Crosscreek Community Church

“Why Jesus Isn’t About Religion—And Never Was” [Pt 1 – Free To Follow: Rediscovering Jesus Beyond Religion]

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Jesus offers belonging over behavior, invitation over conformity. Following him has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with real love.

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Welcome to Crosscreek Community Church’s Podcast channel! Located in the Pacific Northwest, Crosscreek Community Church offers a welcoming online church community for those on a journey to discover their meaning in life, explore their doubts, ask questions, and discover more about God, Jesus, Christianity, the Bible, and more.

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Main Ideas:

Most people have felt like they don’t belong at church.
One of the most common issues people have with religion is its push for conformity.
Jesus didn’t bring a new religion. He created something better.
Jesus always starts in our real story.
Faith doesn’t begin with certainty. It begins with openness.
Jesus came looking for people religion left out.
Following Jesus isn’t a position to earn it’s an invitation to accept.
Following Jesus isn’t about rule-following. It’s about love, relationship, and a story bigger than your own.
God knows everything about you, and you’re still invited
Jesus invites all of us to something bigger than all of us. 

Invitation:

As you start your day every day this week… Pray:
Jesus, let me see and accept your love for me. Help me show that love to others. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What part of this message stood out to you the most, and why?
  2. Have you ever felt the pressure to conform or “clean up” in order to belong in a community or church setting? 
  3. Read the passage again (Luke 5:1-11).  How do you think Jesus’ interaction with Simon is different from how religion typically responds to people’s flaws or unworthiness?
  4. How might your life look different if you lived each day believing: “With Jesus, I’m already loved. I’m already invited. I’m already free”? What’s one way you can live that out this week?
  5. How can your group pray with you this week?

    6. __________

    📜 |TRANSCRIPT →

    https://www.yourcrosscreek.com/media/2025-07-06.pdf

    ✍️  | 5 DAY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE → https://substack.com/@crosscreeksalem

    🍞 | GATHER TOGETHER → https://www.yourcrosscreek.com/#gather |

    4:30pm on Sundays.

    👋 | SAY HI → https://www.yourcrosscreek.com/welcome/

    👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 | JOIN A GROUP → https://www.yourcrosscreek.com/#connect

    🤝 | DONATE TO CROSSCREEK → https://www.yourcrosscreek.com/donate/

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    Crosscreek Community ChurchBy Jon Silva