A good friend and I used to eat at Chili’s once or twice a month. A couple years ago I noticed the restaurant’s effort to reduce the menu options by 40%. The CFO stated, “While we were chasing new platforms, we were losing our credibility on what built us, our burgers, ribs, and fajitas.” Chasing but losing; that sounds exhausting. The restaurant forgot what one leader has said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” As a church, and a follower of Jesus, keeping the main thing the main thing can sometimes be a challenge.

It’s around this time of year when students of all ages receive their school yearbook. Looking at my kids’ yearbook this year reminded me of my own yearbooks. My yearbooks are like an open window for my kids to catch a glimpse of my younger days (and just maybe I’ll share a few of my throwback pictures on Sunday). In a similar way, the New Testament book of 1 Thessalonians is an open window to one of the first churches ever begun, and what a church it was! Imagine the faith of TBC being so contagious that it spread and became known beyond Parker County. Well, that’s the story of the church of the Thessalonians, so make plans to join us for a new sermon series – Known Everywhere.