What would it look like to love God with your whole life?

Jesus described loving God as the greatest commandment: to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. But what does that actually look like in everyday life? First Love is an invitation to explore that question.

In Revelation 2:4–5, Jesus speaks to the church in Ephesus. He recognizes their perseverance and faithfulness, but tells them that they have lost sight of something essential: their first love. His invitation is simple—remember, return, and begin again. That invitation is at the heart of this six-chapter course.

First Love invites you to slow down, listen to God, and consider what wholehearted devotion looks like in the ordinary places of life. It is an invitation to receive God's love more deeply, return to Him when your heart has become distracted or divided, and allow His love to shape the whole of who you are.

what to expect

First Love combines Scripture, teaching, reflection, prayer, and practical rhythms of discipleship to help you connect with God each week. Together, we will explore Bible passages, prayer practices, spiritual disciplines, self-evaluations and next steps. Our goal is to become more attentive to God, aware of His love, and responsive to His invitation.

Over this six-week course, we will consider God’s love for us and our love for Him through different lenses. Here is an overview of the topics we will consider:

• The Invitation to Love: We begin wholehearted devotion by receiving God's perfect love and making it the foundation of our relationship with Him.

• All My Heart: We examine our competing affections and choices, guiding us toward an undivided devotion to God.

• All My Soul: Loving God with our soul means surrendering every ordinary part of our lives, from our identity to our future, into His care.

• All My Mind: Following Jesus requires aligning our daily thoughts, assumptions, and perspectives with His truth.

• All My Strength: We practise wholehearted love by faithfully stewarding our physical body, time, and resources for God and others.

• All That I Am: Wholehearted devotion integrates our heart, soul, mind, and strength into one unified life fully surrendered to God.

Details

• Dates

  • Monday evenings

  • Nov 9 to Dec 14

• Time

  • Optional potluck supper at 6 pm

  • Discussion from 7 to 9 pm

• Location

  • GOHOP Prayer Room - 1907 King St E

• Cost

  • $150 with a printed guide or $120 with a pdf guide

  • $20 off for each friend you come with

  • Scholarships are available. Email us if you have questions.

An Invitation

Whether you are beginning a new season of following Jesus, looking to deepen your spiritual life, or simply sensing an invitation to slow down and pay attention to God again, First Love is designed to help you make space for that journey.

Come ready to listen. Come ready to reflect. Come ready to be honest. Come ready to remember. And come ready to discover what it might mean to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

Remember. Return. Begin again.