see what Christ had to say to the church at Ephesus.

Identification. Note what Christ pinpoints about Himself to the church in Ephesus: “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands” (Rev. 2:1). The description corresponds with verse 12 of chapter 1.

Commendation. Based on His intimate knowledge of the church of Ephesus, Christ strongly commended them in verses 2 and 3: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot toler-ate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.”

1. Thinking about your church, what commendation do you think Jesus would likely give? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Rebuke. “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love” (2:4). Remember the apostle John was most involved in the church at Ephesus. Considering what you know about him, how do you think he responded internally when he heard this particular rebuke concerning his

Discussion QuestionAs we begin the first message, what do you know about Ephesus, the church there, and what biblical events occurred there?

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dear ones in Ephesus? He was the pastor who had sought to teach them to love the Lord Christ. Did he feel a sense of failure or reproof?

2. Read Revelation 2:4 from several different Bible translations. What is the rebuke against the church at Ephesus? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

What might it look like today for believers to forsake their love for Christ? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Exhortation. In verse 5, Christ said, “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 lampstand from its place.” Note a detail about the warning. Christ told the church in Ephesus that if they did not repent and do the things they “did at first,” He would come to them and remove their lampstand from its place. The terminology doesn’t mean they would lose their place in heaven. We lose our lampstand when we lose a vibrant position of godly influence on earth. In other words, we lose our light in the world.

Keep in mind that a church is no stronger than its people. A church isn’t bricks and mortar. It’s the people of God. I’ve been in a church God confronted with the sins of division and cynicism. Though individuals repented and did not lose the light of godly influence, the church as a whole refused to “go face to the ground,” as I call it, in corporate repentance. For an excruciating season, she completely lost her place of viable influence in the community. Her sins were serious, but they were not hopeless! Read on ….

3. “A church isn’t bricks and mortar.” What then makes up a church? What aspects of your church make it a church? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Discussion QuestionWhat can keep a church from being a church?

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Encouragement. “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (2:7). The sins of the church at Ephesus weren’t hopeless either. Nor are ours! Let’s repent, though, so we can overcome!

•D A Y F I V E

Return to Your First LoveI can’t help but camp out a while on the rebuke to the church at Ephesus. I don’t want us to miss its great relevance to the modern church. You noticed that the church in Ephesus received tremendously noble commendations from Christ and yet she had somehow let go of the most important thing of all: her sacred romance with Jesus Christ. We’ve seen in John’s ministry the unparalleled priority of love. You and I can work hard, persevere through extreme difficulty, not tolerate wicked men, and accurately discern false teachers, yet forsake our first love.

1. How would you describe your love for Christ when you first became His disciple? How, if at all, has that changed? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Ironically, many believers don’t view an absence of love for Jesus Christ as sin. They view it simply as something they lack. This misunderstand-ing may be part of the holdup. If God’s absolute priority for all followers of Christ is love—for Him first and others second—then the absence of such love is sin. I pound this point but not to condemn. Remember, it’s not an irreversible condition! I pound the point so that we can do what we must to get on with the business of loving! God says, “Repent!” I’m not sure we’ll be able to welcome the resource of love and His means of shedding it abroad in our hearts until we do.

Discussion QuestionsWhat was your “first love” like? How does your “first love” compare to the first time you understood Jesus’ love for you?

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Repent means turn. I believe God told them and is telling us to turn from whatever has taken the place of our sacred romance with Christ and pour our lives back into the first things. Keep in mind that with the “first things” rightly established, all other things of value come to us as well. The church in Ephesus very likely allowed their spiritual busyness and all their stalwart religiosity to displace the law of love. Since everything else hinges on the laws of love (Matt. 22:36-40), over time all things of eternal value would have crumbled in Ephesus. Surely this exhortation speaks to each of us in one way or another.

Somehow in my previous studies of this letter, I have overlooked the original meaning of a critical word in the phrase “forsaken your first love.” I am astonished to find that the original word for “forsaken” is the same word often translated “forgive” in the New Testament. The word aphiemi means “to send forth, send away, let go from oneself.”1 The word is used in the phrase describing Christ’s physical death when He “gave up the spirit” in Matthew 27:50. The New Testament uses aphiemi in many contexts and simply means giving up or letting go of something. The word is translated “forgive” both times in the familiar words of Matthew 6:12 (KJV): “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

I could easily sit here and sob. The thought occurs to me how often we forsake our first love—our indescribably glorious sacred romance—because we refuse to forsake our grudges and grievances. How many times has Christ watched those He loves give up intimacy with Him in order to hang on to unforgiveness? Please allow me to say this with much compassion as one who has been there: We cannot hang on to our sacred romance with Jesus Christ and also our bitterness. We will release one to hang on to the other.

2. What types of things hinder or take priority over your love for Jesus? What might it take to reclaim your “first love” for Jesus? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

What types of things help you keep your love for Christ growing? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Discussion QuestionsHow would you explain to someone what it means to repent? What examples or analogies would you use?

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Today, precious one, release the one that is nothing but bondage. Life is too short. The room unforgiveness is taking up in your life is cheating you of the very thing you were born (again) to experience. Send it forth! Not into oblivion, but into the hands of the faithful and sovereign Judge of the earth. Grab the neck of Jesus Christ and hang on to Him instead with every breath and every ounce of strength you have. Pray to love Him more than you pray for blessing, health, or ministry. Unless our lampstands are lit with the torch of sacred love, they are nothing but artificial lights. Fluorescent, maybe. But sooner or later, the bulb burns out.

3. What are the positive things God had to say about the church at Ephesus? What are the negative things God had to say about that church? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

1. Spiros Zodhiates, “Lexical Aids to the New Testament” #918 in Spiros Zodhiates, Warren Baker, and David Kemp, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, 1596.

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Before the Session1. Email each class member, sharing something you appreciate about that

person and something you see God doing in the person. Issue a chal-lenge to engage in this study. Close by describing how excited you are to have participants be a part of this new study in the Book of Revelation.

2. Cut out red paper hearts and write My Love for Jesus on them (Step 7).

During the Session1. Lead participants to share their responses to the first discussion ques-

tion (Day One, p. 6). Ask: Did you receive my email invitation? What was your reaction to the email when you opened it? What is your reac-tion when you receive a card or letter in the mail? Poll adults to find out how many send out an annual Christmas letter to let others know what happened during the year. Ask: Why do you do that? What is your reac-tion when you receive a letter like that? Say: Letters are typically used to convey important or personal information.

2. Ask: What does it mean to know Jesus personally? What should it look like to love Jesus personally every day? Allow time for discussion. Call for a volunteer to read the Day One paragraph, beginning “All seven of the cities …” (p. 7). Lead participants to complete Day One activity 2 (p. 7). Share the information from the last two paragraphs in Day One (p. 7). Discuss what it means for your pastor to be a messenger from God.

3. Write on the board He who has an ear, let him hear. Ask: What is the difference between hearing and listening? Can you do one without the other? How? (If appropriate, suggest parents often wonder if their chil-dren do either.) Invite a volunteer to read aloud Revelation 2:7. Direct learners to complete Day Two activity 2 (p. 9). Allow volunteers to share responses. Read aloud the sentence in the last paragraph of Day Two that begins, “On the other hand …” (p. 9). Ask: What does this mean? Challenge learners to consider the question in Day Two activity 3 (p. 9) as you begin the study of this first church letter.

The main point of this lesson is: It is possible to do lots of Christian things well, yet do them without the priority of love for Jesus.

Focus on this goal: To help adults assess and renew the priority of their love for Jesus

Key Bible Passage: Revelation 2:1-7

L E A D E R G U I D E•

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4. Write God Knows on the board. Discuss the meaning of the statement and reactions to it. Review the information from Day Three related to the repeated elements in the seven church letters (pp. 9-10). Lead learn-ers to read the two paragraphs related to Commendation in Day Three (p. 10) and to complete Day Three activity 1 (p. 10). Invite responses. Ask: Why does the fact that God knows everything (He is omniscient) frighten us—especially when He also knows the good stuff? Explain that when we hear an exhortation to do something—especially when God is the one doing the exhorting—we are to respond.

5. Using a Bible map, point out the location of Ephesus. Direct atten-tion to the Day Four discussion question (p. 11) and lead participants to respond. Invite a volunteer to read aloud Revelation 2:1-3. Ask: What did God know about this church? Are these verses commendation or condemnation? (Commendation) Read aloud Revelation 2:4-5. Ask: What is the rebuke against this church? What do you think that means? Lead learners to read silently the two paragraphs from Day Four related to Exhortation (p. 12) to understand the reference to the lampstand. Invite a volunteer to summarize the paragraphs. Direct attention to Day Four activity 3 (p. 12). Call for responses and record them on the board.

6. Direct attention back to Revelation 2:4. Invite a volunteer to read aloud the Day Five paragraph, beginning “Ironically, many believers don’t …” (p. 13). Write the word Repent on the board. Lead participants to call out responses to the Day Five discussion question (p. 14). Clarify any misconceptions about the meaning of repentance. Point out the Day Five paragraph, beginning “Somehow in my previous studies …” (p. 14). Stress the irony that we would “send forth, send away, let go” of the One who promised to never leave or forsake us. Lead participants to share and discuss their responses to Day Five activity 2 (p. 14).

7. Distribute the red paper hearts. Invite a volunteer to read aloud the main point for this lesson from page 16. Ask: Based on our study in this lesson, how can that be possible? What are some specific things we can do to make our love for Jesus a priority in our lives? Record responses on the board. Lead adults to read the last paragraph of Day Five (p. 15). Challenge participants to renew the priority of their love for Jesus. Encourage them to write on their red hearts one or more of the actions recorded on the board, or another action, they will take to refresh their love for Jesus. Encourage participants to use their hearts to bookmark Revelation 2–3 through this study to remind them to reclaim their first love.

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