Lisa Harper's Back Porch Theology

Recapturing Your First Love

Sep 23, 2024

Lisa Harper, an author on faith, joins motivational speaker and social justice advocate Christine Caine, alongside inspirational writer Susie Crosby. They reflect on their visit to Ephesus, discussing how early Christians lost their passion for Jesus. The conversation highlights the significance of rekindling genuine love for God amidst routine. They explore vulnerability in relationships with God and the importance of compassion. Their heartfelt dialogue emphasizes a call to embrace love and foster supportive church environments for those feeling distant from faith.

56:55

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Episode guests

Susie Crosby

Christine Caine

Lisa Harper

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The early Christians in Ephesus transitioned from vibrant faith to mere religious practices, losing their personal relationship with Jesus over generations.

The decline of spiritual fervor highlights a danger where Christians view God as an ideal, rather than nurturing a genuine relationship leading to emptiness.

To recapture foundational love for Christ, believers must prioritize relational intimacy and love in their interactions, promoting community and healing.

Deep dives

The Spiritual Decline of the Ephesians

The early Christians in Ephesus initially exhibited vibrant faith, actively spreading the message of Jesus through personal relationships. However, as generations passed, their fervor waned, leading to a spiritual decline that resulted in a mere adherence to religious practices. This decline is starkly documented in Revelation, where it is noted that they lost their 'first love.' The decline illustrates a transition from passionate believers to a community that merely maintained traditions without a genuine connection to their faith.

Intro

2min

First Loves and Faith in Ephesus

21min

The Soil of Love: Nurturing Genuine Faith

2min

Rekindling Intimacy with the Divine

4min

Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity

2min

The Centrality of Love in Faith

23min

A Prayer for the Broken and a Call to Embrace Love

4min

Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is part travelogue, part exegesis, part confessional, and part pinky swear because while we were visiting Ephesus on our trip tracing the missionary journeys of Apostle Paul this summer, I couldn’t help thinking about the Ephesians’ sad, downward spiritual trajectory recorded by John in Revelation chapter two when he describes those early Christians as “doing all the right things outwardly yet losing their first love.” Theologian A.W. Tozer said it well, albeit soberly, when he observed, “For millions of Christians, God is no more real than He is to non-Christians. They go through life trying to love an ideal and be loyal to a mere principle.” As our tour group walked along the rocky paths of those ancient ruins where Paul once preached and Timothy planted a church and John discipled new believers while keeping Mary, the mother of Jesus, company in her latter years, we found ourselves pondering what went wrong. What caused that group of once devoted Christ followers to lose their zeal and exchange a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus for rote religiosity? In much the same way a physical autopsy allows physicians and scientists to gain invaluable data that can lead to new, life-saving medicines and procedures, a spiritual post-mortem exam of how the church at Ephesus lost their first love can provide invaluable data for those of us who are committed to keep our love relationship with Jesus healthy and intimate. There will inevitably be both difficult and dry seasons on the Christian journey, but goodness gracious, I never want to be rightly accused as someone whose love for Jesus has faded and I’m sure you don’t either. So please grab your favorite beverage and a sharable snack – unless of course it’s kale chips, which I will happily abstain from – and pull your chair up on the porch with Alli, Dr. Howard, and me. Today’s going to be a good one, y’all.

Kerygma Sale! Invite a friend or two and take advantage of a $75 discount on two tickets or $150 off three tickets by entering the codes BIGBIBLES2 or BIGBIBLES3. Visit https://www.kerygmasummit.com/

Lisa Harper’s Luke Study is available here.