You’ve Lost it. Get it Back. Restoring Your Spiritual Passion

When you find yourself in a spiritual rut, don’t stop moving.

Rut:

• A long deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles
• A habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull or unproductive but is hard to change.

You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! (Revelation 2:4, NLT)

You’ve lost your first love:

• Self-induced
• God-induced

How do we get it back?

• Put my eyes where they belong
• Today I decide it’s time!

For a self-induced rut:

• It’s time to repent of sin.
• It’s time to put God first.

For a God-induced rut:

• It’s time to forgive God and restore your relationship with Him.
• It’s time to stop doing life alone.

Today I decide it’s time!

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Key Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT)

 9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Revelation 2:1-5 (NLT)

1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands: 2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.

• Have you ever had your car or ATV stuck in mud or snow?  What caused you to get stuck?  How did you get unstuck?

Start thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking.

• Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.  What did Paul mean when he wrote “those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God”?  Why do so many people get confused about salvation?
• Read Revelation 2:1-5.  Discuss Jesus’ evaluation of the church at Ephesus.  How do you think Jesus would evaluate Generations Church?  If Jesus was evaluating your walk with him what would be his complaint?
• Read 1 John 2:15-17.  What happens when we try to love the things of the world and love God at the same time?  According to v.17 what’s the solution to our problem?  What does that look like in your life?

Start sharing. Choose a question to create openness.

• What’s the difference between a spiritual rut and spiritual lostness?
• Describe a time you’ve been in a spiritual rut.  What caused you to get out of it?
• Have you ever been lost but thought you were saved?
• If you’ve ever lost your spiritual passion, can you identify the reason?  Was it the “Self induced” reason, where you fell in love with sin?  Or was it a reaction to God induced trials and testing? (Read Job 7:11-16)
• What one thing can you do to restore your spiritual passion and to love God with your whole heart?  How can our small group help you with this?

Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.

• Take a step this week to restore, strengthen or affirm your spiritual passion.

Start praying. Be bold and pray with power.

• Pray that each member of your small group puts love and passion for God first and foremost in his or her life.  Pray that He helps them if they are struggling with the desires and concerns of this world.

Start digging. For further study.

• Read this Got Questions article, “How can I overcome spiritual apathy?”

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