Knowing Jesus Isn’t Just for ‘Religious’ People’
Read The Daily:
“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection… and to become like Him.” – Philippians 3:10
You don’t have to be super “churchy” to want more out of life. Maybe you’ve never read a Bible or sat through a service without checking your phone. That’s fine. Because this isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about knowing a Person.
The guy who wrote this verse (his name’s Paul) had every reason to feel “spiritually successful,” but he still said, I just want to know Jesus. Not out of guilt. Not to look holy. But because he’d experienced something real. He met a God who wasn’t angry or distant—but close, personal, and full of love.
That same God is still inviting you to know Him—not as a religion, but as a relationship. If you’ve been burned by church or just feel like you’d never fit in there, this might surprise you: Jesus isn’t waiting for a better version of you. He’s just waiting for you.
All three speakers shared from the heart this past Sunday, each bringing us back to this: grace. Not a grace that waits to punish, but one that welcomes. Not a Jesus who demands perfection, but one who walks beside us in imperfection. Whether you’re a lifelong believer or just curious about faith, their stories all carried this truth—God is closer than we think.
To know Jesus is to know grace, to recognize that what holds us isn’t our effort but His faithfulness. Grace isn’t a backup plan; it’s the only plan. And as Paul said, the more we know Christ, the more we’ll understand both the joy of resurrection and the humility of suffering. That’s real, living faith.
Wherever you are, whatever baggage you carry, you’re invited to draw near—not with cleaned-up prayers or flawless routines, but with your real, honest self. He’s already there, ready.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.” Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:31-43
Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. Romans 11:11-24