How to keep your Bible study group from losing its first love

This podcast was recorded at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s 2017 Annual Meeting and focuses on reaching communities. Sometimes in church and in Bible study groups, Christians get so busy doing good things that they abandon the best thing—love for Jesus. Rick Hughes explores the purpose and planning of relational small groups and shares practical principles on remaining anchored in Christ and returning to that first love.

Here is an excerpt from this podcast:

First of all, we need to understand there’s a warning that we have from Scripture. Let’s hear what the Word of God says [Revelation 2:2-5]. Let’s think about this church for a moment. As we’re looking at this church, driving by this church, you’d see the sign out there. It seemed like the church was doing everything right. They had different events that were taking place, the music seemed to be taking place well. Even the preaching seemed to be going very well. Maybe it had a great Sunday School. People were coming to Sunday School, people were coming to small groups, the men’s group, the ladies group, all of this stuff seemed to be going very, very well. This would be this [Revelation] type of church possibly. As we look there, we see the Lord say, “I see your works, your toil and your patient endurance.” In other words, they had it clicking. But as you come down to it, notice what the Word of God tells us. He says, “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.” Now to begin with, there’s nothing wrong with our programs, as long as our programs are platforms for ministry. There’s nothing wrong with your groups, as long as they are a platform for something else. We’re not talking about anti-something, but we’re talking about something that goes much deeper than that. We’re talking about a God who says that “I shall have no god before Me.” So let me ask you, is it possible that us being so busy doing the things very well can also become our god?

by Rick Hughes  /  Sunday School and Small Groups  /  Baptist State Convention of North Carolina