Don’t Leave Your First Love | Revelation 2:1–5 | August 30, 2026
LOVE. BUILD. REACH.
Our Vision. Our Mission. Our Calling.
Sermon by Rev. Larry Davis | Second Baptist Church Amarillo, TX
It is possible to be busy for Christ and still drift away from closeness with Christ.
In Revelation 2, the church at Ephesus had many things worth admiring. They worked hard. They persevered. They stood against false teaching. They remained faithful under pressure.
Yet Jesus pointed to one serious concern.
Nevertheless, I have this against you: that you have left your first love.
Revelation 2:4 NKJV
This passage shows us a church to admire, a concern to address, and a call to amend.
The problem was not that they had stopped serving.
The problem was that their service was no longer flowing from the same love they once had for Christ.
That warning still matters for the church today.
We can attend, serve, lead, teach, volunteer, give, organize, and stay constantly busy with ministry, yet still allow our hearts to grow distant from the One we are serving.
Jesus does not only want our labor.
He wants our love.
Our work for Christ must always flow from our relationship with Christ. When love grows cold, even good ministry can become routine. But when our hearts remain close to Jesus, service becomes worship.
Christ calls His church to remember, repent, and return.
Remember where our hearts once were.
Repent of anything that has taken His rightful place.
Return to the love and devotion that first moved us to follow Him.
LOVE. BUILD. REACH. begins with loving God first.
Before we can faithfully build His people and reach the world, our own hearts must remain anchored in a genuine love for Jesus Christ.
Join us at Second Baptist Church Amarillo as we open God’s Word together and ask an important question.
Are we simply doing the work of the Lord, or are we still deeply in love with the Lord of the work?
Sunday Worship: 10:45 AM
Fellowship Dinner: Wednesdays at 5:30 PM at the Charles Jones Auditorium, Education Building
Bible Study Night: Wednesdays at 6:15 PM
Come worship with us, bring your family, and invite someone who may be looking for a church where they can grow in faith, community, and love for Christ.
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