Deep Dive

Down But Not Out — Smyrna | Revelation 2:8–11

November 15, 2026 • Tenth & Broad Church of Christ

Scripture Focus

Revelation 2:8–11. Read the whole letter before beginning the discussion.

Introduction

Jesus knows the church in Smyrna. He sees its poverty and suffering, calls it rich, and asks its members to remain faithful. His promise rests on who he is: the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. In this message, Ken invites us to consider what pressure reveals about our faith

and how the risen Jesus gives hope through grief and uncertainty. Use these questions for personal reflection or a group conversation.

Discussion Questions

1. Read Revelation 2:8–11 aloud. What does Jesus say about himself before he describes the church’s circumstances? Why does that order matter?

2. Jesus says he knows Smyrna’s affliction and poverty. What comfort does being known by Jesus offer when circumstances have not changed?

3. How can people who lack basic resources still be rich in Christ? What measures of a church’s health does this challenge?

4. The believers faced pressure to compromise their allegiance to Jesus. What would faithfulness have cost them? Where do you feel pressure to compromise today?

5. Jesus warns that more suffering is coming. How does this passage shape our expectations about what following him will involve?

6. What is the relationship between Jesus’ command not to fear and his call to be faithful even to death? How does his resurrection support both?

7. Ken uses the picture of myrrh releasing fragrance under crushing. What might faith, love, or courage look like when pressure exposes what is inside us?

8. Ken says the church is priceless to Jesus even when the world dismisses it. How could that change the way we speak about and serve our congregation?

9. Read Matthew 10:28 alongside Revelation 2:11. How does Jesus’ promise about the second death address the deepest fears in this letter?

10. Ken describes Polycarp’s refusal to deny Jesus. What habits and relationships can help us grow in faithfulness before a severe test arrives?

11. Ken distinguishes Smyrna’s persecution from Tenth & Broad’s grief and transition. How can we take our own struggles seriously while remembering Christians who face persecution?

12. “Hard times will reveal the character of a church.” What specific act of prayer, encouragement, generosity, or reconciliation will you practice this week?

Digging Deeper

Revelation 1:17–18 — Notice how Jesus’ identity connects his words to John with his words to Smyrna.

Matthew 10:28–31 — Consider how reverence for God and trust in his care reshape fear.

1 John 5:1–5 — Reflect on faith in Jesus as the Son of God and the victory that overcomes the world.

2 Corinthians 4:7–18 — As a companion reading, consider weakness, endurance, and the hope of resurrection.

Weekly Challenge

Read Revelation 2:8–11 each day. Name one pressure you face and pray for faithfulness within it. Choose one concrete act of care for someone who is grieving or anxious. Pray also for Christians facing persecution, and reflect at the end of the week on what these practices revealed about your trust in Jesus.

Prayer Focus

Lord Jesus, you know our afflictions and our fears. Keep our eyes on you, the One who died and lives again. Strengthen Christians who suffer for your name. Comfort those who grieve, guide our church through change, and make our faithfulness a sweet fragrance to you. Help us encourage one another and trust your promise of life. Amen.