Happy Thanksgiving!

Save the Date!

Be the Church: Christmas Edition

On December 5th Explore Church will be serving our community during the Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade.  Make sure you sign up so you can help us:  "BE THE CHURCH!"

Carson: People Don’t Learn What I Teach Them; They Learn What I’m Excited About

D.A. Carson:

If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.

If the gospel—even when you are orthodox—becomes something which you primarily assume, but what you are excited about is what you are doing in some sort of social reconstruction, you will be teaching the people that you influence that the gospel really isn’t all that important. You won’t be saying that—you won’t even mean that—but that’s what you will be teaching. And then you are only half a generation away from losing the gospel.

Make sure that in your own practice and excitement, what you talk about, what you think about, what you pray over, what you exude confidence over, joy over, what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus, the gospel, the cross. And out of that framework, by all means, let the transformed life flow.

Carson: People Don’t Learn What I Teach Them; They Learn What I’m Excited About

Closing the Gap

On November 7th we started a new series:  "Closing the Gap."  There always seems to be a gap between where you are and where you want to be...a divide between your dream and your reality.  Many things can contribute to the creation of that gap.  It could be lack of opportunity, lack of education, lack of time or energy, or just a lack of ability.  The question remains:  How can you reach your potential if you can never close the gap from your current situation to your desired future?  What do you do?  Where do you start?  The world tells us to work harder, make adjustments, or get more training.  But these all focus on what we can do.

Take a pause and ask:  Is this even the gap that needs closing?  The bible points out a gap between us and God.  The problem though--we can't close it!  The one who can is Jesus Christ.  He is the closer!  He offers to take our place--be our substitute.  He offers to pay the price we cannot afford--be our redeemer.  Only by putting our faith and trust in Jesus can the gap between us and our Creator be closed.

This seven part series will take us through the book of First Thessalonians.  Each week we will explore a gap, that with God's help, can be closed so that we can reach our ultimate potential and be like Christ in our actions and attitude.

The book will be outlined as follows:

1. 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
3. 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
4. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
5. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
6. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
7. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

For digging deeper--consider the following resources:

• The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, John Stott
• 1-2 Thessalonians, G. K. Beale

The ESV

The ESV is the translation that is used and recommended at Explore Church. Here are some endorsements from some well-known Christian leaders. The ESV

Day in Downtown - Explore Church