• This is the focus of knowing Christ today.

• Worshiping Jesus and his Father — it’s about God, not me! We worship God not just by singing songs of praise to him but by bringing our daily lives into his kingdom or government and doing that together.

• Appreciating God (e.g., the beauty of his creation, forgiveness for our sins, and the gift of eternal living with him).

• Being humbled in God’s presence — even in adoring silence, looking to him and waiting on him.

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God  and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” - Psalm 95:6-7, NIV84

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser… I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:1, 5, ESV

• This is the bottom line of knowing Christ (this is observable by others).

• Becoming like Jesus is more than behavioral obedience, it means your character — who you are when you’re not performing on stage — is being transformed by God’s grace to be the kind of person who obeys Jesus’ teachings from your heart.

• We’re to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit, especially love for one another in the Body of Christ and love for our neighbors, but also love for our enemies (e.g., “Bless those that curse you.”)

“But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” - 1 John 2:5-6, NIV84

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love… This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” - John 15:10, 12, ESV

• This is the reasonableness of knowing Christ today.

• To be in-formed by Scripture is more than head knowledge — it’s relying on God’s words through study, meditation, and prayer so that they live in you and draw you closer to Jesus.

• We’re to live in an ongoing conversational relationship with God, guided by the teachings of the Bible (like the Psalmist).

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2, NIV84

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” - John 15:7, ESV

• This is the heart of knowing Christ today.

• Devotion to God is not just an emotion or impulse that comes and goes, it’s the soul’s longing for more and more of God, to love him more and to experience him more.

• We cry out for God because we need his love to cover our sins, heal our hurts, and empower us to overcome our struggles.

• If you’re heart is for God then you’ll be affectionate with him, showing a special tenderness for the Lord which at special times may be felt as “the Jesus burn” like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus experienced.

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” - Psalm 63:1-3, NIV84

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love… No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” - John 15:9, 15

• This is the blessing of knowing Christ today.

• To experience life with God is to enjoy the “easy yoke” and “light burden” that Jesus offers in your day-to-day life — the hope that is an anchor for the soul, the peace that passes understanding, the joy unspeakable and full of glory.

• “Experience” is not the same thing as emotions, though it normally includes our feelings. Experiencing involves all the functions of our person: thinking, awareness, observations of our environment, memory, emotions, willing/choosing, bodily sensations and activity, social connections, and soul.

• We can grow in our confidence and courage to Venture on God and then finding that indeed the hand of the Lord was at work, what you accomplished was more than you could’ve done on your own.

• Occasionally we may also experience supernatural manifestations like hearing God’s voice (usually as divinely inspired thoughts or impressions), feeling the “warmth of the Spirit” or tingling in your body, or having visions.

“Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” - 1 Samuel 3:9 and 10, NIV

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28, 30, ESV

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” - John 15:11, ESV