For two months, we’ve looked at the words Jesus had for seven real-world churches in the first century, words of affirmation, of challenge, and of call-to-action. But those words were more than simply a story to remember of days-gone-by. And Jesus has words for us. Today. Here-and-now. Are we ready to listen?

#Seven #MoreThanAStory #Ephrata #RememberMe

Some might argue that the worst way to drink coffee is lukewarm … not hot, not cold, just a tepid average of the two. Some might also say that the worst place we can be in our faith is in between hot and cold, neither invested nor indifferent. What do you think God would have to say to a group of people claiming to be His people and yet living this lukewarm way?

#Seven #TheApatheticChurch #Laodecia #Lukewarm

We all get bad news - that’s just life. And sometimes, we get bad news about ourselves, or at least what someone thinks is bad about us. But what about those times when someone tells you that you’re doing great and that they’ve got your back? What would it be like if God said that to you?

#Seven #TheEnduringChurch #Philadelphia #BrotherlyLove

Whenever we start a new relationship (romantic or otherwise), we never commit to it believing that we’ll one day reject it or those commitments. Instead, if they do fail, it’s because we tend to drift away from what truly captured us in those first moments. And the same is true of our faith, if we’re not careful.

#Seven #TheSleepyChurch #Sardis

Do you feel seen? It’s a question that can have huge impact on how we view ourselves and how we engage with our world. Are we seen when we do well? When we mess up? Does anyone care or does it even make a difference? Because justice is real, the answer is yes. And it can powerfully remake how we live.

#Seven #MarriedToCompromise #Thyatira

Though we all face troubles in this life, few of us in America face the kind of brutal persecution that early Jesus-followers did. They faced torture, imprisonment, and death. And yet so very many refused to deny Jesus. But even then, even for them, it was an easy sidestep into believing things that didn’t align with the Jesus who saved them and loved them. How much easier is it for us today, when we face comfort rather than calamity?

#Seven #Heresy #Pergamum

One of the biggest questions that humanity wrestles with is the notion of why there is suffering. And right along with it is the question of what to do when we suffer. But the reality underneath it is that we ALL do suffer. Engaging that reality can be weighty, but there is a hope that overshadows the darkest of shadows.

#Seven #Suffering #Smyrna

Most of us can remember a time when we were REALLY in love. And most of us can remember what it feels like to fall OUT of love, too. While this might be common in many relationships, it is never a good thing when we lose that love we first had with a person we’ve committed ourselves to … and that holds true for churches too.

#Seven #FirstLoveLost #Ephesus