Wed Jul 9

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words your and first.

Reading

Revelation 2:1–7—Keep on Loving

Optional Reading

Song 8:5-7

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

We are to keep on loving our spouse if we are married.
We are to keep on loving Jesus if we are a Christian.
Jesus will always keep on loving his people.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

What are elements of sustained love?
Why do married people sometimes lose their married love?
Why do Christians sometimes lose their love for Jesus?

Notes

In Solomon’s song we see a sustained love between a man and a woman. Chapter 8, verse 6 highlights the elements of that sustained love. Keep loving with all your heart and all your strength (echoes of the first and greatest commandment), never give up, desire no one else, keep stoking the fire of love. And we considered that sustained love between a man and a woman, but also between a Christian and our Savior.

Here in Revelation 2, Jesus writes to the church at Ephesus. He commends them for many things but speaks against them because they have abandoned the love they had at first. Stewart, in a sermon on Acts 20:16-38 comments on the parting of Paul and the Ephesians elders. They fell on each other's necks and they were crying. because they really loved each other. And anyone looking on to that scene would have been impressed by that, whether they were Christians or unbelievers. Behold how they love one another. Now you've got to keep that love alive in your heart. You've really got to keep it alive. I wonder how many of these elders were alive a few years later when John had to write a little letter to the church in Ephesus telling them that they had lost their first love. That although things were okay, he says, you've lost your first love. Love is really the key to it all.

Love really is the key to it all. Keep on loving! We will fail, but must try not to. Jesus will love us to the end!

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 18a, 34a

Prayer

Pray that you will keep on loving Jesus.
Pray for change in you from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.