Returning to First Love: Times of Refreshing and Renewal

Devotional

Day 1: Returning to Your First Love

Jesus calls us to remember our first love for Him, to repent from where we have fallen, and to return to the passionate devotion we once had, making Him the center of our lives above all else. When we drift, He invites us back—not with condemnation, but with a loving challenge to reset our priorities and experience the fullness of His presence. The warning to the church in Ephesus is sobering: if we do not return to our first love, we risk losing the very light and life that makes us His people. Yet, the promise is that as we remember, repent, and do the works we did at first, we are restored and refreshed in Him. [49:57]

Revelation 2:2-5 (ESV)
“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”

Reflection: What is one practical way you can return to your “first love” for Jesus this week—perhaps by rekindling a spiritual habit or act of devotion you once practiced but have let slip?

Day 2: Seeking First the Kingdom

When we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything else in our lives falls into its proper place, and anxiety loses its grip. Jesus teaches us not to worry about our needs, but to trust that our heavenly Father knows and provides for us as we prioritize Him above all else. This means intentionally shaping our schedules and daily rhythms around God’s priorities—making time for Him, for worship, for rest, and for loving others. As we do, we find that our lives are marked by peace, purpose, and a deep sense of fulfillment that the world cannot offer. [50:31]

Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV)
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Reflection: What is one activity or commitment you can say “no” to this week in order to say “yes” to seeking God’s kingdom first in your daily life?

Day 3: Repentance and Times of Refreshing

Repentance is not just about feeling sorry for our sins, but about turning back to God so that our sins may be blotted out and times of refreshing may come from His presence. This refreshing is both immediate and ongoing—a renewal of our hearts, minds, and spirits as we realign our lives with Jesus. When we confess, change course, and consecrate our lives to Him, we experience freedom from guilt, the breaking of strongholds, and a deep sense of spiritual vitality. God’s promise is that as we turn to Him, He meets us with grace and the refreshing power of His Spirit. [51:30]

Acts 3:19-20 (ESV)
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.”

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you need to repent and invite God’s refreshing presence? What step can you take today to turn back to Him?

Day 4: Building a Biblical Rhythm of Life

A biblical rhythm of life means intentionally structuring your days and weeks around time with God, Sabbath rest, family devotion, worship with other believers, serving, and fellowship. This isn’t about adding more to your already busy schedule, but about subtracting what distracts you from what matters most. When you prioritize these rhythms, you create space for God to refresh you, for your relationships to flourish, and for your soul to find true rest. Even when it’s challenging or imperfect, these habits form your heart and the hearts of those you love to know and follow Jesus deeply. [01:17:44]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV)
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Reflection: Which one of the biblical rhythms—daily time with God, Sabbath, family devotion, worship, serving, or fellowship—do you most need to strengthen or reset this week? What is one step you can take to do so?

Day 5: Receiving the Refreshing of the Holy Spirit

God desires to refresh and strengthen you by His Holy Spirit, not just in theory but in real, tangible ways that fill your inner being with His love and power. This refreshing is available to all who are hungry and willing to wait on Him, to ask for a deeper encounter, and to rest in His presence. As you open your heart to Him, He pours out His Spirit—sometimes in quiet peace, sometimes in overwhelming waves of love—so that you may be rooted and grounded in Christ, filled with all the fullness of God. Let your prayer be for a fresh encounter with His love that marks and transforms you. [01:26:36]

Ephesians 3:14-19 (ESV)
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Reflection: Set aside a quiet moment today to ask God for a fresh encounter with His Spirit—what would it look like for you to wait on Him and receive His love in a new way?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered to remember the beauty and necessity of returning to our “first love”—Jesus at the very center of our lives. In a world that constantly pulls us in a thousand directions, it’s easy to drift, to let our love for God grow cold, and to fill our schedules with everything but the things that truly matter. Yet, Jesus calls us back, not with condemnation, but with an invitation to abundant life, to a life that flourishes when He is our priority.

We began by acknowledging the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, praying for God’s supernatural protection and for the gospel to transform even the hardest hearts. We also recognized that thanksgiving is the antidote to anxiety, and that gratitude shifts our focus from fear to trust in God’s faithfulness.

Reflecting on my own journey, I shared how repentance and consecration—turning away from sin and devoting our lives to God—opened the door for true freedom and refreshing in my life. The chains of addiction were broken not just by a moment at the altar, but by daily, disciplined time in God’s presence. This is the pattern: repentance, consecration, and then times of refreshing from the Lord.

Scripture reminds us that the church in Ephesus, once ablaze with love, had grown cold. Jesus’ warning was clear: if we don’t return to our first love, we risk losing the very presence and power that makes us the church. The antidote is simple but costly: seek first the kingdom of God. This means reordering our lives, not just adding more to our plates, but subtracting the things that crowd out what matters most.

A biblical rhythm of life is marked by daily time with God, a weekly Sabbath, intentional family discipleship, regular worship with the church, serving others, and deep fellowship with believers. These aren’t burdens, but gifts—God’s way of bringing rest, joy, and purpose. When we make space for these rhythms, we experience the refreshing of the Holy Spirit, a supernatural strength and love that fills us from the inside out.

God desires to encounter us, to fill us with His love, and to reset our lives around Him. As we step into the holidays and a new year, may we be people who say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” and experience the fullness and refreshing that only He can give.

Key Takeaways

1. Repentance and Consecration Lead to Freedom Turning away from sin and intentionally devoting areas of our lives to God is not a one-time event, but a continual process. True repentance bears fruit—visible changes in our priorities and habits. When we consecrate our time, desires, and struggles to Jesus, He breaks the chains that hold us and brings genuine freedom. [46:20]
2. Biblical Rhythms Bring Refreshing God’s design for our lives includes daily communion with Him, Sabbath rest, family discipleship, worship, serving, and fellowship. These rhythms are not religious obligations, but pathways to wholeness and joy. When we align our schedules with God’s priorities, we find the rest and strength our souls crave, even in a busy world. [60:20]
3. Subtraction, Not Addition, Is the Path to Prioritizing Jesus Often, the barrier to a Christ-centered life is not a lack of desire, but overcrowded schedules. The call is not to add more spiritual activities, but to courageously subtract what distracts us from God and people. This may mean saying “no” to good things so we can say “yes” to the best things—those that form our hearts and homes around Jesus. [78:18]
4. The Holy Spirit Supernaturally Refreshes and Strengthens Beyond our own efforts, God meets us with supernatural refreshing. The Holy Spirit brings strength, encouragement, and love that surpasses human understanding. Encounters with God are not just emotional experiences, but deep infusions of His presence that empower us to love and serve from a place of fullness. [80:34]
5. Encountering God’s Love Fuels Our Love for Others We love in proportion to how deeply we have experienced God’s love. If our love for Jesus or others feels shallow, it may be because we have not yet allowed ourselves to be filled with His love. Seeking a fresh encounter with God is not selfish; it is the wellspring from which all true love and service flow. [85:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:07] - Connect and Discover Resonate
[38:02] - Thanksgiving and Invitations
[39:01] - God Stories and Testimonies
[39:45] - Prayer for Nigeria and Thanksgiving
[42:06] - Series Recap: First Love
[44:15] - Repentance, Consecration, and Refreshing
[45:05] - Personal Story: Breaking Strongholds
[49:02] - Scripture Reading: Revelation 2
[52:10] - Acts 3: The Lame Man Healed
[54:21] - What Is Refreshing?
[56:00] - Reprioritizing Life Around Jesus
[60:20] - Biblical Rhythms for Refreshing
[65:20] - Sabbath and Family Discipleship
[72:01] - Worship, Serving, and Fellowship
[78:18] - Subtracting to Prioritize Jesus
[80:34] - The Holy Spirit’s Refreshing
[82:22] - Charles Finney’s Encounter
[85:43] - Experiencing God’s Love
[87:25] - Responding: Prayer and Worship
[101:35] - Blessing and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Returning to Our First Love

---

### Bible Reading

Revelation 2:1-5 (ESV)
> “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.’”

Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV)
> “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Acts 3:19-20 (ESV)
> “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.”

---

### Observation Questions

In Revelation 2, what does Jesus say he has “against” the church in Ephesus, and what does he tell them to do about it?

([49:57])

According to Matthew 6, what does Jesus say we should seek first, and what is the promise attached to that?

([50:31])

In Acts 3, what is the connection between repentance and “times of refreshing”?

([51:05])

The sermon described several “biblical rhythms” for life. What are some of the specific practices mentioned that help us keep Jesus at the center?

([01:00:20])

---

### Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus warns the church in Ephesus that if they don’t return to their first love, he will remove their lampstand? What does this mean for a church or a believer?

([49:57])

The sermon talked about repentance and consecration as ongoing, not just one-time events. Why is it important to see these as daily or continual practices rather than just something we do once?

([46:20])

The idea of “subtraction, not addition” was emphasized—removing things from our lives to make space for God. Why is subtraction often harder than just adding more spiritual activities?

([01:18:18])

The pastor shared a personal story about breaking free from addiction through daily time with God. What does this suggest about the relationship between spiritual disciplines and real-life change?

([45:05])

---

### Application Questions

The church in Ephesus was doing a lot of good things but had lost their “first love.” Are there areas in your life where you’re busy doing good, but your love for Jesus has grown cold? What would it look like to “return” to your first love this week?

([49:57])

The sermon described a biblical rhythm of daily time with God, Sabbath rest, family discipleship, worship, serving, and fellowship. Which of these rhythms is most lacking in your life right now? What is one small step you could take to make space for it this week?

([01:00:20])

The pastor said, “I’m not talking about adding things to your life. I’m talking about subtracting some things from your life.” What is one activity, commitment, or habit that is crowding out your time with God or your family? Are you willing to subtract it? Why or why not?

([01:18:18])

The sermon mentioned that gratitude is the antidote to anxiety. When you feel anxious or overwhelmed, what is one way you can practice thanksgiving to shift your focus back to God’s faithfulness?

([40:08])

The pastor shared that his breakthrough didn’t come just from a moment at the altar, but from daily, disciplined time in God’s presence. Is there an area in your life where you need to move from a “one-time” decision to a daily practice? What would that look like?

([45:05])

The Holy Spirit brings supernatural refreshing and strength. When was the last time you intentionally asked God to refresh you by His Spirit? What happened? If it’s been a while, what’s holding you back from seeking that today?

([01:20:34])

The sermon closed with the challenge, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” What would it look like for your household to make a fresh commitment to serve the Lord together as you head into the holidays and new year?

([01:37:32])

---

Sermon Clips

Jesus is the only person that when you pursue Him, when you put Him first, everything else in your life flourishes. If you put your job as the most important thing, not everything in your life is going to flourish. That might flourish, but your family takes a hit. If your kid's the most important thing, your marriage might take a hit. Jesus says, The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. Abundant living. There's a fullness and abundance that comes from Jesus at the center. [00:43:07] (31 seconds) #JesusFirstFlourishingLife

On judgment day, there's going to be two things that God is going to judge us on. He's going to judge us on our relationship with Christ and our relationship with other people. He was talking about the judgment separating the sheep and the goats. And he says, when I was hungry, when I was thirsty, when I was naked, you clothed me. And they said, when did we do that? When did we do that? He says, when you did it to the least of these, you did it unto me. We're going to be judged one day of how we treated people. [00:58:13] (34 seconds) #JudgedByLove

When we prioritize the life in Christ and the kingdom of God, we have to say no to some things so that we can say yes to some things. And I say this all the time. I think I need to make a t-shirt out of it. But we need to live on Jesus' time. He was never in a hurry. I mean, he'd be heading one way and somebody would stop him and he would take his time and give them full attention. How many times do we not do that? Like, okay, you're bothering me. I don't have time for this. [00:58:54] (32 seconds) #LiveOnJesusTime

But the point is not how long you spend. It's are you connecting with Him? If you just have...Some of you need to just start with 15 minutes a day because you're not spending any time with the Lord. You just start there. I promise you it will bring a total change in your life. What else would be really important in a biblical schedule? A biblical schedule would include a Sabbath day. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But on the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. [01:05:00] (33 seconds) #StartWith15Minutes

It's just normal life. But we do it anyway. You see, what we could do is go, well, you know, this is just not working, so we shouldn't do this. No, because even the stats point out, the more we do this, the more they're going to do that with their kids, and they're going to be screaming at their kids saying, go to their room. We're trying to read the Bible. Go to your room. Love Jesus. Oh, my goodness. It's crazy. You're like, we're reading the Bible, trying to have this beautiful time. [01:11:06] (36 seconds) #WorshipTogetherWeekly

Serving. Each one, Peter says, each one has received a gift. Use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. Who's each? That means every one of us has a gift. Now, listen to this. This is another. Okay, Josh Hargrove, stop it. You know they did functional MRIs on people's brains. I don't know how they did this while they were serving. I don't know. They put something on them. Do you realize that serving hits the same part of the brain as food and sex? [01:14:26] (36 seconds) #BiblicalRhythm

I'm not talking about adding things to your life. I'm talking about subtracting some things from your life. Even though, biblically and scientifically, we read that this is the best stuff for us, why don't we do it? We're too busy. We've got too many games and things and theater and all the things to be a part of. But I'm not saying there's anything wrong with those things. But, Jeff, but the kids love those stuff. Yeah, they do love those stuff. I totally get it. But what are the things that you're doing to form their heart to love Jesus? [01:18:21] (34 seconds) #YearOfReset

God wants to encounter us today and every day in our life. Once you've had an encounter, it marks you. Do you know, we usually give love in such a way or the amount of love we give is in proportion to how much love we have felt. Many times people do not love Jesus with their whole heart because they have not felt loved by Jesus with their whole heart. [01:25:35] (30 seconds) #RestInJesus

There is a strength that comes into your inner being from the Holy Spirit so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted in grounded love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what it is, the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness. I want to be filled with all the fullness of God. [01:26:39] (37 seconds) #ResetYourHome

I've got to perform for God. I've got to perform to get his love. Jesus, it says that before you were, before he even went to the cross, while you were yet sinners, he still loved you in your mess. So there's nothing you can do. So there's no more striving in him than just resting in him. Come on, say, Lord, give me a revelation of your love. I just, I need to, I need to encounter you. Come on. I need to encounter you, Lord. [01:36:25] (32 seconds) #SeekGodDaily

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What is the biblical meaning of refreshment?

How does prayer lead to spiritual renewal?

Why is prioritizing Jesus essential for a balanced life?